[naviga:h3]Hatcheries to close without fee increase[/naviga:h3]

ERIE — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says it will have to close three of its hatcheries if the cost of a fishing license doesn’t go up.

The group said Tuesday that the potential closures would be part of a $2 million spending reduction that the group says will be made if the state legislature doesn’t pass a bill that would allow them to raise the price of the license fees.

They say closing the hatcheries will eliminate almost a quarter of a million adult stocked trout in state lakes and streams.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director John Arway says the last time the price of a general fishing license was raised was in 2005.

[naviga:h3]2 lawsuits over water settled with driller[/naviga:h3]

DIMOCK — Two families have settled their lawsuit alleging that one of Pennsylvania’s biggest gas drillers contaminated their well water, six months after a federal judge threw out a multimillion-dollar jury verdict in the case.

A court filing dated Sept. 21 says the lawsuit pursued by plaintiffs against Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. was “amicably resolved.” Dozens of plaintiffs settled with Cabot in 2012, but two families opted to take their case to trial.