Got to Category

Pennsylvania category, Page 30

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Cyberattack on Pennsylvania courts didn’t appear to compromise data, officials say
HARRISBURG — A cyberattack this weekend on the website of Pennsylvania’s state courts agency disabled some online systems but did not appear to compromise any data and didn’t stop the courts from opening Monday, officials said. Various county court clerks said their offices were operating smoothly, despite the disruptions to...
Pennsylvania Capitol protest against state investing in Israel bonds ends with scores of arrests 
HARRISBURG — Police took more than 100 people protesting the Pennsylvania state government’s investments in Israel into custody Monday, shutting down a demonstration on the steps of the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg. A spokesperson for the Department of General Services, which includes the Pennsylvania Capitol Police, said 126 people were...
Raising taxes on the table as Pa. weighs how to pay for education court ruling
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 — Pennsylvania likely needs billions of dollars to shore up its public schools following a landmark court ruling, but lawmakers are entering a new...
Dartmouth reinstates SAT test requirement. Will Pa. colleges follow?
The pandemic that drove students from campuses in March 2020 also accelerated a decadeslong shift away from using the SAT/ACT in college admission. By last spring, more than 8 in 10 colleges nationally and in Pennsylvania no longer required standardized tests. That trend could be reversing itself — at least...
Cyberattack takes down some online services for Pennsylvania Court
Portions of the Pennsylvania Courts’ website that had been down since Sunday as a result of a cyberattack appeared to be back in operation Monday afternoon. A statement released by Chief Justice Debra Todd on Sunday said the attack affected online services such as filing systems, docket sheets, electronic payment...
Penn Museum buries the bones of 19 Black Philadelphians, causing dispute with community members
For decades, the University of Pennsylvania has held hundreds of skulls that once were used to promote white supremacy through racist scientific research. As part of a growing effort among museums to reevaluate the curation of human remains, the Ivy League school laid some of the remains to rest last...
Eastern Pa. school board president killed in small plane crash
The president of a Pennsylvania school board was killed in a small plane crash Thursday afternoon, the school district said in a release. Sam Ganow, who was president of the Octorara Area School District School Board, was the only person aboard the plane when it took off from the Chester...
Judge rules escape charge against convicted murderer Cavalcante can proceed to trial
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — A district judge said Friday that Pennsylvania prosecutors have sufficient grounds to continue to press escape and other charges against a convicted murderer captured last year after two weeks on the run. The judge found there is enough evidence to forward to county court for trial...
2 Democrats raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in bids to unseat Scott Perry, far outpacing rivals
Two candidates for the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District jumped out to a big early lead in the so-called money primary, according to a round of campaign finance reports filed this week. Retired U.S. Marines Corp aviator Mike O’Brien and former WGAL news anchor Janelle Stelson both crashed...
6-month-old left alone inside closed Pa. daycare, police say
A baby girl was left alone in a Philadelphia daycare facility after it had closed. Police said they responded to a call at around 5:30 after the parents of the child arrived at New Arisens Day Care and saw the building was closed and locked. “I was hoping that someone...
Pennsylvania House GOP leader asks attorney general to probe missing data
A top House Republican wants the Pennsylvania attorney general to investigate the massive data loss affecting the state police and state employees’ pension system. State Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, said he asked State Attorney General Michelle Henry to review the recent IT failure that led to the loss early last...
Gisele Fetterman returns to social media, explains break in online post
Taking a social media break might be more challenging than staying on. Just ask Gisele Fetterman. The wife of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, responded to online speculation after she abruptly deleted her accounts on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, this week. After deactivating her X account, Fetterman...
Man accused of beheading his father in suburban Philadelphia home, posting gruesome video online 
LEVITTOWN — A man accused of beheading his father in suburban Philadelphia and posting a gruesome video on social media that shows him holding up the severed head has been charged with first-degree murder and abusing a corpse, authorities said Wednesday. Justin Mohn was armed and had jumped a fence...
