Pennsylvania category, Page 230
Consumer group sues to obtain PHEAA’s student loan servicing contract
A national consumer group is suing the federal government to obtain access to the 600-page contract that details its relationship with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). The National Consumer Law Center, which filed suit in federal court in Massachusetts, maintains the document that outlines PHEAA’s duties and obligations...
Penn Hills financial crisis inspires bill aimed at keeping districts from similar fate
A state lawmaker presented a bill package April 17 that seeks to avoid school district financial crises and allows for greater punishment of school officials if poor decisions are made. State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, along with state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, unveiled the bill package, dubbed “School Board and...
Pennsylvania government watchdog to probe teen’s murder
A Pennsylvania state government watchdog agency has launched an investigation into the horrific case of a 14-year-old girl who had extensive contact with the child welfare system before her 2016 rape, torture and murder, a lawmaker who requested the review announced Wednesday. The Office of State Inspector General has agreed...
Liquor Control hearing to address Pennsylvania’s taproom tax
A public hearing examining a new beer tax in Pennsylvania is set for Tuesday at the Spoonwood Brewing Company in Pittsburgh. The hearing, hosted by state Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Upper St. Clair, will look into the state Department of Revenue’s recent tax bulletin, which requires breweries to collect the state’s...
Pa. House approves tougher rules on child sexual abuse reporting
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House is approving tougher penalties for people who don’t report suspicions about repeated child sexual abuse and it’s clarifying that nondisclosure agreements can’t prevent people from talking to police in child molestation investigations. Lawmakers on Wednesday voted for a proposal that could also eliminate the statute...
Lawmakers hope to change Pennsylvania’s rules on police shootings
HARRISBURG — A group of Democrats in the General Assembly said Tuesday shootings by police show the need to change the rules for when Pennsylvania officers can use deadly force and to reform their oversight and training. Members of the Legislative Black Caucus outlined a legislative agenda that would also...
Cosby’s insurer settles LA accuser’s suit before deposition
PHILADELPHIA — Bill Cosby’s insurance company has settled another lawsuit filed by a female accuser a week before the imprisoned comedian was set to give a deposition in the case, prompting Cosby to call the insurer “complicit” in a scheme to destroy him. Former model Chloe Goins had accused Cosby...
Eastern hellbender voted Pennsylvania’s official amphibian
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is getting an official amphibian, a nocturnal salamander that can grow to be more than two feet long. The House voted 191-6 on Tuesday to grant the honor to the Eastern hellbender, and Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said he plans to sign it. The path to legislative...
USDA revamps website to help farmers manage loans, hire workersVideo
Farmers looking for help with their loans or with hiring foreign workers need look no further than the newly-revamped website Farmers.gov. The website, launched in 2018 by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, recently added features to help farmers manage their farm loans and navigate the application process for H-2A...
Pa. closing scenic but dangerous Glen Onoko Falls hiking trail
One of the most popular trails in Pennsylvania has become too dangerous to hike. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is closing the main Glen Onoko Falls trail in Jim Thorpe starting May 1, reports the Associated Press. View this post on Instagram #glenonokofalls #dangerzone #hiking A post shared by William Canning...
Rivers Casino’s $12M leads sharp uptick in Pa. sports betting in March
HARRISBURG — Sports betting leaped by almost one-third in Pennsylvania’s fourth full month, as more venues opened amid March Madness. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Tuesday that gamblers bet a record $44.5 million in March at six casinos and two off-track betting parlors where sports betting is approved. That...
Petrarca bill would enhance caseworkers’ access to information in child abuse cases
More than a year and a half after a state audit found child welfare workers were underpaid and ill-equipped to deal with an increasing tide of abuse complaints, a Westmoreland County lawmaker has sponsored a bill to give caseworkers access to more information about at-risk children. The bill sponsored by...
Pennsylvania primary voter registration deadline looms
Now that Tax Day has arrived, state officials are alerting Pennsylvania residents that the deadline for registering to vote in this year’s municipal primary is April 22. Acting Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said the state’s Online Voter Registration (OVR) is the quickest and easiest way to register to vote...
