Pennsylvania category, Page 177

Winter is upon us, and despite the occasional warmup, snow- and ice-related activities are out there. Let’s say you’re in the mood to head out to a nearby Pennsylvania state park for a day of, say, cross-country skiing. How would you check on the conditions? Well, the state has made...

Fewer Pennsylvania households entered the current winter season without heat than in the two previous years, according to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. More than 18,350 households across the state entered the winter season without heat-related utility service or using unsafe heating sources, PUC said in its 2019 Cold Weather...

In Chester County, the median household income is nearly $100,000 — making it the richest county in the commonwealth, according to a new report. Financial news and opinion website 24/7 Wall Street has reported that the southeastern Pennsylvania county boasts a median household income of $96,726, compared to the Keystone...

HARRISBURG — Michael Fitzpatrick, a former congressman from suburban Philadelphia who served four terms in the House before handing off the seat to his brother, died Monday morning after a long battle with melanoma, his family said. He was 56. “Michael Fitzpatrick passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by family,...

EDINBORO — Pennsylvania State Police and store management apparently are itching to get their hands on who released live bed bugs Thursday in the changing room of the men’s department inside the Walmart at Edinboro. As of Saturday afternoon, investigators still were scratching their heads trying to find the suspect...

Five people were killed in a violent bus crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike early Sunday, adding to a long history of deadly bus crashes across Pennsylvania and the United States. Deadliest U.S. bus crashes Sept. 17, 1963: Fifty-three farm workers were on a flatbed truck being used as a makeshift...

Two families were displaced Saturday in Quakertown after a tractor trailer crashed into their home on Route 313, borough police said. The Coca-Cola truck drove into the twin home at 656 and 658 W. Broad St. just before 6:45 a.m. after missing a sharp turn on that part of the...

A Massachusetts business is recalling about 200 pounds of lentil and beef soup for toddlers shipped to Pennsylvania and four other states and Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced. Kettle Cuisine Midco is recalling the ready-to-eat product because of misbranding and undeclared allergens, the department’s Food Safety and...

Like hemp growers, facilities that process the crop also will have to get permits in 2020 as Pennsylvania’s emerging industry enters its second year, state officials said. The commercial cultivation of hemp, which had been banned by the federal government for 80 years, took off in Pennsylvania last year after...

Feb. 2 is a loaded date this year. The usual celebration of Groundhog Day has some company in 2020. The day starts with Punxsutawney Phil’s 134th prognostication set to run 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. Then, the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Washington Capitals at 12:30 p.m. on NBC. Groundhog...

OTTSVILLE — A former high school teacher has been charged with secretly taking indecent photos of three students and posting them online. Francis Reppert, 26, of Quakertown in Bucks County, outside of Philadelhia, was arraigned Thursday on charges of indecent exposure and invasion of privacy. He was released on $500,000...

After being in office for about a year, state Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny, thinks there might be a few too many seats in the chamber. Gaydos, 53, of Aleppo, recently introduced legislation which would cut legislative districts in Pennsylvania from 203 to 151, a move that would require amending the...

PHILADELPHIA — The mayor of Philadelphia sharply criticized two men who wore blackface while marching in the city’s annual — and often racially troubling — New Year’s Day Mummers Parade, calling their actions “abhorrent and unacceptable.” The group the men apparently were affiliated with, the Froggy Carr Wench Brigade, was...

Food is one of the biggest draws to the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and this year is no exception. The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, famous for its milkshakes, is introducing a new sandwich — Grilled Cheese Stix. The offering features mozzarella cheese sandwiched between Martin’s potato bread, served with a side of...

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s governor announced a broad effort Thursday to improve mental health services and change public perceptions of mental illness. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf rolled out an initiative that includes more resources and a public outreach campaign, saying the approach was inspired by a similar strategy the state has...

Perhaps you were too busy holiday-ing to notice, but as of Dec. 3, your protection from phone spammers got a lot stronger. As of that date, Pennsylvania’s “Do Not Call” list dropped the requirement that customers re-register their number every five years. That means once you are on, you are...

A decision this week by Dauphin County to purchase new paper-trail voting systems means all 67 Pennsylvania counties have taken action under a state law that helps fund the upgrades, the Wolf administration said Tuesday. Officials called the vote a milestone toward ensuring the integrity of the state’s future elections....

A new year could mean additional earnings for thousands of Pennsylvanians as a new federal rule guaranteeing overtime pay goes into effect. The rule that takes effect Wednesday guarantees time-and-a-half payments to nearly all hourly employees who work more than 40 hours per week as well as most salaried workers...

Philadelphia appointed a new police chief to lead the troubled department that has been plagued by sexual harassment lawsuits and racial discrimination — issues she will be suited to tackle with “conviction,” Mayor Jim Kenney said Monday. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney announced his choice of Portland Chief Danielle Outlaw to...

PHILADELPHIA — The vast Philadelphia Energy Solutions refining complex was the single largest stationary source of air pollution in the city before it shut down after a catastrophic June 21 fire. So it would be reasonable to assume the city’s air quality has improved in the six months since the...

Western Pennsylvania shoppers soon will spot signs popping up inside Giant Eagle grocery stores and GetGo gas stations alerting everyone to a new federal rule: People under 21 are barred from buying any tobacco products or vapes with liquid nicotine. “As a responsible retailer, Giant Eagle, Inc. takes seriously its...