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Freeman bill to create state poet laureate passes PA House

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Freeman bill to create state poet laureate passes PA House


HARRISBURG, June 28 – Pennsylvania would have an official Poet Laureate under legislation that passed the state House of Representatives today, according to the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Robert Freeman. 

“Poetry is a literary art form widely celebrated by the United States and 47 states by designating an official poet laureate. Gov. Robert Casey appointed Samuel Hazo as Pennsylvania Poet Laureate in 1993 but the position has since been effectively terminated,” said Freeman, D-Northampton. 

“Many local governments in the commonwealth, including Philadelphia, York, and Erie County honor their local poets by designating them poet laureates. Through creating the position of Pennsylvania Poet Laureate, we would recognize important contemporary contributors to the literary arts and promote our commonwealth’s cultural heritage.” 

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Freeman’s legislation (H.B. 2308) would create the official position of Pennsylvania Poet Laureate and establish a selection process where a committee would send a list of nominees to the governor to make a final decision. 

The Pennsylvania Poet Laureate, an unpaid position, would serve at official functions, such as reading a poem at the governor’s inauguration. 

The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

Information provided to TVL by:
Tom Andrews
House Democratic Communications Office


 

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Pennsylvania

The town that saved Christmas, Wellsboro Pa.

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The town that saved Christmas, Wellsboro Pa.


Wellsboro is a borough in the northern tier of Pennsylvania, close to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania and popular hiking and biking trails. The small town also has a holiday history and comes alive at Christmas. WGAL’s Susan Shapiro visited on a picture-perfect day to find out more about the town that saved Christmas.



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Trump Tells Child on Santa Hotline, ‘We Won Pennsylvania… Three Times’

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Trump Tells Child on Santa Hotline, ‘We Won Pennsylvania… Three Times’


President Donald Trump took Christmas Eve calls from children inquiring as to the whereabouts of Santa Claus, according to NORAD’s “Santa Tracker.” At one point, he fielded a call from a child in Pennsylvania, and it went as one might expect.

Trump spoke to the children on speakerphone in front of cameras and was connected with a five-year-old boy and his mother in State College.

“Pennsylvania’s great,” Trump told the boy. “We won Pennsylvania, actually, three times. We won Pennsylvania. We won it in a landslide, so I love Pennsylvania.”

The president won the state in 2016 and 2024, but lost it in 2020, when he baselessly claimed that voter fraud occurred in the state and elsewhere.

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The president told the child that, according to NORAD’s “Santa Tracker,” which somehow escaped the DOGE cuts, Old Saint Nick was in Copenhagen and heading to the U.S.

“What would you like from Santa?” Trump asked.

The child responded with what sounded like “a 3-D pen” before listing two unintelligible items, “and a robot.”

“Well, you’ll get all of it,” the president replied, leaving Mom out to dry. “Mom, I think he’s gonna get all of it, don’t you think, from Santa?”

“I think so,” the woman replied. “He was really good.”

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Trump told the boy, “When you wake up in the morning, you’re gonna be the happiest young man.”

In 2018, Trump famously took a Christmas Eve call from a seven-year-old and asked, “Are you still a believer in Santa? Because at seven it’s marginal, right?”

Watch above via C-SPAN.





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Christmas Eve fire damages multiple homes in Chester, Delaware County

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Christmas Eve fire damages multiple homes in Chester, Delaware County


CHESTER, Pa. (WPVI) — A fire that tore through four rowhomes in Chester on Christmas Eve displaced eight people and killed one cat, officials said.

The fire broke out minutes before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the 900 block of West 7th Street, sending flames and smoke billowing into the sky.

Firefighters arriving on scene encountered heavy fire conditions and quickly called for additional help.

No injuries were reported.

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“They instantly struck a second alarm which brought the recall of off-duty personnel as well as fire departments from surrounding municipalities,” said Chester Fire Commissioner John-Paul Shirley.

Flames spread from a corner home to three neighboring rowhouses, traveling through the attic space, Shirley said.

“The fire wound up extending into three other row homes through the cockwall space in the attic, it was just a lot of fire and crews had their hands full,” he said.

Shirley said there were no reports of anyone missing and that all residents were accounted for.

Eight people were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross.

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“It’s horrible to happen anytime but it’s especially horrible you know on the holidays, tomorrow’s Christmas, there might be Christmas presents in the houses that now families aren’t gonna be able to get but we’ll do everything we can to help them out. The most important thing though is that everyone’s OK,” Shirley said.

Neighbors watched the scene unfold as firefighters battled the blaze, which burned through the roofs of at least two homes and caused partial roof collapses, according to Shirley.

Crews remained on scene extinguishing hot spots before going inside to determine whether the buildings are structurally sound.

James Reed, who lives nearby, said he saw the fire rapidly intensify.

“I heard the fire engines coming by, I look out the window I seen that they had a line, look down here and seen smoke and I went in the house put a coat on and by the time I came out it burst into flames. I believe it was like a common roof and just everything went berserk,” Reed said.

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Reflecting on other recent tragedies, Reed said the timing made the fire especially difficult to witness.

“It’s terrible I mean, so much has happened this week… State Police getting shot down in Delaware, the thing up in Bristol, it’s always around Christmas Eve… Something always happens. Just have faith in God,” he said.

The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation.

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