Pennsylvania category, Page 17
Historic ocean liner departs Philadelphia on voyage to become the world’s largest artificial reefVideo
The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef departed from south Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront on Wednesday, marking the opening segment of its final voyage. The SS United States, a 1,000-foot vessel that shattered the transatlantic speed record on its...
Massive fire at Pennsylvania aerospace plant prompts shelter-in-place order, evacuations
JENKINTOWN — Schools were closed and residents were ordered to shelter-in-place Tuesday when a large fire broke out at an aerospace manufacturer’s facility in a town north of Philadelphia, officials said. The fire broke out at SPS Technologies in Jenkintown around 9:30 p.m. Monday. Witnesses said there was an explosion...
Leader of cultlike Zizians linked to 6 killings faces bail hearing in Maryland
CUMBERLAND, Md. — The leader of a cultlike group known as the Zizians that is linked to six killings in three states faces a bail hearing Tuesday along with two others who were arrested with her in Maryland. Jack LaSota, 34, of Berkeley, California, also known as Ziz, was arrested...
Proposed Pa. minimum wage hike is bitter pill for many business owners
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage by more than 100% — from $7.25 to $15 an hour — is being panned by area business owners. Most say they already pay workers more than the minimum wage, and the rate should be set by the market, not by...
Philadelphia turns green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate Super Bowl champions
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia was awash in green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate its Super Bowl champions. Swooning fans screamed and cheered Friday as MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie took turns hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the start of the team’s victory parade through the City...
Federal freeze hits major Pa. food bank, halts fresh milk, eggs and meat program
One of Pennsylvania’s largest food banks relies on a little-known federal program that allows it to help more people by purchasing milk, eggs and meat directly from farmers at reduced prices. That program is now in jeopardy amid the widespread rollout of funding cuts and program stoppages directed by President...
Child welfare agencies are buckling under staffing shortages as Pa. debates using opioid money to help
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania counties are tapping into opioid settlement money to support child welfare programs as they face staff shortages, increased risks for children, and other challenges. Most of these initiatives have received approval from a powerful state oversight board — including efforts to train staff, support parents in treatment,...
Bird flu cases on the rise in Pa. as the state expands testing, containment efforts
BELLEFONTE — Pennsylvania has given $13.5 million to hundreds of farmers over the past three years to help them pay for bird flu testing, recover lost revenue, and implement biosecurity measures. These are the tentpoles of the state’s special grant program helping farmers respond to the aggressive virus, which is...
Shapiro sues over Trump administration spending freezes on grants and loans
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday sued agencies under President Donald Trump, saying they are illegally and unconstitutionally withholding billions in federal aid from the state that had already been approved by Congress. Shapiro, a Democrat, filed the lawsuit despite the fact that federal courts have repeatedly rejected...
Pa. Turnpike officials warn about new smishing scam involving ‘unpaid tolls’
If you received a text saying you owe money for unpaid tolls, The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wants you to know that it’s probably a scam. Officials are warning customers to be vigilant, as scammers are pretending to be toll agencies and are sending texts demanding money immediately, the Pennsylvania Turnpike...
Man breaks into and floods Poconos home over canceled Airbnb contract, cops say
A New York man apparently frustrated over the cancellation of an Airbnb contract broke into a Pocono area home and flooded it, police said. Daniel Peter Celban, 33, of Middle Island is charged with felony burglary, felony criminal trespass, felony criminal mischief, misdemeanor defiant trespass and misdemeanor resisting arrest. Court...
Shapiro administration names the state prisons it wants to close
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Department of Corrections has named the two state prisons that it would close as part of efficiency efforts in the 2025-26 budget year. The recommendation from the state Department of Corrections is to close the 110-year-old State Correctional Institution at Rockview in Centre County, where the last...
Pa. dog wins agility competition to extend Border Collie streak at Westminster show
A dog owner-handler from eastern Pennsylvania is celebrating this weekend. Emily Klarman of Doylestown, Buck County, watched Vanish, a Border Collie, win the 12th Annual Masters Agility Championship Finals on Saturday at the Westminster Dog Show in New York City. Vanish’s win marks the ninth for a Border Collie out...
