Charles Thompson

Jury convicts Harrisburg judge of trying to kill ex-boyfriend after breakup Suspended Harrisburg district judge Sonya McKnight shot her ex-boyfriend in the head, an out-of-county jury determined Wednesday.

JUST IN: Harrisburg-area District Justice Sonya McKnight found guilty of shooting her ex in the head. Story from
@jonpberg right here:
tinyurl.com/4skfkbmr

The damage done, nightmare New Cumberland cop-killing case ends with moments of grace Convicted cop-killer Seifullah Abdul-Salaam offered his first public apologies Friday for the line-of-duty shooting of New Cumberland Patrol Officer Willis Cole.

Closure? healing? That happens differently for each person. But there were some remarkable moments of grace in the sentencing of New Cumberland cop-killer Seifullah Abdul-Salaam. We try to explain here:
tinyurl.com/2j67w2f2

Marine Le Pen Barred From French Presidential Run After Embezzlement Ruling The sentence made the far-right leader ineligible for five years, excluding her from the 2027 election unless she can secure a more favorable outcome on appeal.

For my fellow Francophiles:
tinyurl.com/mrcw5dfn

Death penalty retrial reopens wounds in Cumberland County police officer’s 1994 killing 30 years after his conviction in Officer Willis Cole's death, defendant Seifullah Abdul-Salaam is getting a new sentencing hearing.

Hard to believe, but this 1994 death penalty case is coming back to life in county court this month:
tinyurl.com/fvasme5c

I've sampled it a fair amount over the last few years, and I can now say that the Music Choice "Reggae" channel is one of my life's great disappointments.

How and why did this central Pa. apartment fire grow so big? It's been described as one of the biggest fires Carlisle's seen in years and 40 people were displaced. Building codes, a slow report, and manpower concerns all contributed. But, there were no major in...

You notice these buildings are going up all over growing South Central Pa. in our quest for somewhat affordable housing.
This recent example shows fire protections work well in the living units, but if fires get outside that area, look out: tinyurl.com/3n49e9sc

Final say on Penn State campus closures might not involve the university’s governing board Penn State could close up to 12 of its 20 commonwealth campuses. It’s unclear what authority the Board of Trustees has in approving the university president’s plan.

Closures are tough, and you have to empathize with these communities.
But being realistic about it, enrollment at many of these
@penn_state satellites is really tiny... Students would have other options through @PASSHE schools and community colleges: tinyurl.com/2j3n9e8k

Injured nurse limped into bathroom, FaceTimed parents during UPMC shooting “Jesus and my wife sacrificed their life, you need to, too!," the gunman reportedly told the nurse during the ordeal at a York County hospital.

My colleague Jenna Wise with another harrowing account from the tragic events from UPMC Memorial in York.
Telling / sharing these stories helps us not normalize these situations, I feel:
tinyurl.com/2p9bznf4

Nurse was forced to ziptie coworkers, had gun to her head before fatal shooting at central Pa. hospital: husband Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz pushed the nurse to the floor, stood on her back and fired his gun until it ran out of ammunition, the husband said

tinyurl.com/r94jc5eu

2nd UPMC nurse hostage describes ‘wall of officers’ who saved her from gunman as bullets flew Tosha Trostle, of Hanover, got trapped under the gunman's body after the shootout with police. 'I remember his limp, cold hand.'

Survivors of Saturday's York, Pa. hospital shooting are coming forward with their stories. We don't always get such clear windows into these stories...
What a sad and terrifying ordeal for all:
tinyurl.com/md5ymw9x

Card skimmers are on the rise. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself Tapping to pay can be safer than swiping or inserting a card at a checkout register, according to these experts.

Some essential news you can use from @ZahriahBWrites on how to avoid 21st Century pick-pocketing.
tinyurl.com/575ws5z3

Cyber school funding formula ‘needs to change’ after audit findings: Pa. auditor general Pa. Auditor General Tiimothy DeFoor called for reforms to the state's cyber charter funding formula following an audit of five schools.

Divided government like that in Pa. has its benefits sometimes, but the perils are that sometimes the most fixable of problems never get fixed.
Here's one such situation, that is kind of an offense against all property taxpayers when you think about it:
tinyurl.com/yc5ecden

Inside Iron Mountain After a year's worth of planning, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency moved its data center from a building next to its Harrisburg headquarters to an underground storage facility in an...

Iron Mountain has been in the news a lot this week...
Long before it caught @ElonMusk's gaze, though, @JanMurphy took us on a tour of this one-of-a-kind place. Good time to revisit this one:
tinyurl.com/thcut4t5

Dauphin County swoops in to save popular summer concert series in Harrisburg The move comes after Harrisburg University seemingly canceled its annual slate of shows and laid off the organizing staff.

Looks like the Harrisburg University's concert series is officially dead. But, have no fear, live music lovers, a substitute is in the works at the very cool Riverfront Park venue:
tinyurl.com/jve64xcy

Pa. schoolteacher has been released from Russia, White House says Trump’s national security adviser described the release to a step toward ending the war in Ukraine.

