Overcast 63°
Schools
Best High Schools: Pennsylvania Schools Ranked In Brand-New List Best High Schools: Pennsylvania Schools Ranked In Brand-New List
Best High Schools: Pennsylvania Schools Ranked In Brand-New List Pennsylvania is rife with top-rated high schools, according to brand-new rankings. US News & World report released its annual list of Best High Schools in the U.S. on Tuesday morning, April 23. The rankings were determined by performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School in Philadelphia was rated the fourth best school in the nation. Downington STEM Academy also made the top 50, coming in at No. 46. According to US News, these are the top 10 high schools in Pennsylvania: No. 10: Harriton High…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Fire At Central PA High School Woodshop Forces Classes Online For Days Fire At Central PA High School Woodshop Forces Classes Online For Days
Fire At Central PA High School Woodshop Forces Classes Online For Days A fire at a high school wood shop forced the district to switch to online or remote learning for a minimum of two days, officials announced on Tuesday morning.  Intially fire crews were called to Maheim Tonwship High School for a report of smoke showing at 5:18 p.m. on Monday, April 1, officials explained.  The fire was found fire in a dust collector on the exterior of the high school off the wood shop.  Even though the "fire was contained to the exterior, however the interior required extensive ventilation. Manheim Township High School will be holding on-line only learning …

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Central PA School Bus Driver Caught With Child Porn, Police Say Central PA School Bus Driver Caught With Child Porn, Police Say
Central PA School Bus Driver Caught With Child Porn, Police Say A 56-year-old school bus driver has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies related to child pornography, police announced late Thursday night. Philip Fry of the 1100 block of Oberlin Road, Middletown, Lower Swatara Township was arrested following a warranted search of his home. The search was conducted by the Derry Township Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Investigators, along with Detectives from the Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division. The search was part of a larger investigation after receiving tips about Child Sexual Abuse Material.  During the …

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Elementary School Principal Charged With DUI: Lititz Police Elementary School Principal Charged With DUI: Lititz Police
Elementary School Principal Charged With DUI: Lititz Police A York County elementary school principal has been charged with driving under the influence in Lancaster County, police announced on Friday, March 15.  Lee Helper Jordan, 39 of Lititz, was stopped for an alleged vehicle equipment violation in the 360 block of North Broad Street at around 2:15 a.m. on Feb. 28. LBPD made the following statement about the traffic stop:  "During the traffic stop, it is alleged that Jordan was found to be under the influence. Jordan was taken into custody and transported to the LBPD where he provided evidential samples of his breath which in…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
School Buses Tires Slashed In Chambersburg, Police Say School Buses Tires Slashed In Chambersburg, Police Say
School Buses Tires Slashed In Chambersburg, Police Say Multiple school buses had their tires slashed Chambersburg Police announced on Saturday, March 2. The police came to investigate the "criminal mischief" in the 100 block of East South Street on Feb. 26, as stated in the release. The caller met with police and explained that they "had multiple tires on their vehicles which were punctured with an object," the police said. The exact number of school buses damaged was not shared. The slashings are  believed to have happened sometime over the week prior to the owner calling the police. Anyone with information regarding these school bus ti…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
GUILTY! Two Students Had 'Sexual Relationships' With Elizabethtown School Staff, DA Says GUILTY! Two Students Had 'Sexual Relationships' With Elizabethtown School Staff, DA Says
Guilty! Two Students Had 'Sexual Relationships' With Elizabethtown School Staff, DA Says A 38-year-old former Elizabethtown school district employee has pleaded guilty in connection to sexual relationships with two middle school boys, the Lancaster District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday, Feb. 28.  Megan Carlisle, of the first block of Greenleaf Lane, pleaded guilty before Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker for the following charges:  Felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse (two counts). Felony statutory sexual assault victim (two counts). Felony unlawful contact with a minor obscene or sexually explicit (two counts). Felony unlawful con…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
PA Kindergartener Injures Three Students With Pencil: School PA Kindergartener Injures Three Students With Pencil: School
PA Kindergartener Injures Three Students With Pencil: School Three students were injured with a pencil at the Chester Upland School of the Arts on Thursday, Feb. 22, school administrators say.  "At approximately 9:15 a.m., a kindergarten student experienced a mental health crisis," said Chester Upland School District officials in a statement.  "Unfortunately, the incident resulted in three students sustaining minor injuries from a pencil held by the student in crisis." Administrators said the three were immediately evaluated and treated by the school nurse. EMS and police were also called "to help deescalate the situation," the district sa…

