Joshua Byers
@journojosh.bsky.social
The Tribune-Democrat #reporter covering education/Cambria County/Courts/Outdoors | #Johnstown | #Pennsylvania | #wordsmith | Tribune-Democrat Podcasts host (#HikingtheHighlands) | jbyers@tribdem.com
Reporting on Indiana University of Pennsylvania's proposed college of osteopathic medicine has truly been a joy! Each step in the process is exciting and it's even more thrilling to know there will soon be a medical school in our backyard:
www.tribdem.com/news/iup-add...
www.tribdem.com/news/iup-add...
IUP adds two new articulation agreements for proposed medical school
Indiana University of Pennsylvania officials met Wednesday with the Indiana County Coroner's Office to pen a new articulation agreement for the school's proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
www.tribdem.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Reporting on Indiana University of Pennsylvania's proposed college of osteopathic medicine has truly been a joy! Each step in the process is exciting and it's even more thrilling to know there will soon be a medical school in our backyard:
www.tribdem.com/news/iup-add...
www.tribdem.com/news/iup-add...
Really interesting read from @nytimes.com about teen bullying and a dangerous pattern
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/m...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/m...
He Tried to Protect His Son From Bullies. He Didn’t Know How Far They Would Go.
www.nytimes.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Really interesting read from @nytimes.com about teen bullying and a dangerous pattern
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/m...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/m...
Almost forgot to post the story about Windber Area High School's new coffee shop. Here's the whole write-up! Story was on the front of Saturday's Tribune-Democrat
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
PHOTO GALLERY | 'A dream come true': Windber Area High School opens coffee shop run by Life Skills students
Windber Area High School senior Billy Shearer made quick work of helping make drinks, delivering orders and socializing with visitors Friday at the opening of Brewed Awakening, the new coffee
www.tribdem.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Almost forgot to post the story about Windber Area High School's new coffee shop. Here's the whole write-up! Story was on the front of Saturday's Tribune-Democrat
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Here's another interesting story I wrote recently about a PIAA officials class offered to high school students at Conemaugh Valley:
www.tribdem.com/cnhi_network...
www.tribdem.com/cnhi_network...
'Other side of the ball': High school class offers path for students to become sports officials
Jeremy Dietz Jr. has spent a little less than a year officiating junior high school sports and aims to move up to refereeing varsity sports soon.
www.tribdem.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Here's another interesting story I wrote recently about a PIAA officials class offered to high school students at Conemaugh Valley:
www.tribdem.com/cnhi_network...
www.tribdem.com/cnhi_network...
Something pretty cool: The Ghost Town Trail-A-Thon raised more than $60K to support Cambria County's trails group and the regional firefighters association
www.tribdem.com/news/maratho...
www.tribdem.com/news/maratho...
Marathon raises more than $62K for trails, firefighters
This year's Ghost Town Trail-a-Thon hit another milestone in fundraising collecting more than $62,000 to be split between the Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority and Cambria Regiona...
www.tribdem.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Something pretty cool: The Ghost Town Trail-A-Thon raised more than $60K to support Cambria County's trails group and the regional firefighters association
www.tribdem.com/news/maratho...
www.tribdem.com/news/maratho...
Another ICYMI: Greater Johnstown School District plans to reopen the historic Garfield Middle School by the 2026-27 school year. Renovation plans have been approved and are set to start ASAP
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Greater Johnstown will seek state's approval for Garfield school reopening
The Greater Johnstown School District board has officially empowered administrators to seek approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to reopen the former Garfield Middle School in Johnst...
www.tribdem.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Another ICYMI: Greater Johnstown School District plans to reopen the historic Garfield Middle School by the 2026-27 school year. Renovation plans have been approved and are set to start ASAP
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Windber Area High School students from the Life Skills class served their first beverages to school officials, family members and more Friday at the opening of the new Brewed Awakening coffee shop in the building. Such a cool experience to cover!!
December 12, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Windber Area High School students from the Life Skills class served their first beverages to school officials, family members and more Friday at the opening of the new Brewed Awakening coffee shop in the building. Such a cool experience to cover!!
ICYMI: Cambria County is expected to face a proposed 6.75-mill tax increase to help balance finances. The commissioners will likely meet Dec. 23 to vote on the 2026 budget and seek court approval for the hike later in the month.
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Cambria County's 2026 budget features tax hike to balance finances
Cambria County's 2026 budget went on public display Wednesday, and although the finances are advertised as balanced, the budget suggests a 6.75-mill tax increase to accomplish that.
www.tribdem.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:06 PM
ICYMI: Cambria County is expected to face a proposed 6.75-mill tax increase to help balance finances. The commissioners will likely meet Dec. 23 to vote on the 2026 budget and seek court approval for the hike later in the month.
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
On today's front page of The Tribune-Democrat:
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
State AG's office brings lawsuit against Cuddles For Kids nonprofit
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General's Charitable Trusts and Organizations division has filed a lawsuit against local nonprofit Cuddles For Kids, alleging mismanagement of more than $200,000 in...
www.tribdem.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
On today's front page of The Tribune-Democrat:
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Here's a fun project I got to work on with Cambria County Prison Warden Kurt Wolford: www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Cambria County Prison launched in 1990s amid controversy and debate, but now viewed as asset
As early as 1965, the Cambria County Prison board investigated a new facility to replace the aging stone jail in Ebensburg Borough. But it wouldn't be until the early 1990s
www.tribdem.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Here's a fun project I got to work on with Cambria County Prison Warden Kurt Wolford: www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Forgot to post this: Had a blast chatting with second-graders at Windber Area Elementary for their career day!!
