Huntingdon County Research Articles

Leveraging community engagement to increase the health literacy of youth in rural Pennsylvania: The ACHIEVE program.

Limited health literacy is prevalent within rural populations and associated with poor health outcomes. This study examined a school-based, community-engaged program called ACHIEVE (Advancing Community Health Innovation through Education, Vision, and Empowerment) for preliminary efficacy in improving knowledge and self-efficacy related to health literacy among youth in rural Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. ACHIEVE was designed using an iterative process that utilized validated sources, educational standards, and community engagement. Five novel health literacy modules were piloted by the program in Huntingdon Area High School and delivered to ∼269 students during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. To determine the impact of the program, we assessed participants' change in health knowledge and self-efficacy using pre- and post-tests for each module. Responses were collected via anonymous surveys and analyzed using unequal variance t-tests and chi-square tests. The overall mean difference between pre- and post-tests ranged from 0.07 to 0.67, with a significant increase in participants' assessment scores following 4 out of the 5 program modules (P < .05). Across the 5 modules, both knowledge and self-efficacy domains displayed a significant improvement from pre- to post-test (P < .001). Our findings suggest that community partnerships in rural communities can be used to create effective community health interventions, such as our health literacy program, which significantly increased high school students' knowledge and self-efficacy.

Lives From Death Row: Common Sinners and Current Pasts

This analysis interrogates Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Live From Death Row to argue that unlike traditional personal narratives or memoirs, the diverse series of vignettes in Abu-Jamal’s most famous publication provoke readers to grapple not solely with his lived experiences on death row or the lived experiences of his fellow inmates; they also call for readers to confront the damming moral, social, and economic impact of mass incarceration on society at large. His internal account of prison life, therefore, depicts the inmates of Pennsylvania’s Huntingdon County prison not as moral aliens but as human beings and what early New England execution sermons describe as “common sinners.” More specifically, Abu-Jamal’s arguments linking the “free” with the condemned work on two basic levels. First and foremost, they illuminate the ways we all share a common history of racism by implicitly revealing the connections between slavery, Dred Scott, Plessey v. Ferguson, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, McCleskey v. Kemp, and the ideological prejudices that still permeate and influence our legal, political, and social systems today. Thus, given Abu-Jamal’s compassionate internal account of prison life; his analysis of the all-to-frequent harsh realities of our justice system; as well as his common-sense plea for reform, this analysis contends that Live From Death Row continues to speak with more contemporary works like Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, Netflix’s 13th, Angela Y. Davis’ Are Prisons Obsolete?, and Abolition Now!. Numbers have changed; policies have evolved; voices of opposition have heightened; yet the lockup continues, making Abu-Jamal’s cry for reform and humanity as essential as ever.

It's Jun-e-ata, Not Juan-ita!

It's Jun-e-ata, <i>Not</i> Juan-ita!

“She keeps the place in Continual Excitement:”

Western State Penitentiary, located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, received its first inmate on July 31, 1826. Less than a year later, on March 29, 1827, an inmate, Hiram Lindsay, escaped from its confines. It was later discovered that Lindsay was aided by coloured who from feelings of humanity, on the part of her Keeper was not confined that night to her cell. Only one woman was in the prison at the time: Maria Penrose, twenty-one, born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and described as having a yellow complexion with black hair and eyes, arrived at the Penitentiary on September 6, 1826, to serve a sentence of two years for larceny committed in Bedford County. She would serve a little over one year and be discharged on December 1, 1827. Penrose was a typical female convict in Western State Penitentiary: she was young, African American, born in Pennsylvania, and convicted of larceny. While Penrose may have only been an accomplice in Lindsay's act of overt resistance to the prison system, her role exemplifies that female inmates were not always passive victims of the penal institutions but found ways to react to and challenge imprisonment.

Cu isotopes and concentrations during weathering of black shale of the Marcellus Formation, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (USA)

The complex weathering processes which govern the production of soil from bedrock have proven difficult to understand for many lithologies. Weathering of black shale is of particular interest because it releases organic carbon and heavy metals as solutes and therefore impacts the health of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. To understand black shale weathering, a geochemical survey was initiated for soils developed on shales of the Marcellus Formation at a zero-order catchment at a satellite site of the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory located in Jackson Corner, Pennsylvania. This formation is an organic- and metal-rich, carbonaceous shale that underlies much of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. In this paper, we focus on the effects of weathering on variations of Cu isotopes in the shale. Cu concentration data for soil were normalized using Ti concentrations to document the mobility of Cu relative to bedrock. At both the ridgetop and valley floor, depletion profiles for Cu are documented in the soils. The Cu in the soils is depleted in 65Cu (average δ65Cu=−0.5‰±0.2) compared to the parent material (average δ65Cu=0.03‰±0.15). Consistent with loss of Cu from soils, the pore waters contain 10ppb Cu on average and are enriched in the heavy isotope (average value δ65Cu=1.14‰±0.44). Rayleigh fractionation models using the concentration and isotope data of the soils are consistent with pyrite weathering and loss of Cu from the ridgetop, but downslope transport and Cu re-precipitation at the valley floor.

