>>More Free COVID Tests Available to Pennsylvania Households
(Harrisburg, PA) -- Pennsylvania households can now order eight more free at-home coronavirus tests. The White House approved the move on Tuesday, hoping to give residents across the country a better supply of rapid tests ahead of possible summer and fall surges. The Centers for Disease Control said as of Tuesday, Pennsylvania is one of the states in the Northeast that has reached high community levels of transmission. The tests are available at covid dot gov slash tests.
>>Autopsy Set for Woman's Body Found in York
(Allentown, PA) -- An autopsy is set for Thursday morning in Allentown for the body of a woman found late Tuesday in York. Around midnight, York City Police were dispatched to the first block of State Street. When officers arrived, they found a 32-year-old woman dead inside a home. Police Lt. Daniel Lentz tells "The York Dispatch" he believes foul play was involved. The woman's name has not been released yet.
>>Recount May be Needed in GOP U.S. Senate Election in PA
(Harrisburg, PA) -- State election officials say if vote totals stay as close as they are between Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick, a recount would be required by state law. Throughout Wednesday, Oz's lead over McCormick in the in GOP U.S. Senate election fluctuated between a thousand and 2,000 votes, a razor-thin lead of only one-tenth and two-tenths of one percent. Under Pennsylvania law, a recount is automatically triggered if the difference between candidates falls within five-tenths of one percent of the total vote. Secretary of State Leigh Chapman will have to order such action if it becomes necessary. For this race, the count would be scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 1st.
>>Lt. Governor Tells General Assembly He's Good to Resume Duties
(Harrisburg, PA) -- Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman will soon resume his job duties after acquiring a pacemaker Tuesday. Tuesday was also the day he won the democratic party's primary election as a candidate for U.S. Senate. Under state law, Senate Chair Pro Tempore Jake Corman had temporarily assumed the role of Vice Governor since last Friday, when Fetterman suffered a stroke. Corman had been authorized to serve as lieutenant governor until May 23rd .
>>Longtime State Lawmakers From York Lose In Primary Elections
(York, PA) -- Longtime incumbent republican state Representatives Stan Saylor and Keith Gillespie will be coming home at the end of their current terms. State election results show both lost their primary races on Tuesday by at least 40 percent of the vote. Saylor, who has been in the General Assembly since 1992, lost to challenger Wendy Fink in the 94th Legislative District. Saylor is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. In the 47th District, Gillespie lost to Joe D'Orsie. He is currently serving his 10th term.
>>Smith-Wade-El Defeats Councilmember in Primary Voting
(Lancaster, PA) -- If he wins in November, Izzy Smith-Wade-El would become the first Black state representative from Lancaster ever to gain a seat in the State House. The Lancaster city council president defeated fellow councilor Janet Diaz in the Democratic primary on Tuesday. He won the vote with nearly 70% to represent the 49th Legislative District. If the margin holds, he'll face Republican Anne Rivers from Lancaster Township. She was uncontested in the GOP primary.
>>Another Manual Ballot County is Taking Place in Lancaster County
(Lancaster County, PA) -- Election officials say this year's primary recount of ballots in Lancaster County is not as bad as last year's. May 2022's manual mail-in ballot count has been necessary because of a printing error that made many ballots unreadable by high-speed scanners. The same kind of problem arose in May of last year, too. County Election Board Chair Ray D'Agostino said Wednesday that the counting is smoother this time because more people are working on the hand-transfers and this year's ballots were only half as long. Representatives from the Republican and Democratic parties are observing the process.
>>Bridge Tolling Plan on Hold
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A judge has ordered a temporary halt to Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to toll as many as nine bridges on interstates in Pennsylvania. Commonwealth Court Judge Ellen Ceisler sided Wednesday with Cumberland County and a handful of municipalities that are challenging the process as both illegal and unconstitutional. Under the order, the state Department of Transportation must stop all studies, right-of-way acquisitions, construction or work under any contracts, and put off any planned hearings, meetings or spending. The lawsuit had been filed by Cumberland County and seven municipalities. PennDOT could appeal the preliminary injunction to the state Supreme Court.
>>Burglar Steals Cash and Thin Mint Cookies
(Paradise Township, PA) -- A Lancaster County business has been robbed of about $200 in cash and five boxes of Girls Scout Cookies. Pennsylvania State Police say the break-in happened at the Allan Myers Paradise Quarry in Paradise Township. Someone broke a door to gain entry to the office and the cookies, which were the Thin Mint kind. The damage to the office was also estimated to be about $200.
>>New Outfield Design Offered at Citizens Park Bank Field
(Philadelphia, PA) -- You'll likely see a new ballfield design next time you go to a Phillies game. Team managers say after asking fans to choose a design, Citizens Bank Park's outfield now has a Liberty Bell mowed into it. The Liberty Bell replaces the team's "P" in near the wall at centerfield. More than six-thousand fans reportedly voted for the design on social media.
>>Second Man Wanted In Fatal Shopping Center Shooting Turns Himself In
(Allentown, PA) -- A Harrisburg man charged in a fatal shopping center shooting last year has been arraigned in a Northampton County court. District Attorney Terry Houck says Kevin Littles, who was the second suspect in the shooting, turned himself in to Colonial Regional Police Wednesday. He and Jakiye Taylor were wanted in connection with the August 2021 shooting that killed a man and injured another. Police say it stemmed from a drug deal gone bad. Taylor is in jail after he was arrested and arraigned earlier this month.
>>Commemoration Set for Sunday for Sandts Eddy Quarry Tragedy
(Martins Creek, PA) - A ceremony will take place Sunday to honor the memory of 31 men who killed in a quarry explosion 80 years ago. The deaths of the workers at the Sandts Eddy Quarry of the Lehigh Portland Cement Company devastated the tight-knit community because many of the workers were related. Historians say the explosion came without warning as 20 tons of TNT blew up. The ceremony now highlights worker safety issues and is held at the Workers Memorial in Lower Mount Bethel.
>>Five Shot Near Temple
(Philadelphia, PA) -- City Police are busy this morning investigating a quintuple shooting that unfolded near Temple University. Authorities say that shots rang out around 7:30 last evening along North Bouvier Street. Three-people suffered critical injuries while a pair of women were hospitalized in stable condition. Police tracked down two-people that were seen running from the scene but it's unclear if either of them was responsible. Anyone with information should call the police.