Pennsylvania category, Page 234
Pa. House votes for tougher public pension forfeiture rules
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to make it harder for officials and government employees convicted of crimes related to their jobs to retain their public pensions. The state House voted 194 to 1 to approve legislation that applies the pension forfeiture law to state and federal felonies...
Former Gov. Dick Thornburgh officially retires from K&L Gates
Former U.S. Attorney General and Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh has officially retired, according to K&L Gates, the global law firm where he began his career. K&L Gates “wishes its longtime partner … well in his retirement,” the firm said in a news release. Thornburgh, 86, began his legal career as...
Pa. National Guard members deploying to Poland
About 500 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard are preparing to deploy to Poland this spring, according to the state department of military and veteran affairs. Those members assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment will be mobilized there as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence mission, according...
Cheyney trustees fined for missing financial disclosures and back dated filings
The Pennsylvania Ethics Commission on Monday announced it has fined a pair of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania trustees $500 each for failing to file financial disclosure forms for years and then back dating current forms to make it appear they had complied with the law in prior years. Authorities discovered...
Former IUP dean fined for ethics violation received $290,000 discrimination settlement from university
The Pennsylvania Ethics Commission last week fined a former Indiana University of Pennsylvania administrator $3,000 for repeatedly hiring her son’s firm for university business and neglecting to file accurate financial disclosure statements, actions deemed technical violations of the state Ethics Act. But former IUP Associate Dean of Student Affairs Carolyn...
Pennsylvania prisons to implement system-wide tobacco ban
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s prison system is banning all tobacco products inside every facility’s secure perimeter, starting July 1. Corrections Secretary John Wetzel announced the new policy Monday, citing the success of existing tobacco prohibitions in three state correctional institutions and Quehanna Boot Camp. After July 1 all tobacco products in...
Potholes prove costly for Pa. drivers
Pennsylvania’s ubiquitous potholes cost taxpayers more than $63 million last year, transportation data show. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, those costs were more than $11 million. Contrary to popular perception, fixing potholes is a year-round job. And if a season existed for these pesky road craters that wreak havoc on the asphalt...
Cases of the mumps at Temple University increases to 46
PHILADELPHIA — Health officials say there are at least 46 cases of the mumps at Temple University and three others from surrounding counties, the most cases in the city since 2010. That’s up from 16 cases reported last week. The Department of Public Health for Philadelphia said Friday it recommends...
Pennsylvania Lottery celebrates 47 years since first drawing
It started as a 50-cent weekly game offering a chance at a $50,000 top prize, with occasional chances to become a millionaire. Forty-seven years since the first Pennsylvania Lottery drawing was held, the Lottery pays out billions each year and rakes in billions more, with proceeds benefiting older Pennsylvanians, according...
Penn State Extension Agronomy Guide is farmer’s ‘bible’
The biennial Penn State Extension Agronomy Guide has become a bible of sorts for farmers. The 2019-2020 edition is now available for purchase in print ($35) or as a digital download ($15), according to Penn State Extension. A bundle that includes both versions can be purchased for $45. The 478-page...
Ohio governor wants nearly $1B for Lake Erie, waterways
TOLEDO, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine wants to spend nearly $1 billion on water quality projects to clean up toxic algae in Lake Erie and protect other lakes and rivers throughout the state. The money would come out of this year’s new state budget, which DeWine will reveal Friday, and...
State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit recognized for its work
The U.S. Inspector General has nominated the Pennsylvania Office Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for an excellence award. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the nomination Wednesday. “Our robust Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works hard every day to root out fraud, neglect, and abuse in the Commonwealth,” Shapiro said...
Deportation looms for convicted ‘Real Housewives’ husband
NEWARK, N.J. — The husband of one of the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” reality TV stars has been released from federal prison and is waiting to see if he’ll be deported back to Italy. An attorney for Joe Giudice says he’s been sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
Pennsylvania drug gang blamed for homicides; 8 indicted
READING — Prosecutors have announced the federal indictment of eight alleged members of a violent drug organization blamed for as many as eight homicides in one Pennsylvania community. U.S. Attorney William McSwain says a drug gang called “Trinidad DTG” distributed methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine in the Reading area. McSwain...
7 file papers to run for 2 Pennsylvania Superior Court seats
HARRISBURG — Four Democrats and three Republicans have filed petitions to get on primary ballots for a seat on Pennsylvania’s mid-level appellate court that handles civil and criminal appeals from county courts. Filings were due Tuesday for the May 21 primary for two open Superior Court seats. Democrats filing include...
Democrats claim wins in Pennsylvania House special elections
HARRISBURG — Democrats are claiming victory in special elections to fill two vacant Pennsylvania state House seats. Movita Johnson-Harrell claimed victory Tuesday night in the election to a west Philadelphia seat, while Bridget Malloy Kosierowski claimed victory in a Scranton-area district. Both seats were occupied most recently by Democrats: Lackawanna...
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful removes 7.2 million pounds of trash
Talk about taking out the trash. The Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program resulted in 7.2 million pounds of trash being disposed of in 2018, thanks to the work of nearly 130,000 volunteers, according to a spokeswoman for the organization. In addition, 2.3 million pounds of electronics waste and over 43,000 tires...
Texas report: Pennsylvania 2nd only to us in natural gas production
Texas may be the biggest natural gas producer in the country, but Pennsylvania isn’t far behind — and it’s gaining. A Texas oil and gas trade association acknowledged as much in its recently-released 2019 State of Energy Report. The report by the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, or...
Traces of weed killer in products like Roundup found in popular beers, wineVideo
The weed-killing chemical found in products such as Bayer AG’s Roundup has been cropping up in some of Americans most popular foods. Now that glass of vino or brew also may be tainted, according to a new report by U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Some wines or beers likely contain...
Bones were found in the fireplace. Rare coins may have been the motive for murder, police say.
It was reportedly not a happy home. The couple lived on a tree-shaded street in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County. The house overlooked a creek that corkscrewed all the way to the Susquehanna River and Harrisburg about 10 miles away to the east. Inside, the relationship between Rabihan and Hap...
Fast food chains agree to end ‘no poach’ agreements
In what’s being declared a win for workers, four national fast food chains agreed Tuesday to stop using “no-poach” agreements. “No poach” agreements are clauses, often contained in fast-food franchise agreements, that prevent fast food workers from switching between employers of the same franchise in order to obtain a better...
Pennsylvania opens investigation into gas liquids pipeline
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s attorney general said Tuesday that his office has opened an investigation into construction on a 350-mile natural gas liquids pipeline project across southern Pennsylvania that has been blamed for polluting waterways in dozens of places and causing sinkholes near homes. Attorney General Josh Shapiro took the investigation...
Pennsylvania offers grants for fighting wildfires
As the spring wildfire season ramps up, volunteer fire departments in small or rural communities can look to the state for grants to help offset the high cost of fighting wildfires. State officials said fire departments in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents can qualify for up...
State lawmakers weigh ranking university performance
Pennsylvania’s public universities would have to compete for state subsidies should a proposal circulating in the state Senate gain traction. PennLIVE reported that state Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and state Rep. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster Coounty, chairman of the House Education Committee, are working...
PennDOT grades itself in performance report
PennDOT released its first performance report on efforts to address funding, mobility and safety on the state’s roadways, giving itself marks ranging from marginal to getting better in more than two dozen categories. “This report is a true reflection of the department’s focus on safety,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards...
