Latest news with #Rager
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Minutes from our doorstep': Statewide report shows increased tourism revenue to Cambria and Somerset region.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Sometimes people can take for granted what's in their own backyard, said Lisa Rager, executive director of Visit Johnstown, Cambria County's official destination marketing organization. However, Cambria County generated $300.8 million in visitor spending in 2023 – a $12 million increase over 2022, according to the recently released 'Economic Impact of Travel & Tourism in Pennsylvania Report.' The report, released by the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism, shows that visitor spending in Cambria County directly supported 2,073 jobs in 2023 and generated $74.5 million in labor income; $15 million in state and local taxes; and $17.1 million in federal taxes. 'We are really blessed to have so much that's just minutes from our doorstep, and people from other areas are traveling here to bike and hike our trails, paddle our waterways, attend a festival, and explore our rich history,' Rager said. By category, visitor spending in Cambria County totaled $22.4 million on lodging; $68.3 million on food and beverage; $45.1 million on retail; $58.8 million on recreation; and $106.2 million on transportation, the report said. The latest tally represents a 97.35% recovery from pre-COVID-19 spending, which stood at $309 million in 2019, Visit Johnstown said in a press release. Rager expressed confidence that the county will continue to increase visitor spending in the future. 'Visit Johnstown has been facilitating the rebranding of the area to focus on the area's outdoor recreation and experiences that only this area can claim,' she said. The Path of the Flood Trail passes through the Staple Bend Tunnel, which was America's first railroad tunnel. The Ghost Town Trail will soon be country's second looped rail-trail, Rager said – and the Stonycreek River has the longest continuous set of Class III-IV rapids in the eastern United States. 'The downhill mountain biking trails on the Inclined Plane hillside will become a bigger draw once the Inclined Plane reopens because nobody else has trails that are connected to a transportation system like the Incline, which is also the steepest vehicular inclined plane in the world,' Rager said. In addition, Rock Run Recreation ATV park is considered one of the premier ATV recreation parks in the eastern United States, she said, and Prince Gallitzin State Park is one of the most visited state parks in Pennsylvania. 'We have a lot to capitalize on,' Rager said. 'Our area's contributions to America's story are beautifully told in our national parks, historic sites and museums, which are a big draw for the history and heritage traveler.' The economic impact report also shows Somerset, Fayette and Westmoreland counties – marketed together as one Laurel Highlands region – has reached a tourism milestone. Visitor spending grew by 3% in the Laurel Highlands region in 2023, exceeding $2 billion – a record high, said Eric Knopsnyder, GO Laurel Highlands public relations director. The 2023 visitor spending in the Laurel Highlands surpasses even pre-pandemic spending of $1.9 billion in 2019. 'The world in general has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic and that includes travel,' he said. 'People have found outdoor spaces to their liking and the Laurel Highlands has so many wonderful outdoor spaces, but it's also culture, arts and unique lodging. 'We are seeing more people taking advantage of that.' Russ O'Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @RussellOReilly.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kristen Zolner Exits Imagine Entertainment As Head Of Television
Kristen Zolner, who has served as Head of Television at Imagine Entertainment since 2022, has left the company, sources close to the situation confirm to Deadline. We hear Zolner's exit is amicable and the role will not be filled. More from Deadline Emma Stone & Dave McCary Bring In Amy Hodge As Head Of TV For Their Fruit Tree Production Company NBCUniversal Starts New Round Of Layoffs As SpinCo Begins To Take Shape Lionsgate Boards Adult Comedy 'Rager' From Imagine Entertainment; Jon Kasdan To Direct After taking over for Samie Kim Falvey, who left Imagine in 2021, Zolner oversaw projects such as Peacock's series remake of The Burbs starring Keke Palmer and its Friday Night Lights reboot, as well as Netflix's upcoming Gringo Hunters, among others. Prior to joining Imagine, Zolner served as Director of Original Series, at Netflix, where she oversaw such series as Emily in Paris — which is produced by Jax Media — Dead To Me, Big Mouth, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, Maniac, Master of None andThe Pentaverate starring Mike Myers, Uncoupled and Untitled Mo Amer. She also initiated the optioning of Michelle Buteau's bestselling book Survival of the Thickest, which has been renewed for a second season at Netflix. In her first two years at the streamer, Zolner also helped program the company's first 25 original standup specials. Before Netflix, she served as a development executive at Amazon Studios, where she shepherded Emmy-winning comedy-drama Transparent as well as Bosch, the studio's longest-running original series. Previously, Zolner held positions at Scot Armstrong's American Work and in the festivals group at HBO. Variety first reported Zolner's exit. Best of Deadline 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About The 'Reminders of Him' Movie So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Rich and storied history': Liberty Tree planting connects Johnstown region to nation's 250th anniversary
