Information About Covid-19 Coronavirus in Lancaster County, PA
News: Monday, Oct. 12
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 12, 2020Judge Amy Coney Barrett Headlines: • Some in-person classes resume at School District of Lancaster: Pre-K and Phoenix Academy students begin today. Other students will return over the next four weeks. (Source: WGAL) • Search begins for Chief Berkihiser’s replacement: The Lancaster city police chief’s retirement was announced Oct. 2, reportedly because of online comments…
Candidates discuss ways to improve, expand child care, education
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 9, 2020From left: Scott Martin; Janet Diaz; Michele Wherley; Dana Hamp Gulick. There was little if any disagreement on the fundamental importance of early childhood education and high-quality childcare during an online “Candidates’ Conversation” devoted to those issues Thursday evening. Republican Scott Martin and Democrats Janet Diaz, Dana Hamp Gulick and Michelle Wherley all readily affirmed…
News: Friday, Oct. 9
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 9, 2020Jasmyne King is the director of the YWCA Lancaster’s Center for Racial and Gender Equity. (Source: YWCA Lancaster) Headlines: • Pa. Covid-19 daily new cases up 20% on average: Four counties — Allegheny, Lehigh, Philadelphia and York — account for 49% of new cases over the past two weeks. (Source: LNP) Gov. Tom Wolf says…
Pa. utility commission authorizes shutoffs to resume Nov. 9 for higher-income households
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 8, 2020(Source: PA Public Utility Commission) The commission that regulates most Pennsylvania utilities announced Thursday it will allow shutoffs to resume early next month — but low- and moderate-income households will remain off-limits. In a statement, the Public Utility Commission, or PUC, said it has modified the emergency order it issued this spring in response to…
With Camp Shand sale, Lancaster Family YMCA takes another step toward sustainability
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 8, 2020Campers enjoy an array of activities in this collage from Camp Shand’s brochure. (Source: Lancaster Family YMCA) The future of the Lancaster Family YMCA is looking a lot brighter than it did earlier this year. Last month’s reopening of its two flagship exercise facilities went smoothly. The management agreement with the YMCA of York and…
‘Black excellence’: Advocacy organization to host weekend of events at Clipper Stadium
By Olivia Smucker | October 8, 2020(Source: The African American Cultural Alliance of Lancaster) The African American Cultural Alliance of Lancaster will offer a weekend exposition this month promoting local Black businesses. The event, featuring more than 25 vendors selling food, art and other goods, will be at Clipper Stadium from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m on Saturday, Oct. 17, and…
News: Thursday, Oct. 8
By Olivia Smucker | October 8, 2020A denizen of Field of Screams welcomes visitors. (Source: Field of Screams) Headlines: • Field of Screams opens with Covid-19 safety protocols, new attractions: The Lancaster-area haunted house has removed close-proximity elements, adding a mask protocol and socially distanced scares. (Source: WGAL) • School District of Lancaster to have students return via “blended model”: Pre-kindergarten,…
By the numbers: Local Covid-19 deaths, inpatient admissions drop in September, cases up slightly
By Ernie Schreiber | October 7, 2020The COVID-19 pandemic weakened significantly in September. The virus took the lives of just 13 county residents during the month, according to the office of County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni. That’s fewer than half the 29 persons who died in August and not even a tenth of the 183 victims who died in April at…
Court: Wolf’s limits on gatherings remain enforceable during appeal
By Jason Benion | October 7, 2020Gov. Tom Wolf speaks at the Millersville branch of Lancaster EMS on Thursday, July 30, 2020. (Source: Office of the Governor) A federal appeals court stayed the lower court order declaring Pennsylvania’s Covid-19 gathering limits unconstitutional. This means that the limits will remain in place while the lower court’s order is on appeal. On Sept.…
News: Wednesday, Oct. 7
By Olivia Smucker | October 7, 2020Wednesday’s vice presidential debate will happen at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. (Source: University of Utah) Headlines: • Gov. Tom Wolf relaxes spectator limits for local outdoor venues: New mandates allow 25% capacity for venues that seat 0-2,000 people and 20% for 2,001-10,000. (Source: WGAL) • Most Lancaster County school districts have…
Nepali women pushing back against oppressive tradition
By Apsara Uprety | October 6, 2020Left to right: Bimala Dhungana, Indu Dhungana and Smiriti Khadka. (Source: Provided) (Editor’s Note: This article was researched and written by Apsara Uprety as part of the Refugee Youth Journalism Project.) Goma Uprety, a 42-year-old immigrant from Nepal says “I don’t cook for my husband or my inlaws. I am not supposed to touch cooked…
Building cross-cultural understanding through the Refugee Youth Journalism Project
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 6, 2020From left: Matt Johnson, Bhim Thapaliya, Tim Stuhldreher Back in the spring, as the coronavirus was upending all our lives, my friend Matt Johnson reached out to me online. Matt works for Church World Service, the nonprofit that oversees the majority of Lancaster County refugee resettlements. He and Bhim Thapaliya, a young leader in the…
CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health web series to feature United Way’s Kevin Ressler
By One United Lancaster | October 6, 2020Lancaster County United Way President and CEO Kevin Ressler will be the featured guest this weekend on “Conversations about Healthy Communities,” an online video series from CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health. Ressler and program host Phil Goropoulos, CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health president, will discuss ways to create and sustain a healthier Lancaster community. The…
Are You a Prepared Voter?
By Lancaster County Board of Elections | October 6, 2020The right of citizens to vote is the foundation of democratic government. As Election Day 2020 approaches on Tuesday, Nov. 3, here is some advice from the Lancaster County Board of Elections to help you make sure your voice is heard: 1. Know your voter registration status ahead of time, preferably before registration closes, which…
News: Tuesday, Oct. 6
By Olivia Smucker | October 6, 2020Mennonite pastor Chester Wenger (Source: Eastern Mennonite University) Headlines: • Dozens of charges for arrested protesters dropped: In preliminary hearings Monday, Magisterial District Judge Bruce Roth dropped many of the charges against protesters from last month’s police shooting protests. (Source: LNP) • Chester Wenger, famous Mennonite pastor, dies at 102: Wenger made headlines six years…
Gov. Wolf restarts Covid-19 aid programs for renters, homeowners
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 5, 2020Gov. Tom Wolf speaks to the media in Lancaster Township on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. (Photo: Tim Stuhldreher) Gov. Tom Wolf has given property owners and tenants more time to apply for CARES Act assistance from Pennsylvania’s mortgage and rental relief programs. The state law authorizing both programs set an application deadline of Sept. 30.…
Coming Thursday: Hear from local candidates in online forum
By Tim Stuhldreher | October 5, 2020From left: Scott Martin; Janet Diaz; Michele Wherley; Dana Hamp Gulick. The United Way of Lancaster County, in partnership with the Children Matter Action Fund, Community Action Partnership and Lancaster Votes will host a virtual Candidate Conversation this week. The discussion will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, and will…
News: Monday, Oct. 5
By Olivia Smucker | October 5, 2020Lancaster city Police Chief Jarrad Berkihiser speaks with protesters outside the police station earlier this summer. (Source: Lancaster City Bureau of Police) Headlines: • Sen. Pat Toomey will not seek re-election in 2022: The Pa. senator’s decision not to run for a third term, nor for governor, surprised many. (Source: LNP) Toomey held a press…