SHARE

by Mac Bullock
Schools
Teen Arrested For Bringing Handgun To Central PA High School Teen Arrested For Bringing Handgun To Central PA High School
Teen Arrested For Bringing Handgun To Central PA High School A 17-year-old boy is in police custody for bringing a gun to Central Dauphin East High School on Thursday, Feb. 15, the Lower Paxton Township Bureau of Police announced on Friday night. The unnamed minor was arrested "in cooperation with the Central Dauphin School District Police," as stated in the police release around 9 p.m. on Feb. 16.  The gun he allegedly brought into the school forced a massive "systematic search" involving numerous police agencies including the Pennsylvania and Maryland State Police, as Daily Voice previously reported.  Police explained that the gun was st…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
School Van Involved In Lititz Crash, Police Say School Van Involved In Lititz Crash, Police Say
School Van Involved In Lititz Crash, Police Say A roadway briefly closed following a two-vehicle crash involving a school transportation van, the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police announced on Friday afternoon.  First responders were called to the crash at the intersection of East Sixth Street and Seigrist Farm Road in Warwick Township, Lititz shortly before 2 p.m. on Feb. 16, as detailed in the NLCRPD release.  The crash blocked the intersection and closed the roadway, but was expected to clear within an hour.  "One person with [a] minor injury was trapped in the vehicle for a short time," the police said, "the t…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Handgun Found In Central PA High School Forces Closure For Days Handgun Found In Central PA High School Forces Closure For Days
Handgun Found In Central PA High School Forces Closure For Days Following a "systematic search" of a Central Pennsylvania school — with help from Pennsylvania and Maryland State Police — administrators have announced a full closure until Tuesday, Feb. 20, according to a press conference on the evening of Feb. 15.  The gun was shown in a photo to an assistant principal at Central Dauphin East High School by a male student around 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 15, police were immediately contacted and a lockdown was initiated, according to the school administrators and Pennsylvania State Police.  Until the handgun was located in the Harrisburg…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Middletown HS Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault For Rubbing Student In Leggings: Affidavit Middletown HS Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault For Rubbing Student In Leggings: Affidavit
Middletown HS Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault For Rubbing Student In Leggings: Affidavit A teacher and coach has been charged with sexual assault for a series of bizarre incidents — including one where a girl wore leggings in his class, court documents obtained by Daily Voice detail.  Zachary Agustin Cerrone, 33 of Wellsboro, was charged on Thursday with two counts each of institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of minors, as well as three counts of indecent assault related to incidents at Middletown Area High School, the Lower Swatara Township police announced on Friday, Feb. 9.  The charges stem from an investigation in the …

