PA Headlines | May 27 | Jobs figures reach record highs in several Pa. Industries, as unemployment holds steady.

PA Headlines | June 3 | House lawmakers pass bill to ban cellphones in school.

A measure to keep cellphones out of schools throughout the day has passed the state House. The bill had supporters AND foes in both parties. Stacy Garrity – the Republican candidate for governor – reiterated her call for a pause on data center development in Northeastern Pennsylvania Monday. Almost every part of modern life requires reliable internet, but access remains uneven in many rural areas across Pennsylvania. An expert appeared on a recent edition of The Spark to explain how funding will soon help many communities catch up on broadband access.  Click here to hear the full conversation on broadband from WITF’s The Spark  [https://www.witf.org/2026/05/29/the-challenge-of-expanding-broadband-access-in-rural-pennsylvania/] Monday marked the 5th annual Pennsylvania Native Species Day, designed to highlight the thousands of plants and insects indigenous to the state, and the threat posed by invasive species like the spotted lanternfly. A former industrial site in Carlisle is receiving state funding for remediation. The former Frog, Switch and Manufacturing Company along High Street once supplied railway components and manganese steel casting for mining. Higher electricity rates took effect across Pennsylvania on Monday. In Harrisburg, state lawmakers took a closer look at the issue, as experts testified before the House Energy committee. In uncertain times, our community counts on facts, not noise. Support the journalism and programming that keep you informed. Donate now at www.witf.org/givenow. [https://www.witf.org/givenow] And thank you.

PA Headlines | June 2 | Hershey’s Chocolate World celebrates America250.

Chocolate World in Hershey is celebrating America’s 250-year anniversary with a fresh look on its free ride. The Hershey Company is looking back and celebrating its history, too.  It’s now June - and for many people, the summer months mean trips to the beach. A new "state of the shore" report finds the New Jersey coastline is healthy and in good shape.   Pennsylvania's flags are flying at half-staff, after an order by Governor Josh Shapiro over the weekend, in honor of a Berks County police officer who died in the line of duty. Officer Kristen Yeager of the Central Berks Regional Police department died Friday night while responding to a call. Grief counselors are available to Harrisburg school students, after two students lost their lives late last week.  Controversial data center projects have cropped up all around the state, and some state House members say local communities should have more power to determine if the centers come to their town.   The state Agriculture Department is awarding nine grants totaling $1.3 million, to boost sales, promotion, and quality of craft beers in the state.

PA Headlines | June 1 | Gov. Shapiro’s proposed benchmarks for data center developers receive mixed reviews.

Governor Josh Shapiro is pitching details of his plan for managing data center growth,  months after broadly sketching out a strategy in his budget address. Shapiro, who is running for reelection, is calling on state lawmakers to work with his administration to make his proposal into law. It includes a series of benchmarks data center owners would need to meet in order to get tax benefits from the commonwealth.   And a deep dive: Staying with the topic of development – but with a twist...Think about the shingles on your home - are they made of asphalt? Aluminum? Wood? Imagine if those shingles were made of food waste - pineapple peels, egg shells, and shrimp shells. A group of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are designing building materials that could be healthier for us and the planet.

PA Headlines | May 29 | Blue crab populations rebound in the bay – and the Susquehanna is one reason why.

Blue crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay are rebounding from a near-record low.  Environmental protection efforts in Pennsylvania are helping keep the water clean downstream. Western PA Congresspersons Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio say mine operators must do more to help communities dig out of problems left behind when mines close. A federal judge is denying bail for a York County man, citing a history of online threats and alleged illegal gun possession. The criminal case gives insight into how the federal government monitors and prosecutes people connected to certain neo-Nazi groups. The developer of an ICE warehouse in Berks County is paying more than $82,000 dollars to resolve deficiencies. Five fatal crashes happened over the Memorial Day holiday weekend - and two involved intoxicated driving. Pennsylvania State Police report there were a total of 843 crashes over the four-day weekend. And now it’s time for our weekly segment called The Bright Spot. Every Friday, I’ll share a positive news story that may have gotten lost amid this week's news cycle.   Today’s bright spot is an update on our WITF Central PA Spelling Bee Champion.  Among the 247 spelling bee champions from across the country, competing this week at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, our WITF Central PA Spelling Bee Champion 11-year-old Vedika Burman of Central Dauphin Middle School, has finished in 79th place. (Click here for Vedika’s recent interview on The Morning Agenda.) [https://play.prx.org/listen?ge=prx_17319_5311495c-87bd-4ad0-bdb0-dc732817c574&uf=https%3A%2F%2Fpublicfeeds.net%2Ff%2F17319%2Ffeed-rss.xml]

PA Headlines | May 28 | Ten million trees, achieved.

The campaign to plant ten million trees across the state of Pennsylvania reached its goal Tuesday, with the ten millionth tree planted near Hershey. But environmental advocates say the benefits of the milestone will continue for years to come. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has signed a disaster declaration for Pennsylvania farmers. Its goal is to help those who lost crops during freezing weather in April. And now back to the subject of trees for a deeper dive.  The Trump administration is planning a drastic reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service, moving its headquarters and research facilities to western states. Here in Pennsylvania, four research stations are on the chopping block.