Gaza joins list of Trump proposals backed by Fetterman
After President Donald Trump suggested a plan to “take over” and “own” the Gaza Strip, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said he was open to the idea. Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, called the plan “provocative,” but it’s “part of the conversation,” The Hill reported. “The Palestinians have refused, or they’ve been...
Fiery resignation by Pa.’s consumer advocate breeds fear office will lose independence
HARRISBURG — In a letter announcing he would resign as Pennsylvania’s consumer advocate, Patrick Cicero claimed he was the victim what he called a public campaign led by various investor-owned utilities to seek his removal. David W. Sunday, the incoming Republican attorney general, Cicero said, had asked him to reapply...
Boy who protected sister from plane crash debris making ‘miraculous’ recovery
PHILADELPHIA — A 10-year-old boy has been making a “miraculous” recovery after protecting his younger sister from the flying debris of a medical transport plane that crashed in Philadelphia last week, his family said. “Daddy, did I save my sister?” was one of the first things Trey Howard asked his...
The heist of 100,000 eggs in Franklin County becomes a whodunit that police have yet to crack
ANTRIM TOWNSHIP — The heist of 100,000 eggs from the back of a trailer in Pennsylvania has become a whodunit that police have yet to crack. Four days after the theft that law enforcement say could be tied to the sky-high cost of eggs, no leads have come in, Trooper...
100K eggs stolen from central Pa. supplier
A hundred thousand eggs were stolen Saturday from an organic supplier in Franklin County amid skyrocketing prices stemming from an avian flu outbreak, Pennsylvania State Police said. The eggs were swiped from the back of a distribution trailer around 8:40 p.m. at the Pete & Gerry’s Organics warehouse on Commerce...
Shapiro seeks more money for schools and transit, but relies heavily on surplus cash
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is seeking more money for underfunded public schools and public transit in his budget proposal unveiled Tuesday, while he hopes to win support for legalizing marijuana and introducing taxes on skill games viewed as competitors to casinos and lottery contests. The Democrat — a...
Newly elected DNC vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta says he won’t spend 4 years ‘apologizing for being a Democrat’
Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, was elected vice chair of the Democratic National Committee on Saturday, a role that gives him a front-row seat as the party tries to course-correct after widespread losses in November. Ken Martin, a longtime Democratic operative and Minnesota state party leader who served as...
Temple says 2 people impersonated ICE agents on campus and 1 student is in custody as police investigate
Philadelphia and Temple University police are investigating an incident where two people posing as ICE agents disrupted a business on campus on Saturday night, according to the school. The pair wore shirts with “ICE” and “Police” in white lettering, while a third person videotaped the disturbance. One Temple student was...
Aerial views show gaping crater at site of Northeast Philly plane crashVideo
An aerial view of the area near the site of the plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia that killed seven people Friday shows a gaping crater close to the entrance of Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Avenue as response personnel, some in blue work suits, attend to the damage. The medical transport...
Child patient from Mexico, her mother on plane that crashed in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — A medical transport jet with a child patient, her mother and four others aboard crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff Friday evening, exploding in a fireball that engulfed several homes. All six people aboard were from Mexico. The child had been treated in Philadelphia for a...
Philly DA: Local officials don’t have to comply with Trump administration’s immigration crackdown
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Friday local elected officials and law enforcement cannot be forced to comply with the Trump administration’s “Nazi stuff,” referring to the president’s planned crackdown on immigration. “Local law enforcement can volunteer to do Nazi stuff,” said Krasner, a Democrat. “I’m sure I...
Shapiro’s budget is expected to seek more for schools and transit, emphasize frugality
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver his third budget proposal to lawmakers next week, a plan that’s expected to seek substantially more aid for the poorest public schools, emphasize frugality and press the politically fraught topics of bailing out public transit and legalizing marijuana. The plan to be...
