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Republican Stacy Garrity called out alleged abuse in the military

HARRISBURG — In May of 2003, Stacy Garrity was in Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserve when she had to make a difficult decision. Garrity was a 38-year-old major tasked with helping to process incoming and outgoing prisoners of war at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq, just a few months after the U.S. invasion had begun. A newly arrived detainee came through her line with a cracked nose and blood flowing down his face. She asked him through a translator what had happened, and was told that en route to the camp, U.S. soldiers had brutally kicked and stepped on him and other prisoners. After ...

Democrats saw relatively strong turnout for Pa.’s gubernatorial primary. What does that mean for November?

by Kate Huangpu and Jaxon White of Spotlight PA HARRISBURG — Turnout was much higher among Democrats than Republicans in this week’s uncontested primary elections for Pennsylvania governor, a strong sign for the party heading into the general election Still, political experts who spoke to Spotlight PA cautioned that information and enthusiasm were low because of the lack of competition in both primaries, that other factors play into higher Democratic participation, and that much can happen in that marquee race between now and the fall. More than 1.1 million Democrats cast ...

Knoebels president had to ‘pinky swear’ the famously affordable park will never charge admission

by Asha Prihar of Spotlight PA There’s no place like Knoebels. Nestled inside Northeast Pennsylvania's forested mountains, the pay-as-you-go amusement park boasts retro rides and games, award-winning food, and campgrounds — among many other amenities. Its affordable prices and throwback atmosphere have earned it a global and fiercely loyal following. Some rank it among the best amusement parks in the world. The park will have been in operation for 100 years on July 4, and has managed to remain consistent even as it’s grown into a full-on resort. Nine members of the family ...

Centre PACT awards grants to local youth nonprofits

STATE COLLEGE — Centre PACT, a youth philanthropy program through Centre Foundation, awarded more than $14,600 in grants this year to local nonprofit organizations supporting youth programs across Centre County. Centre PACT, which stands for Philanthropic Actions Created by Teens, allows high school students to identify community needs, review nonprofit proposals and distribute grant funding to organizations serving local youth. Since the program began in 2016, students have helped award more than $79,500 to community nonprofits. This year, students awarded a total of $14,621 to ...

Pa. unemployment rate holds steady

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2% in April, according to preliminary data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. The state’s unemployment rate remained below the national rate of 4.3%, which also was unchanged from March. Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force increased by 14,000 over the month to 6.607 million in April, while total nonfarm jobs rose by 10,700 to a record-high 6.198 million jobs. The largest monthly job gain occurred in professional and business services, which added 4,500 jobs. Education and ...

Parents and teachers eager for school cellphone ban

Introduced in October, Senate Bill 1014 awaits House approval for its statewide “bell-to-bell” ban on cell phones during school hours. For concerned parents and teachers, action can’t come soon enough. Public support for the bill is widespread and growing, with 74% of U.S. adults backing a ban on cellphones in middle and high school classrooms. It’s also bipartisan, with more than 70% of Republicans and Democrats in favor. However, this momentum does not ensure the bill will be passed in its entirety. Much like a previous cellphone ban bill proposed by former Republican ...