Pennsylvania category, Page 202
Inspector General charges 45 with welfare fraud
The state caught 45 suspected welfare fraudsters in December, who allegedly scammed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other programs out of more than $240,000, according to the Office of the State Inspector General. The office charged 35 people with felonies, the remaining 10 with misdemeanors. Three residents of Allegheny...
Firm says Wawa customers’ hacked credit card info being sold
PHILADELPHIA — Convenience store giant Wawa Inc. said Tuesday it is responding to reports that hacked information from its customers’ credit cards may be being sold on the dark web. The company said in a news release that customers who may be affected can obtain free credit monitoring and identity...
Lawmakers OK ending election of Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor
HARRISBURG — A measure to amend the constitution in Pennsylvania and let each political party’s gubernatorial nominee choose who will serve under them as lieutenant governor cleared a first hurdle Tuesday. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 46 to 2 for a constitutional amendment that would end the current practice, in which...
Pennsylvania senators pass bill to toughen penalties for repeat DUI drivers
HARRISBURG — The state Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed legislation to substantially increase penalties for motorists who have multiple DUI convictions to end what the bill’s sponsor called Pennsylvania’s “revolving door system” for the most serious drunk drivers. The bill passed, 43-6, and goes to the House of Representatives for...
PETA wants Punxsutawney Phil to retire; Groundhog Club president responds
PETA is suggesting Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog call it a career. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club president Bill Deeley on Tuesday morning and asked for Punxsutawney Phil to retire “to a reputable sanctuary and start using a cutting-edge animatronic groundhog...
Gov. Tom Wolf has $2.2M to help Democrats win Pennsylvania seats
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf is renewing his push for his top priorities that have stalled in Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature, and the Democrat will have at least a couple million dollars to spend in this year’s legislative elections to try to improve his chances. Wolf’s campaign raised $2.8 million in...
Judge rejects Sandusky’s latest request for shorter sentence
BELLEFONTE — A judge flatly rejected Jerry Sandusky’s latest request to have his 30- to 60-year child molestation sentence reduced during a brief hearing Tuesday. Judge Maureen Skerda said she purposely fashioned the prison term to have an impact on the former Penn State assistant football coach and noted Sandusky...
Pennsylvania watches as Supreme Court considers public support for parochial schools
Pennsylvanians on both sides of the school choice debate watched the U.S. Supreme Court last week for hints of how it could rule in a pivotal case that has implications for the way K-12 education is funded across the nation. Justices heard arguments in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue,...
Suspect in custody in fast-food restaurant robbery, slaying near Edinboro
EDINBORO — A suspect is behind bars in the shooting death of an employee during an attempted robbery of a fast-food restaurant in northwestern Pennsylvania during the weekend, state police said. Officers were called to a Wendy’s in Washington Township near Edinboro shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday and found an...
Recalled ground beef may contain plastic
Amity Packing Company has recalled 2,020 pounds of raw ground beef that may be contaminated with plastic. Labeled for Pre Brands, the 1-pound, vacuum-packed packages of 95% lean ground beef were produced on Jan. 6 by the Chicago-based company and were distributed to retailers in nine states including Pennsylvania, Ohio,...
State House scales back proposed emissions inspection overhaul
The state House scaled back a proposal that would have exempted many Pennsylvania drivers from vehicle emissions inspections — now calling for a study instead of an immediate overhaul. “They essentially gutted and replaced it,” said state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and the driving...
Gov. Wolf to seek school construction aid amid health issues
HARRISBURG — With budget season approaching, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is developing a plan to help deal with aging school buildings plagued by environmental problems, including lead paint and asbestos insulation, his office said. Wolf must deliver a budget proposal to the Legislature on Feb. 4, and lawmakers who are...
Cleveland bishop named Philadelphia’s next archbishop
The bishop of Cleveland will become the new leader of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Vatican announced Thursday, making him the first Hispanic archbishop to lead the region’s 1.3 million-member flock. Nelson Perez, who spent most of his early pastoral career in the Philadelphia area, was introduced Thursday in a...
