Pennsylvania category, Page 213

PHILADELPHIA — There are times in court when Qawi Abdul-Rahman, a Center City-based defense attorney, gets the sense that folks listening didn’t understand a piece of testimony. “You get it all the time, truthfully,” Abdul-Rahman said. He’s been concerned that the true meaning of statements like “I don’t fool with...

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two Pennsylvania state lawmakers are making a disputed claim in a long-running effort by elections officials to determine how many non-U.S. citizens had registered to vote over the years. On Tuesday, the lawmakers said there had been confirmation that 11,198 foreign nationals had illegally registered to vote....

The parents of Tim Piazza, who died after an alcohol-fueled fraternity pledge party at Pennsylvania State University two years ago, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against 28 former members of the fraternity, but settled with Penn State without filing a lawsuit, their lawyer said. Neither the university nor Jim and Evelyn...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — Members of Punxsutawney Phil’s inner circle revealed spring is coming early.Handlers for Pennsylvania’s most famous prognosticating groundhog say he didn’t see his shadow when the sun rose Saturday. The festivities have their origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on...

ASHLEY — Two women who say they were coerced into sex with a Pennsylvania police officer have filed a federal lawsuit alleging he violated their constitutional rights. The Citizens’ Voice reports 29-year-old Mark Icker, of Dickson City, is facing sexual assault, official oppression and related charges alleging he pressured the...

ALLENTOWN — A woman and her teen daughter are suing a Pennsylvania amusement park, saying the costumed ghouls at its Halloween attraction were too terrifying. The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that Shannon Sacco and her daughter are seeking more than $150,000 from Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom and its parent...

ASHLEY — Two women who said they were coerced into sex with a Pennsylvania police officer filed a federal lawsuit alleging he violated their constitutional rights. Mark Icker, 29, of Dickson City is facing sexual assault, official oppression and related charges alleging he pressured the two women into performing oral...

PHILADELPHIA — A powerful union boss with a tight grip on construction jobs in the Philadelphia region and outsized influence in city and state politics has been indicted in alleged schemes to embezzle more than $600,000 and have a councilman on the union payroll to do his bidding at City...

READING — More than two dozen vehicles have been involved in a chain-reaction crash on a central Pennsylvania highway after a snow squall caused whiteout conditions. Wyomissing Police Chief Jeffrey Biehl says about 27 vehicles were involved in the crash just after 1 p.m. Wednesday on Route 222, about 60...

HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf is rolling out a second-term proposal to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage after similar first-term proposals by the Democrat fell flat in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Wolf said Wednesday he wants to raise Pennsylvania’s hourly minimum to $12 this year, making it one of the highest in...

Tyson Foods is recalling more than 36,400 pounds of chicken nuggets that may be contaminated with rubber. Announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall applies to 5-pound plastic packages of Tyson White Meat Panko Chicken Nuggets with a “best if used by”...

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf is renewing his call for lawmakers to pass legislation expanding background checks on firearms in Pennsylvania and end an exception for shotguns, sporting rifles and semi-automatic rifles that are sold at gun shows. The Democratic governor’s statement Tuesday comes three months after a truck...

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Senate is resuming a push to make the Eastern hellbender the state’s official amphibian, an effort to highlight the plight of a creature whose numbers researchers say are declining because of pollution in rivers and streams. The bill emerged unanimously Tuesday from a Senate committee. A...

One day before the deadline for comments, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf went on record opposing the federal government’s proposed rollbacks in regulations governing allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault in schools and colleges. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Wolf voiced concerns Tuesday about proposed...

Pennsylvania lawmakers and county leaders must move quickly to secure the state’s election infrastructure in advance of the 2020 presidential election, an independent bipartisan commission said Tuesday. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania’s Election Security recommended that the state and federal government provide money to help underwrite the costs for...

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A report issued Tuesday says Pennsylvania should adopt changes to make its elections more secure — encouraging the replacement of older voting machines, enhanced security of voter rolls and better contingency planning for cyberattacks and other technological challenges. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania’s Election Security report...

BETHLEHEM — Authorities say a Pennsylvania man shackled his wife inside his vehicle numerous times while he went to work because he was concerned she was cheating on him. John VanHorn is charged with false imprisonment. Bethlehem police found the woman Wednesday when they responded to reports of a woman...

HARRISBURG — Lawmakers have returned to the Pennsylvania Capitol but have yet to revisit legislation on child sexual abuse scandals since an October fight killed a bill that would have allowed long-ago victims to sue the Roman Catholic Church and other institutions. The Legislature’s new two-year session began in earnest...

New York on Monday was poised to become the 10th state to temporarily suspend the statute of limitations to provide adult survivors of child sexual abuse an opportunity to sue their abusers. Child protection advocates said the new law, passed only after a change of leadership in that state’s Senate,...

Perdue Foods is recalling more than 16,000 pounds of chicken nuggets because the label doesn’t indicate the product contains milk ingredients, an allergen for some consumers. The recall is in effect for 12-ounce packages of refrigerated, ready-to-eat Perdue Fun Shapes Chicken Breast Nuggets that are dated for use by March...

ETTERS — A beloved K-9 suffering from bone cancer got a final salute at the Pennsylvania veterinarian’s office where he was euthanized. Newberry Township Police Chief Steven Lutz says 9-year-old German Shephard Tazer didn’t seem well after his last shift Saturday night. Sgt. Chris Martinez, his handler, took him to...

STATE COLLEGE — A gunman opened fire at a hotel bar in State College, killing a man and wounding two other people, then broke into a home where he fatally shot another man before killing himself, authorities said. Authorities said a fourth victim died Friday, according to the Centre Daily...

A state agency projects that natural gas impact fee collections for 2018 will exceed those from 2017 by $37.4 million. Total collections on the impact fee for 2018 are projected to be $247 million, according to the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office. Should the projection hold, it will be the largest...

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will wade into the weeds to gauge public interest in legalizing recreational marijuana during a 67-county tour of the state beginning Saturday in Pittsburgh. On Thursday, Fetterman, the former Braddock mayor who was sworn in as lieutenant governor last week, said he is planning a...

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is taking a new step in its exploration of legalizing marijuana, with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman preparing a series of town hall-style public listening sessions. Fetterman, himself an advocate for legalizing marijuana, said Thursday he’ll hold a listening session in each of Pennsylvania’s...