>>Measure Planned to Divest State of Any Russian Financial Assets
(Harrisburg, PA) -- One member of the state House wants to introduce new legislation that would separate any interests the commonwealth might have in Russia. Pennsylvania House Republican Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff says he plans to start proceedings on a measure to divest any Russian financial assets in which the state may be invested. According to a co-sponsorship memo released Monday, Benninghoff's legislation would divest the Commonwealth's holdings in the state treasury and pension funds from any that are connected to the Russian government and its critical supporters.
>>United Parcel Service Expansion Expected to Create Thousands Of Pennsylvania Jobs
(Middletown, PA) -- Governor Tom Wolf is highlighting continued economic growth through a new United Parcel Service hub expansion. He says the UPS Northeast Regional Hub in Middletown will create thousands of jobs throughout the state. The regional hub is one of four locations in Pennsylvania that will receive a combined investment of nearly nine-million-dollars in state incentives to expand. Wolf's press event Thursday came about two years after UPS first announced plans to expand and establish an 800-thousand square-foot "super hub" in Lower Swatara Township. UPS spokesperson Kim Krebs told PennLive at the time the location was chosen because of proximity to major highways and easy accessibility to the northeastern United States.
>>Police ID Victim Who Died Last Week Following South Annville Shooting
(South Annville Township, PA) -- Local police say they've identified the victim in a recent fatal shooting in Lebanon County. According to a South Annville Township Police spokesperson, Corey Heft was shot twice on Wednesday, February 16th, after two masked suspects entered his home on 3rd Avenue in Palm City. He died at a local hospital last week. Police say the suspects fled the scene in a black SUV. An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
>>State DOT Argues For Adding Tolls To Several Bridges
(Harrisburg, PA) -- The state Department of Transportation is arguing in favor of a new program for adding tolls to several bridges to fund bridge and road upgrades. The plan, as talked about recently in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing would add user fees to nine bridges across Pennsylvania, but not all of them. Secretary of Transportation Yassmin Gramian says the bridges are called 'candidate bridges' because PennDOT is still waiting for environmental approval and expects all bridges to be approved by mid-August 2022 The proposal includes tolls for the Interstate I-81 Bridge over the Susquehanna River.
>>York Central Booking May Be Moved From Courthouse To Prison
(Harrisburg, PA) -- York County Commissioners are considering moving their Central Booking Department from the courthouse to the prison. Upgrades would cost more than three-million-dollars but officials say it could streamline the intake process for the county's police departments. A vote on the matter could happen in the next several weeks, but any final move probably would not take place until the end of next year.
>>State Children At Risk Of Losing Medicaid Coverage
(Harrisburg, PA) -- A new report released by the Georgetown Center for Children and Families says many children in Pennsylvania are at risk of losing Medicaid Coverage that was extended during the pandemic. Laura Stephany, health policy manager for Allies for Children, said when the public health emergency ends, it will put many state kids at risk of losing insurance due to procedural policies such as the state not having an up-to-date address. The public health emergency is set to expire April 15 but could be extended past July. Since the start of the pandemic, some 192-thousand additional Pennsylvania children have enrolled in Medicaid coverage.
>>Ammunition, Police Vest Stolen In State Police Cruiser Break-In
(Hanover Township, PA) -- Pennsylvania State Police are searching for a suspect or suspects that smashed the window of a marked state police vehicle and stole several items. Troopers say the vehicle was parked on S. Regent Street in Hanover Township on Saturday, where the passenger-side window was broken into around 4:14 a.m. The suspect stole a black police duty bag with various police-related equipment inside. They also stole a black police bag with rifle ammunition in it and a police ballistic vest.
>>No Relief For Midstate Gas Prices
(Harrisburg, PA) -- The average gas price in Harrisburg has risen again, averaging $3.74 per gallon. That's according to GasBuddy's most recent survey of nearly 250 stations. The national average also rose and is averaging at $3.59. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has rocked the oil market, with crude spiking briefly to over 100-dollars per barrel before settling back into the 90-dollar range. The increase in the global price of oil has led to higher prices at the pump in the U.S.