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A sapling holding the nearly 250-year legacy of the United States in its roots and leaves has been planted in Johnstown. The tree that was planted Saturday at Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy in the city's Hornerstown section is a graft from the last remaining Liberty Tree in the nation. The original Liberty Tree was a famous tree that stood near Boston Common in Boston in the years before the American Revolution. In 1765, patriots in Boston staged the first act of defiance against the British government and its Stamp Act tax policy. The tree became a central gathering place for protesters and a rallying point for the growing resistance to the rule of Britain over the American colonies. When the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, townspeople gathered at the Liberty Tree to celebrate, and it was subsequently pruned by order of the Sons of Liberty. Soon, colonists in other towns began naming their own liberty trees, and the Tree of Liberty became a symbol of the American Revolution. The Pennsylvania Freemasons, in partnership with the Pennsylvania commission for the United States' 250th anniversary next year, launched an effort to plant one descendant of a Liberty Tree in each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. The tree planted in Johnstown is a descendant from the nation's last Liberty Tree, which stood in Annapolis, Maryland. Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy, 80 Hickory St., was the site selected for Cambria County's tree because four veterans of the Revolutionary War are buried there, said Nicki Waligora, Cambria County's appointed representative to the advisory committee of America250PA, Pennsylvania's commission for the United States' 250th anniversary. A couple dozen people, including state, county and local government officials, gathered around the small tulip poplar Saturday morning for a dedication ceremony. State Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Richland Township, delivered opening remarks. 'There is a rich and storied history behind this Liberty Tree, and it's fitting that we are here at Sandyvale to dedicate it,' Langerholc said. 'As this tree will grow over time – good things take time – and as its roots establish a strong foundation and its leaves reach to heaven, it will withstand the storms that come and stand as a testament to the nation.' State Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township; Cambria County Commissioners Scott Hunt, Thomas Chernisky and Keith Rager; and Johnstown City Councilwoman Laura Huchel attended the ceremony, as well as Freemasons of Greater Johnstown Lodge No. 538. Rager, who is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, said the moment was a powerful way to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The little tree, Rager said, is a reminder that 'liberty must be defended.' The anniversary will officially begin July 4, 2026, with the commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Got to feed these people': Pantry leaders say federal cuts will impact services, cause food insecurity
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Every fourth Wednesday of the month, Interfaith Community Food Pantry President David Rager gathers his volunteers in a circle and – similar to a coach – gives them a pep talk, directions and updates before they get to work packing boxes of food. 'We've got to feed these people,' Rager said. Federal Fallout logo For more than 10 years, the food pantry, based in the former hall of St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Jackson Township, has supported people in 10 area communities with supplemental food. Every fourth Saturday of the month, hundreds of vehicles line up in the church lot for the distribution. Each box has 22 items, ranging from cereal and pre-packaged sides to canned goods such as soup and vegetables to a cake mix. Visitors also receive 20 pounds of fresh produce every month, plus milk, bread and fresh meat. April's boxes include butter, salmon and a pork roast. 'I try to get four to five good meals, because we're here to substitute what they get from SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and the government,' Rager said. Federal Fallout | Interfaith Community Food Bank Interfaith Community Food Bank President Dave Rager, of Mundy's Corner, speaks about potential federal funding cuts to the food distribution center in Jackson Township on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. He said the food pantry serves roughly 220 families per month, with two to six people in each unit. The number has steadily increased in the past few years, he said. 'You've got to come see it on a Saturday to appreciate it,' volunteer Stan Popich said. He added that the 'thank yous' the volunteers receive are overwhelming. Everyone is gracious, volunteer Dave Verba said. 'It's amazing how many people look forward to it every month,' he said. Verba, who directs traffic during distributions, said that the volunteers build relationships with the people who attend the distributions, and when some don't show up, they get concerned about what may have happened. 'Really rely on it' The Interfaith Community Food Pantry's operations are funded through state and federal grants, including from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture through the United Way of the Southern Alleghenies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, private donations and efforts of the Conemaugh Area Ministerium. Federal Fallout | Interfaith Community Food Bank Steve Kauffman, of Vinco, stacks food distribution boxes during a packaging day at Interfaith Community Food Bank in Jackson Township on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Rager said with recent cuts to U.S. Department of Agriculture funding streams and potential slashes to SNAP benefits, he's worried about the community. 'I think right now we have a lot more elderly people, and they really rely on it,' he said. Rager added that the pantry assists a local school, too, and he's concerned about how decreases in grant dollars could impact area children. 'If they close the grants or shut the grants down, the only thing we have is through donations,' he said. 