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Loaded Semi-Automatic Found In PA Middle School Student's Bag: Officials Loaded Semi-Automatic Found In PA Middle School Student's Bag: Officials
Loaded Semi-Automatic Found In PA Middle School Student's Bag: Officials A loaded semi-automatic handgun was found in the backpack of a middle school student in Central Pennsylvania, school officials and police announced on Tuesday evening.  A 15-year-old boy was found with the weapon at Eagle View Middle School, according to Cumberland Valley School District Superintendent Mark Blanchard and the Silver Spring Township police. The boy was taken into police custody.  Parents were notified about the incident in an email after the school day ended.   "The weapon was never displayed and threats of harm were never made. The weapon…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Stabbing With False 'Gunshots' Leads To Elementary School Lockdown In East Petersburg: Police Stabbing With False 'Gunshots' Leads To Elementary School Lockdown In East Petersburg: Police
Stabbing With False 'Gunshots' Leads To Elementary School Lockdown In East Petersburg: Police  A false report of "gunshots" at what turned out to be a stabbing led to a lockdown at an elementary school and a shelter-in-place order, the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department announced on Tuesday.  Officers with the NLCRPD were called to a stabbing in the 2300 Block of Lawnwood Court in East Petersburg at 9:03 a.m. on Feb. 6.   Arriving officers found a 42-year-old had been stabbed and the 36-year-old man who allegedly stabbed her fled on foot before the police came.  The woman was taken by EMS to an area hospital with "non-life-threatening inju…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Pregnant South Central PA Special-Ed Teacher Sentenced For 'Inappropriate' Student Relationship Pregnant South Central PA Special-Ed Teacher Sentenced For 'Inappropriate' Student Relationship
Pregnant South Central PA Special-Ed Teacher Sentenced For 'Inappropriate' Student Relationship A pregnant former Pennsylvania Special Education teacher and soccer coach has been sentenced after admitting to an "inappropriate" relationship with a female student, updated court records showed on Tuesday, Dec. 26.  The now former Susquehannock High School Special Education teacher, Emily Lehneis, now 31 of Hanover, was initially charged with the following: solicitation to production of child pornography, unlawful contact with a minor, obscenity, institutional sexual assault, and corruption of minors, according to the Southern York Regional Police Department. Her charges stemmed…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
PA Cheerleader Concussed By Bullies' Brutal Beatdown, Fund Says PA Cheerleader Concussed By Bullies' Brutal Beatdown, Fund Says
PA Cheerleader Concussed By Bullies' Brutal Beatdown, Fund Says Support is on the rise for a Perkiomen Valley High School cheerleader who was allegedly attacked by other students in the lunch room earlier this month. A GoFundMe for sophomore Gianna Messina says she was attacked by two people on Friday, Dec. 1, over problems at the lunch table, after lunch. "They both jumped up behind her and took her to the ground," reads the fund launched by Kylie Boyle. "They continued to beat her with their fists and feet. They pulled her hair and threw her phone at her as a school counselor tried to cover her but they would not stop." Gianna suffered a concussion, …

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Peeping Tom Student Secretly Records Franklin & Marshall College Girl's Bathroom, Police Allege Peeping Tom Student Secretly Records Franklin & Marshall College Girl's Bathroom, Police Allege
Peeping Tom Student Secretly Records Franklin & Marshall College Girl's Bathroom, Police Allege Four victims have been identified as police continue to investigate a camera found in a Franklin and Marshall College girl's dormitory bathroom, Lancaster Police announced on Thursday, Nov. 30.  F&M student John Riley has turned himself over to the Lancaster City Bureau of Police only after campus security identified him as the man they saw in the recordings placing the camera in the girl's dormitory bathroom.  The City police had already been contacted by Franklin and Marshall College campus security after discovering "a hidden camera within a dorm bathroom by female stu…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Person Shot After Bizarre Incident Near Franklin & Marshall College: Police Person Shot After Bizarre Incident Near Franklin & Marshall College: Police
Person Shot After Bizarre Incident Near Franklin & Marshall College: Police A shot person at Lancaster General Hospital told the police a strange story about what happened to them. Lancaster City officers were called to the hospital for a "walk-in shooting victim" at 12:27 a.m. on Nov. 30, the department detailed in a release.  They arrived to discover "the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries," as stated in the release.  When the police interviewed the victim, they told them the following story: "The victim claims they were walking 'somewhere' in the city and were approached by an unknown black male, wearing a black ski mask and Gap sweatshir…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Student Cited For Trying To Fight Adult In Lancaster County, Police Say Student Cited For Trying To Fight Adult In Lancaster County, Police Say
Student Cited For Trying To Fight Adult In Lancaster County, Police Say A 14-year-old boy has been cited after an incident in the Warwick School District, authorities announced on Monday, Nov. 20.  Officers with the Lititz Borough Police Department were called to a disturbance on school district grounds in the 300 block of West Orange Street at 2:53 p.m. on Nov. 17.  The young teen "had gotten physical with an adult male and challenged the adult male to a fight," the police said.  He was cited for harassment and issued a summons to appear in District Court.  Additional information was not released. 

