Pennsylvania category, Page 6
What we know a day after a shooter killed 3 police officers in Southcentral Pa.
Thursday morning, law enforcement personnel are investigating after a shooting killed three police officers and wounded two others in Southcentral Pennsylvania the day before. Here’s what is known so far: York County officers from as-yet unidentified departments were following up on a domestic-related investigation that began Tuesday. They went to...
Stacy Garrity, Josh Shapiro’s GOP challenger, says he made his anti-violence speech about himself instead of Charlie Kirk
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity on Wednesday accused Gov. Josh Shapiro of making the assassination of Charlie Kirk “about himself” during his keynote speech at an anti-hate conference earlier this week. Then, in a separate announcement released one hour later, Garrity, a Republican challenging Shapiro for governor in 2026, also said...
Fetterman, McCormick call for end to political violence, extreme rhetoric
U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick condemned political violence and extreme rhetoric during a joint appearance Tuesday on Fox News’ “Special Report.” The senators said their joint appearance was an attempt to turn down the political temperature following last week’s assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. “I feel like...
3 police officers killed, 2 injured in rural Pennsylvania shootingVideo
HARRISBURG — Three police officers were fatally shot and two wounded Wednesday in southern Pennsylvania, and the shooter was killed by police, authorities said. The officers were at the scene, amid rolling farmland, to follow up on a domestic-related investigation that began the previous day. “This is an absolutely tragic...
Perry County man killed wife, left her body on floor where son found her, police say
A Perry County man shot and killed his wife after a Sunday argument, leaving her body on the floor where their son found her the next morning, police said in court documents. “I guess I shot her by accident,” Douglas Snyder initially told Pennsylvania State Police when they arrived around...
Valley Forge Military Academy to close at school year’s end
The nearly century-old Valley Forge Military Academy is set to close for good in May, following years of declining enrollment, numerous abuse scandals, and allegations of financial mismanagement. In a statement posted online Monday, the board of trustees said the academy’s future “is no longer viable” due to rising tuition...
Hundreds of Pennsylvania educators call for cyber charter funding reform in state budget
Hundreds of Pennsylvania school district administrators are calling for cyber charter funding reform to be included in the state’s 2025-26 budget. A letter featuring signatures from administrators at 215 schools was sent to state legislators Thursday — calling for a cyber charter funding formula that reflects the true cost of...
Pa. Supreme Court to hear challenge to 1968 law barring judicial review of cop firings
In 2020, Philadelphia fired a police lieutenant who sent sexual text messages and a pornographic video to two subordinates, then asked one to lie to investigators. Whether that termination stands was the subject of a state Supreme Court argument Thursday in Philadelphia that could have statewide implications — including in...
Gov. Shapiro orders U.S., Pa. flags to fly at half-staff through Sunday to honor Charlie Kirk
Gov. Josh Shapiro has ordered United States and Commonwealth flags on all facilities, public buildings, and grounds across Pennsylvania to fly at half-staff as a mark of respect for the memory of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot dead at a university in Utah on Wednesday. The flags...
Judge seeking to have Luigi Mangione brought to Blair County for hearing in November
HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Blair County judge is asking a U.S. Attorney in New York to release Luigi Mangione to U.S. Marshals for a Blair County hearing on forgery and weapon charges. It comes as the U.S. Department of Justice has indicated that it will not release Mangione from the New...
National money starts flowing into critical Pa. Supreme Court retention races
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 — A national political group is spending tens of thousands of dollars to urge voters to reject new...
At Philly event, Pa. Supreme Court justices ask for 10 more years amid GOP campaign to oust them
Three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices dismissed suggestions that their decisions were political as they made their case for retention Monday in Philadelphia. In a rare public speaking event Justices Kevin Dougherty, David Wecht, and Christine Donohue spoke about their work over the last 10 years on the state Supreme Court...
Shapiro approves $394M funding shift to prevent SEPTA cuts
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has approved a request from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to use up to $394 million earmarked for capital improvements to help the deficit-plagued transit agency cover operating costs. Shapiro’s office said in a news release Monday that the move would prevent service cuts at the...
SEPTA could get a major cash infusion to reverse cuts without legislative approval
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 — SEPTA has asked the Shapiro administration to tap hundreds of millions of dollars set aside for critical...
Pa. Dems select former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale as party chair
Pennsylvania Democrats have elected a new leader after a staggering set of losses in the 2024 elections. Eugene DePasquale, the state’s former auditor general, ran in a special election to replace state Sen. Sharif Street, who represents part of Philadelphia County. Street held the position for five years but resigned...
Small programs like rape crisis centers bear heavy burden of Pa.’s budget impasse
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 — More than two months in, the effects of Pennsylvania’s budget impasse are compounding. Many of the programs...
Pa. Supreme Court 101: What it is, why it matters, and more
This guide was originally published on Oct. 23, 2023. It was updated this week, ahead of the Nov. 4 judicial elections. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is made up of seven justices. Currently, there are five Democrats and two Republicans who serve on the court. Three justices — all Democrats —...
White House pans Shapiro for questioning National Guard deployments
The White House dismissed Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s opposition to President Trump potentially deploying National Guard troops to Philadelphia to fight crime, touting the results of the deployments elsewhere. “Another wannabe presidential candidate is desperate to get into the news cycle by attacking the president’s highly successful operations to drive...
Shapiro says Pa. prepared should Trump decide to send National Guard to Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the state has been preparing for the possibility that President Donald Trump could deploy the National Guard to Philadelphia ever since the White House sent troops to Los Angeles in June — a move that a federal judge ruled Tuesday was illegal. “Ever since the...
No prescription? No problem: Pa. clears a barrier to covid vaccines
Pennsylvanians seeking a covid-19 shot from their pharmacist no longer need a prescription after the state Board of Pharmacy changed its policies Wednesday. The change takes effect immediately, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. Those interested in getting the vaccine should contact their pharmacies about availability “while pharmacies work...
Fetterman, McCormick call on Pa. universities to combat antisemitism
Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators are calling on five of the state’s universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, to ensure that Jewish organizations on their campuses are “equipped to protect the students they serve.” U.S. Sens. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, and Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, said their request comes on the heels of...
Pa. won’t take part in the national rush to redraw congressional maps
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 — Despite a growing number of states exploring unusual, mid-decade redraws of congressional lines for political reasons, Pennsylvania...
Woman who drove through crowd at Kipona asked bystanders for directions moments beforeVideo
A woman who drove through barricades and crashed into a crowd on Monday at Harrisburg’s Kipona festival asked bystanders for directions just moments before. Chanda Porter-Lewis was standing on the street corner with her aunt when the woman police identified as Elizabeth Bohrer, 37, of York Haven, stopped near them...
Lost boy wandering elevated monorail line in Hersheypark is saved by another parkgoerVideo
HERSHEY — A lost boy wandering a monorail line high above the crowd at Hersheypark was rescued by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails. The child was reported missing at about 5:05 p.m. Saturday after he became separated from his parents, according to...
State Public Utility Commission releases annual scorecard on power company outages
Pennsylvania’s power grid is faltering more than ever. The state saw 71 significant power outages last year, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission said in its annual reliability report, pushing a decades-long trend of rising service disruptions to new heights. About 2.9 million customers faced outages, which was the highest number...
