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A Beautiful Week at Tioga County Fair
It was a beautiful week at the Tioga County Fair!
The fair is always one of my family’s favorite weeks of the year. My kids work hard all year long on their 4-H projects, so it’s incredibly rewarding to see their dedication come to life during fair week.
It’s also so special to see our community come together. So many of you came out to support local vendors and artists, enjoy the food, visit the barns, and celebrate the incredible hard work our 4-H kids have put in all year.
4-H has such a rich history of agricultural education, and it continues to play an important role in shaping the future of farming in our area. We are so grateful for the families, volunteers, leaders, and community members who continue to support and encourage our kids.
What a wonderful week celebrating our kids, our community and the future of agriculture.
Photo credits: Peter Kutbay Photography
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Protecting Seniors from Scams
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, more than 100 senior citizens joined us at the Tioga County Fair for a Scam Awareness Seminar. The discussion focused on the latest scams, how to recognize warning signs, and, most importantly, how to protect themselves and their finances from fraud.
A special thank-you to Jerry Mitchell, Community Engagement Manager with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, for sharing valuable information and practical tips with our community.
We also greatly appreciate Wendy Southard, Information Security Officer with First Citizens Community Bank, and Peter Boergerman, Director of Information Security with Citizens & Northern Bank, for participating in an informative and engaging panel discussion. We are equally grateful to both banks for sponsoring the event and providing meal vouchers to the fair for attendees.
Scammers are constantly developing new ways to target individuals, making awareness and education more important than ever. Events like this give seniors the tools and confidence they need to recognize suspicious calls, messages, emails, and other attempts at fraud, and to know when to stop, ask questions, and seek help.
We are grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success and, most of all, to the members of our community who took an important step toward staying informed and protecting themselves from scams.
Knowledge is one of our best defenses against fraud. By staying informed and looking out for one another, we can help keep our seniors and our entire community safe.
Click here to watch a few highlights from this informative session!
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Celebrating Charlie and Sandy Johnson at the Tioga County Fair
On Aug. 10, the Tioga County Fair kicked off, and I was honored to begin the week by recognizing Charlie and Sandy Johnson as the recipients of the 2026 Friends of the Fair Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
For decades, the Johnsons have been a wonderful part of the Tioga County Fair family. I have so many great memories of Charlie and Sandy as my 4-H leaders, where they invested countless hours in me and so many other young people.
They have generously shared their time, talents, and knowledge in countless ways, from guiding 4-H club members and chairing the Baked Goods Department to supporting Dairy Princess events and preparing beautiful cakes for Junior Livestock Sale buyers.
Their commitment, kindness and willingness to lend a helping hand are exactly what makes the fair so special and our community so strong.
I am incredibly grateful for people like Charlie and Sandy, who quietly give their time, share their talents and always find a way to give back. Their years of service are a wonderful example of the spirit of community that makes the Tioga County Fair such a special place.
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Slow Down for School Buses
Students are or soon will be returning to class, so it’s time for a refresher about sharing the road with school buses and how we all play a role in keeping our kids safe.
Pennsylvania law requires motorists to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses when their red lights are flashing and their stop arm is activated. This applies to motorists when they are behind or traveling alongside a school bus, as well as when meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus has stopped.
Vehicles should remain stopped until the red lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is withdrawn. Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
Penalties for failure to obey school bus safety laws can result in a $250 fine, five points on a driving record and a 60-day license suspension. Violators will also be assessed a $35 surcharge to be deposited into the School Bus Safety Grant Program Account. State law also permits school entities to install and operate a side stop signal arm enforcement system. These civil violations include a $300 fine but would not assess points or impact insurance ratings.
Parents are reminded to ensure their children are at the bus stop early to avoid rushing. Students should stay where the bus driver can see them while boarding or exiting the bus.
Click here for more information and tips on school bus safety.
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AG Warns of Imposter Scams Involving County Sheriff Offices
Attorney General Dave Sunday is warning Pennsylvanians to be aware of an uptick in government imposter scams in which callers pose as members of local county sheriff’s offices. The calls appear to come from the county sheriff’s offices due to the use of number spoofing, making their phone number appear legitimate on caller ID.
The caller may claim to be a sheriff and say an arrest warrant has been issued because you failed to appear for federal grand jury duty or missed a court hearing. The scammer then demands payment for “bail” or a “bond” to avoid arrest.
According to the attorney general, no legitimate law enforcement agency or court will demand immediate payment over the phone. No law enforcement agency, government office or court will ask you to pay any outstanding fees with gift cards, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency. If you receive one of these calls, hang up, verify the information independently and report it to local authorities, as well as the attorney general’s office.
Click here for more information about red flags to watch out for, and what to do – and what not to do – if you receive one of these calls.
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Elk Cam Fires Back Up!
With the September peak of Pennsylvania’s elk rut right around the corner, you can get a jumpstart on viewing some of those bugling bulls through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Elk Cam.
The camera is located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s elk range, an area totaling more than 220,000 acres including State Game Lands 311 and Elk State Forest. Video and sound from the camera will be livestreamed here, and viewers can expect not only to see elk, but turkey, deer and other wildlife as well. The top times to view elk on camera are mornings and evenings.
If you’d like to see the bugling season in person, the PA Game Commission reminds visitors to always be “Elk Smart” by giving elk space, never feeding elk and doing your part to ensure the welfare of the herd. Learn more here.
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College Savings Program Fees Waived
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity has announced that asset-based fees for the PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan (GSP) will be waived for the fifth consecutive year, saving Pennsylvania families $5.9 million between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. The fee waiver is funded through surplus earnings of the GSP fund.
The PA 529 GSP allows families to save at today’s tuition rates to help cover tomorrow’s tuition costs.
The PA 529 College and Career Savings program has been helping Pennsylvania families steadily and strategically save for more than 30 years. PA 529 accounts can be used for a wide variety of qualifying technical, collegiate, apprenticeship and credential expenses like tuition, fees, books, equipment, room and board, and more.
Treasury also offers the Morningstar Gold-Rated PA 529 Investment Plan (IP), and together both plans have helped nearly 343,000 account holders save more than $10 billion for future education expenses.
To learn more about PA 529, visit pa529.com or call 800-440-4000.
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