How can habitat size influence leaf litter decomposition in five mid-Appalachian springs (USA)? The importance of the structure of the detritivorous guild

Although habitat size is known to influence both structural and functional properties of ecosystems, there have been few attempts to assess the influence of habitat size on ecosystem processes. Here we investigated the relationships between leaf litter decomposition and ecosystem surface area, macroinvertebrates and physico-chemical factors in five freshwater springs located in Huntingdon County (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.). Leaves of Ulmus americana L. were used to study leaf litter breakdown with the litter-bag technique. Field work was carried out at one sampling station per spring, each with eight replicates per sampling time (3, 20, 40 days), from April to May 2004. American elm leaves decomposed at different rates in the different springs, varying inversely with the spring area. The leaf bags were colonized by 16 taxa of benthic macrofauna, amongst which scrapers and shredders were the most common guild. Macroinvertebrate species richness co-varied with spring area, but not with other physico-chemical variables. Moreover, a significant inverse relationship was observed between American elm leaf decay rate and taxonomic richness. In the studied springs, habitat area was an ecosystem feature indirectly affecting detritus processing by influencing the structure of the detrital food web within the systems.

Role of Glass &amp; Glass Products Manufacturing in the Economy of Huntingdon County

The Penn State Workforce Education and Development Initiative conducted an analysis of the economic impact of glass and glass products manufacturing in Huntingdon County in Pennsylvania. The analysis was designed to help understand the impact of the layoff of 77 employees at the AGY Products, Inc. plant in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, effective April 3, 2010, that was announced on the Department of Labor and Industry's WARN notice website. AGY Products Inc., headquartered in Aiken, South Carolina, manufactures fiberglass yarns and reinforcements. The layoff generated considerable discussion in the community, which is documented in the Huntingdon County Alexandria Forum on topix.com.Products provided by AGY Products, Inc. classified in the North American Industrial Classification System, code 32721. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, establishments in this industry are primarily engaged in manufacturing glass and/or glass products. Establishments in this industry may manufacture glass and/or glass products by melting silica sand or cullet, or purchasing glass. During 2007, 97,876 workers were employed in 2,102 establishments in this industry throughout the U.S., with a payroll of $4.2 billion.

Role of Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing in the Economy of Bedford, Blair, &amp; Huntingdon Counties

The motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry is an important part of the history and economy of Bedford, Blair, and Huntingdon counties in Pennsylvania. The industry creates jobs and compensation for workers throughout these counties and influences tax revenues in the counties.

Contributions to the lichen flora of Pennsylvania: Notes on the lichens of a remarkable talus slope in Huntingdon County

Contributions to the lichen flora of Pennsylvania: Notes on the lichens of a remarkable talus slope in Huntingdon County

Role of Dairy Production in the Economy of Huntingdon, Lancaster, &amp; Mifflin Counties

The dairy production industry is an important part of the history and economy of Huntingdon, Lancaster, and Mifflin counties in Pennsylvania. The industry creates jobs and compensation for workers throughout these counties and influences tax revenues in the counties.