This is very gratifying news: tinyurl.com/2j63k7rn

Shapiro administration names the state prisons it wants to close The announcement opens up a 3-month public comment period, including public hearings, before a final decision is made. Gov. Josh Shapiro called for the closures in his 2025-26 budget proposal.

ICYMI: SCI-Rockview, a 110-year-old prison that once housed the state's electric chair, is one of two prisons that the PA Department of Corrections has proposed to close in FY 2025-26.
tinyurl.com/5y8ea2zs

Pa. Department of Corrections, officers' union square off over plan to close prisons While the state hopes to "manage costs without compromising employee or public safety,” the union has concerns about both safety and transparency.

A baseline fact on proposed state prison closures in
@GovernorShapiro
's budget.
DOC's inmate population was 44,967 in 12-19, year before the last prison closure. Inmate pop. was 38,252 on 12-31-24.
Avg. inmate count per facility now?: 1,593
What's next: tinyurl.com/yc5suftj

Gov. Shapiro goes deep underground with new state park proposal Shapiro teased plans to establish Pennsylvania's first underground state park in his new budget proposal Tuesday. Here's what it's all about and why it could happen.

Why is Pennsylvania thinking about taking over a cave? Hot and fresh answers here: tinyurl.com/ye22sm5h

Peter Tosh - Legalize It (Audio) Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

More on Gov. Shapiro's plan to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania:
tinyurl.com/mtu66x4c

Shapiro budget to star schools, transportation and competitiveness, as GOP seeks restraint Gov. Josh Shapiro will unveil his 2025-26 state budget proposal to legislators Tuesday. Here's a look at the lay of Pennsylvania's fiscal land.

Big money. Politics. Marijuana. Gambling.... A lost episode of "Ozark"? Naw... just a full preview of @governorshapiro.bsky.social's state budget address, coming Tuesday to a Capitol near you!:
tinyurl.com/3c9tkvzr

To count homeless, central Pa. volunteers spend a frigid night searching tents, cars In Cumberland County, workers find dozens of unsheltered people but concede the Point-in-Time count won't capture the full scope of the problem.

How do you count the homeless? On some nights, you just search:
tinyurl.com/5dktxxxj

Ex-Pa. cop pardoned in J6 Capitol riot: ‘Never been happier than today’ Pardoned by President Trump, former Lebanon County police officer Joseph Fischer charged in the J6 Capitol riots tells his story.

Really interesting interview here with former Lebanon County police officer and J621 defendant Joe Fischer, who, now pardoned, gets his day in the Court of Public Opinion via
@JohnLuciew:
tinyurl.com/bd95zka2

GOP lawmaker introduces amendment to allow Trump to seek third term A Tennessee congressman introduced a Constitutional amendment that would allow Donald Trump and future presidents to serve three terms, citing the need to reverse this "nation's decay."

This, politically speaking, doesn't seem realistic given the super-majority rules for Constitutional amendments.
But just the idea getting breath shows how deeply into the cult of personality some Trump supporters are, right?:
tinyurl.com/4vjta3jh

College football coach’s son, 13, was a victim of ‘sextortion’ before shooting death The Shippensburg case is being treated as a homicide because of the actions of an 'online predator," the boy's family said.

This was a case that jarred the community this summer just as an epic tragedy.
While the official investigation grinds on, the Maciejewski family is bravely stepping through their pain and grief to try to help others. That's extraordinary. What they said:
tinyurl.com/2s37cyjn

A small group of donors dominated these high-profile Pa. races during the 2024 election Groups associated with billionaire Jeff Yass, the Democratic Party, and those that don’t reveal their donors spent nearly $40M on critical races.

They don't file those post-election reports for nothing.
Here, @katehuangpu.bsky.social takes a look at fundraising for top Pa. state government races from '24, including the vast reach of one Mr. Jeffrey Yass:
tinyurl.com/38vs9ru9

The world will be watching these Pennsylvanians in 2025. Will you? From politics to pop music, these folks are decidedly in as the new year starts.

If you're going to spend some time in Pennsylvania in 2025, you'll want to know what's up.
Here's an early look at some newsmakers / issues that are sure to grab our attention.(Surprises not included):
tinyurl.com/5n8h3r8z

Pa. lawmakers passed fewer laws than normal, but leaders say quality is better than quantity Despite partisan challenges, lawmakers managed to pass some notable bills in 2023 and 2024 including a major education boost.

The sentiment expressed in the headline here is not wrong. More bills passed does not equal better bills passed:

tinyurl.com/5fkdvrc9

Pioneering Pa. Judge Sylvia Rambo dies at 88 She served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania for more than four decades and retired in the summer of 2024.

A significant figure in Pennsylvania's judiciary has passed. RIP Sylvia Rambo, fitting namesake of the new federal courthouse in Harrisburg:
tinyurl.com/2tentmbj

Carlisle vocal teacher who literally helped keep America singing dies at 90 Joan Boytim's instructional series has sold well over a million copies since the early 1990s, and is used in studios across the country.

The world of singing lost a remarkable woman this month. But her influence will continue to be felt. Here's why: tinyurl.com/yyseh8zn

Pennsylvania one of the best states to raise kids, report finds Pennsylvania is among the top three states to raise a family, according to a recent report.

They're not wrong...

tinyurl.com/mwcb4y7b