Pennsylvania category, Page 183
Trump, Biden win Pennsylvania primary contests amid unrest, pandemic
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania held a primary election Tuesday amid civil unrest, a pandemic, the introduction of new voting machines in some counties and the debut of mail-in balloting that pushed county election bureaus to their limits. The result of the highest-profile contest on the ballot was a foregone conclusion: President...
Police clashes with protesters mark reversal in PhiladelphiaVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Officials in Philadelphia defended their use of tear gas in dispersing protesters who blocked a major highway at rush hour, calling it necessary to defuse “a dangerous and volatile situation,” but civil rights lawyers called it a reversal of recent city policy. The Philadelphia Police Department had earned...
Pennsylvania health officials ask protesters to adhere to coronavirus safety guidelines
State health officials have no plans to alter the timeline of when counties will move to the next phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s phased reopening plan despite large-scale protests over the death of George Floyd not adhering to social distancing guidelines. Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said health officials respect...
Pennsylvania Turnpike to lay off 500 employees, make cashless tolling permanent
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission this month will lay off about 500 employees — mostly toll collectors — as it switches permanently to a cashless system statewide. That’s roughly a quarter of the commission’s total workforce. The commission originally planned to make the switch to cashless late next year, promising no...
100 new coronavirus deaths, 612 new cases reported in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 100 new covid-19 deaths and 612 new cases Tuesday. That brings the state’s total case count to 72,894, with 5,667 deaths. Pennsylvania cases by dayInfogram The state considers 616 patients as probable cases, but they are not confirmed. More than half of coronavirus cases...
Pa. gun shop owner shoots, kills man during attempted burglary
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia gun shop owner shot and killed a man who the owner said was among a group that had broken into the store early Tuesday, authorities said. The shooting at the Firing Line Gun Range and Gun Store occurred around 4:20 a.m. The shop owner told police...
Police commissioner defends use of tear gas in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Tear gas was used as “a means to safely diffuse a volatile and dangerous situation” when protesters spilled onto an interstate highway in the heart of Philadelphia just before a curfew took effect, the city’s police commissioner said. Police also fired nonlethal bullets into the crowd and halted...
Thieves blowing up, stealing ATMs across Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Explosions punctuated the overnight hours as thieves blew up and stole ATMs across the city, police said. At least ten machines were vandalized, mainly at neighborhood convenience stores and gas stations. The thieves mainly set off explosive devices, blowing up the machines before making off with the cash....
Pa. launches covid-19 testing of nursing home residents, staff
The state launched its initiative to test residents and staff at all personal care and nursing homes for covid-19 as the first stage of a sweeping plan for ongoing testing at the more than 1,900 facilities. “We will have to continue (testing) until we have a vaccine” for covid-19, state...
Police fire tear gas, nonlethal bullets in PhiladelphiaVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Hundreds of people protesting the police treatment of black people spilled onto an interstate highway in the heart of Philadelphia on Monday afternoon just before a curfew took effect, leading law enforcement to fire nonlethal bullets and tear gas and halting traffic during the evening rush hour. The...
Pennsylvania reports 356 new coronavirus cases, 12 more deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 12 new covid-19 deaths and 356 new cases Monday. That brings the state’s total case count to 72,282, with 5,567 deaths. It’s the lowest number of new cases reported in a day since March 25. Pennsylvania cases by dayInfogram The state considers 616 patients...
Demand for mail-in ballots makes for unpredictable Pennsylvania primary
A primary election like none other in state history awaits Pennsylvania voters Tuesday, when those who have not contributed to the flood of mail-in ballots may encounter new machines designed to improve security by creating a paper record. Polling places in some counties have been moved or consolidated to cope...
National Guard deployed as Philadelphia protest turns violent
PHILADELPHIA — National Guard vehicles were stationed around City Hall and other government buildings in downtown Philadelphia early Monday as an overnight curfew lifted following ongoing protests over George Floyd’s death. Philadelphia officials closed most services and business in the city’s center after a second day of peaceful protests over...