Excerpts from Daughter of Affliction

Excerpts from Daughter of Affliction [Mary Rankin (1821-1889) by Robin L Cadwallader] Recording not only stories of the people with whom she has contact but also the uniqueness of the place in which they live and the places she visits, Rankin reflects on natural phenomena, carriage rides, and train trips. "A View of the Pulpit Rocks in Winter" was written following a sleigh ride across Warrior Ridge in the winter of 1855. The Pulpit Rocks, a geological wonder hidden in the heart of Huntingdon County, were one of the "new findings" of the first geological survey of Pennsylvania funded through Act 73 of 1836 (Hoskins, par. 2). A View of the Pulpit Rocks in Winter As the king of the day descended his throne, Ere the last lingering shaft from his quiver had flown, We paused on a mount—a romantic spot, Where nature her granite in pulpits had wrought; Their drapery and cushions from the treasure of snow, Now sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight's last glow, With festoons and tassels more brilliant and fair, Than the hues which the iris or pearls ever wear. The chime of the sleigh-bells grew suddenly still, And a feeling of awe my spirit did fill, As I listened in silence to the eloquent strain, Which nature sends forth from that rocky domain. A low murmuring breeze, like an audible voice From the midst of the pulpits, now seemed to rejoice In Him, who hath said, ye winds ever blow A mystery to man, who thy pathway would know. The trees of the wood then caught the glad strain, And join'd a full chorus, which swept o'er the plain, Which stirred like a dream, as we turned to depart, The vibrating chords of my enraptured heart. [End Page 127] We glided in silence from that temple away, Whilst twilight still lingered her vespers to say, Adoring the Lord, infinite in power, Rock of our refuge, our fortress and tower. Lo! the stars come apace; in myriads they throng, And sing of creation—their ever new song. Thus rock, hill, and dale, and stars, as they shine, Proclaim to all ages a being divine. [End Page 128] (113–14) The following excerpt appears as the final paragraph in Rankin's memoir, but it is not physically the end of her book. Dated Thursday, September 1, the paragraph is part of a journal-like entry that provides one last opportunity for her to address her readers directly on the state of her physical and spiritual health, assuring them of her continued regard for them and verifying her authorship of the text. As she states in the excerpt, there is a letter to readers from one of her physicians and a small collection of her poems following this paragraph. Address to Readers And now, indulgent reader, having narrated to you the deep waters of affliction through which I have been called to pass since the publishing of the first part of the work,—some years since,—and tried to make known to you the greatness of that power and the richness of that grace which has been my support through these long years of affliction, before bidding you farewell again I will here state that as this volume closes September, 1870, I am still an invalid, confined to my couch of pain, where I have been confined exclusively for the space of six years. I am at present—thanks to a kind Providence—able to be raised to a partially sitting position in the bed, but am still unable to leave it except to be lifted from it occasionally and placed in an invalid chair whilst it is being made. And in this feeble, suffering, and prostrate condition I have written the pages which comprise the third part of this work, on which I have been employed, whenever health or strength would permit, for the space of a year and a half. At times the effort of writing, as before stated, would cause...

PENNDOT’s Ambassador Program and UPJ

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) conceived the Professional Development Initiative to create opportunities for citizens to more easily interact with the department. This brief article describes the initiative, its evolution and features. The authors consider how this approach could be used as a model to create similar professional/educational partnerships elsewhere. They report on the specific partnership that was created between PENNDOT's District 9-0, which encompasses Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Somerset, Bedford, and Fulton counties east of Pittsburgh, and the civil engineering technology (CET) program at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ). They conclude by noting that the role of open communications cannot be overemphasized.

Brewster's Warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera X pinus backcross, breeding in Huntingdon County, Quebec

Brewster's Warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera X pinus backcross, breeding in Huntingdon County, Quebec

Some Characteristics of Fall Migration of Female Woodcock

Some Characteristics of Fall Migration of Female Woodcock

Distributional Records of Rare or Infrequently Collected Species of Mosses in Pennsylvania

Drummondia pursellii Vitt & Crum is reported new to the state of Nuevo Le6n, Mexico. This moss was previously known only from the type locality. Vitt and Crum (1968) described Drummondia pursellii from a collection made by R. A. Pursell in Tamaulipas, Mexico. At the time of Vitt's (1972) monograph of Drummondia, this species was still known only from the original collection. During a foray to northern Mexico in January 1972, I collected D. pursellii in the state of Nuevo Le6n, near the town of Galeana in a mountainous area covered with Arbutus sp., Pinus spp., Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Quercus spp. at an elevation of 2,040 m. In contrast, the type locality was an oak covered mountain top with an elevation of 1,067 m near the city of Victoria. The new locality is about 152 km north of the type locality. It is probable that this endemic will be found elsewhere in the Sierra Madre Oriental. MEXICO. NUEVO LE6N: 43.3 km from Galeana on the road to the microwave station, W-facing ravine, on tree trunk, 2,040 m, Manuel 1289 (ALTA, PAC, HERB. MANUEL). I thank Dr. Dale H. Vitt for his identification of the specimen. Partial financial aid from the Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium, Lafayette, Louisiana 70501 is acknowledged. LITERATURE CITED VITT, D. H. 1972. A monograph of the genus Drummondia. Canad. Jour. Bot. 50: 11911208. 1 & H. CRUM. 1968. A new species of Drummondia from Mexico. THE BRYOLOGIST 72: 117-119. MONTE G. MANUEL, Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802. Distributional Records of Rare or Infrequently Collected Species of Mosses in Pennsylvania Abstract. Distributional data are presented for 23 species of mosses that are either of rare or infrequent occurrence in Pennsylvania. Fissidens bushii, F. exilis, and Orthotrichum sordidum are reported for the first time from the state. Distributional data are presented for 23 species of mosses that are either of rare or infrequent occurrence in Pennsylvania. Fissidens bushii, F. exilis, and Orthotrichum sordidum are reported for the first time from the state. Taxonomic treatments of the moss flora of Pennsylvania have been published by Jennings (1951) and Moul (1952). Since then, only two additional short papers have appeared (Pursell, 1956; Ainley, 1968). The present list of species is based primarily on collections that I have made over the past few years. The majority of these collections are from the central region of the state (Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, and Mifflin counties), while a few are from the northeastern section (Luzerne and Pike counties), the southThis content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:43:34 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Studies of Private Forest Ownership in Southwestern Quebec

