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by Paul Ricci Allegheny Independent Media is now affiliated with Nonprofit Partners. It is a subsidiary of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. Thru the site you can donate to the website. It is essential to allow us to provide coverage to the critical issues facing the Alleghenies. You may donate to our site here. An artificial intelligence […]

Allegheny Independent Media is now affiliated with Nonprofit Partners. It is a subsidiary of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. Thru the site you can donate to the website. It is essential to allow us to provide coverage to the critical issues facing the Alleghenies. You may donate to our site here. On November 21, 2025, Lyrical Capo […]

Allegheny Independent Media is now affiliated with Nonprofit Partners. It is a subsidiary of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. Thru the site you can donate to the website. It is essential to allow us to provide coverage to the critical issues facing the Alleghenies. You may donate to our site here. The Holidays are upon us. There […]

I am a longtime reader of The Nation Magazine. Recently, I came across an article by Eric Reinhart in the magazine titled Destroy the Metrics, Destroy the Truth. It details how the Trump Administration’s firings of scientists and statisticians at the CDC and other agencies are really cover for their misdeeds. In the article, Reinhart […]

Much has been made of the recent elections in Pennsylvania New York, New Jersey, Virginia and California. Locally we had a hotly contested race for mayor and city council of Johnstown. The race was between Democratic Councilwoman Sylvia King, Republican John DeBartola and write-in Republican Councilman Chuck Arnone. This post will look at the influence […]

Imagine your fridge is empty, your mailbox is quiet, your children are waiting — and the federal safety net you depend on is just… paused. That’s the reality for many families right now. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Propel’s 2023 report, about 26% of SNAP participants identify as Black/African American, 16% as […]

Jackie Allison has written another post on the Constitution. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution […]

Cambria County Housing Summit proved that when a community comes together, moreover, transformation isn’t just possible. Magellan Healthcare hosted the Cambria County Housing Summit at Ace’s in Historic Cambria City, Johnstown, PA. Basically, community organizations such as Breaking the Barriers and several more joined forces to educate and empower attendees. Vision 2025’s Executive Director, Rob […]

“When the People Rise: Inside the 13th Annual Put People First Assembly” When you bring passionate voices from across the region together under one roof, you don’t just have a meeting—you create a movement. From October 17th to 19th, I joined fellow organizers, activists, and community members at the Ramada Inn in State College, PA […]

Today I interviewed Shannon Burch Errett. She is a GJSD school board candidate. Burch Errett is running as a write in candidate. GJSD stands for Greater Johnstown School District. We spoke for 17 minutes. In the most recent estimates from the Census Bureau, GJSD had the 5th highest poverty rate in Pennsylvania in 2023 at […]

Sometimes we go into rooms that feel foreign—not to judge, but to listen. To document. To hold truth gently in the tension. On October 14, 2025, I was observing the Charlie Kirk Vigil in Johnstown at the Pasquerilla Center. The room held about 80 people — many dressed in red “Freedom” T-shirts as statements of […]

Yesterdays No Kings Rally Part 2 had an amazing turnout. Between 300 and 500 people turned out to voice their frustration with the Trump administration. The video I took of the event can be seen below. People came to the rally from as far away as Bedford, PA. Some were afraid to be interviewed. The […]

Denise Miller wrote this poem titled No Kings in America on her Substack about the No Kings Rally on June 14. It is reprinted here with permission. There will be No Kings Protests on October 18 throughout the U.S. as well as Johnstown. An unapologetic protest poem about power, truth, and the fight to reclaim […]

On Saturday Reverend Sylvia King held a Johnstown Democratic Candidate forum at her church in Kernville. On the panel were herself who is running for mayor and city council candidates Jasmine LaRue, Lorraine Taylor and Taylor Clark. Below is the video I took of the panel. This year both Democrats and Republicans are running a […]

With the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk in still in the news I thought I would take a look at his organization Turning Point USA in the Alleghenies. According to their map of chapters there are 27 chapters in the region. Of these, 18 are on college campuses, 5 are in high schools and 4 […]

Think families are “choosing” to move to Johnstown? Most aren’t. They’re being sent here by a broken housing system — overflow from bigger cities with long waiting lists and no available units. Johnstown Isn’t the Problem – the system is. Once they arrive, reality hits: Few jobs. Limited transportation. Little access to services. Feeling unwelcome […]

The whirlwind surrounding the death of conservative Charlie Kirk has made me think of historical parallels to this event. Jean Paul Marat was a firebrand journalist in the French Revolution. The martyrdom of Marat and Charlie Kirk have some eerie parallels, even though some might see them on opposite sides of the political fence. Marat […]

I recently attended 2 events locally and took some footage: Bardstock on August 23 and the Cambria Arts and Heritage Festival on September 13 and 14. Bardstock was a hastily organized literary festival by the group Poeming through the Dark, Flood City Fables, and Craftwork Studios. The video above is the footage I took at […]

Lyrical Capo attended a recent Put People First healthcare rights meeting to discuss medicaid and food stamp cuts. In the heart of Oakhurst, a beacon of hope shines bright. Put People First! PA (PPF-PA), a member-led organization driven by everyday working-class people, is on a mission to fight for healthcare rights, community welfare, and human […]

When looking at the Unmet Need Score (UNS) from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) data tool, Downtown Johnstown (zip code 15901) had the highest UNS in Pennsylvania of 96.07 out of a possible 100. The UNS is a composite of 33 statistics. These statistics are in the table below for the 15901 zip […]