Pennsylvania category, Page 149
Pennsylvania legislators to kick off session by taking oath
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Tuesday to be sworn in for the two-year legislative term, facing a still-raging pandemic and a dispute over seating as senator, with Republicans holding large majorities in both chambers. The state House begins the session with 113 Republican seats and 90...
Pennsylvania’s December revenue more than anticipated
Pennsylvania collected more revenue in December — and in 2020, as a whole — than the state had originally anticipated, Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell reported Monday. The state collected $3.7 billion in the General Fund in December, which was $465.8 million, or 14.5%, more than what was expected. Overall, $18.5...
State lottery open for rare Pappy Van Winkle bourbon
Whiskey lovers, now is your chance to get your hands on the biggest name in bourbon — but you’ll need plenty of luck to grab a bottle. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board opened the annual lottery for Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery’s bourbons and rye whiskey. The most coveted release...
Pa. will get more covid vaccine this week, availability to general public still ‘months’ away
Thousands more doses of covid-19 vaccines are set to arrive in Pennsylvania this week, with more than half reserved for health workers awaiting their second dose of the two-dose vaccination, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday. So far, 135,044 people across the state have received the vaccine in...
Pennsylvania reports 7,800 more covid cases, 122 deaths over 2 days
The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s latest report, released Monday, shows another 7,805 more cases of covid-19 over the past two days. While still a high number of cases, the latest figures were nearly 10% less than were reported a week ago (8,663). Officials said the case counts are atypically low...
Restaurants, gyms, casinos reopen as latest covid-19 restrictions expireVideo
Restaurants, bars, gyms and casinos reopened Monday morning at a still-limited capacity when Pennsylvania’s most recent set of covid-19 restrictions expired at 8 a.m. The restrictions, started Dec. 12, barred restaurants from allowing indoor dining and shut down gyms and casinos in the face of a post-Thanksgiving surge in virus...
Impact of Pennsylvania casino closures remains to be seen, though industry was surging this fiscal year
After more than a decade of continued growth for Pennsylvania’s gaming industry that has pumped billions of tax dollars into state coffers and local communities, the casino industry — and that cash flow — were largely upended in 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic. But the industry was on the rebound...
Satellite offices gave Pa. voters more options to cast early ballots in person. Were they worth it?
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. This article is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — A week before the Nov. 3 election,...
Errors in covid data reveal unreliable tracking system for nursing homes
For three or four hours a day, Shelly Kennedy sees nothing but spreadsheets. She has two computer screens at her desk at Presbyterian SeniorCare Network. On one monitor is a spreadsheet tracking covid-19 cases, deaths, personal protective equipment — the list goes on — for each of the network’s facilities,...
Pennsylvania hits 650,000 coronavirus cases, adds 261 deaths
Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 16,967 new coronavirus cases over the past 48 hours, as the Keystone State hurtled over the 650,000-case mark. Officials said 7,714 additional cases were reported New Year’s Day, while 9,253 were reported Saturday. The new data bring the total cases to 657,292. That’s a jump of...
Federal buildings vandalized in Philadelphia, 6 arrested, devices found
PHILADELPHIA — Six people were arrested after a group vandalized several federal buildings in Philadelphia’s Center City on New Year’s Eve, police said. Officers spotted about 50 people, all dressed in black, at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the historic U.S. Customs House, where windows were smashed, police said. Three...
Drivers not using E-ZPass will absorb a 51% PA Turnpike rate hike in 2021
Pennsylvania Turnpike toll increases announced last year will take effect just after midnight Sunday, Jan. 3, and if you’re not using the state’s E-ZPass program, the hike will be a steep one. Over the summer, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission approved a 6% hike for all E-ZPass rates systemwide, along with...
Dick Thornburgh, ex-Pa. governor and U.S. attorney general, diesVideo
Dick Thornburgh, who as Pennsylvania governor won plaudits for his cool handling of the 1979 Three Mile Island crisis and as U.S. attorney general restored credibility to a Justice Department hurt by the Iran-Contra scandal, has died. He was 88. Thornburgh died Thursday morning at a retirement community facility outside...