December 1, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Forgot to post this: Had a blast chatting with second-graders at Windber Area Elementary for their career day!!
Was at IUP and IRMC's Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference today. Always a pleasure to visit the area and be among people focused on improving health care access and quality in rural areas!
November 20, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Was at IUP and IRMC's Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference today. Always a pleasure to visit the area and be among people focused on improving health care access and quality in rural areas!
I've come to realize I can do all things through caffeine and stress
November 19, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I've come to realize I can do all things through caffeine and stress
Getting to cover this was such a honor! To think there was a combined nearly 1,800 years of service in one room left me speechless.
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Inaugural Cambria County First Responders Ball brings community together
Firefighters, police, paramedics, EMTs, prison staff, dispatchers and more from around the area, sharing nearly 1,800 years of cumulative service, came together Saturday in downtown Johnstown for the ...
www.tribdem.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Getting to cover this was such a honor! To think there was a combined nearly 1,800 years of service in one room left me speechless.
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
www.tribdem.com/news/local_n...
Reposted by Joshua Byers
Kansas county agrees to pay $3 million over law enforcement raid on a small-town newspaper
apnews.com/article/kans...
apnews.com/article/kans...
Kansas county agrees to pay $3 million over law enforcement raid on a small-town newspaper
A rural Kansas county has agreed to pay more than $3 million and apologize over a law enforcement raid on a small-town weekly newspaper in August 2023.
apnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Kansas county agrees to pay $3 million over law enforcement raid on a small-town newspaper
apnews.com/article/kans...
apnews.com/article/kans...
Reposted by Joshua Byers
Over four centuries, Japan built a tradition of drinking matcha that was based on four principles: harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity. It took just a few years for a worldwide matcha craze to upend those values and replace them with disharmony, disrespect, impurity and fraud.
The Matcha Market Cracks Under Pressure
Once consumed mainly in small, formal tea ceremonies, matcha is now mixed into fruity lattes and preyed on by counterfeiters. Can it survive its own popularity?
nyti.ms
October 15, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Over four centuries, Japan built a tradition of drinking matcha that was based on four principles: harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity. It took just a few years for a worldwide matcha craze to upend those values and replace them with disharmony, disrespect, impurity and fraud.
In a matter of days, Conemaugh Valley High School students collected nearly 3,000 books to donate to Cambria Elementary after the school's entire collection was lost to a mold issue.
www.tribdem.com/news/conemau...
www.tribdem.com/news/conemau...
Conemaugh Valley honor society collects thousands of books for neighboring district
In a matter of days, students from Conemaugh Valley High School's National Honor Society collected nearly 3,000 books to donate to Central Cambria School District's Cambria Elementary School.
www.tribdem.com
October 2, 2025 at 3:35 PM
In a matter of days, Conemaugh Valley High School students collected nearly 3,000 books to donate to Cambria Elementary after the school's entire collection was lost to a mold issue.
www.tribdem.com/news/conemau...
www.tribdem.com/news/conemau...
Did you know the nation's oldest record store can be found in downtown Johnstown (Pa.)? I recently chatted with the owner after he reopened following an illness:
www.tribdem.com/news/its-in-...
www.tribdem.com/news/its-in-...
'It's in my blood': George's Song Shop owner 'doing good' after illness, continues operations with adjusted hours
George's Song Shop has long been a staple of downtown Johnstown. Proprietor John George can often be found perusing multitudes of LPs and 45s, chatting with customers, or talking on
www.tribdem.com
October 1, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Did you know the nation's oldest record store can be found in downtown Johnstown (Pa.)? I recently chatted with the owner after he reopened following an illness:
www.tribdem.com/news/its-in-...
www.tribdem.com/news/its-in-...
Reposted by Joshua Byers
The Committee for the First Amendment first launched in the 1940s, when the House Un-American Activities Committee accused Hollywood actors, directors and writers of being communists or sympathizers.
Hundreds of celebrities relaunch a McCarthy-era committee to defend free speech
The Committee for the First Amendment first launched in the 1940s, when the House Un-American Activities Committee accused Hollywood actors, directors and writers of being communists or sympathizers.
n.pr
October 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The Committee for the First Amendment first launched in the 1940s, when the House Un-American Activities Committee accused Hollywood actors, directors and writers of being communists or sympathizers.
Reposted by Joshua Byers
An out of office email scoop with Hatch Act implications you're gonna want to read from @telliotter.bsky.social:
www.wired.com/story/govern...
www.wired.com/story/govern...
Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown
Workers at one agency were given unhinged, partisan language to use when setting out-of-office replies.
www.wired.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:44 PM
An out of office email scoop with Hatch Act implications you're gonna want to read from @telliotter.bsky.social:
www.wired.com/story/govern...
www.wired.com/story/govern...
Hoping this is a good link: Here's the first episode of The Tribune-Democrat's new podcast "Johnstown Unsolved," an exploration of case files regional investigators are still chasing leads on.
open.spotify.com/episode/5oBB...
open.spotify.com/episode/5oBB...
Johnstown Unsolved: The Kareem Brandon Case
open.spotify.com
September 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Hoping this is a good link: Here's the first episode of The Tribune-Democrat's new podcast "Johnstown Unsolved," an exploration of case files regional investigators are still chasing leads on.
open.spotify.com/episode/5oBB...
open.spotify.com/episode/5oBB...