Pennsylvania category, Page 153
‘We cannot turn our back on it’: Opioid crisis rages alongside covid pandemic in Pa.
Amid a global pandemic killing thousands across the state, country and world, health officials in Pennsylvania warned that the opioid epidemic continues to leave thousands dead in its wake as well. “We know that with the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and various others approaching, it can be a difficult...
Trump campaign loses another round in Pennsylvania’s courts
HARRISBURG — President Donald Trump’s campaign has lost another round in a flurry of Republican lawsuits over Pennsylvania’s election, with the state Supreme Court refusing Tuesday to hear its appeal over fewer than 2,000 ballots in a suburban Philadelphia county. The court, which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, denied the...
Nursing home industry: Pennsylvania illegally withheld funds
The nursing home industry has filed suit against Pennsylvania, claiming the state illegally withheld more than $150 million that was intended to help long-term care facilities shoulder the financial burden of the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit, filed in state court and announced Tuesday, contended the Department of Human Services is...
Pennsylvania reports 10,170 new covid cases, 169 new deaths
Pennsylvania reported 10,170 new covid cases and 169 new deaths Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health. Total cases and total deaths in the state now stand at 436,614 and 11,542, respectively. Thus far in December, the state has reported 75,150 covid cases and 1,159 deaths. The seven-day average...
Former AHL assistant accuses Penguins of whistleblower violations after sexual assault allegations
Former Penguins minor league assistant coach Jarrod Skalde has accused the Pittsburgh Penguins of violating whistleblower laws after he reported a superior for sexually assaulting his wife, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Scranton. The lawsuit alleges Clark Donatelli, former head coach of the Penguins’ American...
Trump campaign appeals another ballot case in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — President Donald Trump’s campaign continues to press lawsuits over Pennsylvania’s election, appealing another case it lost to the state Supreme Court, this time over fewer than 2,000 ballots in a suburban Philadelphia county. The appeal, filed Friday, is one of at least four pending cases in which Trump...
No new covid restrictions for Pa., but possibility looms
Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday issued his most dire warning yet as covid-19 mitigation efforts fail to stem the rising tide of cases, and he hinted that more drastic, targeted measures could be on the horizon if the situation remains grim. He pointed to the warning he and Secretary of...
Pennsylvania reports nearly 15,000 new covid cases, 111 deaths over 2 days
Pennsylvania added 14,960 new covid cases over the past two days, according to a report Monday from the Department of Health. Officials said there were 8,630 new cases Sunday and 6,330 cases Monday. While down nearly 40% from the previous two days (24,647), it’s more than 50% higher than last...
Chief says Erie’s new police car totaled in crash
ERIE — A Pennsylvania town’s new patrol car was totaled in a crash with a drunken driver, the police chief said. Chief Dan Spizarny told Erie News Now one of his officers was driving early Sunday when a van came speeding toward the rear of the patrol car, which had...
Pa. Department of Corrections reports 3 covid deaths in 2 days
Prison officials in Pennsylvania reported three inmate deaths in two days as the active covid-19 case count in state correctional facilities neared 1,800. The Department of Corrections reported two deaths Friday, at SCIs Mercer and Smithfield and one on Saturday at SCI-Pine Grove. Two of the incarcerated individuals were in...
U.S. Supreme Court moves up deadline in congressman’s bid to upend Pa. election results
PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Supreme Court moved up a key deadline Sunday for Pennsylvania officials to respond to a last-minute bid by one of Trump’s top boosters in Congress to decertify the state’s elections results. Previously, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who oversees emergency matters arising out of Pennsylvania...
GOP leaders ask Congress to reject Pa.’s electors for Joe Biden
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 — More than 60 Republicans, including the top...
Pandemic, partisan attacks exposed gaps in Pa.’s new mail-in voting law
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 — Before any threat of a deadly, fast-spreading...
Pennsylvania sets daily record of 12,884 new covid-19 cases, cruises past 400,000 total
Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 12,884 new coronavirus cases, hurdling the Keystone State’s total past 400,000 cases. The new data bring the total cases to 411,484; a nearly 60,000-case jump from this time last week (351,667). Officials said 31,219 of total cases are considered probable. Health officials define a probable case...
DCNR cancels all in-person events due to covid concerns
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has canceled all in-person events and programs in all state parks and forests, starting Sunday. That includes those organized by its staff or volunteers. The decision includes the elimination of the DCNR’s organized group First Day Hikes planned for Jan. 1. The...
Pa. health officials bring quarantine guidance in line with shortened CDC timeframe
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday updated guidance for residents who might have been exposed to covid-19, retooling the quarantine timeframe to fall in line with new measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC earlier this week indicated that those potentially exposed to the virus...
Pennsylvania opens permit process for 2021 hemp season
Farmers who want to get an early start on plans to grow hemp in 2021 can submit their applications to the state by mail starting Saturday. Online applications for growers and processors will open in January. The state has made it easier for small farmers to get in on the...
Pa. posts new high for daily covid cases, nears 400K total cases
Pennsylvania reported the most new covid-19 cases in a single day Friday. The state’s 11,763 new cases eclipse Thursday’s 11,406 case count, which was the previous high. In the past two days, there have been 23,169 cases reported. From the start of the pandemic in March, it took the state...
Pa. Veteran Farming Project joins initiative to plant 10 million trees
An additional 10 million trees could soon adorn Pennsylvania’s landscape, thanks to an effort led by several organizations across the state. The goal, officials said, is to plant trees that will help filter and absorb polluted runoff that impairs rivers and streams. The trees will also help stabilize stream banks,...
Supreme Court again asked to block Biden win in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Fresh off another rejection in Pennsylvania’s courts, Republicans on Thursday again asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the battleground state, while the state’s lawyers say fatal flaws in the original case mean justices are highly unlikely to grant it. Republican U.S. Rep....
Pennsylvania’s Capitol Complex to close for covid concerns
Pennsylvania’s Capital Complex will close to the public once again, citing rising covid-19 cases. Starting Monday, the complex will disallow visits and events including rallies, school or group tours, performances, receptions and other public gatherings in all interior venues. The Capitol Complex includes the Main Capitol Rotunda, East Wing Rotunda,...
Eastern Pa. companies partner in development of ingestible vaccine
Two Eastern Pennsylvania companies are working on creating ingestible covid-19 vaccines in drinkable and capsule forms, and leaders hope they could be on the market sometime next year. The vaccine work comes from a partnership between VaxForm and U.S. Specialty Formulations, the latter of which plans to expand its Allentown...
‘Mistakes were made’ at maskless election hearing held by covid-positive lawmaker, Pa. Senate leader says
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. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The top Republican in the Pennsylvania Senate acknowledged Wednesday “mistakes were made” and necessary coronavirus safety precautions were ignored...
Pennsylvania reports over 11,000 new coronavirus cases
Pennsylvania on Thursday reported its highest number of new single-day covid-19 cases since the pandemic started in March with 11,406 cases. The state also reported 187 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus. The new cases bring the total number in the state to 386,837. The state’s seven-day average climbed to...
Staffing shortages threaten Western Pa. hospitals
More than one-third of hospitals in Southwestern Pennsylvania anticipate staffing shortages in the coming week. It’s a threshold that, if paired with a further surge in hospital admissions, could force a cutback in elective surgeries. Secretary of Health Rachel Levine noted the rising number of covid-19 hospital admissions across the...
