Will the York State Fair have to change its name?

State Rep. Catherine Wallen of the 193rd House District, which stretches from Shippensburg to New Oxford, plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit fairs from using the title “state fair” in their name or advertising.

She noted that “a wave of a few fairs” recently has started using the word “state” in their name. There isn’t a statute that allows the use of a “state fair” title in Pennsylvania.

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“This legislation would change that to keep all fairs across the state on the same level and not allude that they are recognized as the Official State fair of Pennsylvania,” Wallen wrote. “The only event that truly has claim to that title is the Pennsylvania Farm Show that is held annually in Harrisburg.”

The annual agricultural fair in York County, formerly known as the York Fair, added the word “state” to its name in 2020. The event, which was set to move to July that year, had to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Rhode Island and other states had recently won a ruling against HUD’s attempt to overhaul a federal homelessness grant program in fiscal year 2025.

US District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy found that HUD acted arbitrarily and capriciously in imposing illegal conditions on billions of dollars in funding for the Continuum of Care program, through which HUD distributes billions of dollars to state, local, and nonprofit agencies to support housing and services for people facing homelessness.

For more than two decades, HUD had followed a “Housing First” model, which prioritizes rapid placement in permanent housing without requiring people to first meet conditions such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold.

However, on June 1, the Trump administration moved forward with new rules for fiscal year 2026 that seek to re-implement a cap on permanent housing. The new Notices of Funding Opportunity will set aside $1.3 billion for transitional housing and supportive service-only grants — which the coalition of states say will have the effect of capping permanent housing projects at about 68 percent of the funds.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the new terms on June 1, saying the old model didn’t work.

“The ‘housing first’ experiment failed Americans by warehousing the vulnerable without results. This ideology promised to end homelessness. Instead, billions of taxpayer dollars were spent while homelessness increased to record levels,” Turner said in a statement. “Housing alone will not solve a crisis driven by addiction and mental illness. Under President Trump’s leadership, HUD is making necessary reforms to put recovery first.”

HUD said that the new Notice of Funding Opportunity for $4.04 billion through the Continuum of Care homelessness assistance program would support organizations that facilitate treatment and recovery and “prohibit funding the widespread use of illicit drugs and distribution of paraphernalia.”

The lawsuit alleges that the new conditions will mean a large number of permanent housing projects funded by the Continuum of Care program will lose funding, which will lead to people being evicted, placing further strain on state and local governments.

“Instead of investing in programs that help people stay safe and housed, the Trump Administration has embraced policies that risk trapping people in poverty and punishing them for being poor,” the 44-page lawsuit alleges.

The shift threatens housing for at least 97,000 residents of CoC-funded permanent housing across the country according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The states argue that HUD’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act for failing to proceed with notice-and-comment rulemaking, and for being arbitrary and capricious. They ask the court to declare that the challenged conditions are illegal and to block HUD from implementing them.

Along with Neronha, attorneys general from all New England states except for New Hampshire have joined the lawsuit. The coalition also includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.

Mountain bike enthusiasts have been working for years on an ambitious 485-mile, multi-use trail called The Velomont that will span the length of the state.

When finished, the collaborative project will knit together existing trail networks, connect 27 communities and include huts and hostels for overnight stays.

New trail construction is finally ramping up after years spent on permits, plans and public input. And organizers say they want to make it as user-friendly as possible.

“For us, it’s not a huge lift to just be mindful when we’re trying to build trail or improve trail to think about the adaptive rider,” said Angus McCusker, the Velomont trail director with the nonprofit Vermont Huts and Trails.

McCusker is referring to the growing number of disabled athletes who mountain bike with specially designed equipment.

“The challenge,” said McCusker, “is we’re connecting to existing trail networks that were never intended for adaptive bikes. So, where we can, we’re trying to do adaptive assessments.”

Louis Arevalo, left, straps into his adaptive mountain bike and chats with Jeff Dickson of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, Angus McCusker with Vermont Huts and Trails, and volunteer Thatcher Hinman (all from left) ahead of a trail accessibility assessment in Randolph, Vermont, on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

Zoe McDonald/Vermont Public

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Louis Arevalo of Essex Junction is one of several adaptive athletes helping with that, most recently on some slightly overgrown single track trails in Randolph, a central Vermont town nestled along the eastern edge of the Green Mountains.

Arevalo pedals with his hands. He rides an electric powered recumbent-style three-wheeler that sits low to the ground. His service dog Azul chases along nearby.

“Once you realize what these bikes are capable (of) or this equipment actually opens up, it kind of blows your mind,” he said.

Arevalo was paralyzed in a skiing accident six years ago. Being able to get back on the trails has been a game changer, he said smiling.

“There’s a reason we live in the Green Mountain state. It’s because we like to get outside…you know, seeing the squirrels and chipmunks and birds… I mean, it’s life.”

Nick Bennette, of the Vermont Mountain Biking Association, guides an adaptive bike over a narrow bridge, pointing out that other adaptive riders may have trouble getting across.

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But adaptive rigs like Arevalo’s are wider and heavier than regular mountain bikes, and not all trails are user-friendly.