• AI-driven charter school application rejected by the School District of Lancaster(SDOL): At the March 18, school board meeting the board unanimously voted to deny the Valenta Academy Charter School application. The discussion at the March 11 meeting, cited a lack of community support, concerns with the instructional model and the charter school’s seeming lack of interest in the Lancaster community. The charter school planned to build a physical school and use AI to educate over 100 students. The district would fund it per student. The board was concerned about negative public feedback, said spokesperson Adam Aurand. Aurand added that if Valenta Academy Charter School decides to appeal the decision, it can request a review with the state Department of Education’s Charter School Appeal Board. (Source: LNP)
• York Police warn public about Obeez Air gun safety concerns: The York Police Department has issued a public safety wanning about Orbeez air guns, highlighting their potential dangers and noting they are prohibited under Article 733 of the York City Code. Despite its appearance the toy and be mistaken for a gun. Law enforcement officials are concerned about the misuse of toy guns in public areas and the risk of escalation with police officers or the public. (Source: Fox 43)
• N.J. tourism director hired as CEO of Discover Lancaster: Jeffrey Vasser has been hired by Discover Lancaster as its new president and CEO. The agency announced the hiring Friday. Vasser had made many trips to Lancaster County with his family and he sees it as one of his favorite destinations. He plans to relocate to Lancaster County for the position. Vasser was chosen for his experience with the hospitality industry, marketing and events according to the statement announcing the hire. (Source: LNP)
• Money Match checks for unclaimed property to be sent: Some Pennsylvania residents will be receiving checks in the mail from the state government for their unclaimed property. This can include dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance policies, and the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes. State law requires businesses to report unclaimed property to the Treasury after three years of no activity. About one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property protected by the Treasury. (Source: WGAL)
• Special election taking place today for 36th state Senate district: Northern Lancaster County will be holding a special election today for the seat in the state Senate vacated by Ryan Aument. The candidates are Republican Josh Parsons, Democrat James Malone, and Libertarian Zachary Moore. According to county commissioner Ray D’Agostino, it has been 20 years since the last special election in Lancaster County. The 36th Senate District includes Elizabethtown, Manheim, Ephrata and Lititz. 10 out of the 120 polling locations will be different for this election. (Source: WGAL)
• Nation/world: Oscar-winning Palestinian director attacked and arrested by Israeli Army (Source: AP News) Chinese EV maker BYD sales beat Tesla (Source: BBC News) Protests in Turkey against detention reach sixth night (Source: BBC News) Trump administration reviewing how Atlantic editor was given access to military group chat (Source: NBC News) Doordash ‘eat now, pay later’ plans slammed by public for increasing debt (Source: NBC News)
