The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority announced on Thursday, April 18 that Armstrong Telecommunications has received about $12.47 million in Broadband Infrastructure Program grants for two projects to expand broadband access in the northern part of Butler County.

The grant is part of $204 million the authority awarded to telecommunications providers for 53 broadband improvement projects in 42 counties, which would improve internet access for over 100,000 Pennsylvanians.

PennDOT District 12 officials highlighted nine of the 103 projects anticipated to be in construction status this year in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, representing an investment of $528 million.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s commitment to delivering safe highways and bridges across the Commonwealth remains a top priority.

Armstrong Trails on Monday held its opening ceremony for the Crooked Creek-to-Schenley section of the passage.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources (DNCR) Secretary Cindy Dunn said, “This is the most significant trail gap that I’ve had the honor of closing this year.”

Avid cyclist Bob Cropp enjoys blazing a trail.

And with the addition of 10 miles to Armstrong Trails in Armstrong County, Cropp of Grove City arrived on his bike Monday morning to learn more about the ongoing efforts to expand the trail in the Kiski Junction corridor through Gilpin.

The Port of Baltimore, which has been closed since a barge collided with and brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River, gets billions of tons and millions of dollars’ worth of goods shipped its way from the Pittsburgh region — including Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties — according to information provided over the weekend by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

If you feel like you’re noticing more bikes on the roads, you’re probably right: POGOH bikeshare hit record-breaking ridership last year and has reached 1 million rides total since launching in 2015.

“Students, residents and visitors embraced POGOH last year — it’s clear that when we expand the station network, our ridership grows significantly,” said David White, executive director of Bike Share Pittsburgh, the nonprofit that operates POGOH bikeshare, in a press release.

The Point Marion section of the Sheepskin Trail stretches 1.4 miles and connects to Springhill Township’s Nilan community to make up the southern extension of the trail. The Fayette County commissioners are requesting $1.25 million in funding to complete that portion of the trail.

The apparent low bid to rehabilitate Pittsburgh’s closed Charles Anderson Bridge is slightly lower than city officials had projected.

Last month, city engineer Eric Setzler had estimated upgrading the span that carries the Boulevard of the Allies in Oakland into Schenley Park would cost about $50 million. Mosites Construction Co.’s bid of $48.5 million was the lowest of four received, the city reported Monday.

County Executive Sara Innamorato announced 10 appointees to five local boards Friday in what will be her biggest move to staff her new administration since she assumed office in January.

The individuals, if approved by a county council vote, will serve on the boards of the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the county Airport Authority, the county Redevelopment Authority, the county Sanitary Authority and the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission.

Armstrong County officials were optimistic last week that having one of their own as the chairman for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission can only be a good thing for the county over the next two years.

During their meeting on March 7, Armstrong County Commissioners John Strate, Anthony Shea and Pat Fabian announced that Fabian was recently elected as chairman of the regional planning organization.