'You have to wait and see.' In the past two months, the USDA has paused roughly $500,000 that supports the Emergency Food Assistance Program, a nutrition program that purchases U.S. commodities for emergency food providers, and terminated this year's allocation for the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement programs that help food banks and schools buy produce from local farmers. According to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that works with marginalized communities, cutting the LFPA and LFS programs translates to the loss of roughly $1 billion in funding. Additionally, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has reported President Donald Trump's administration has suggested decreasing potentially hundreds of billions in Agriculture Committee allotments throughout the next 10 years by moving partial funding of the federal SNAP program to the states. Federal Fallout | Interfaith Community Food Bank Patty Rager, volunteer of Mundy's Corner, organizes canned goods during a food distribution box packaging day at Interfaith Community Food Bank in Jackson Township on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. 'Forcing states to help pay SNAP benefits would allow Congress to enact unpopular cuts while making someone else – state governments – either pay the difference or decide which participants lose food benefits,' the center said. 'Advocate alongside us' The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, which serves 11 counties, including Cambria and Somerset, will lose funding because of USDA downsizing, officials there said. 'This funding impacts our main inventory,' communications specialist Christa Johnson said. 'LFPA funding and TEFAP (Commodity Credit Corp.) bonus helps us purchase 6.3 million pounds of food. That's 13% of the total food we are currently distributing.' Last year, the Pittsburgh center provided 48 million pounds of food to the regions it serves. The cuts to the local food purchasing program will mean a loss of $1.5 million the group has spent with local dairies, farmers and other agriculture producers, food bank Director Colleen Young confirmed. Those dollars have covered a majority of milk and egg purchases throughout the past two years, Johnson said. 'The economic impact to local dairies, egg producers and farmers is not fully understood yet,' Johnson said. To help combat these issues, the Pittsburgh group is requesting 'anyone who cares about food insecurity and what the food bank is doing to advocate alongside us,' Young said. 'In a wait and see' Staff are also working with state officials and undergoing targeted fundraising to offset potential cuts. 'Our biggest priority is to make sure our partner organizations who are working with the community are getting what they need,' Young said. 'We are working really hard to make sure the impact of this does not fall on people who need this assistance.' She said that if the organization were 'to try to replace all the food we lost through these cuts, it would cost more than $5 million annually at these food prices.' Anthony Consiglio, Society of St. Vincent de Paul Altoona-Johnstown executive director, said the group's Department of Agriculture funding is secure for this cycle, which ends with the fiscal year in June, but it's unclear what the future holds. A lot of the produce the society receives comes from the Pittsburgh food bank. 'As far as cuts, we're kind of in a wait and see,' he said. 'No one is sure what will happen and who it will affect.' St. Vincent de Paul has one food pantry in Blair County and four in Cambria County. Consiglio said that, in Cambria County alone, the group serves between 70 and 150 families per month, or 120 to 400 people per month. He doesn't foresee any SVDP pantries closing as a result of these changes, but Consiglio said he has heard from people who frequent the food banks that they are worried about their SNAP benefits. 'Everything is so confusing right now,' Consiglio said. According to Feeding America, more than 50 million people in the country relied on food pantries, community organizations and food banks for food assistance in 2023. USDA data show that 13.5%, or 18 million, households in the country were food-insecure during that time period. In Cambria County, more than 17,000 people, 13.2% of residents, are food-insecure, and 55% are below the SNAP threshold, according to Feeding America. Nearly 9,000 people in Somerset County, or 11.8% of the population, are facing hunger and 56% are below the SNAP threshold, the group reports. 'Fresh, locally grown' Gov. Josh Shapiro has appealed the USDA's decision to eliminate the LFPA program, and said he is committed to fighting on this matter. If the decision is not reversed, a statement from his administration said, the state is ready 'to pursue further legal action to safeguard vital revenue streams for farmers and ensure uninterrupted food access for residents.' Shapiro said: 'Pennsylvania farmers do the noble work of putting food on our table – and for the last three years, they have been paid to provide fresh, local food to food banks across our commonwealth as part of a successful federal initiative. But earlier (in March), we received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the Trump administration had decided to cancel our agreement. 'As a result of this unlawful action, 189 Pennsylvania farms will lose a critical source of revenue – and 14 food banks across the commonwealth will lose access to local, fresh food. I've directed (state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding) to immediately appeal the USDA's decision to unlawfully terminate this agreement and demand that the federal government honor their obligations under the agreement we signed just four months ago.' According to his administration, throughout the past two years, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture provided more than $28 million in federal funding from the LFPA program to local farmers across the state. In return, food banks have helped feed their most vulnerable neighbors and received fresh, local food from Pennsylvania farmers. 'The same program was set to provide $13 million over the next three years to support the purchase of more fresh, locally grown food for food banks,' according to the Shapiro administration. Additionally, a USDA release from January 2023 says the agency's Agricultural Marketing Service signed an agreement with the state 'for more than $6.8 million to increase their purchase of nutritious, local foods for school meal programs' through the now-canceled Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program.
