Pennsylvania category, Page 38
Raccoon attacks Hersheypark guests in roller coaster line
Two Hersheypark goers were sent to the hospital last week when a raccoon attacked guests while they were waiting in line for a roller coaster on opening day. In a video posted on TMZ, guests who were waiting in line for the SooperDooperLooper were seen running away and screaming in...
Harrisburg couple sues Catholic school after teacher cuts Black girl’s hair in class
The parents of an 8-year-old Harrisburg girl who lost a 20-inch section of hair when a teacher cut it off without their permission have filed a lawsuit against St. Margaret Mary Catholic school. The lawsuit, filed by Julia and Darin Smith in January against the school at 826 Herr Street,...
Summer Lee is Pennsylvania’s most progressive representative in Congress and its only Democrat facing a primary fight
NORTH IRWIN — U.S. Rep. Summer Lee stood with Republican and Democratic elected officials in Westmoreland County, holding an oversized check symbolizing federal dollars to rebuild a bridge, where behind her there was instead, a gaping hole. “We’re not just delivering asphalt and concrete,” Lee said in the small town...
DA plans to seek death penalty against man charged with killing 3 relatives in suburban Philadelphia
FALLSINGTON — Pennsylvania authorities said Wednesday they plan to pursue the death penalty against a man charged with killing his stepmother, sister and the mother of his children before officials say he fled in a stolen vehicle to New Jersey, where he was arrested last month. Andre Gordon Jr. appeared...
Biggest cicada rise in decades set for eastern U.S.
Trillions of evolution’s bizarro wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears, are about to emerge in numbers not seen in decades and possibly centuries. This time, however, Western Pennsylvania will be spared. Crawling out from underground every 13 or 17 years,...
She’s a high schooler and an IUP student. State system finds success with dual admission strategy
Ella Fleming’s stomach sank when she walked into her first class at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After all, Fleming was 16. Not to mention, she was almost two years shy of finishing high school during that initial class last fall. “I was absolutely terrified,” said Fleming, of Armstrong Township, Indiana...
Pennsylvania hunters harvest more than 400K deer for 2nd year in a row, game commission says
No matter how you look at it, 400,000 is a lot of deer and Pennsylvania hunters have harvested at least than many in each of the past two years. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, deer hunters took 430,010 whitetails during the most recent season, up 2% from 2022-23, when...
Democrats open Philly headquarters as Biden campaign boosts staffing across Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party say they’re staffing up early in southeastern Pennsylvania and concluded a swing through the state with a rally at a new Philly headquarters on Saturday. National campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who led a public event in Philadelphia...
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage battle is being led by Philly and its suburbs, with officials fighting for $15 per hour
With new leadership in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties, there’s a new spirit of collaboration. And they’re using it to pressure the state to raise the minimum wage. Twelve Democratic leaders and two Republicans from Southeastern Pennsylvania, home to almost half of the state’s population, are working together to lobby...
All 3 of John Fetterman’s top communications staffers have resigned in the past month
There’s been some serious turnover in Sen. John Fetterman’s office, The Philadelphia Inquirer has learned. In the last month, all three of Fetterman’s top communications staffers have left Capitol Hill. Nick Gavio, who was deputy communications director, will leave the office at the end of March to take a new...
Elections 101: What to know about poll watchers, and what they can and can’t do in Pennsylvania
Elections 101 from Spotlight PA protects you against election misinformation and empowers you to make informed decisions. HARRISBURG — As the 2024 election heats up, voters in Pennsylvania may hear candidates talk about poll watchers. Appointed by candidates or political parties, poll watchers are permitted to observe polling place setup,...
Pittsburgh group backs ‘uncommitted’ write-in campaign to protest President Joe Biden
A new statewide effort to get Pennsylvania Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in protest of President Joe Biden has garnered support from the Pittsburgh chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, a left-wing political group. The group voted Wednesday evening to support the Uncommitted PA campaign, which is encouraging Democratic voters...
Can you refuse to take a breathalyzer test? These are your rights under Pennsylvania law
If you’ve ever been pulled over by a law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania and needed to test your breath or your reflexes, you may be wondering if you’re within your rights to refuse those requests — whether you had been drinking or not. Pennsylvanians may sometimes choose not to comply...
‘Dark money’ groups would be forced to disclose how they spend on Pa.’s elections under advancing bill
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House is advancing modest campaign finance reforms during an election year that will likely see a torrent of hard-to-trace political spending...
Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballot dating rule is legal under civil rights law, appeals court says
HARRISBURG — A requirement for Pennsylvania voters to put accurate handwritten dates on the outside envelopes of their mail-in ballots does not run afoul of a civil rights law, a federal appeals court panel said Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling. A divided 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled...
Pa. House approves bill to aid state inmates re-entry into society
Legislation that would help to ease state inmates’ transition into society and give them an opportunity to get out sooner won passage in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday. One bill would require the state to assist inmates in obtaining identification before leaving prison, and another would allow inmates...
Pennsylvania House advances measure to prohibit ‘ghost guns’
HARRISBURG — A proposal to ban the purchase, sale and production of untraceable gun parts passed the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives on Wednesday, with Democrats in the House using their majority to propel gun control after years of stagnation in a divided state government. The legislation passed the House...
Federal court tosses case by Pa. lawmakers against Shapiro’s voter registration order
A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a case brought by conservative legislators seeking to throw out Governor Josh Shapiro’s voter registration policy, along with related initiatives from former Gov. Tom Wolf and President Joe Biden. The order by Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for the Middle District, finds that the plaintiffs...
Pennsylvania county joins other local governments in suing oil industry over climate change
A large suburban Philadelphia county has joined dozens of other local governments around the country in suing the oil industry, asserting that major oil producers systematically deceived the public about their role in accelerating global warming. Bucks County’s lawsuit against a half dozen oil companies blames the oil industry for...
Guns, sneakers were seized from a man accused of killing a pregnant Amish woman, police say
HARRISBURG — Police investigating the killing a pregnant Amish woman in rural Pennsylvania seized six guns, a variety of ammunition and a pair of sneakers that may match tread marks left at the crime scene during searches of the suspect’s home and vehicle, documents show. Search warrant documents released over...
Pricey design firm to refurbish Pa. Governor’s Residence; project donors, costs unknown
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and the Bahamas. New York, Greenwich, and London. The de la Torre Design Studio in New York City has,...
‘There’s just no room’: State parks, campgrounds prepare for influx of visitors during April 8 total solar eclipse
Taking in the total solar eclipse on April 8 at Pymatuning State Park is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and visitors are expected to flock to the Crawford County attraction for a chance to share in the excitement. “Nobody that’s alive today is going to be alive for the next one, so...
Shapiro’s proposed energy policy needs GOP support
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — As part of what his administration is calling a “new era” of energy policy, Gov. Josh Shapiro...
Drag story hour at library canceled after suspicious package, threats
LANCASTER — A scheduled “Drag Queen Story Hour” at a Pennsylvania library that had drawn opposition was canceled Saturday after a suspicious package was found in the building and two blocks were evacuated after threats were reported, authorities said. Police evacuated Lancaster Public Library after the package was found. A...
Casey, McCormick to appear alone on Senate ballots in Pennsylvania after courts boot off challengers
HARRISBURG — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick will be the only eligible names on ballots for the office in Pennsylvania’s April primary after a ruling Friday by the state’s highest court. The ruling completed the third of three successful court challenges to the paperwork of three...
