Pennsylvania
High levels of respiratory illness reported across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware
NEWARK, Del. (WPVI) — If you feel like everyone around you is coughing and sneezing, it’s not your imagination.
The CDC says the level of respiratory illness, including flu, COVID, and RSV, is classified as “high” in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, while Delaware is classified as “very high.”
Doctors say they’re seeing it all.
“Everyone is sick. We have RSV going on. We have flu. We have COVID going on. We have GI distress. Essentially, you’re getting sick in some fashion,” said Dr. Theresa Metanchuk, the Regional Clinical Director for ChristianaCare.
Dr. Claiborne Childs, the vice president of medical affairs at Riddle Hospital, is seeing the same thing.
“It’s sort of a confluence of all the different viruses all together. We’re seeing an uptick all around the hospital,” Childs said.
We’re at the center of the respiratory illness season.
“We still have some time to go. We have the rest of the month of January, February and early March,” said Dr. Childs.
That means there is still time to protect yourself with vaccines.
Dr. Metanchuk said the latest statistics show this year’s flu shot is 40% beneficial, which she said is “better than nothing.”
“They’re meant to keep you out of the hospital. They are meant to limit how severe the illness makes you,” she said.
As people heal from those illnesses, their bodies are at greater risk.
“Whenever you get sick, our immune system has to get a chance to recuperate, bounce back, so we’re more likely to get sick with something else,” said Dr. Metanchuk.
Staying hydrated, working out, and eating healthy – common New Year’s resolutions – are good ideas for preventing these illnesses too.
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Pennsylvania
Monday is the last day to register to vote in this month’s primary election in Pennsylvania
Monday, May 4, 2026 7:08PM
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Monday the last day to register to vote in this month’s primary election in Pennsylvania.
If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so in person at your county election office, or at a PennDOT facility along with other government agencies.
The last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is May 12th.
Those ballots must be received by your county elections office by 8 pm on May 19th which is primary day.
Polls will be open on May 19th from 7am until 8pm.
Pennsylvania has a closed primary system.
This means that Republican voters can vote only for Republican candidates and Democratic voters can vote only for Democratic candidates.
The U.S. has a new top amusement park – and it’s not Disney themed.
Little-known Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, took home the top prize for top amusement park in the recently released TripAdvisor “Best of the Best” list.
“Family-owned and operated since 1926, Knoebels Amusement Resort—located in Elysburg, Pennsylvania—is America’s largest free-admission amusement park. It’s got it all: roller coasters, kid-friendly rides (bumper cars, a haunted mansion), swimming, camping, a mining museum, and even a championship 18-hole golf course. The accommodating staff, clean facilities, and fun attractions make for a memorable family-friendly visit,” TripAdvisor noted.
The park, which is located in the middle of the state, received a 4.7 rating from nearly 3,000 reviewers on the website.
Dollywood, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Universal Island rounded out the top five on TripAdvisor’s list.
Knoebels celebrated taking the top spot with a social media post. Its fans were not surprised with the high ranking.
“We knew it all along,” the American Coaster Enthusiasts for Eastern Pennsylvania wrote in response.
“Been going since 1996,” one user wrote.
Knoebels opened in 1926 and is America’s largest free-admission park. Tickets for individual rides cost visitors a fee,, but entry remains free.
The resort offers more than 100 rides ranging from family to thrill coasters. The Impulse roller coaster is one of the park’s most popular and features upside-down twists and a 90-degree free fall. The Phoenix roller coaster is a classic wooden model that first opened in 1947 in Texas. In 1985 it was reborn at Knoebels.
If thrill seeking isn’t on your bucket list, the park offers plenty of gentler rides. The antique cars attractions let people drive a Model-T replica through the woods and under the Phoenix roller coaster. The park’s Grand Carousel also offers a throwback ride to users and a game on each ride where the winner gets a free turn.
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood in Tennessee took the second spot on the list.
“Dollywood is the brainchild of singer Dolly Parton, who grew up in the surrounding Smoky Mountains of Tennessee,” TripAdvisor noted. “The park has a downhome feel with singalongs and a museum dedicated to Parton’s life, plus high-velocity roller coasters and thrill rides. Watch artisans showcase glass blowing and pottery skills. Stay at the park’s two resorts for loads of perks.”
While a pair of Disney parks in Florida took the next two spots on the list.
“Known as The Most Magical Place On Earth, the Magic Kingdom Park needs no introduction. This theme park is located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and features some of Disney’s best-known attractions (Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Cinderella Castle). There’s also a nightly fireworks show, musical parades, and meet and greets with your favorite Disney Characters,” TripAdvisor said of Magic Kingdom.
Here is the full top 10 list:
- Knoebels Amusement Resort (Elysburg, Pennsylvania)
- Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
- Magic Kingdom Park (Bay Lake, Florida)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Bay Lake, Florida)
- Universal Islands of Adventure (Orlando, Florida)
- Epcot (Bay Lake, Florida)
- Legoland California (Carlsbad, California)
- Universal Studios Florida (Orlando, Florida)
- Disneyland Park (Anaheim, California)
- Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri)
Pennsylvania
Update: Freeze warning for part of Pennsylvania until Sunday morning – temperatures to drop to 28
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