HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania lawmakers are starting their new two-year legislative term with a bitter dispute in the Senate that prevented the seating of a Democratic member. Both chambers swore in their newly elected members on Tuesday. Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers. Democrats in the Senate began protesting and in some cases shouting after the Republican majority refused to seat Sen. Jim Brewster of Allegheny County. His election was certified by the state but is being contested by Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli. The fight followed weeks of President Donald Trump challenging President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania with baseless allegations of fraud and lawsuits that have repeatedly lost in the courts.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Carson Wentz needs time away to think about his future with the Philadelphia Eagles and is hopeful it won’t end in a divorce. Wentz was benched for the final four games after the worst season of his five-year career and was inactive Sunday in a loss to Washington. He hasn’t spoken to reporters since Dec. 6 and declined interview requests Monday. Wentz also hasn’t discussed his future with team officials yet, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because it’s a private matter. The person said those conversations will take place when the time is right.
>>Pennsylvania Seeing Surge of COVID-19 Cases
(Harrisburg, PA) -- The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is seeing another surge of positive COVID-19 cases. The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced over 88-hundred new cases yesterday. Due to technical maintenance during Sunday's reports, some of the new case counts are including data from when the server was down on Sunday. There are more than 56-hundred people who are hospitalized statewide with the coronavirus, which is doubling spring's peak.
>>Lancaster County Representative Bryan Cutler Elected as State House Speaker
(Harrisburg, PA) -- Lancaster County Representative Bryan Cutler is going to serve his first full term as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The House voted unanimously yesterday to make Cutler the House Speaker. Cutler took over the Speaker position in the last quarter of 2019-to-2020 after Mike Turzai stepped down. He has served in the state House since 2006.
>>Free COVID-19 Testing Offered at Southeastern School District
(York County, PA) -- Southeastern School District is offering free COVID-19 testing for residents. The testing will be available from nine-to-eleven this morning in the parking lot between the administration building and Kennard-Dale High School. Officials say that no appointment is required to get the free testing.
>>One-Million-Dollar Winning Ticket Sold in York County
(York County, PA) -- Someone in York County is kicking off 2021 as a millionaire. The Pennsylvania Lottery announced Monday that a one-million-dollar ticket was sold at the Rutter's located at 1520 Pennsylvania Avenue in York. The winning ticket was one of four top-winning prizes from Saturday's drawing. The millionaire winner has about one year to claim their prize, but is being asked to schedule an appointment at a local lottery office to claim the winnings.
>>Woman Killed After Being Struck by Vehicle in York County
(West Manchester Township, PA) -- West Manchester Township Police are investigating the death of a woman who was struck by a vehicle. The accident happened Monday evening in the 300 block of South Richard Avenue in York. Police say the 55-year-old woman was standing on the side of the roadway when she was struck and killed by a passing vehicle. Anyone with any information on the accident is being asked to contact the West Manchester Township Police Department.
>>PSP Investigating Armed Robbery In Lebanon County
(East Hanover Twp., PA) -- State police are looking for two men they believe are behind an armed robbery at a Lebanon County gas station. The two entered Kreiser Fuel Service on the 100-block of Racehorse Drive in East Hanover Township Christmas Eve and made off with around $150 and three cartons of cigarettes. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact state police.
>>Humane Society Police Officer On The Job In York County
(York, PA) -- There is a new humane society police officer on the job in York County. Otto Cruz officially was given the designation yesterday, despite already responding to crimes against animals. Cruz says his role is important because police are typically tied up with human issues.
>>Penn State Postpones Second Straight Basketball Game
(State College, PA) -- Penn State’s basketball game scheduled for tonight against Ohio State is being postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Nittany Lions program. While there hasn’t been clear word out of Happy Valley as to the severity to the spread, a guard for Wisconsin said yesterday that he was told multiple PSU players had positive coronavirus tests after the Christmas break. Penn State’s game with the Badgers was postponed on Sunday.
>>Reading Royals To Launch Campaign To Support Local Businesses
(Reading, PA) -- The Reading Royals are going to be giving fans a special gift this season, and it will benefit local businesses. The Royals front office announced the launch of a new program yesterday called Royals-20-for-20 Small Business Stimulus. The front office is partnering with four sponsors to buy one-thousand-dollar gift cards from 20 different local businesses to give out to fans this upcoming season.
>>Lancaster County Reports More COVID-19 Cases
(Lancaster County, PA) -- COVID-19 cases in Lancaster County are increasing after a slight decline Monday. The county reported more than 400 new positive cases yesterday. The total number of coronavirus cases in the county has now surpassed 29-thousand since the beginning of the pandemic. Four more people have also passed away due to complications of the virus.
>>Four Homes Damaged In Berks County Fire
(Berks County, PA) -- Officials are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged four homes in Bally. The fire occurred last night on the one-hundred-block of North 4th Street. Firefighters say it took about an hour to extinguish the flames, but no injuries were reported. They also say it seems like the blaze started in an attached garage and spread to the four neighboring houses.
>>Albright College Receiving Grants To Battle Sexual Assault
(Reading, PA) -- Albright College is getting help from the Wolf administration to fight sexual assault on its Reading campus. The college accepted almost 30-thousand-dollars in grant funding yesterday as a part of Governor Wolf's "It's On Us PA" campaign. The money will be used to improve prevention and response systems to sexual violence at the college, as well as supporting strategies made by educational leaders to battle sexual assault. Albright is one of about 37 colleges statewide to receive the funding.
>>One-Hundred-Thousand-Dollar Donation Going To Epler School House
(Berks County, PA) -- A symbolic building representing Berks County history is going to get some help this year. A donation of one-hundred-thousand-dollars was redirected to the Epler Schoolhouse yesterday. The donation was given by George Sproessor in honor of his late wife who was a school teacher at Conrad Weiser. Officials from Friends of Epler Schoolhouse say the money will be used to improve and remodel the 174-year-old house. The Epler Schoolhouse was in danger of being demolished just a year prior to the donation.
>>Baby Dies From Injuries Sustained On New Year's Day
(Allentown, PA) -- A one-year-old is dead after succumbing to his injuries from a crash on New Year's Day that killed his 22-year-old mother. He was pronounced dead on Monday. Police say the crash happened around 2:30 a.m. last Friday in the 12-hundred-block of South Eighth Street in Allentown. Two other people involved in the crash survived and were treated for their injuries, but the baby boy and his mother died from blunt force trauma while their deaths are being ruled as accidental. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
>>Bloomsburg Fairgrounds To Become COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Site
(Bloomsburg, PA) -- Columbia County officials are planning to make the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds a COVID-19 vaccine distribution site once more doses are available. Officials say their reasoning for this site is because most people from the county and surrounding counties are familiar with the area to know where the fairgrounds was. Also, the fairgrounds has already been used for mass testing before.
>>Williamsport's Shop-Vac Has New Buyer
(Williamsport, PA) -- After shutting down in September and leaving around four-hundred people without a job, Shop-Vac is announcing they have a new buyer. The company abruptly shut-down with little warning to employees back in September after a sale of the company fell through, but industrial manufacturer GreatStar is taking over. GreatStar President and CEO Gary Duboff says they plan to re-hire laid-off employees and are going to be bigger and better than ever before. However, he emphasized patience as they are starting over and re-hiring people may take a little time.