News Digest :: December 29, 2019

Legislature

Editorail: Time to deliver promised relief

https://www.standardspeaker.com/opinion/time-to-deliver-promised-relief-1.2576868

Administration

Wolf reviews 2019: Progress on voting, criminal justice, education, more

https://www.timesleader.com/news/767363/wolf-reviews-2019-progress-on-voting-criminal-justice-education-more

State

Ugly ‘Frankenfish’ is spreading, threatening Pennsylvania game fish

https://lancasteronline.com/sports/outdoors/ugly-frankenfish-is-spreading-threatening-pennsylvania-game-fish/article_f7c6789c-2674-11ea-9736-93b090e24de8.html

Jeep Cherokee watching: Pa. to start automated speed enforcement in work zones

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2019/12/28/PennDOT-Pennsylvania-Turnpike-automated-speed-enforcement-work-zone-safety-tickets-by-mail/stories/201912250012

Business

Once a booming industry, natural gas is in midst of a bust

https://observer-reporter.com/business/once-a-booming-industry-natural-gas-is-in-midst-of/article_a8b20942-1db4-11ea-8e6e-6363bb7d3371.html

New report shows gender pay gap won’t close any time soon

https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/new-report-shows-gender-pay-gap-wont-close-any-time-soon/

Economic developments come to Luzerne County in 2019

https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/economic-developments-come-to-luzerne-county-in-2019-1.2576731

Crime/Punishment

Hundreds of accused clergy left off church’s sex abuse lists

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2019/12/hundreds-of-accused-clergy-left-off-churchs-sex-abuse-lists.html

Education

GoFundMe page nears goal to pay off central Pa. students’ lunch debt

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/12/gofundme-page-nears-goal-to-pay-off-central-pa-schools-lunch-debt.html

Class actions against Glen Mills move forward in federal court

https://www.delcotimes.com/news/class-actions-against-glen-mills-move-forward-in-federal-court/article_25b6390a-2688-11ea-8c84-ef8f8521db38.html

Relief, hope from ex-employees after Easton charter school shakeup

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2019/12/relief-hope-from-ex-employees-after-easton-charter-school-shakeup.html

Proposed charter schools make case to PMSD

https://www.poconorecord.com/news/20191228/proposed-charter-schools-make-case-to-pmsd

Transportation

New paving material could prevent Pennsylvania’s pothole problems

https://www.readingeagle.com/drive/new-paving-material-could-prevent-pennsylvania-s-pothole-problems/article_e46db856-2803-11ea-8790-4bcbdc856996.html

PA Turnpike tolls go up 6% in 2020, but smaller increases expected beginning in 2023

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2019/12/29/Pennsylvania-Turnpike-toll-increase-6-transit-funding-lower-increase-2023/stories/201912190185

Elections/Politics

Stories of the Year: Democrats win control of Delco in historic rout

https://www.delcotimes.com/news/stories-of-the-year-democrats-win-control-of-delco-in/article_120b9ad6-29bb-11ea-80b8-f31003f36ec1.html

Pittsburgh

Census bureau raises hourly pay to attract applicants in Pittsburgh area

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2019/12/29/Census-bureau-raises-pay-attract-applicants-Pittsburgh-area-pennsylvania/stories/201912260118

Efforts underway to preserve and reuse former Carnegie Library in Hazelwood

https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/efforts-underway-to-preserve-and-reuse-former-carnegie-library-in-hazelwood/

Port Authority to take its issues to the public in 2020

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2019/12/29/Port-Authority-public-meetings-bus-downtown-pittsburgh-oakland-long-range-plan-fares/stories/201912170174

Local

Sinkholes in Reading neighborhood trigger growing safety concerns

https://www.readingeagle.com/news/local/sinkholes-in-reading-neighborhood-trigger-growing-safety-concerns/article_d0425b0e-28f6-11ea-bad4-dfa5586b2cac.html

Central Pa. regional police department serves new town

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/12/central-pa-regional-police-department-serves-new-town.html

Renovating Vandergrift’s vacant J.C. Penney building takes step forward

https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/renovating-vandergrifts-vacant-j-c-penney-building-takes-step-forward/

Belle Voci singers in Aspinwall among new groups getting RAD tax money in 2020

https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/belle-voci-singers-in-aspinwall-among-new-groups-getting-rad-tax-money-in-2020/

Boy’s lead poisoning pushes grandmother to assert tenant rights

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2019/12/29/Boy-lead-poisoning-grandmother-Wilkinsburg-landlord-tenant-allegheny-health/stories/201912170177

Opioid epidemic gives rise to a new drug of choice in Scranton: Meth

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/opioid-epidemic-gives-rise-to-a-new-drug-of-choice-in-scranton-meth-1.2576842

Breaking Bread With Amish, Refugee Families

https://hosted.ap.org/thetimes-tribune/article/d4827571985e4b4a97d477f3500cd2b4/breaking-bread-amish-refugee-families