• Lancaster to hire park rangers for public spaces downtown: The Lancaster city police department plans to hire park rangers for the city’s public spaces. City officials are still planning the move, and what authority the rangers would have. The last time Lancaster had park rangers was during the 1990s. The county has park rangers at the county parks, such as Lancaster County Central Park, to enforce park rules and perform first aid. Lancaster’s park rangers would not be limited to just Binns Park and Ewell Plaza, where security has been provided before. (Source: LNP)
• Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association sues scrap yard for pollution: The Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association filed a notice of intent on Monday to sue J&K Salvage in York over allegations that the salvage company was dumping pollutants into Codorus Creek, which empties into the Susquehanna River. According to the organization, the pollutants, which J&K Salvage was unauthorized to release, are metals and PFAS, or “forever chemicals” which linger indefinitely in the environment. According to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, the lower Susquehanna River is vital to drinking water supplies for a wide area, including Philadelphia and Baltimore. (Source: LNP)
• Democrat James Malone resigns as East Petersburg mayor to take state Senate seat: James Malone, the Democratic mayor of East Petersburg who won a historic victory in the special election for the state Senate, is resigning his position as mayor to take his new position. Malone beat the Republican county commissioner Josh Parsons in an upset based on 482 votes in a heavily Republican district. In East Petersburg, Malone was joined by borough council members and a crowd of residents applauding him as he submitted his resignation. He expects to be tentatively sworn in on April 5. (Source: LNP)
• Changes to Harrisburg police presence causes safety concerns: Harrisburg has had a heavy police presence for years, though this will soon change. Downtown businesses had been hiring off-duty city police to serve as security, though the department now says police officers will not be allowed to do that. This happened following an incident on the weekend of Saint Patrick’s Day involving an off-duty officer and a member of the public, which went viral. Business owners and residents, however, are concerned about reducing police presence downtown. The warming weather, according to Sherod Johnson, will lead to increased activity. (Source: ABC 27)
• Nation/world: Susan Crawford, Democrat, wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race despite heavy Republican support (Source: AP News) Senator Cory Booker breaks record for longest Senate speech (Source: AP News) Republican Randy Fine wins Florida’s 6th District (Source: MSNBC) Security buffer expansion in Gaza leads to 15 Palestinian deaths (Source: BBC)
