Today in PA | A PennLive daily news briefing with Claudia Dimuro

Some Pennsylvanians to choose new Medicaid plan. Counties struggle to determine hotel tax revenue. Grocery stores report strong sales. Museum offers free American Revolution classes.

State police may conduct study on rape kit tracking system. Police warn of “Orbeez Challenge.” Pennsylvania saw most animal-vehicle collisions in 2021. 109-year-old boat sets sail.

Calls for Mayor Jim Kenney’s resignation arise. Pennsylvania’s population older, more diverse. American marten may return. Marker dedicated to Liberty Bell rescue.

Goats cleaning up Aspinwall park.

In honor of July 4th, one website has ranked which states are the most patriotic out of the 50. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania…didn’t fair all too well.

SEPTA customers double-charged thanks to bug. Best time to travel during July 4. High mosquito activity in some areas. Haines Shoe House to become Airbnb.

Bill seeks to criminalize running away from cops. Reading mountaintop, riverfront rec area parties draw complaints. Rail service to be added between Harrisburg, Pittsburgh. Best, worst U.S. cities for July 4.

Drone used to find suspect. Bill seeks to allow 17-year-olds to complete firefighter training. 30,000 deer hunting permits available at state parks, forests. Pittsburgh hosts POGO world championships.

Philly police prepare for summer violence uptick. Man sues over misread COVID test result. Kennywood, others go cashless. Winning covered bridge photo chosen.

Reading Regional Airport may yet get commercial flights to Florida. 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show to return indoors. Pennsylvania town fundraiser helps to provide service dogs to veterans.

Officials are trying to figure out why and how a bunch of groundhogs turned up dead in Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park. A beer distributor strike may leave the Philly region drier than usual ahead of Fourth of July festivities. State lawmakers are considering a bill that would help Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage. Plus, this soda supposedly tastes out of this world.

Back when Harrisburg was the region’s retail center, someone started killing store owners one by one. The media dubbed it a "retail rampage," the "merchant murders," and to this day, the identity of the killer has never been revealed. PennLive reporter John Luciew joins us here, now, for a special interview episode of “Today in Pa.” as we dive deep into his five-part cold case investigation series...

Democrats in Lehigh County dismissed party rules regarding gender that left many confused after the May 17 primary. Giant has replaced the tens of thousands of bees that were stolen earlier this year. Plus, the “Queen of Walt Whitman Boulevard” steps down from her throne.

Philly city employees charged with PUA fraud. Proposal bars for-profits from owning, managing hospitals. Million-dollar lotto ticket sold. Pennsylvania listed among “most fun” states.

A group of 13-year-olds have been charged for a vandalism spree that resulted in almost $30,000 in damage. Meanwhile, a recent poll shows Pennsylvania voters are more concerned about the economy over other issues such as abortion. A new complex in Gettysburg will house over a million historical items. Finally, these Navy vets said “I do”—45 years after they first met.

Teachers discuss guns in classrooms. Diesel prices hurting farmers. Town council votes against euthanizing geese. Here’s one of Pennsylvania’s most romantic spots.

Philly police underreported 2021 crime data to FBI. Wawa to expand into Tennessee. Berks County gets first licensed recovery house through new requirement. “Pawn Stars” to film in Valley Forge.

Sanctions are being sought against the FBI over videos of a dig for Civil War gold. In Philadelphia, residents are smarting over a transition to smart water meters. The state Fish and Boat Commission has inched closer to hiking fishing and boating fees. Plus, a grandma in Pittsburgh played pickleball with some Steelers—and had no idea who they were.

One Philadelphia lawmaker has suggested a revision to the city’s curfew law for teens this summer as a safety measure. Meanwhile, state lawmakers have advanced new limits on fireworks. The Lehigh Valley Zoo is blazing forth with work on its first new exhibit in five years. Lastly, a vision-impaired woman rappelled down a building.

While Pennsylvania’s cities took a hit to their population over the past couple of years, some of the state’s smaller towns saw a boost. Meanwhile, invasive snakehead fish continue their spread. A man developed a fun, interactive way for kids to learn math. Plus, Pennsylvania screams for this ice cream flavor the loudest.

In the wake of the deadly South Street shooting over the weekend, business owners in Philadelphia have expressed concerns over a lack of police. Teachers in Hanover are looking for better solutions to a spike in student fights and other incidents. Millions of dollars in a number of schools throughout the state have been deemed “unauditable.” Plus, the world’s biggest bounce house is coming to Penn...

Crime victims as well as others gathered outside the state Capitol yesterday to call for action against crime. The Pittsburgh City Council has once again put a hold on that new stop-and-frisk bill. Some of Pennsylvania’s remaining organized rattlesnake hunts will get underway this weekend. Finally, a man was digging in a churchyard for fossils when he happened upon an entirely new species.

A business in Pittsburgh shuttered its doors due to violence that one official calls “overwhelming.” The Pennsylvania Turnpike is hoping its new partnership with a retail network will help make paying toll bills a whole lot easier. The state Department of Agricultural revealed there’s some funding available for a recycling program. And some super good news: the rare whiskeys up for grabs during th...

There’s trouble brewing as slowing distribution may make it harder to enjoy a cold beer this summer. There’s another Walmart fulfillment center coming to Franklin County. You can watch fireflies in the name of science this season. Finally, a city in Pennsylvania is the number two best for hockey fans in the entire country.

One lawmaker wants to redirect funds from the state’s big kahuna colleges like Penn State and redirect them towards in-state students at all universities. A parent has filed a lawsuit claiming his kids were targeted by their school district over his anti-mask advocacy. Authorities would like to remind you to please buckle up. And someone threw what was essentially Monopoly money all over Route 54...