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United Way award recipient has ties to area

A commitment to helping others can take many forms — from standing up for working people to serving families in need. At United Way of Chautauqua County’s Salute to Labor dinner recently, James B. McIntyre, the 2026 Joseph H. Mason Award recipient, spoke about the connection between the ...

Investment in free state parks pay off for state

Pennsylvania’s 125 free state parks generated an estimated $16.05 for every $1 invested, up from $12.41 reported in a previous study, according to a new study from the Pennsylvania State University. The study also found that visitors spent an estimated $1.2 billion on state park trips in 2025, supporting jobs and businesses in communities across the Commonwealth. Visitor spending averaged $31.60 per person per day, with restaurants, gas, and groceries among the top spending categories. The findings underscore the role of the Commonwealth’s state parks in supporting Pennsylvania’s ...

Shapiro, Garrity share election reform thoughts

Gov. Josh Shapiro and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity have differing opinions on a wide variety of issues impacting Pennsylvanians, including the state’s voting laws. Since Shapiro was elected governor in 2022, he’s implemented a few reforms to the state’s election law, which has been at the center of contentious debates since the commonwealth approved near-universal mail-in voting in 2019. Reforms proposed by Republicans, who controlled both chambers at the time, were bolstered by questions about election integrity following former President Joe Biden's only term in the White ...

Students explore agriculture, entrepreneurship at 3 PillarZ Farm

Students in the Warren Forest Higher Education Council’s Youth Leadership Program explored the connections among agriculture, science, technology, and business during a hands-on session at 3 PillarZ Farm last week. Julie Zajac, executive director of 3 PillarZ Farm, developed the day’s ...

Teacher found not guilty of statutory sexual assault

A teacher has been found not guilty of six felony charges filed in 2025 charging her with statutory sexual assault. Megan Minich, 42, of Warren heard the verdict by the jury on Wednesday in front of Judge Todd Woodin in the Court of Common Pleas. She was found not guilty on charges of first-degree statutory sexual assault: 11 years older; third-degree felony school – intercourse/sexual contact with a student; and two counts of third-degree corruption of minors – defendant age 18 or above. Three counts of unlawful contact with a minor - sexual offenses had been withdrawn before the ...

Asbestos, mold concerns addressed in RDA demolition discussion

Questions about potential asbestos and mold at the long-vacant building at 231-237 Pennsylvania Avenue West were raised during Wednesday’s Warren Redevelopment Authority meeting, where members clarified that environmental testing and mitigation will be handled by the contractor awarded the demolition project. The discussion followed a letter from Warren resident Ron Peterson, who asked the authority to explain how asbestos and mold concerns at the property would be addressed and when related inspection reports and mitigation plans would be available for public review. In his ...