Pennsylvania category, Page 213
Wolf, Fetterman call for legalization of marijuana
Citing the results of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s 67-county listening tour on marijuana legalization, Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday called on Pennsylvania lawmakers to begin working toward the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of the drug. Wolf said 44,407 Pennsylvanians weighed in on the issues either at town halls...
Gun debate revived in Pennsylvania statehouse
The debate over guns was revived Tuesday in Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature after a year of shocking violence, although Democrats went away frustrated and warning the process could end up actually loosening gun laws. The day marked the start of a two-day Senate committee hearing on gun violence and a slate...
Pennsylvania pushes back against federal efforts to curb food assistance program
Pennsylvania’s human services secretary on Monday called the Trump administration’s proposal to cut food stamp eligibility “cruel and unacceptable.” The proposal would force states to scale back the number of people whom they deem eligible for monthly benefits from the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Pennsylvania and...
Rare, deadly virus detected in 3 Pennsylvania counties
A rare, potentially deadly virus transmitted by mosquitoes has been confirmed in three Pennsylvania counties. The Pennsylvania departments of health and agriculture issued a warning Saturday after confirming eastern equine encephalitis in Erie, Carbon, and Monroe counties. The virus was found in pheasants, horses and a wild turkey. The virus...
Thousands of hogs killed in Pennsylvania barn fire
NEW TRIPOLI, Pa. — Thousands of hogs have died in a fire that destroyed two barns on a Pennsylvania farm. Firefighters were called to the farm in Lynn Township, outside Allentown, before 6 a.m. Saturday. Lynnport Community Fire Company Chief Clark Matz says the barns were engulfed when firefighters got...
Local U.S. Attorney Scott Brady appointed to federal advisory committee
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania has been named to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, one of nine U.S. attorneys to be appointed by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out...
Surviving Three Mile Island nuclear reactor shuts down
HARRISBURG — The money-losing Three Mile Island, site of the United States’ worst commercial nuclear power accident, has been shut down by its energy giant owner. Friday’s end to the 45-year electricity-producing career of Three Mile Island Unit 1 came after Chicago-based Exelon Corp. tried and failed to get financial...
Pa. bill dangles student loan forgiveness for volunteer firefightersVideo
A year after a lengthy report documented growing holes in Pennsylvania’s network of volunteer firefighters, advocates hope a package of bills designed to help recruitment and retention gains traction in Harrisburg this fall. Citing SR 6, a report that found the number of active volunteer firefighters had declined from more...
Penn State professor’s discovery sets off Shakespeare tweetstorm
William Shakespeare and John Milton collided in the Twitterverse this month in a bang-up that set off a trans-Atlantic tweetstorm over a 400-year-old book. The discovery that Milton — he of “Paradise Lost” fame — likely was the owner of a 1623 Shakespeare first folio and made extensive notes in...
Former Pa. senator Mike Folmer colleague ‘revolted’ over his arrest on child pornography chargeVideo
Hearing state Sen. Mike Folmer was charged with possessing child pornography, fellow Republican lawmaker Russ Diamond initially thought it must be ‘fake news’ from political opponents. The he felt like he had taken “a gut punch.” Mauree Gingrich, a former House member, felt a different kind of pain. She thought...
Bill to increase fine for misusing animal traps passes House
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is giving its unanimous approval to toughening penalties for using body-gripping animal traps outside of the waterways for which they’re designed. Lawmakers voted Thursday to send the bill to the state Senate for its consideration. Backers argue the larger penalties may help deter people from...
AP: Age-bias claims cost Pennsylvania $225K
HARRISBURG — Eighteen agents who investigate violent gun crimes for the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office each cashed $12,500 taxpayer-funded checks last year to settle claims they had been subject to harassment because of their age, The Associated Press has learned. The agency this week disclosed the payments to the current...
Study: Pa. college grads have 2nd-highest average student debt load in nation
College graduates in Pennsylvania shouldered the second-highest average student debt load in the nation in 2018, a new survey found. According to the Institute for College Access and Success survey of 2018 college graduates, only Connecticut graduates, who shouldered an average debt of $38,669, fared worse than their Pennsylvania counterparts,...
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant’s shutdown is imminent
HARRISBURG — The final shutdown of Three Mile Island, where 1979’s terrifying partial meltdown became a landmark event in the life cycle of nuclear power in the United States, is imminent. Exelon Corp. officials said the plant will stop producing electricity around noon Friday, following through on a decision the...
Murrysville officials working to develop ordinance for 5G antennas
If 5G antennas are going to begin sprouting in Murrysville, local officials want to ensure they’re not unsightly. “They’re not just a pole out of the ground with an antenna,” Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison told council at its Wednesday meeting. “They’re permitted up to 28 cubic feet of cabinet...
Passenger ejected from $284,000 sports car in Pa. crash
A man driving a $284,000 sports car rear-ended a box truck on Route 22 early Thursday morning, injuring a passenger who was thrown from the car, state police said. Route 22 westbound has been closed at Airport Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, since the 3:30 a.m. accident, with traffic...
Pa. woman drives SUV onto sidewalk, hits man after argument
BETHLEHEM — Authorities say an argument between a man and a woman ended when she drove an SUV onto the sidewalk and hit him, then made a U-turn and tried to run him over again. Bethlehem police say 34-year-old city resident Crystal Legrand faces several counts, including aggravated assault and...
Study: Affordable Care Act dropped uninsured rates in Pa. to 6.5%
A new report shows the number of uninsured people in Pennsylvania declined by more than 5 percentage points under the health care reform of the Affordable Care Act. Conducted by the Urban Institute, the research examined national uninsured rates from 2013 through 2017, using U.S. Census Bureau data. Among the...
Victim advocate seeks statute of limitation input from abuse survivors
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro ignited a firestorm last year when he released his grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse and now lawmakers are learning just how hard it is to clear the smoke with regard to survivors. Pennsylvania Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm announced Wednesday she is seeking testimony...
Pennsylvania lawmaker in child porn possession case resigns
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker who is facing child pornography possession charges resigned Wednesday, just hours after his arrest spurred condemnation and calls for him to step down. Sen. Mike Folmer was charged late Tuesday by the state attorney general’s office after agents confronted him, saying they acted on...
Philadelphia resident may have Pa.’s first 2019 human case of West Nile Virus
The first case of West Nile Virus infection in a person this year has been detected in a Philadelphia resident, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced Tuesday. Samples were being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation, the department said. State residents are being urged...
Perdue recalls frozen chicken tenders over undeclared wheat allergen
Perdue Foods is recalling about 495 pounds of a frozen, ready-to-eat chicken product because of misbranding and undeclared allergens that were shipped to stores in five states including Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced. According to the recall notice, the product contains wheat, a...
Hospital admissions for opioid overdoses decline in Pennsylvania
A significant decrease in hospital admissions for opioid overdoses across Pennsylvania may have more to do with evolving treatment and the widespread availability of a lifesaving antidote than any major drop in drug abuse, experts said following the release of a report on overdose hospitalizations. Researchers at the Pennsylvania Health...
Pennsylvania lawmaker Michael Folmer facing child porn possession charges
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker is facing child pornography possession charges after authorities say a social media website told them the user had uploaded an image using its service. Sen. Michael Folmer, R-Lebanon, was charged after an investigation prompted by Tumblr, an electronic service provider, reported one of its...
Pennsylvania lawmaker Mike Folmer arrested on child porn charges
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker is facing child pornography possession charges after authorities say a social media website told them the user had uploaded an image using their service. The state attorney general’s office said Sen. Mike Folmer was arrested and charged Tuesday night. Investigators allegedly found images of...
