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This Year’s Budget Overturns Local Bans on Rodeos. No Pa. Lawmaker Will Take Credit
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. HARRISBURG — Under a little-noticed provision in the new state budget, Pennsylvania municipalities will be forced to allow rodeo events to take place in their borders even if local lawmakers have voted to restrict them. Only one place in the commonwealth appears to fit this description: Pittsburgh, which more than 30 years ago banned the use of some tools to control animals, including electric prods and spurs. The language is tucked into the nearly 140-page fiscal code, an...
Pa. heat advisories are outpacing the average rate this summer. Climate change plays a role.
Pennsylvania is seeing more frequent bouts of extreme heat this summer. Since June 1, the National Weather Service has issued 18 heat advisories in the state. That’s 13 more than the average for this time period over the last two decades, according to data collected by Iowa State University.
Pennsylvania’s Rainy Day Fund Reaches Record High
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity has commended the combined efforts of the General Assembly and the Governor for their decision to allocate approximately $740 million to the state’s Rainy Day Fund for the fiscal year 2024-25. This addition boosts the reserve fund to a record $6.987 billion. When Garrity assumed office, the fund was significantly smaller, barely covering two days of the Commonwealth’s expenses. Now, with four years of robust savings, the fund can sustain the state for 53.6 days, surpassing the national median of 46 days.
Pa. Supreme Court Upholds License for Nittany Mall Casino
The state's highest court has upheld the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's decision to award a license for a planned casino at the Nittany Mall, paving the way for the project to move forward. Pennsylvania's Supreme Court in an opinion issued Wednesday found the board acted properly in awarding the license to Ira Lubert at a 2020 auction, dismissing a challenge brought by losing bidder Stadium Casino. Stadium, a subsidiary of Baltimore-based Cordish Companies, has 14 days to file a motion to reconsider. The project can now move ahead unless the decision is appealed to a higher court, PGCB spokesperson Doug Harbach said. "The Gaming...
IFO: Pennsylvania to hit budget deficit next year
(The Center Square) – After a budget deal passed in the Capitol, a Pennsylvania state agency warns that the surplus will be depleted next year. The $47.6 billion budget, slightly less than Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $48.3 billion proposal that Republicans called “a budget of unicorns and rainbows,” will increase spending by $2.7 billion, including more than $1 billion for education. But the Independent Fiscal Office is warning that the general...
Three West Virginia men facing drug-related charges in Pennsylvania
ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — The Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office reports three men from West Virginia were arrested as a part of a drug bust on Saturday, July 13. According to the sheriff, during an investigation, the Alleghany Highlands Drug Task Force allegedly witnessed a hand-to-hand drug purchase. Members of the task force alerted patrol […]
Electricity restored to 82K PPL customers across Pa. Met-Ed says lights will be on soon.
Three days of powerful storms cut power to thousands of properties in the Lehigh Valley this week. And the heat was unrelenting before finally becoming seasonable Thursday. A representative of PPL Electric Utilities said Thursday the company had restored power to some 82,000 customers across its Pennsylvania territory since Monday. As of Thursday afternoon, PPL reported 2,268 outages among 1,524,524 customers in 18 counties, including 399 outages in Lehigh County paired with 53 in Northampton County. The Allentown-based utility on Wednesday reported just more than 1,000 outages in Lehigh and Northampton. PPL services 29 counties.
Farmers gain conservation, innovation funds in Pa. state budget
An injection of money into the Clean Streams Fund is one part of the recently passed state budget sparking optimism among local conservation and agricultural workers, while a new $10 million agricultural innovation fund is expected to open for proposals by next month. A recurring $50 million allocation will extend...
New scam targets Pennsylvania drivers
EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — A new scam is sweeping across Pennsylvania that targets drivers. The scammers send text messages claiming to be from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and telling people they have an outstanding toll balance. The scam offers up a link for people to pay that supposed unpaid balance. Those who have received a […]
Pa. launches right-to-counsel program with hopes of reducing evictions
Funding for the new program was included in the budget lawmakers passed last week. For the first time ever, Pennsylvania will offer free legal representation to low-income renters facing an eviction or another housing-related issue. The new budget includes $2.5 million for a statewide right-to-counsel program. The funding will be...
Governor Josh Shapiro signs legislation aimed at saving pharmacies
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Governor Shapiro signed legislation Wednesday aiming to save local pharmacies from going out of business. Since January 1, more than 140 pharmacies in Pennsylvania have shut down, according to proponents of the bill.A KDKA investigation first profiled those struggling pharmacists in March. At issue is the role of pharmacy benefits managers, who are middlemen between the insurance companies and pharmacies.The state legislation signed Wednesday aims to create more transparency in that process. It's a win in the pharmacies' fight to stop losing money on every prescription filled. Pennsylvania State Rep. Jessica Benham led that fight. One day...
August DUI checkpoint announced for Pennsylvania
(WJET/WFXP) – Here’s another reminder to stay safe on the roads as the Pennsylvania State Police have scheduled another DUI checkpoint for next month. Police will hold the checkpoint during the month of August at undisclosed locations in McKean County with the goal of keeping roadways safe and decrease injuries and deaths caused by impaired drivers. […]
STV Transforms Pennsylvania’s Infrastructure from Gettysburg to Lancaster
STV, a leading professional services firm that plans, designs and manages infrastructure projects across North America, today announced it has completed preliminary engineering and final design for four major highway and bridge projects spanning from the historic fields of Gettysburg to the vibrant community of Lancaster. The company is now providing construction consultation on the four projects, as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 8’s 2024 construction program, a $257-million investment to transform southcentral Pennsylvania’s infrastructure. These projects include:
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