Niagara Repairs this Summer
Erie – The USS Niagara will not be sailing or available for tours this year because she is undergoing repairs and improvements. According to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) work on the brig will take place in two stages this season and into 2025. Though a sailing ship, she is equipped with diesel engines in the modern day and the first stage of work will be to replace the ship’s two propellers, one of which broke off last sailing season, as well as general maintenance on the engines.  Niagara will also undergo a below-the-waterline survey to help determine what work needs to be done in the second stage. Most of the work will likely take place at a larger shipyard in Cleveland Ohio and any work must be cleared by the US Coast Guard before it can be completed.

PA Budget Overdue
Harrisburg – We are nine days into the fiscal year and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is again without a State Budget. As has been in most years, education is one of the major sticking points, in the $48.3 billion budget proposed by Governor Josh Shapiro in February about $1.1 billion was allocated to public schools, Republicans, mainly in the Senate, want a lower number and there is also partisan bickering over how to allocate funds after the Commonwealth Court Ruled that the previous formulas were unconstitutional last year.  Despite these and other disagreements such as how much the state should spend on Human Services lawmakers have been confident that a budget will be passed by next Monday. Pennsylvania’s fiscal years end on June 30th and begin on July 1st, for several consecutive years lawmakers have been unable to pass budgets on time including both years since Governor Josh Shapiro has taken office.