Pennsylvania category, Page 238
Gov. Wolf renews bid to put Pennsylvania’s minimum wage among highest
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf is rolling out a second-term proposal to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage after similar first-term proposals by the Democrat fell flat in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Wolf said Wednesday he wants to raise Pennsylvania’s hourly minimum to $12 this year, making it one of the highest in...
Tyson chicken nuggets recalled, may contain rubber
Tyson Foods is recalling more than 36,400 pounds of chicken nuggets that may be contaminated with rubber. Announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall applies to 5-pound plastic packages of Tyson White Meat Panko Chicken Nuggets with a “best if used by”...
Wolf calls for tougher gun laws after synagogue shooting
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf is renewing his call for lawmakers to pass legislation expanding background checks on firearms in Pennsylvania and end an exception for shotguns, sporting rifles and semi-automatic rifles that are sold at gun shows. The Democratic governor’s statement Tuesday comes three months after a truck...
Pennsylvania resumes push to recognize Eastern hellbender
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Senate is resuming a push to make the Eastern hellbender the state’s official amphibian, an effort to highlight the plight of a creature whose numbers researchers say are declining because of pollution in rivers and streams. The bill emerged unanimously Tuesday from a Senate committee. A...
Gov. Wolf objects to proposed Title IX changes
One day before the deadline for comments, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf went on record opposing the federal government’s proposed rollbacks in regulations governing allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault in schools and colleges. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Wolf voiced concerns Tuesday about proposed...
Commission recommends Pennsylvania security measures for elections
Pennsylvania lawmakers and county leaders must move quickly to secure the state’s election infrastructure in advance of the 2020 presidential election, an independent bipartisan commission said Tuesday. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania’s Election Security recommended that the state and federal government provide money to help underwrite the costs for...
Report outlines ways to make Pennsylvania voting more secure
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A report issued Tuesday says Pennsylvania should adopt changes to make its elections more secure — encouraging the replacement of older voting machines, enhanced security of voter rolls and better contingency planning for cyberattacks and other technological challenges. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania’s Election Security report...
Cops: Pa. man handcuffed wife in car due to infidelity concerns
BETHLEHEM — Authorities say a Pennsylvania man shackled his wife inside his vehicle numerous times while he went to work because he was concerned she was cheating on him. John VanHorn is charged with false imprisonment. Bethlehem police found the woman Wednesday when they responded to reports of a woman...
Church abuse victims wait to see if Legislature will act
HARRISBURG — Lawmakers have returned to the Pennsylvania Capitol but have yet to revisit legislation on child sexual abuse scandals since an October fight killed a bill that would have allowed long-ago victims to sue the Roman Catholic Church and other institutions. The Legislature’s new two-year session began in earnest...
N.Y. law change would deliver abuse survivors day in court, hope to Pennsylvanians
New York on Monday was poised to become the 10th state to temporarily suspend the statute of limitations to provide adult survivors of child sexual abuse an opportunity to sue their abusers. Child protection advocates said the new law, passed only after a change of leadership in that state’s Senate,...
Perdue chicken nuggets recalled for undeclared milk ingredient
Perdue Foods is recalling more than 16,000 pounds of chicken nuggets because the label doesn’t indicate the product contains milk ingredients, an allergen for some consumers. The recall is in effect for 12-ounce packages of refrigerated, ready-to-eat Perdue Fun Shapes Chicken Breast Nuggets that are dated for use by March...
K-9 with bone cancer gets final salute outside Pa. vet’s office
ETTERS — A beloved K-9 suffering from bone cancer got a final salute at the Pennsylvania veterinarian’s office where he was euthanized. Newberry Township Police Chief Steven Lutz says 9-year-old German Shephard Tazer didn’t seem well after his last shift Saturday night. Sgt. Chris Martinez, his handler, took him to...
4 dead in shootings at State College bar, home
STATE COLLEGE — A gunman opened fire at a hotel bar in State College, killing a man and wounding two other people, then broke into a home where he fatally shot another man before killing himself, authorities said. Authorities said a fourth victim died Friday, according to the Centre Daily...
Natural gas impact fee revenue expected to be up this year, agency says
A state agency projects that natural gas impact fee collections for 2018 will exceed those from 2017 by $37.4 million. Total collections on the impact fee for 2018 are projected to be $247 million, according to the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office. Should the projection hold, it will be the largest...
Fetterman to launch statewide listening tour on merits of recreational pot
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will wade into the weeds to gauge public interest in legalizing recreational marijuana during a 67-county tour of the state beginning Saturday in Pittsburgh. On Thursday, Fetterman, the former Braddock mayor who was sworn in as lieutenant governor last week, said he is planning a...
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf takes new step on marijuana with town hall sessions
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is taking a new step in its exploration of legalizing marijuana, with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman preparing a series of town hall-style public listening sessions. Fetterman, himself an advocate for legalizing marijuana, said Thursday he’ll hold a listening session in each of Pennsylvania’s...
Pennsylvania man says emotional support alligator is ‘just like a dog’
YORK HAVEN —A Pennsylvania man says his emotional support alligator helps him deal with his depression. Joie Henney, 65, said his registered emotional support animal named Wally likes to snuggle and give hugs, despite being a 5-foot-long alligator. The York Haven man said he received approval from his doctor to...
In a surprise move, Pennsylvania is throwing the door open for industrial hemp production
In a surprising turn, Pennsylvania is throwing the door wide open for industrial hemp production — something the state, or the country for that matter, has not seen since before World War II. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said Tuesday that Pennsylvania submitted a plan to the Department of Agriculture...
Pitt Medical School leader transitions to research
A physician who led the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine to national prominence in research circles announced Wednesday he is stepping aside from his post as senior vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine. Pitt officials said Dr. Arthur S. Levine, who came to...
Pittsburgh Diocese opens compensation fund for sexual abuse survivors
Five months after a scathing grand jury report detailed rampant allegations of clergy sexual abuse in Catholics diocese across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese has begun accepting compensation claims from clergy sexual abuse survivors. Church officials said they began reaching out this week to inform survivors who notified the church...
Pennsylvania drivers can bring documents to PennDOT to pre-verify for ‘REAL ID’
Pennsylvania drivers are getting information in the mail about pre-verifying for “REAL ID.” The identifications, in the form of a new driver’s license or photo identification card, will be available this spring, according to the postcard PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said the agency is sending to all customers. REAL ID-compliant...
Body found encased in frozen Pa. pool
NEW HOPE — Police say a body was found incased in ice in a pool in Pennsylvania. Authorities say the body was discovered Tuesday at a business in New Hope. Police say the body had to be cut from the pool, and they are investigating the victim’s identity and cause...
Philly apartment building fire injures 3, residents flee into cold
A fast-moving fire at a Philadelphia apartment building left three people injured and sent residents fleeing into the bitter cold. The fire in the six-story building broke out around 11:30 p.m. Monday. Firefighters soon arrived and saw flames shooting out of a third-story unit. The building’s fire alarm system alerted...
Former Pa. Sen. Harris Wofford, activist who helped Kennedy win, dies at 92
Harris Wofford, a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, university president and lifelong crusader for civil rights who made a crucial contribution to John F. Kennedy’s slender victory in the 1960 presidential contest, died Jan. 21 at a hospital in Washington. He was 92. The cause was complications from a fall, said...
Penn State launches center to study campus Greek life
Penn State, which came under fire following the Feb. 2017 death of 19 year-old Timothy Piazza in an alcohol-fueled fraternity pledge event, is opening a research center to study Greek life on college campuses. University officials Tuesday pledged $2 million toward the creation of the Timothy J. Piazza Center for...
