Montgomery County Releases Flood Study

In 2021, Hurricane Ida resulted in as much as ten inches of rainfall in Mongomery County, raising the Perkiomen Creek to 26 feet, destroying 70 homes, killing four residents, and causing millions of dollars in infrastructure damage.

Montgomery County has released the Perkiomen Mapping & Flood Study, which covers information on more than 130 flood sites and offers data on emergency planning and infrastructure projects.

This article discusses the comprehensive study, which can be used to protect communities from future weather events. 

Click here to read the full article

State Funding Will Help Bolster Recreation and Conservation Projects in NEPA

Approximately $10 million in state funding will build parks, trails, and community nature spaces across Northeast and Northcentral Pennsylvania.

Across the state, $82 million in nature investments will bolster more than 295 recreation and conservation projects, 52 of which are in NEPA and Northcentral counties.

Highlighted projects include natural habitat protection, swimming pools, and nature trails. 

Click here to read the full article

Gov. Shapiro Launches New Round of Agricultural Innovation Grants

During the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show, the Shapiro Administration announced that another $10 million round of funding will be available through the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program.

The first in the nation, this program funds 88 innovation projects in 45 counties.

These projects help farmers and agriculture producers adopt new technology, expand production, protect resources, and improve efficiency and clean energy practices. 



Click here to read the full article

Exploring and Expanding Skills Development Across the Built Environment

Millions of workers across the nation are responsible for maintaining the country’s built environment, including roads, pipelines, road networks, and more.

New technologies and climate events are changing demand for expansion and repairs of the built environment.

Brookings Research discusses data around what defines and measures the job demand and skill development for maintaining and improving the built environment. 



Click here to read the full article

New Benchmarking Tool Illuminates How AI is Accelerating Job Market Changes

With jobseekers that emphasize generalized skills while employers seek specific skills, AI is influencing how quickly the job market is changing from a role-based to skill-based economy.

Researchers have creates a benchmark tool called the Wharton-Accenture Skills Index (WAsX) which measures which job skills are falling into over-supplied and under-supplies categories at a specific time, as well as how those skills affect wages.

This article describes how the WAsX tool is measuring how the job market is changing on a sector level, with the disconnect between jobseekers’ description of skills and what different employers are looking for. 



Click here to read the full article

More Students are Going to College-Affordability, Workforce Training are Factors

In the United States, college enrollment has risen to surpass prepandemic levels, new figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center show.

This growth is uneven; while private college enrollment and master’s degrees pursuits are decreasing, enrollment in public universities and community colleges has experienced years-long steady growth.

NPR explores increases, shifts, and concerns amongst enrollment in college degree programs. 



Click here to read the full article