Gettysburg elementary teacher accused of child sexual abuse
GETTYSBURG — A second-grade public school teacher in Gettysburg has been charged with sexually abusing a child, and the state police are asking for tips if anyone believes there may be other victims. Vincent Paul Marfia, 40, a resident of Littlestown, was arraigned Thursday on charges that include involuntary deviate...
Pennsylvania records 640,000 covid-19 cases, nearly 16,000 deaths in 2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday reported 8,992 additional coronavirus cases and 306 deaths attributed to the coronavirus, closing the year with 640,325 cases and 15,978 deaths since the pandemic began here in March. December recorded the highest number of cases for the year: 278,861. November had 153,437 recorded...
Gov. Wolf: New Pa. covid restrictions to end Monday
Come Monday, it won’t just be a new year. It may be a new start for the beleaguered restaurant and bar industries that have borne the brunt of coronavirus restrictions in 2020. “It will be good to get people back to work,” Bill Fuller, corporate chef and president of Big...
Hunter charged with homicide in fatal shooting at Pa. state park
BEDMINSTER — A hunter who fatally shot a man he apparently mistook for an animal at a state park has been charged with homicide and weapons counts, authorities said. Kenneth Troy Heller, 52, of Warminster made his initial court appearance Wednesday and was jailed after the judge denied him bail....
Pennsylvania posts 4th highest single-day covid-related death report
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported another 8,984 coronavirus cases Wednesday. Despite the high number, it actually brought the state’s seven-day average of new cases down more than 18% from a week ago. A week ago, Pennsylvania’s seven-day average of new cases was 8,827. With Wednesday’s report, that average dropped...
Despite slow vaccine rollout, nursing homes optimistic about distributionVideo
Much is still unknown about how vaccines are being distributed in Pennsylvania’s nursing homes, but operators and advocates are optimistic and excited for the milestone. Skilled nursing facilities across the state began receiving their first doses of covid-19 vaccine Monday, through a partnership between the federal government and two national...
Pennsylvania reports 8,545 new covid cases, 267 deaths
Pennsylvania has 8,545 new covid-19 cases and 267 new deaths Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health. With the new numbers, there are now 622,329 total covid cases and 15,353 total deaths in the state. In December thus far, there have been 260,885 cases and 4,970 deaths reported. Of...
Pennsylvania says federal jobless aid could be delayed several weeks
More than half a million jobless Pennsylvanians may have to wait several weeks before their federal benefits resume under the extended CARES Act that President Trump delayed signing for six days, state officials said . While the state has reviewed the extended CARES Act Congress passed Dec. 21, the U.S....
Covid vaccines arriving at Pennsylvania nursing homes
CVS Health began distributing vaccinations to 120 skilled nursing facilities across the state Monday, while Walgreens is distributing to an additional six, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said. Immunizations for residents and staff members in long-term care facilities are being provided through a partnership between the federal government and the...
Pennsylvania becomes 7th state to top 15K coronavirus deaths
Pennsylvania hit a grim milestone over the weekend, topping 15,000 coronavirus deaths. On Sunday the Pennsylvania Department of Health added 127 deaths, bringing the state’s total to 15,010. And 76 more with Monday’s data now puts the total at 15,086. The state’s first coronavirus-related death was reported March 18. The...
Pennsylvania passes 600,000 coronavirus cases; adds 165 deaths
Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 14,755 new coronavirus cases over the past 48 hours, as the Keystone State jumped over the 600,000-case mark. Officials said 7,581 additional cases were reported Christmas Day, while 7,174 were reported the day after. The new data bring the total cases to 605,141. That’s a jump...
Thousands of ballots will be audited as part of Pa.’s post-election review
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. This article is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — At least 64 counties in Pennsylvania have...
