Marley Parish
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marleyparish.bsky.social
Marley Parish
@marleyparish.bsky.social
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I write about Pennsylvania's rural communities for Spotlight PA and spend a lot of time on Interstate 80 • [email protected]
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Hi Bluesky! 👋

I'm a reporter with @spotlightpa.bsky.social. I write about health, the environment, agriculture, community development, and how state agencies and policies affect Pennsylvania's rural communities.

You can find more about me and my work here: www.spotlightpa.org/authors/marl...
Pennsylvania voters will decide the future of three state Supreme Court justices when they cast their ballots on Nov. 4.

Who serves on the high court matters for everyone. From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, here are some decisions that have impacted communities living in cities across the state:
How PA Supreme Court rulings impact cities like Philadelphia
On Nov. 4, Pennsylvania voters will decide whether to retain three state Supreme Court justices. Here’s how the court has shaped urban communities.
www.spotlightpa.org
When Pennsylvania voters head to the polls on Nov. 4, they’ll weigh in on the future of the state’s highest court.

Here’s a look at how the state Supreme Court's rulings have influenced rural communities:
How Pennsylvania Supreme Court decisions impact rural areas
Three justices on Pennsylvania’s highest court are up for retention on Nov. 4. Here’s a look at how past rulings have influenced rural communities.
www.spotlightpa.org
Horror is as Pennsylvanian as scrapple.

From the Gothic fiction of authors like Charles Brockden Brown and Edgar Allan Poe, to the creature features of George A. Romero and mindbenders of M. Night Shyamalan, the commonwealth has long been a hub for the genre.
What do Mr. Rogers and George A. Romero have in common? The answer might shock you.
The University of Pittsburgh's new Horror Studies Center is home to a global research network dedicated to the genre, which has deep Pennsylvania ties.
www.spotlightpa.org
Clearfield County will make $1 million over five years to act as the middleman between ICE and the private contractor that operates the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest immigration detention facility in the Northeast.
Clearfield County to make $1 million over 5 years on detention center contracts
Clearfield County will make $1 million to act as the middleman between ICE and GEO Group, which operates Moshannon Valley Processing Center.
www.spotlightpa.org
A State College man who spent more than four decades in prison for a murder conviction that has since been overturned was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody Friday just as he stood on the doorstep of freedom.
Wrongfully convicted Subu Vedam taken into ICE custody after release from prison
He is detained in the Moshannon Valley Processing Center near Philipsburg, but many questions remain.
www.centredaily.com
Before Pennsylvania regulators decide the fate of the long-troubled Rock Spring Water Company in rural Centre County, the community has a chance to weigh in.

Ferguson Township will host public input hearings at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. today at its municipal building and online.
Public hearings set as regulators consider Rock Spring Water sale
After years of unreliable service, Rock Spring Water customers can speak up on Sept. 30 ahead of a possible forced sale of the company.
www.spotlightpa.org
Reposted by Marley Parish
I was on vacation last week so didn't get a chance to share this piece when it came out, but I had a lovely time speaking to people in the Juniata River Valley about Goose Day, a quirky & unique local holiday that's celebrated every Sept. 29: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...
Celebrate Goose Day, Pennsylvania’s hyper-regional holiday
For over a century, central Pennsylvanians have gathered near the start of fall to celebrate Goose Day, a quirky holiday with ties to Europe.
www.spotlightpa.org
Ferguson Township will host two public input hearings at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sept. 30.

The township doesn’t oversee Rock Spring Water Company but is involved in the state’s regulatory effort to find a permanent fix for the struggling system, which serves about 1,000 of the township’s residents.
Public hearings set as regulators consider Rock Spring Water sale
After years of unreliable service, Rock Spring Water customers can speak up on Sept. 30 ahead of a possible forced sale of the company.
www.spotlightpa.org
“Here’s the problem: If you knew how WPSU came to be, it took years and years to create the station it has become. If it goes away, it’s not coming back. So I think it’s absolutely critical that every effort be made to ensure its continuation — even if its continuation is in some reduced form."
Supporters hold out hope after Penn State’s ‘short-sighted’ decision to close WPSU
Penn State said the “most promising option” to save the station was rejected by a committee on the university’s board of trustees.
www.centredaily.com
Ferguson Township has asked that the judge overseeing the regulatory process schedule a public input hearing to let residents speak on the possible forced sale of Rock Spring Water Company.

The proposed date is 6 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the township building and online.

www.puc.pa.gov/pcdocs/18938...
Unless Rock Spring voluntarily agrees to sell to State College Borough Water Authority, the state's seldom-used regulatory process to force an acquisition will likely end with another investor-owned utility acquiring the long-troubled system.
A troubled water company refuses to sell to a willing municipal authority, and there’s little the state can do
The Public Utility Commission is moving toward forcing Rock Spring to sell, but says it can’t order a transfer to State College.
www.spotlightpa.org
The attack, first reported by the office on Aug. 11 as a “cyber incident,” has impaired many functions of the agency, as some staff and prosecutors remain unable to access archived emails, files, and internal systems crucial to pursuing cases on behalf of the commonwealth.
Ransomware attack on PA attorney general leads to case delays
The attack temporarily took out the department’s website and email and locked staff out of court files.
www.spotlightpa.org
Unless Rock Spring voluntarily agrees to sell to State College Borough Water Authority, the state's seldom-used regulatory process to force an acquisition will likely end with another investor-owned utility acquiring the long-troubled system.
A troubled water company refuses to sell to a willing municipal authority, and there’s little the state can do
The Public Utility Commission is moving toward forcing Rock Spring to sell, but says it can’t order a transfer to State College.
www.spotlightpa.org
As state utility regulators resume efforts to force the sale of Rock Spring Water Company, a municipal-run authority remains determined to buy it.

The Public Utility Commission, however, says it can’t order a sale to State College Borough Water Authority because it falls outside the agency's reach.
A troubled water company refuses to sell to a willing municipal authority, and there’s little the state can do
The Public Utility Commission is moving toward forcing Rock Spring to sell, but says it can’t order a transfer to State College.
www.spotlightpa.org
When landslides and sinkholes damage Pennsylvania houses, homeowners often have limited options to cover repairs and can end up stuck paying a mortgage on an unlivable property.

Now, state House lawmakers want a government-run insurance program to help fill this gap.
New bill aims to insure PA homes from sinkhole, landslide damage
Options for landslide and sinkhole insurance are limited. A new proposal would create a state-run program for Pennsylvania homeowners.
www.spotlightpa.org
Local governments are wary of a bill that seeks to end a tax levied by some municipalities on campground visits, saying it will strip them of a potential revenue source.

The proposal would update state law to clarify that campgrounds aren’t places of amusement and shouldn’t be taxed as such.
Tax relief possible for some PA campgrounds
A bill that passed the PA House unanimously would remove campground amusement taxes, helping small businesses at the expense of local government revenue.
www.spotlightpa.org
Through a first-of-its-kind analysis, Spotlight PA has identified a portion of those donors, which include influential lobbying firms, unions, and corporations with interests before the commonwealth’s government.
We finally know who paid for Josh Shapiro’s inauguration celebrations (kinda)
Spotlight PA traces unions, lobbyists, and corporations behind 15% of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $4M inauguration, but most donors remain undisclosed.
www.spotlightpa.org