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Boy Injured, Students Cited For School Bus Assault: Pennsylvania State Police Boy Injured, Students Cited For School Bus Assault: Pennsylvania State Police
Boy Injured, Students Cited For School Bus Assault: Pennsylvania State Police A boy was reportedly the victim of a "fight that happened on a school bus," Pennsylvania State Police announced in a release on Monday, Nov. 20.  Pennsylvania State Police were called to a report of a fight on a school bus in Mount Holly Springs around 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1.  Trooper Marc Cutaiar arrived to investigate at South Baltimore Avenue, Mount Holly Springs Borough, Cumberland County.  He found an 11-year-old boy from Mount Holly Springs had suffered bodily injuries as a result of a fight on the school bus, as explained in the release.  He cited ot…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Controversial Facebook Post Prompts Resignation Of PA School Board Member Controversial Facebook Post Prompts Resignation Of PA School Board Member
Controversial Facebook Post Prompts Resignation Of PA School Board Member A school board member in Pennsylvania has resigned following a Facebook post she made about Israel's military on Thursday, Nov. 16. In the now-deleted post, former Colonial School Board member Dr. Jamina "Mina" Clay called the Israel Defense Forces a terrorist organization and then listed the alleged atrocities being done to Palestinians, according to a screenshot shared by NBC10. Approximately 10 hours after her initial post, Clay issued an apology, also posted on her Facebook, reading in part: "Upon reflection and after having conversations with loved ones and friends, I understand that …

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Schools
ACLU Files Suit Against PA School District Over Mascot Club ACLU Files Suit Against PA School District Over Mascot Club
ACLU Files Suit Against PA School District Over Mascot Club The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Twin Valley School District in Berks County over an alleged violation of a student's First Amendment rights, the organization says.  ACLU said it filed suit on behalf of high school student Sloane Wolfe, who "has been advocating to end her school district’s use of its 'Raider,' mascot based on its stereotypical depiction of North American indigenous people." The civil suit claims TVSD has "refused" to allow Wolfe and others to form an officially recognized student club called "Retire the Raider."  Recognition from administrators, ACLU n…

SHARE

by Mac Bullock
Schools
PA School Board Director, Husband Gave Alcohol To Minors, Police Say PA School Board Director, Husband Gave Alcohol To Minors, Police Say
PA School Board Director, Husband Gave Alcohol To Minors, Police Say A member of the Derry Township Board of School Directors and her husband have been charged with providing alcohol to minors, police announced in a release on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Maria Memmi and Philip D’Adderio, both 53 of Hershey, hosted a party with several people under the age of 21 who were under the influence of alcohol when police arrived on Oct. 28, according to the release. Derry Township police officers were called to Memmi's and D'Adderio's house in the 100 block of Java Avenue around 10:46 p.m. on the last Thursday of October.  They found the minors "in possession of B…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
PA School Bus With Children Rear-Ended By Driver Wanted On Warrants: Police PA School Bus With Children Rear-Ended By Driver Wanted On Warrants: Police
PA School Bus With Children Rear-Ended By Driver Wanted On Warrants: Police A school bus taking children to school was rear-ended on Wednesday morning, according to the police.  The bus was stopped at a red light along its route to the West Shore School District while heading north at the intersection of Bridge and Third streets on Nov. 8 at approximately 7:30 a.m., New Cumberland police detailed in a release.  That's when a pick-up truck behind the bus had "failed to maintain a safe" and rear-ended the bus, the police said.  No injuries were reported by anyone in either vehicle and both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene, the police exp…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Central PA School Bus Involved In Crash, Police Say Central PA School Bus Involved In Crash, Police Say
Central PA School Bus Involved In Crash, Police Say A Monday morning crash involving a school bus left students needing EMS evaluations, according to a police release. The North Middleton Township police were called to the motor vehicle crash involving a school bus around 7:35 a.m. on Oct. 23, as detailed in a release by the department.  Officers at the scene found that the school bus was heading to the Carlisle School District with students on board when it was rear-ended.  The bus had been heading south on Spring Road when it stopped before making a right turn onto Fry Loop Avenue — that's when it was rear-ended "by a white…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
PA Student Hurt In Serious Fall Hiking On Class Trip PA Student Hurt In Serious Fall Hiking On Class Trip
PA Student Hurt In Serious Fall Hiking On Class Trip A Montoursville high schooler was hurt after falling during a field trip to the Jacoby Falls Trail in Gamble Township on Wednesday morning, Oct. 4, school officials said.  The student was evacuated by first responders, though Montoursville Area High School officials declined to comment on his condition, "out of respect to the family." "Please keep this student and his family in your prayers," MAHS administrators wrote.  Jacoby Falls is in Loyalsock State Forest and is a 1.6-mile hike from the trailhead on Wallis Run Road.  This is a developing story. Check back for more.&nb…

