Page 33 - Juniata River News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Jan 12, 2021 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The phone rang over the gurgle of embalming fluid as Geoff Burke wearily eyed the corpse of the woman on the gurney. Another victim of the coronavirus, she’d have to wait. On the phone, a nurse delivered the news: body pickup needed. Passing the cremation oven, still hot from the morning’s use, Burke changed from his plastic embalming apron to a necktie and collared shirt as Sunday football commentators bantered on the television. As he prepared the hearse outside, his phone rang again. Second body pickup needed at a nursing home outside Lewistown. Coron...

By Oona Goodin-Smith, Jason Nark, Dylan Purcell and Tim Tai The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA — The phone rang over the gurgle of embalming fluid as Geoff Burke wearily eyed the corpse of the woman on the gurney. Another victim of the coronavirus, she’d have to wait. On the phone, a nurse delivered the news: body pickup needed. Passing the cremation oven, still hot from the morning’s use, Burke changed from his plastic embalming apron to a necktie and collared shirt as Sunday football commentators bantered on the television. As he prepared the hearse outside, his phone rang again. ...

In April, as the coronavirus gripped portions of southeastern Pennsylvania, western and central counties remained largely unaffected, but that has now changed.

wfrank@altoonamirror.com The Organic Snack Co., which makes Kate’s Real Food protein bars, opened its 20,000-square-foot production facility last summer. Former Altoona dentist, developer Bruce Thaler, is co-owner of Kate’s Real Food. Courtesy photo / Photo illustration by Nick Anna By Walt Frank Economic development in the region was another victim of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Starting in March, the staff and board members of the Altoona Blair County Development Corp. could only react to the crisis, managing emergency grant programs, forgiving loans, deferring rents and referring...

With the devastation seemingly far-removed, mask wearing was often seen as political, and the mitigation efforts frivolous in towns largely untouched by the virus.