Published: December 22, 2008 11:05 pm      

In brief: Pistol magazine found in woman’s driveway

Pistol magazine found in woman’s driveway

ASHVILLE – State police are looking for two men who showed up at the residence of an Ashville-area woman, leaving an empty pistol magazine in the driveway.

A man in his 30s went to the home of the unidentified 56-year-old woman about 10 p.m. Sunday looking for someone who did not live there. He got into a dark SUV and left behind the magazine, police said.

Emergency grants target the needy

Counties in the 9th Congressional District have been awarded grants through the Emergency Food and Shelter effort of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The program targets the hungry, homeless and those in economic distress.

The office of U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, said the following grants have been approved: Cambria, $104,000; Somerset, $60,000; Bedford, $39,000; Blair, $80,000; Clearfield, $65,000; Fayette, $106,000, and Indiana, $60,000.

Cambria veterans can get free flu shots

The James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center is offering free flu shots to veterans in Cambria County from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at the James E. Van Zandt VA Outpatient Clinic, University Park Plaza, 1425 Scalp Ave., Richland Township.

For additional information call the medical center at 943-8164 or 329-9754.

Landowners fight eminent domain

CLEARVILLE – Some south-central Pennsylvania landowners fighting an eminent domain lawsuit to take their below-ground mineral rights for an underground natural gas storage field say they feel they never had a chance to have a say on what happens to their land.

“It’s always almost a done deal before landowners can get in there and do anything,” said Sandra McDaniel, one of the landowners in Bedford County.

The 10 landowners fighting the Steckman Ridge gas storage field say they believe they could get far more money from exploration companies interested in drilling in the Marcellus Shale rock formation.

State imposing tougher rules for mortgages

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania’s banking regulators are imposing tougher rules for the mortgage industry to better protect homebuyers from the prospect of foreclosure.

Banking Secretary Steve Kaplan says lenders and brokers will have to make sure that consumers can afford to repay and clearly understand of the terms of their loan.

Companies will have to disclose whether the loan has features such as a variable interest rate or a prepayment penalty.

The new rules were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Saturday, but the requirements concerning borrowers’ ability to repay and disclosure requirements will

go into effect March 20.