Philadelphia police release video in corner store shooting that killed suspect, wounded officer 
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two Philadelphia police officers had their weapons holstered before a scuffle with a man inside a corner deli when one of the officers was shot by a suspect who was then fatally shot by the wounded officer’s partner, the city’s police commissioner said Tuesday. The department promised...
Report highlights ongoing racism at 10 Pa. State System universities
More than one Black university student recalled being compared to an animal. Another found a Confederate flag on his dormitory door. Others spoke of white peers saying, “I hate Black people.” And there was this anecdote which, like the others, was shared with a Pennsylvania senator traveling the State System...
Shapiro proposal would steer extra $40M a year to Pittsburgh Regional Transit
Southwestern Pennsylvania’s largest transit agency could see a needed boost of about $40 million annually thanks to a budget proposal unveiled Monday by Gov. Josh Shapiro. If passed, it would be the first funding increase for Pittsburgh Regional Transit in years, an agency spokesman said Monday. Transit agencies across the...
Game Commission puts hold on plan to return American marten to state woodlands
A plan to reintroduce a native species of weasel into the Pennsylvania wild has been put on hold by the state Game Commission’s board of commissioners. The board voted 6-3 Saturday to table American martens’ potential return to the state’s woodlands. Commissioner Robert Schwalm said he wanted more time in...
Pa. Supreme Court returns Medicaid-funded abortion case to lower court
Abortion rights advocates Monday praised a state Supreme Court opinion that they believe will ultimately uphold a broad constitutional right to abortion in Pennsylvania, even as the justices remanded the narrow merits of the case back to a lower court. The complicated set of five concurring and dissenting opinions spanning...
Teenager awaiting trial in 2020 homicide who fled outside hospital is captured in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — A teenager awaiting trial in a homicide case who escaped outside a Philadelphia hospital last week was captured on Sunday, police said. Shane Pryor was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service, said Sgt. Eric Gripp with the Philadelphia Police Department. The marshals will hand the 17-year-old...
Police ID man accused of fleeing with suspect’s gun after officer shot, suspect killed
PHILADELPHIA — Authorities have identified a man they allege fled a north Philadelphia corner store with a gun that had been used to wound a police officer after the shooter was fatally wounded by another officer. Police said Sunday that they are seeking 42-year-old Jose Quinones-Mendez on firearms, theft, obstruction...
Long-sought charter school changes on table as Pa. lawmakers plot education funding overhaul
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 — Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering significant changes to the way charter schools are funded as they undertake a monumental overhaul of public education mandated...
Study: Pennsylvania is the fat dog capital of America
PHILADELPHIA — Ralphie fell in love with lobster at first bite. Steak too. But the pounds started creeping up. And up. In time, Ralphie’s doctor confirmed what his family already knew: At 30% overweight, the time had come for the South Philly bullmastiff to go on a serious doggie diet....
Justice Department expands claims against Pa. courts in opioid addiction treatment case
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 U.S. Department of Justice has broadened its accusations that Pennsylvania courts discriminate against people with opioid use disorder by restricting access to...
Bob Casey acknowledges ‘long, tough race,’ ahead of him in match-up with McCormick
PHILADELPHIA — This race will be different for Bob Casey. The three-term senator has faced challengers before but never one as well-funded and with as much early GOP support as Dave McCormick. And the Pennsylvania Democrat made the stakes known at the first rally of his campaign in Philadelphia on...
Pa. Senate leaders back Texas governor’s immigration fight, blast Biden
Pennsylvania Republican state Senate leaders have joined a growing chorus of conservatives across the country who are publicly backing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial efforts to thwart illegal immigration into his state. In a joint statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Majority Leader Joe Pittman and Appropriations Committee Chairman...


Editor's Picks

Front Porch Theatricals’ musical ‘Baby’ is a labor of love

Washington townhouse on the market for $1,225,000
Folk legend Bruce Cockburn gives uplifting performance at City Winery
‘Champagne & Chapeaux’: Westmoreland Symphony’s annual soiree for a good cause
Jimmy Stewart’s P-51 Mustang stops in hometown for museum anniversary
More Editor's Picks >