SHARE

by Mac Bullock
Schools
Python Found At Central PA School: Police Python Found At Central PA School: Police
Python Found At Central PA School: Police A python was found at a Central Pennsylvania school on Tuesday. The ball python was found during student pick-up just before 4 p.m. on Oct. 3rd.  The Lower Paxton Township Police think the snake may have slithered out of a family's car at Dauphin County Technical School.  Anyone with information about the snake and who it may belong to is asked to call the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at 717-558-6900.

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
'American Cultures' Teacher, PA Dad Admits To Uploading Child Porn To Kik 'American Cultures' Teacher, PA Dad Admits To Uploading Child Porn To Kik
'American Cultures' Teacher, PA Dad Admits To Uploading Child Porn To Kik The former eighth-grade "American Cultures" teacher at Hershey Middle School, Arthur "Art" Neal Titzel has pleaded guilty and been sentenced after being caught uploading videos of child pornography to the social media app Kik, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  The 53-year-old from Camp Hill is "a teacher of American history interested in the many stories that tell us who we are and where we came from," according to one of his many social media accounts. Apparently, social media is what got him in trouble as the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office charged hi…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Penn State York Soccer Coach Has 3 Strokes After Roller Coaster Ride Penn State York Soccer Coach Has 3 Strokes After Roller Coaster Ride
Penn State York Soccer Coach Has 3 Strokes After Roller Coaster Ride The assistant coach of Penn State University York Men's soccer team had a stroke after riding "a local rollercoaster" his family says.  Scotty Patrick suffered a tear in a layer of a major artery in his neck "allowing blood to leak and clot" after the ride on the coaster with "twists and turns erratically pulling powerful Gs," his mom Nancy Patrick wrote in GoFundMe. "He knew he was sick after he rode the coaster but did not know that he’d torn the major artery at the back of his neck that supplies blood to his brain."  Since then the dad of two had bad headaches, and suffered two minor st…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Water Outage Shutters School In Central PA Water Outage Shutters School In Central PA
Water Outage Shutters School In Central PA A Central Pennsylvania elementary school is closed due to a water shortage.  The sudden announcement of the closure came from the Lower Dauphin School District around 7 a.m. on Sept. 21 — the same day as the closure.  Only the Londonderry Elementary School within the direct is affected by the outage and closure.   All other schools in the district will operate on normal schedules, according to the district.

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
These Pennsylvania Schools Named 2023 Blue Ribbon Winners These Pennsylvania Schools Named 2023 Blue Ribbon Winners
These Pennsylvania Schools Named 2023 Blue Ribbon Winners Thirteen Pennsylvania schools were named 2023 Blue Ribbon winners. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, a part of the United States Department of Education, announces hundreds of recipients of the award each year. The award was created to recognize schools that are considered outstanding, and the winners are honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, where schools receive plaques and flags. The ten Pennsylvania schools that received the award this year are listed below, along with links to the Blue Ribbon overview of each: Boyce Middle School, Pittsburgh Central Bucks Hig…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Temple University President Collapses, Dies Following Memorial Event Temple University President Collapses, Dies Following Memorial Event
Temple University President Collapses, Dies Following Memorial Event Temple University Acting President JoAnne A. Epps died suddenly on Tuesday afternoon, the university has announced. Epps was attending a memorial service at Temple when she "became ill," the university said in a statement. She was rushed to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m., they said. "There are no words that can describe the gravity and sadness of this loss," the statement reads. "President Epps was a devoted servant and friend who represented the best parts of Temple. She spent nearly 40 years of her life serving this university, and it goes without saying…

SHARE

by Mac Bullock