• Lancaster County Catholics reflect on Pope Francis after his death: Pope Francis died Monday, the day after Easter. Catholic leaders across Lancaster County remember Francis’ contributions to the Church. Francis was the first Latin American Pope in history and championed the causes of the poor and the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Glenda Perez, a parish council member at San Juan Bautista Catholic Church, attended Francis’ visit to Philadelphia in 2015. The church celebrated Francis’ win, as San Juan Bautista is the only Catholic church in the county with Spanish language masses. The Rev. Bernard Oniwe of Saint Peter’s Catholic Church in Elizabethtown said that his service to the poor and the “other” will “always be remembered.” Governor Shapiro has ordered flags in Pennsylvania to fly at half-mast in honor of Francis. (Source: LNP)
• Lancaster city mayoral candidates to debate Saturday: The candidates for Mayor of the City of Lancaster will debate on Saturday at Thaddeus Stevens College. Jaime Arroyo and Janet Diaz will debate in the Multipurpose Activity Center at the college. The debate will be open to the public, and residents will have the chance to ask the candidates questions. The moderator will be Kevin Ressler, the former president and CEO of the United Way of Lancaster County. No Republican has announced a candidacy for mayor, though Tony Dastra, a member of the home rule study commission, announced plans to run as a Green Party candidate. The current mayor, Danene Sorace, is not seeking a third term. (Source: LNP)
• Harrisburg apartment tower residents remain without hot water: Harmony Tower, an apartment building in downtown Harrisburg, continues to lack hot water for several of its residents. Ten apartments out of the 167 in the building still lack hot water, according to the city government. The process of fixing the problem is complex, as it involves replacing 500 valves. The building has had issues with its hot water since Thanksgiving in 2024. The building’s owners are being fined daily by the city, but Harrisburg’s director of communications, Mischelle Moyer, said that there is not much more the city can do, as they do not own the building. (Source: ABC 27)
• David Sedaris, author, to speak at American Music Theatre: David Sedaris, an author and humorist, will speak at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster in the fall. The Theatre is located at 2425 Lincoln Highway East. On October 1, Sedaris will speak with audience members and tell stories. Sedaris wrote many books of short stories, including “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “Barrel Fever.” Several theater companies in the area have performed a play based on Sedaris’ 1992 public radio story “Santaland Diaries,” which is about his experiences working as an elf at Macy’s. Tickets go on sale Friday and will cost between $39 and $69. (Source: LNP)
• Nation/world: Pope Francis’ funeral to be held Saturday (Source: BBC News) Harvard University sues Trump administration for funding cuts (Source: NBC News)New ceasefire plan proposed, according to Hamas (Source: BBC News)Anger at Israel now leading driver of anti-Semitism, according to Anti-Defamation League (Source: AP News)