Reuters
18-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
The Rager Foundation Shares Insights Into How Jason Rager Built a Successful Family Office
WILMINGTON, DE, March 17, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- The Rager Foundation, a Wilmington-based nonprofit dedicated to educational advancement, today shared insights into how Jason Rager, early in his entrepreneurial and executive career, discovered that true business success relies on adhering to traditional values and working alongside liked-minded individuals and organizations. These principles were instrumental in Rager's journey to becoming a highly accomplished executive and investor, earning the admiration of his clients who uphold the same values. Rager's Rise Jason Rager's executive career gained momentum even before he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Babson College. During this time, he secured funding to acquire eight retail establishments, generating significant profits. Building on these early successes, he became a published author and developed Franchise Analyzer, a software program designed to help potential investors identify optimal investment opportunities. Rager then broadened his focus by founding several technology companies and exploring ventures in digital marketing and media. This progression ultimately led to the creation of Rager Capital Partners, a private investment firm. It's All About Grit, Passion, and Belief Jason Rager acknowledges that he faced more than his fair share of setbacks and challenges throughout his journey. However, he believes that traditional values like resilience and determination have been essential to his remarkable success. "I think the most important characteristics that define success and overcoming challenges are grit and passion," Rager said. He added that those who achieve ambitious goals are often individuals who have the courage to stand out and remain dedicated to their core mission. The Rager Family Office These core principles led Rager to his latest and highly successful venture, the Rager Family Office. This investment firm is not solely focused on generating wealth for its clients and is not open to just any investor. Instead, the Rager Family Office seeks to build partnerships with well-established organizations that share Rager's deeply held values. The company collaborates closely with and invests directly for various entities, including family offices, hedge funds, institutional investors, public companies, and private equity firms, to drive long-term growth while ensuring beneficial outcomes for all parties involved. Its relationships are built on trust, business dealings are guided by integrity and ethical principles, and a significant portion of profits is dedicated to making a positive impact on the world. Rager is deeply committed to philanthropy, recognizing its far-reaching positive impact. The Rager Family Office has supported and established various foundations and organizations in its hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. One initiative particularly close to Rager's heart is the Rager Foundation. Founded in 2021, the foundation serves the greater Wilmington and Brandywine Valley regions, supporting causes that benefit local communities. "This has been a truly rewarding experience," Rager shared. "Supporting some of the local foundations has been a truly life-changing experience." The Next Chapter Professionally, Rager is excited to see his company grow and hopes the Rager Family Office will continue achieving double-digit growth. On a personal level, however, he is preparing for an even more significant role than that of a business executive—he and his wife, Del, are expecting a baby girl this April. "I look forward to teaching my daughter the values and principles that will ultimately lead her to success and happiness," Rager said. About the Rager Foundation The Rager Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a lasting impact in communities by supporting underprivileged individuals, fostering education, and promoting social welfare initiatives. Committed to driving positive change, we focus on providing financial assistance, scholarships, and resources to those in need, empowering them to build brighter futures. Additionally, we support technology advancement within the community to help Delaware and its citizens maintain a competitive edge in the global economy. For more information, visit Media Contact ### SOURCE: Rager Foundation Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire See release on EZ Newswire