Most-Googled ‘is it safe’ queries vary wildly by state
Ever wonder what “Enquiring minds want to know?” ASecureLife.com, a company that reviews home security systems, stun guns and tasers, among other services, said it set researchers loose to find out the answer to the age-old question the National Enquirer once used to promote tales of alien invasions and political...
Opening day change is official for Pennsylvania deer hunters
The change — and it’s a big one — is official. Opening day of Pennsylvania’s statewide firearms deer season is moving. It has been the Monday after Thanksgiving each year since 1963. This year it will be the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Pennsylvania Game Commissioners on Tuesday — by a 5-3...
Pennsylvania fares better than 42 other states in physician-patient ratio
Pennsylvania might not be in such bad shape after all when it comes to the looming physician shortage. Experts have long predicted the U.S. is on the verge of a physician shortage, predicted to worsen as the baby boom generation ages and the demand for care increases. A recent estimate...
Pennsylvania National Guard family college benefit touted
Pennsylvania’s Adjutant General on Friday urged state lawmakers to endorse a family education benefit for members of the state’s National Guard touted as the first of its kind n the nation. Gov. Tom Wolf endorsed the concept of the Military Family Education Program or PA GI Bill, which has snared...
DEP to sample 300 public water supplies for man-made contaminants
The state Department of Environmental Protection has announced plans to sample 300 public water sources statewide for contaminants. The program will specifically look for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in areas known to harbor such contaminants, including military bases, fire training sites, landfills and manufacturing facilities, DEP said. Perfluoroalkyl...
Ex-Penn State worker gets up to 23 months in jail for bathroom recordings
A former Penn State employee charged with recording more than 20 people in a Bryce Jordan Center bathroom has received his jail sentence. On Thursday, Centre County Judge Brian Marshall sentenced Charles Chamberlin Jr., 55, to six to 23.5 months in the county jail, along with three years of probation....
3 fallen Marines with ties to Pa. honored with flags flown at half-staff
Flags at the state Capitol and public buildings across Pennsylvania began flying at half-staff Thursday to honor three Marines killed in the line of duty. Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all U.S. and state flags to remain lowered through sunset Sunday and invited others to participate. Local emergency services officials and public...
Central Pa. leaders, residents speak out about Pittsburgh gun ban
LEWISBURG — The gun control legislation passed by Pittsburgh’s City Council and signed by Mayor Bill Peduto on Tuesday spurred Susquehanna Valley leaders and a hunter to speak out in favor of — and against — the law, which prohibits the use of military assault-type weapons. Lewisburg Mayor Judy Wagner,...
Auditor General: Number of untested rape kits in Pennsylvania decreased by nearly 90%
The number of untested rape kits in Pennsylvania has dropped dramatically, from more than 3,200to 339 in the last three years, according to state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. Across the state, sexual assault evidence kits have been a focus recently of forensic scientists who examine them for details police can...
Ex-students file lawsuit alleging abuse at Pa.reform school
PHILADELPHIA — Four former students at the nation’s oldest reform school have filed a class-action lawsuit against the suburban Philadelphia facility, alleging they were abused and denied an education. The Juvenile Law Center says the suit against Glen Mills Schools was filed in federal court on Wednesday. An investigation by...
Former Penn State Pres Graham Spanier ordered to prison – finally – in Sandusky scandal
The long-running criminal court drama over the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal moved to a conclusion Wednesday when a judge ordered Penn State’s former president to finally report to prison in three weeks. Graham Spanier, 70, has been free on bond pending appeals since his 2017 jury conviction for...
Fight over sexual abuse victims’ lawsuits returns to Pa. Senate
HARRISBURG — Democratic lawmakers are attempting anew to give now-adult victims of child sexual abuse a reprieve from time limits in Pennsylvania law that prohibit them from suing perpetrators and institutions that may have covered it up. Senate Democrats said Wednesday they’re introducing legislation that’s been propelled by child sexual...