83% of Pennsylvania’s 2.4M unemployed have been paid; Greensburg cafeteria worker still waiting
Sharon Sachs lost her job in Seton Hill University’s cafeteria when the Greensburg campus closed in mid-March because of the covid-19 pandemic. Now, she could be the poster child for dysfunction in Pennsylvania’s jobless benefits program. “I have not received a penny since filing for unemployment the week of March...
Teargas used on Philadelphia crowds as destruction continuesVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Officials in Philadelphia closed off much of the center of the city Sunday after peaceful protests over George Floyd’s death turned into a night of destruction with store windows smashed near City Hall, merchandise taken from stores and police and other vehicles and structures set afire. But people...
Pennsylvania reports 18 more covid-19 deaths, case count hits close to 72K
Pennsylvania health officials on Sunday reported 18 more covid-19 deaths Sunday, and 511 additional positive cases. That brings the state’s total number of deaths to 5,555 and case count to 71,926. Sixty-seven percent of the total cases have recovered. About 5,455 of the total cases are in health care workers....
Pennsylvania reports 680 new coronavirus cases, 73 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 73 new covid-19 deaths and 680 new cases Saturday. That brings the state’s total case count to 71,415, with 5,537 deaths. The state considers an additional 616 patients as probable cases, which have not confirmed. Nursing and personal care homes account for 15,376 cases...
DEP will host virtual meetings to take public comment on air pollution regulation related to fracking
Pennsylvania environmental officials will host three virtual meetings to take public comment on proposed state regulations aimed at reducing air pollution from unconventional natural gas drilling operations. The draft regulation would require additional controls at fracking sites and related infrastructure like compressor stations. Department of Environmental Protection officials estimated that,...
Pennsylvania adds 693 coronavirus cases, 91 new deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday reported 91 new deaths and 693 additional cases of the coronavirus. The state has now had 70,735 total cases and 5,464 deaths. Deaths have been recorded in 55 of the state’s 67 counties, and every county has had a positive case. More than...
Sen. Bob Casey tests positive for covid-19 antibodies, donates plasma
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said he donated plasma Friday after he learned he had antibodies to covid-19, hoping it will help others fighting covid-19. Casey, D-Scranton, said an antibody test he took last week suggested that the mild flu-like symptoms and low-grade fever he experienced earlier this spring were caused...
Pennsylvania parents charged after 2-year-old son fatally shoots himself
EAST PENN — A 2-year-old boy fatally shot himself in his family’s home after his parents knowingly left a loaded handgun within reach of the child, authorities said. Andrew Zawoski, 28, and Christine McFarland, 24, are each charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. It was’t known Friday if either...
Pennsylvania House virus notification dispute mirrors growing divide in state politics
The growing divide in the Pennsylvania Legislature loomed large this week with the news that a Republican House member’s coronavirus diagnosis was not shared with Democrats. House Democrats say they were stunned to learn Wednesday that state Rep. Andrew Lewis, R-Dauphin County, was diagnosed with covid-19 on May 20. Political...
Flood of mail-in ballots spurs fight to change deadlines for Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Some county and state officials are warning that a flood of mailed-in ballots in Pennsylvania — fueled by fears of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic — will create problems in the primary election on Tuesday that must be fixed before they cause a disaster in this battleground...
Legislature sends bills on coronavirus aid, $25B budget to Gov. Wolf
HARRISBURG — A piecemeal, no-new-taxes $25.8 billion budget headed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk Thursday, as did legislation to distribute about $2.6 billion in emergency federal coronavirus aid to counties, nursing homes and wide range of other causes. Both won speedy approval in the Republican-controlled Legislature. The budget measure was...
Pennsylvania adds 625 coronavirus cases; total passes 70,000
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday reported 108 new deaths and 625 additional cases of the coronavirus. The state has now had 70,042 total cases and 5,373 deaths. Deaths have been recorded in 54 of the state’s 67 counties, and every county has had a positive case. More than...
