An earthquake shook much of the East Coast late Friday morning. The United States Geological Survey says the quake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale and was centered in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, about three miles northeast of Lebanon. It struck at 10:23 a.m. "We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency." "My team and PEMA (Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) are actively monitoring the situation and in contact with counties on any damage. We will keep Pennsylvanians updated," said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Officials say some flights were been diverted to Lehigh Valley International Airport as well.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission received almost 34-hundred discrimination complaint last year. That's according to the commission's recently-released annual report. Nearly 900 of those complaints were about disability discrimination. Over 450 were about racial discrimination and nearly 400 concerned sexual harassment or discrimination. In addition, the commission documented other complaints for age discrimination, bias against a person's ancestry, nation of origin, familial status or use of guide animals.
Add this to the list of eclipse warnings. The Pennsylvania State Police and PennDot are warning drivers to keep their eyes on the road during next Monday's eclipse. PennDOT's Jill Harry says the entire state will see at least part of the eclipse. She said, just like at dusk and dawn, drivers need to be aware and focus on what's in front of them. She also suggests turning on your headlights so other drivers can see you.
A bill advancing in the state House would require so-called 'dark money' groups to disclose how they spend money on state elections. Another would require legislative candidates to more frequently disclose which people or groups donate to their campaigns. Currently, Pennsylvania's campaign finance laws don't put a limit on the amount of money donors can give candidates or political committees. Supporters say the idea to give more frequently updated reports would ensure more transparency and help the public understand who's contributing throughout a campaign.
The House Game and Fisheries Committee has set a meeting next week to consider whether to repeal a current ban on Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania. Similar legislation, Senate Bill 67, was approved by the Senate committee with the same name last month. Currently, Pennsylvania only allows hunting on three Sundays per year. People who want to do away with that say allowing more Sunday hunting will help stem the decline in the number of hunters and increase tourism. The meeting is set for Tuesday, April 9th at the state Capitol.
Pet allergies are apparently on the rise in Pennsylvania. Veterinary experts says the causes of pet allergies are similar to humans' - pollen related to grass and seeds, as well as food. An Axios Philadelphia article quotes a Canada pet insurance company that claims that pet allergies continue to increase, mostly for dogs. In Pennsylvania, claims have risen 23 percent in the past five years. An estimated ten-percent of dogs have seasonal allergies. Vets say cats aren't as affected because they are more likely to be indoor-only pets.
Beginning with the 2024 football season, Penn State Students will have to do a few things differently for getting home tickets. Previously, students had one day to get tickets and they usually sold out quickly. This year, a lottery system will be used, with students having a week to request tickets. Sales will also now be done through the Penn State Student Account Manager via a ticket request system.