>>Proposal Would Use Federal Money To Fund School Choice During Pandemic
(Harrisburg, PA) -- A Republican state senator from Lititz wants to use federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act to expand school choice options during the pandemic. State Senator Ryan Aument has introduced Senate Bill 1015 to create education savings accounts or ESAs. He says families could use them to offset education costs for alternatives to public schools and they would be funded through the state's share of federal COVID relief money. Aument has pointed out that many students do not perform well through remote learning, and he believes there's a broader impact on society when kids are kept home from school.
>>State Senator from Berks Questions Department of Revenue Officials
(Harrisburg, PA) -- Pennsylvania state senators have gotten to question officials from the Department of Revenue on numerous topics in an Appropriations Committee hearing. The questions posed Tuesday ranged from projections in Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed budget to lottery sales, staffing, and other budget issues. Republican Senator David Argall from Berks noted a $13 billion difference between IFO and Revenue Department five-year projections that could require a nearly three percent income tax increase. He said it appears that if that wouldn't happen, the state's six percent sales tax could be doubled to make up the difference.
>>Reading City Councilors Introduce Ordinance to Limit Parking Meter Hours of Enforcement
(Reading, PA) -- The Reading City Council is trying to find ways to grant some leeway to drivers who park at meters in the city. Currently, there are no time limits on parking enforcement from Mondays through Saturdays. A new ordinance was introduced Monday night to limit the hours of parking meter enforcement zones to Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. The ordinance would also exempt Saturdays from enforcement along with the current exemptions of Sundays and holidays.
>>City Councilors OK Funding To Complete Work On New Fire Station
(Reading, PA) -- Members of the Reading City Council have approved additional funding to complete work on a new fire station being built at North Ninth and Marion streets. They authorized the appropriation of $4 million from the city's construction fund as well as $5 million from American Rescue Plan funds to complete the construction. The total cost of the project, which is set to be finished late this year, is nearly $10.5 million.
>>PA Fish And Boat Commission Wants To Crack Down On Nighttime Bowfishing Problems
(Lancaster County, PA) -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission wants to crack down on problems caused by nighttime bowfishing, which has become very popular on the lower Susquehanna River. Colonel Clyde Warner, director of the agency's Bureau of Law Enforcement, says the biggest complaint is the number of houses being lit up from this activity and excessive noise from the generators that power the special lights. At their annual winter meeting last month, the Fish and Boat Commission members gave preliminary approval to three new rules aimed at bowfishing including two that would deal with the lighting and noise problems. The proposals also would make bowfishing, spearing and gigging illegal on all special regulation trout waters.
>>Fourth Arrest Made in Case of Abuse, Starving and Death of Snyder Sisters
(Lycoming County, PA) -- A fourth arrest has been made in connection to the deaths of two girls found buried on a property in Lycoming County in November. The bodies of Jasmine Snyder and Nicole Snyder were found after their mother and another woman, Echo Butler, allegedly abused them and starved them to death. According to police, Ronald Butler was arrested Monday morning at 653 Livermore Road. He is the father of Echo Butler, who lived there with Marie Snyder and the Snyder children. Police allege while Marie Snyder and Echo Butler were attempting to flee, their car broke down and they called Ronald Butler to help, which he did. Police confirmed this through data extraction from cell phones.
>>Harrisburg University Of Science & Technology Lecture Focuses On Cryptocurrency Technology
(Harrisburg, PA) -- If you've ever wondered what the Bitcoin craze is all about, you can find out more information at a virtual conference Wednesday at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Their free lecture series starts at 10 a.m. and runs through noon. The first part will focus on regulating cryptocurrency as well as cyber threats. The second will be about "Investing in Crypto" and "Global Financial Inclusion Using Central Bank Digital Currency."