A survey of the ownership patterns and attitudes to forestry practices was conducted in Soulanges and Huntingdon counties, Quebec, in 1965. A bilingual questionnaire was used and over 400 woodlot owners were personally visited to obtain information on the current use of their woodlots. It was found that the majority of woodlot harvests were unplanned. Pasturing was common with reforestation being undertaken by less than 10 per cent of the owners in either county. The majority were unaware of the provincial reforestation assistance programme. Between 56 and 60 per cent of the owners were farmers with a prime interest in their woodlots as a source of products for home use. The remaining owners were non-farmers more interested in speculation, security or the recreational values of the woodlot. Close to half the owners have never sold forest or maple products, and improvement practices, other than fencing, occupied less than 10 per cent of the owners. Ten to 15 per cent have sold forest products regularly. No more than 6 per cent have sought forestry assistance directly. Many listed lack of time and know-how and better alternatives to be responsible for the general lack of use of the woodlot. The farm owner tended to use his woodlot for home use and on occasions sold wood products and syrup. He also attempted some improvements such as fencing or thinning. The non-farmer was more likely to reforest, but only 75 acres had been planted and only 19 owners had reforested more than one acre.

THRUST FAULTING IN SINKING VALLEY, BLAIR AND HUNTINGDON COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA

Sinking Valley, Pennsylvania, is floored by Cambro-Ordovician limestone and dolomite which are folded into an asymmetrical anticline overturned to the northwest. Information obtained from diamond-drill cores indicates an extensive thrust fault, accompanied by subsidiary branching offsets, which has displaced the steeply dipping northwestern limb of the anticline about 2 miles.

Personalizing Probation Service: Huntingdon County Attacks a Problem

Juvenile Court Judges JournalVolume 7, Issue 3 p. 9-11 Personalizing Probation Service: Huntingdon County Attacks a Problem SWIRLES L. HIMES, SWIRLES L. HIMES President Judge Huntingdon, PennsylvaniaSearch for more papers by this author SWIRLES L. HIMES, SWIRLES L. HIMES President Judge Huntingdon, PennsylvaniaSearch for more papers by this author First published: October 1956 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6988.1956.tb00109.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume7, Issue3October 1956Pages 9-11 RelatedInformation

New Moss Records for Centre and Huntingdon Counties, Pennsylvania

New Moss Records for Centre and Huntingdon Counties, Pennsylvania

New Moss Records for Centre and Huntingdon Counties, Pennsylvania

floras of the central Pennsylvanian counties of Centre and Huntingdon, previously reported by Jennings (1951) and Moul (1952). list includes a total of 33 taxa, 21 for Centre and 12 for Huntingdon. Collections were made during August 1955 at ALAN SEEGER STATE FOREST MONUMENT, a hemlock-Rhododendron community in the northeastern part of Huntingdon County, BEAR MEADOWS STATE FOREST MONUMENT, a relic bog approximately eight miles southeast of State College, Centre County, and THE ROCK, a limestone ledge along Spring Creek about five miles northeast of State College, previously studied by Greenwood (1923) for hepatics and Thomson (1944) for lichens. All three localities lie within the Ridge and Valley Province. Specimens of the records are deposited in my personal herbarium, the Herbarium of the Florida State University, and, with a few exceptions, the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh. nomenclature follows, in the main, that of Grout (1940). following abbreviations are used in the list: AS: Alan Seeger State Forest Monument; BM: Bear Meadows State Forest Monument; R: The Rock.