Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is being treated for clinical depression. A statement from the Democrat's chief of staff says he's at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland receiving inpatient care. The statement says Fetterman has dealt with depression throughout his life, but it "became severe in recent weeks." On Twitter, Fetterman's Pennsylvania colleague Bob Casey praised him for "getting the help he needs" and going public about it.
Right now, there are 101 people on Pennsylvania's death row. Gov. Josh Shapiro says none of them will be executed while he's in office. "I will not sign any execution warrants during my time as governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Shapiro said to applause in Philadelphia Thursday. Shapiro is calling on state lawmakers to abolish the death penalty entirely in the commonwealth. While running for attorney general in 2016, Shapiro said he supported the death penalty for the most heinous crimes, but last year in his run for governor, he said he was morally opposed to the death penalty and now says Pennsylvania should not be in the business of putting people to death.
Allentown’s Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center is losing another co-founder. Liz Bradbury, a cofounder of the center who also worked for eight years as the director of the center’s training institute, is leaving to pursue other projects. Bradbury is leaving less than a year after the center’s founder and executive director, Adrian Shanker, also resigned.
It looks like there's a new roller coaster coming to Dorney Park. In a 6-0 vote Thursday night, the South Whitehall Township Planning Commission granted approval for the new 162-foot-tall ride. The attraction will be located next to the "Possessed" ride, on the site of the former Stinger roller coaster, which was removed in 2017. Dorney Park is remaining tight-lipped about the new ride, but 'does' say it will be a steel roller coaster that will utilize what it calls cutting-edge sound mitigation techniques.
Police in Easton are investigating a Thursday night shooting on the city's southside. Easton police were called to the hospital just before 7 o'clock Thursday night after a 36-year-old man arrived there with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Their investigation led them to Wirebach Street near Valley Street, where the shooting occurred. Police said they found ballistic evidence at the scene. Police discovered Four males had run from the location, entered a dark-colored vehicle and drove north on Valley Street.
The National Park Service is still looking for lifeguards to man the beaches at Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area as its just months away from being packed with summer visitors. The NPS is hiring lifeguards for three beaches including Smithfield Beach, which didn't have a lifeguard on staff last summer. Pay starts at about $17 an hour. You can find more information on how to apply by going to www.USAjobs.gov.
While brick-and-mortar shopping seems to be fading and more and more stores are closing, Boscov's is going in the different direction. CEO Jim Boscov has announced the 50th Boscov's will open this fall in West Virginia and he says the company isn't finishing there. "Our plan has been to add a department store every year," Boscov says. The new Boscov's will become West Virginia's largest department store. West Virginia is the ninth state state with a Boscov's.
State Republican Minority Leader Bryan Cutler of Lancaster County says partisan gridlock in Harrisburg might remain for a while even after lawmakers reconvene next week. At a media event Wednesday, Cutler says even with the Democrats' razor-thin majority, they may not be able to solve the impasse that has so far prevented lawmakers from even adopting operating rules for the 2023-24 session. Few bills are usually voted on by the full House early in a legislative session, but even preliminary work has been frozen because operating rules also determine the partisan makeup of committees.
Super Bowl 57 was very popular for Pennsylvania gamblers. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says the $84.3 million wagered on the Chiefs/Eagles game set a record and was $16 million more than last year's Rams/Bengals game. Nearly $74 million of this year's bets were placed online, while the other $10 million was bet in person. After payouts, revenue is expected to be just below $30 million, more than $25 million more than one year ago.
The defending National League champions welcomed pitchers and catchers for their first Spring Training workout Thursday. Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler says he wants to return to the World Series, but says that's a long process. "I want to get back there, but it's a long season. You want to get off strong and started on the right foot," Wheeler says. The first full-squad workout is Tuesday.
The Phillies have signed right-handed reliever Seranthony Domínguez to a two-year contract extension with a club option for 2025. The 28-year-old made a career-high 54 appearances in 2022, posting a 3.00 ERA with nine saves, a 1.14 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 51 innings, while holding opponents to a .197 batting average. A native of the Dominican Republic, he is 11-10 with 25 saves, a 3.14 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 134 2/3 innings over 135 appearances since beginning his career with the Phillies in 2018. With Domínguez’s extension, the Phillies have now agreed to terms with all arbitration-eligible players for the 2023 season.
Former Phillies catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim McCarver is dead at the age of 81. McCarver was a two-time MLB All-Star and retired from the game in 1980. He would go on to serve as the lead analyst for 23 World Series broadcasts and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 2012. McCarver played 628 games for the Phillies.