PINECROFT, BLAIR COUNTY - It may be a sign of growth in the local economy. A new Comfort Suites Hotel is being built along side Interstate 99 in Northern Blair County. The construction site is just off from the the Pinecroft Exit North of Altoona. Ground was broken for the 65 guest- room hotel in late September. Work is expected to wrap up in June of the coming year. Twenty people will work at the new hotel once it opens to serve business and leisure travelers.
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Norfolk Southern has a new service to make is easier for its commercial customers to track their shipments. Companies can now trace their materials using what the railroad is calling Railcar Event - Text Message Alerts. By going to the company's e-commerce site, customers can set up an automated alert system that will notify them by cell phone when ever the status of their shipment changes.
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The event is still about a month away but a Regional Trade Meeting is already considered a big success. The Central Pennsylvania Regional expo will be held in mid November at the Bryce Jordan Center on the main campus of Penn State. Exhibit space at the business to business meeting has already sold out with about one hundred and sixty companies taking part in the event that is scheduled for November 17th. About a dozen local Chambers of Commerce are supporting this regional event.