‘Joe Dirt’ tribute takes top prize in Pennsylvania Farm Show mullet contestVideo
HARRISBURG — A packed crowd celebrated the much-maligned but enduring mullet hairstyle Monday in a contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. The short-in-the-front, long-in-the-back coiffure, once the province of Canadian hockey players and hair metal bands, attracted about 150 competitors and more than a thousand spectators for the...
Pa. lawmakers among highest-paid in the country, thanks to automatic pay raises
Automatic pay increases that took effect last month again placed Pennsylvania’s Legislature among the highest paid in the country. The base annual salary for lawmakers in the state House and Senate is up to about $113,591, under terms set by a 1995 law mandating automatic cost-of-living adjustments for top state...
Dina Powell McCormick, wife of U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, named Meta president
Dina Powell McCormick, a close ally of the Trump administration and the wife of U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, is Meta’s new president and vice chairman. The Facebook parent company announced her appointment Monday, making a figure with Southwestern Pennsylvania ties a central decision-maker for one of the world’s largest tech...
Democrats look for leader to emerge, a focus on platform issues ahead of midterms
Former President Bill Clinton once said that when it comes to elections, Democrats want to fall in love and Republicans just fall in line. In 2024, after former President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race 3½ months before Election Day, Democrats appeared to just fall apart, according to political...
Voodoo Brewery closes Erie location after 10 years
Voodoo Brewery is bidding adieu to Erie, Pennsylvania. The national beer brewer, which was founded in 2005 in Meadville, announced in a post on its website that it is closing its location in downtown Erie, which has been in operation for a decade. “Erie, this one hurts,” the post read....
100 skulls and mummified body parts found in a Pennsylvania grave robbery case, police sayVideo
Bones and skulls visible in the back seat of a car near an abandoned cemetery on Philadelphia’s outskirts led police to a basement filled with body parts, which authorities say were hoarded by a man now accused of stealing about 100 sets of human remains. Officers say an arrest on...
Josh Shapiro to run for 2nd term as Pa. governor, trailed by talk of a 2028 White House bid
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will run for a second term in the pivotal battleground state after a first term that put him on the Democratic Party’s radar as a potential presidential contender in 2028. He plans to make the formal announcement Thursday at events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia....
Joseph McGettigan, prosecutor in Jerry Sandusky and John du Pont cases, dies at 76
HARRISBURG — Joseph E. McGettigan III, a Pennsylvania prosecutor who obtained criminal convictions against Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and chemical heir John du Pont, has died at age 76. McGettigan, who lived in the Philadelphia suburb of Media, died on Dec. 31, according to the funeral home...
Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano won’t run for governor again in 2026
HARRISBURG — State Sen. Doug Mastriano will not seek the GOP nomination for Pennsylvania again this year, after months of teasing a potential run to the chagrin of establishment Republicans. Mastriano’s announcement Wednesday now clears the way for State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who was endorsed by the state GOP last...
Got turkeys? The Pennsylvania Game Commission wants to know
Thanksgiving is long gone, but for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, it’s time to talk turkey — specifically, where they are and how many you see. The commission is making its annual request for public assistance in reporting the location of turkey flocks they see between now and March 15, as...
Trump store in suburban Philadelphia ‘kind of run its course’ and is set to close
BENSALEM, Pa. — A suburban Philadelphia shop selling President Donald Trump-themed merchandise that became a magnet for die-hard supporters announced it’s closing its doors, six years after opening. The Trump Store, which sells hats, flags, T-shirts and other items in hotly politically contested Bucks County, posted on social media that...
As Pa. energy prices rise, advocates skeptical that lawmakers will put aside partisan differences
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Democrats and Republicans who lead the Pennsylvania legislature have singled out increasing energy production as a goal...
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro has $30 million for his reelection bid, a new state record
HARRISBURG — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro set another campaign finance record for Pennsylvania with $30 million on hand as he seeks a second term this fall, his campaign said Tuesday. Pennsylvania has emerged as the nation’s premier presidential battleground state, and Shapiro’s strong showing in the 2022 governor’s race elevated...
4 injured in suburban Philadelphia nursing home explosion file negligence lawsuit
Four people hurt when an explosion ripped through a Pennsylvania nursing home two weeks ago sued the facility and a natural gas utility on Monday, claiming their negligence was to blame. Two workers at Bristol Health & Rehab Center LLC, a resident of the suburban Philadelphia facility and a contractor...
Another turnpike toll hike takes effect. Here’s why and what it will cost you
John Brady can’t figure out why the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission keeps raising tolls. “It’s just hard to justify the hike every single year. You would think they would do it every other year,” said Brady, of Hampton, who travels with his wife, Deb, from the Butler Valley exit to the...
Idaho company recalls nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef for E. coli risk
An Idaho-based company is recalling nearly 3,000 pounds of raw ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The recall involves 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages labeled “Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef.” Affected packages were produced Dec. 16 and have a label telling customers to use or freeze the...
Flu, respiratory illnesses rising in Pennsylvania
Flu infections are surging across Pennsylvania. The state’s Department of Health has logged more than 35,000 cases since the start of October, with nearly 14,000 coming between Dec. 21 and Saturday. Department spokesman Neil Ruhland described the rise as a “normal annual occurrence” caused by people spending more time indoors,...
Penn State board deliberated its business in public more often this year, Spotlight PA analysis shows
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a daily newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. The...
Narcan in schools? Educators react to proposed legislation
Public school officials statewide administered medication to reverse an opioid overdose 32 times during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Who received the naloxone dose and in which schools it was administered were not made public by the health department. But the growing impact of...
Pa. reports record high monthly gambling revenue, citing rise in sports wagering income
Anthony Procida enjoys betting on his favorite sports teams — namely the Minnesota Vikings and Penn State Nittany Lions. But Procida, 35, of Irwin said he knows himself too well to try out online sportsbooks, which accounted for 95% of sports bets in 2024, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control...
Communities reap millions from Pennsylvania casino revenue
State-mandated distribution of revenue from the state’s casinos has paid off for Western Pennsylvania municipalities. More than $60 million in grants was distributed in 2025 to municipalities through a state program that allocates tax revenue collected from casinos to pay for economic development projects, infrastructure upgrades, public safety and equipment...
Elder abuse agencies fail to mitigate risk as Shapiro admin defends system, touts changes
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — In November, Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich found himself in the hot seat. He was...
Shapiro poised to become nation’s highest-paid governor
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is poised to get a raise of more than $8,000 in the coming year to boost his annual salary to $253,870, based on cost-of-living increases provided under state law to top officials. The raise appears to position Shapiro to become the nation’s highest-paid governor. The Democrat...
At least $18.7M poured into this year’s critical Pa. Supreme Court retention races
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Special interests, organizations connected to Pennsylvania’s richest man, and groups with mysterious donors broke spending records to...
Crews dig into Pennsylvania nursing home rubble to see if a gas leak caused deadly blast
BRISTOL — Construction crews worked to clear the collapsed walls and roof from a Pennsylvania nursing home Wednesday to help investigators find the cause of an explosion that killed a resident and employee, and set off a dramatic evacuation amid falling debris and shooting flames. The Tuesday afternoon blast sent...
