>>Lawmakers Raise Proposals for Election Security
(Harrisburg, PA) -- Three bills are winding their way through the Legislature that supporters say would improve the security of election ballots. The measures would also remove deceased residents from voter rolls. The House State Government Committee met Monday to advance all three of them past first consideration. The bills will need to get through three more rounds before a final vote can be held.
>> City Now Debt Free
(Harrisburg, PA) -- The City of Harrisburg has taken the final steps to be debt-free. Mayor Wanda Williams says the city on Friday made the last of its scheduled payments to get out of a $125 million debt, with interest, that had accrued over the last 25 years. She says money spent previously on paying off debt bonds through the years will now go toward city services that will improve the quality of life for all residents.
>>Seven New Police Officers Sworn In
(Harrisburg, PA) -- Seven men are now the newest members of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. They were sworn in to office last week in a ceremony at the Whitaker Center. All seven have started full-training mode for a six-month program that will test them physically and mentally. Police Commissioner Thomas Carter called the recruits the "best of the best," as he says they were chosen following a rigorous selection process.
>> Restaurant Week in Full Swing
(Harrisburg, PA) -- This week and next are your chances to sample a lot of new foods at different restaurants in Harrisburg. The city's restaurant week has returned for the first time since the pandemic. Over 22 eateries across the area are offering specials. The two-week event, hosted by the Downtown Improvement District, runs through Friday and starts again on the 19th through the 23rd.
>>Police Investigate "Probable" Stabbing Homicide In York County
(Harrisburg, PA) -- A man has been injured and a woman was found stabbed to death in Springettsbury Township, York County. Police Chief Todd King says officers found the couple Tuesday afternoon when they went to the home in the 3600 block of Harrowgate Road. They were responding to a welfare check for a husband and wife who weren't answering the door. The coroner's office says the incident is being investigated as a probable homicide.
>>One Town Courts ATV Users Against New State Law
(Harrisburg, PA) -- A new state law is now in effect prohibiting off-road vehicles on city streets, but one town is welcoming them. The Minersville Borough Council voted unanimously Tuesday to make it legal to ride ATVs and dirt bikes on borough streets. Council members say the hope is to bring more people downtown from the nearby trails and the Famous Reading Outdoors ATV Park. One borough leader says permits could provide almost $200,000 a year in revenue for the town.
>>Firefighters to Use Grant Money
(Upper Dauphin County, PA) -- The Halifax Fire Department says it'll use nearly $600,000 in new funds from the state to buy hoses. They'll be used in conjunction with the department's brush-fire truck. Officials with the all-volunteer, rural fire department received the money from the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
>>State Health Officials Offer Free Potassium Iodide Tablets Thursday
(Harrisburg, PA) -- Pennsylvania health officials are offering free potassium iodide tablets later this week to residents who live within ten miles of any of the state's four active nuclear power plants. Potassium tablets reportedly help protect the body's thyroid gland against radioactive iodine following a radiation release. The distribution will begin Thursday September 15th. For more information you can go to the state health department's website.
>Comedian Kevin Hart Comes to Hershey for October Show
(Hershey, PA) -- Comedian Kevin Hart has set a show for next month in Hershey. Promoters have announced that the Giant Center will be a stop on his "Reality Check" tour Saturday, October 8th. The Philadelphia native's show will be preceded by one at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on October 7th.
>>Council Delays Action on Mayor's Raise
(Reading, PA) -- Discussion on a proposed raise for the Reading mayor has been tabled by the city council. The salary amount would be raised to $99,000 beginning in 2024. On Monday, one council member called the amount "obscene," given the city's median household income is just under $36,000. The mayor's pay hasn't been adjusted in over ten years because of Reading's participation in Act 47 for distressed cities, from which the city emerged earlier this year.
>>Chick-fil-A Rejected for Manheim
(Manheim PA) -- Manheim Township Commissioners have said "no" to developers who want to construct a Chick-fil-A restaurant. The commissioners said the proposed location at the former Hoss's Steak and Sea House on Lititz Pike did not meet the infrastructure needs due to traffic concerns. The eatery would have been the Atlanta-based chain's largest location in Pennsylvania and the first to have a three drive-thru lane setup.
>>U.S. Attorney Convicts Local Man for Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering
(Lancaster, PA) -- A 48-year-old man from Lancaster has been convicted of drug trafficking, money laundering and related charges. The U.S. Attorney's office says Dwayne Sherman was found guilty Monday of delivering over a half-a-million-dollars in cash to an informant working with the FBI over a three-month period. Sherman also transported money and drugs to San Diego before smuggling them into Tijuana, Mexico over that same time frame. He could get up to 40 years in prison when sentenced.
>>Steam Locomotive Returns to Lancaster County
(Lancaster Co., PA) -- The Norfolk & Western 611 steam locomotive is returning to Strasburg this fall. Promoters say the 72-year-old steam locomotive will be on display between Friday, September 30th and Sunday, November 13th. The Strasburg Railroad will host the 611 for rides and visits. The upkeep of the locomotive stems from a partnership with the Virginia Museum of Transportation. The train made its first trip to Lancaster County three years ago.
>>Man Charged With Abuse In Spanking Child Too Harshly
(Selinsgrove , PA) -- A 36-year-old Selinsgrove man has been charged with assault and child endangerment for reportedly spanking a toddler too hard. Middleburg Police say Matthew Heimbach was caring for the three-year-old child in August when the alleged abuse happened. The child's mother showed police pictures of bruises and red welts on the child's bottom and an investigation soon followed. A physician later confirmed that the child's injuries met the criteria for abuse.
>>Wegmans To Eliminate Plastic Bags Starting Next Week
(Williamsport, PA) -- After next week, you won't be able to use plastic bags at Wegman's. The grocery chain announced it'll start the no-plastics policy nationwide on Thursday, September 22nd. Paper grocery bags will continue to be available for a five-cent charge per bag. Company officials say the amount collected from the paper-bag charge will be donated to each store's local United Way.