Police investigating reported sexual assault at Penn State fraternity
State College police are investigating a report Tuesday of a sexual assault that allegedly occurred Jan. 15 at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. The unknown victim, who is reportedly a student, shared with a third party being sexually assaulted by four unidentified fraternity members. The report was filed 8:31 a.m....
A DUI in Pennsylvania could cost you your Second Amendment rights
A drunken driving conviction could mean losing the right to buy and own firearms in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Court of Appeals has decided. The precedent-setting opinion handed down Friday hinges on the federal government’s definition of a “serious crime” — the level a crime must reach to trigger an individual...
Pat Toomey’s ‘candy desk’ sates sweet-toothed senators
As the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump begins this week, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, has an important task — making sure his fellow senators have plenty of sugar. The Morning Call reported on the history of the Senate ‘candy desk,’ a tradition started by Sen. George Murphy of...
Art competition aims to raise awareness about ticks, Lyme disease in Pa.
Pennsylvania residents were afflicted with about 10,000 cases of Lyme disease in 2018, according to the state health department, and if a child’s drawing is enough to prevent even one, it’s worth the effort. “Ticks that cause Lyme disease are everywhere, which is why it is so important to know...
Pennsylvania judge ends halt to police seizures of cash-paying games
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday lifted a month-old halt to police seizures of a prominent brand of cash-paying video machines while the courts consider whether the devices are legal under state law. Commonwealth Court Judge Ellen Ceisler denied the request to continue an injunction sought by the Williamsport-based...
N.J. man found shot to death along Bucks County highway
Authorities are investigating the shooting death of a New Jersey man whose body was found along an eastern Pennsylvania highway. State police were called to Interstate 295 in Bristol, Bucks County after the body was reported at about 2 a.m. Sunday. Trooper Nathan Branosky said 31-year-old Joshua McRae of Trenton...
First-degree murder conviction in ex-girlfriend’s slayingVideo
NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man accused of having stabbed and run over his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of her suburban workplace has been convicted of first-degree murder. Jurors deliberated for about two hours Thursday before convicting Lawrence Crawley, 34, in the death of 33-year-old Angela Stith. Crawley, who did...
Police say Pennsylvania woman drove into oncoming car as test of faith
WEATHERLY — A Pennsylvania woman drove into the path of an oncoming vehicle as a way to test her faith, then exhibited no concern about the people who were injured in the crash, state police said. Bail was revoked last week for Nadejda Reilly, 31, of Drums, who is charged...
Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program faces persistent pot shortages
Pennsylvania doesn’t have enough marijuana to go around. Product shortages have plagued medical marijuana dispensaries across the state for months. Dry leaf marijuana has been especially hard to come by. “It’s so sad: I’ll put out two strains in the morning and by 12 o’clock or 1 p.m., they’re gone,”...
Groom accused of sexual assault at reception gets probation
DOYLESTOWN — A man accused of sexually assaulting a teenage waitress at his wedding reception has been sentenced to probation. Matthew Aimers, 32, of Willingboro, N.J., pleaded guilty on Thursday to indecent exposure, disorderly conduct and simple assault. Under terms of a plea agreement, a judge in Pennsylvania sentenced Aimers...
Here’s how to purchase Mega Millions, Powerball tickets online
Don’t want to leave your house when you realize you forgot to buy tickets for the big drawing? Now you don’t have to. Pennsylvania Lottery officials on Friday announced that Mega Millions and Powerball tickets can now be purchased online. The purchases can be made through PA Lottery’s iLottery platform....
Gambling revenue in Pennsylvania hits record high
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s commercial casinos reached a new high in revenue last year, state regulators said Thursday, a record boosted by an aggressive new expansion of gambling authorized by state lawmakers and Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said revenue at the state’s 12 casinos, as...
