ALTOONA, Pa. (WJAC) — Local officials cut the ribbon on a new respite home in Altoona to be operated by Skills of Central Pennsylvania. The home gives caretakers of family members with intellectual or developmental disabilities a chance to refresh and relax. The facility features four private bedrooms, accessible entries and large common areas. Skills' CEO says many caretakers don't have a substitute. “With this respite house they can bring their family member here for a summer break if they want to do a vacation,"

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; December 19, 2018 – Head coach James Franklin unveiled the 2019 Penn State Football recruiting class today during the Signing Day celebration in the Lasch Football Building. Penn State’s Class of 2019 is ranked 10th nationally by 247Sports Composite and Rivals and 12th by ESPN, as of Wednesday evening. Penn State is also the only team to rank in the top 10 with less than 20 recruits.

Altoona, PA (WJAC) — State police in Blair County say an Altoona man is behind bars after he was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl earlier this year. Troopers say in early March, authorities were contacted to investigate the alleged sexual assault of a young girl after she had been reported missing and then returned, at which time she reportedly told her family that she had "engaged in sexual intercourse" with 24-year-old Jesus Lamour Romero.

Somerset County, PA — Alicia Markovich of Windber was a teenager when she disappeared. For over three decades, her family and friends left agonizing over where she went. Now they say they finally havesomething they’re hoping will get answers. On Sunday, April 26, 1987, 15-year-old Alicia Markovich disappeared from her fathers home in Blairsville. She was visiting him while living with her mother Marcie in Windber. Her father, John Markovich says they had a fight and Alicia was angry when she left.

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BEDFORD — The second time is the charm for the Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway. Track officials planned for opening night of the 2020 season on Friday, June 5. But, rain made the track unusable. So, Sunday, June 7 served up a nice night for the start of the 2020 campaign. The track hosted four classes of racing: Late Models, Late Model Sportsman, Semi Lates and Modifieds. “We’ve been off for so long,” said Jarrod Clapper, Bedford Speedway’s multimedia director.

FRIEDENS, Pa. (WJAC) — As people across the region are in need of food during this pandemic, organizations continue to offer new ways to feed people who are in need. Friedens Lutheran Church created a way for people to come and get food. Pastor John Barichivich wanted to find a way to help those in need of food in his town. He was hit with an idea when speaking with other pastors in the area.

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WASHINGTON (TND) — A new House bill introduced Wednesday would require anti-Israel protesters convicted of illegal activity on college campuses to go to the Gaza Strip and participate in community service for a minimum of six months. The bill, dubbed the "Antisemitism Community Service Act," would mandate any individual found guilty of "unlawful activity" on a college campus since October 7, 2023 be "assigned" to conduct community service in Gaza for a period of time "

State police identify man found dead in George B. Stevenson Reservoir George B. Stevenson Dam (WJAC) SINNEMAHONING, Pa. (WJAC) — State police in Cameron County say a death investigation is underway after the body of a 75-year-old man was found within the George B. Stevenson Reservoir in Grove Township. ADVERTISEMENT Troopers say Richard Zemencik of Pinehurst, North Carolina was found by kayakers around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near the boat launch area of Sinnemahoning State Park.