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Lt. Gov. Davis announces $56M to strengthen after-school programs

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Lt. Gov. Davis announces M to strengthen after-school programs


Under that backdrop, Davis, along with state and local leaders, gathered at the Northeast Frankford Boys & Girls Club to announce 46 grants totaling $56.5 million for 113 projects aimed at reducing community and gun violence, as well as supporting after-school programming.

State and local officials funding of over $11 million Pennsylvania after-school programs at a press conference at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia’s location in Frankford on Jan. 16, 2025. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

In Philadelphia and throughout the state, there is a diverse range of program options available.

“It is critical that we create multiple ladders of opportunities for young people to succeed … making sure that they don’t turn towards violence,” Davis said.

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Having been a part of the program for nearly a decade, 17-year-old Mahiyah Azuakoemu finds the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Frankford to be a safe place from the violence prevalent in her Kensington neighborhood.

“Going home is like a nightmare,” Azuakoemu said. “Being exposed to the gun violence or the drugs or the profanity, it’s a lot.”

Maliyah Azuakoemu looks on
Mahiyah Azuakoemu, 17, has been coming to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia’s location in Frankford since she was 8 years old and said she doesn’t know where she’d be without it. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Azuakoemu walks with her brother to school, carefully navigating around discarded syringes and observing individuals with visible injuries and open wounds.

“It’s normal to us now,” Azuakoemu said. “It doesn’t faze us anymore.”

Since joining the Boys & Girls Club at the age of 8, she has emerged as a leader for her peers.

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“If they’re having a bad day, it’s always nice to be heard, to be able to express yourself,” Azuakoemu said. “We have to be able to see and hear the children or else it’s not gonna be good for the future.”

On most days, she motivates kids to show their feelings through art and other fun activities at the club.

“I love painting,” Azuakoemu said.

Maya Johnson speaks behind a podium
Maya Johnson, 16, talked about going to the after-school program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia’s location in Frankford on Jan. 16, 2025. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Proponents of gun violence prevention assert that gun violence disseminates through social networks and is exacerbated by long-standing inequities and public health disparities.

“Boost can halt the spread by enriching children with mentors and skills and love,” said Debra O’Connor, executive director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

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three kids at the computer
Neighborhood kids play video games during the Boys & Girls Club after-school program in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement advocating for stronger gun laws, closing safety loopholes and promoting responsible gun ownership to combat gun violence and protect families.

O’Connor contends that there is insufficient funding and that more people need to care.

“We lift the messages of the many anti-gun violence groups who have had boots on the ground for decades. And we know that gun safety laws make a difference,” O’Connor said.



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Pennsylvania

Man cited after abandoning car in frozen pond at Pennsylvania country club: Police

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Man cited after abandoning car in frozen pond at Pennsylvania country club: Police


A man has been cited after police said he drove a vehicle into a frozen pond at a country club in Pennsylvania, left the scene, then spent the night in a hotel.

According to the East Lampeter Township Police Department, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, around 10:38 a.m., officers were called to the Lancaster Country Club after receiving reports about a vehicle in a pond.

Police said that, through an investigation, it was learned that Sung Chun, a 50-year-old man from Hoboken, New Jersey, had driven onto the property the day before around 8:30 p.m., crossed portions of the golf course, and ultimately ended up in a pond.

Chun then exited the vehicle and walked away without reporting the incident and spent the night at a nearby hotel, according to police.

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Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department

Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department

Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department

Police said Chun returned to the location while police were on scene investigating the incident and was ultimately cited with “Trespass by Motor Vehicle.”



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State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

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State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards


In rural Pennsylvania, State College houses Penn State against a backdrop of beautiful country scenery. The university hosts many events, arts performances, and lively festivals that give the town year-round excitement that blends student life with local charm. Visitors can attend a football game, explore nearby parks and trails, and savor the town’s growing culinary scene of pubs and local eateries.



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What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania

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What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania


The war with Iran could start impacting your wallet as soon as today.

Jim Garrity from AAA East Central says oil prices are up.

“They’re hovering around $72. They were pretty consistently around $65, $66 for a while,” he said.

Nationally, AAA said the average for a gallon of regular sits at about $3, up approximately six cents from last week.

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In Pennsylvania, it’s around $3.12 a gallon, and in the Pittsburgh region, it’s around $3.24 a gallon. That’s actually down about four cents from last week.

Garrity added that gas prices this time of year would already be increasing, usually because of higher demand for the warmer months and the production of the summer blend of gas used for those months.

The impacts of what’s happening in Iran may not be immediate, which could be part of why our region and the state overall have not seen a spike yet, he said.

“It could be a couple of days later. It could be up to a week later,” Garrity said.

A lot of people are watching what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders it to the north, and 20% of the world’s oil goes through it.

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Iran is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and China gets a lot of that oil.

“If there is an impact there, you could see oil start to come in from other parts of the world, which has a downstream effect on [the United States],” Garrity said.

One way you can save on gas if prices increase in our area is by slowing down.

“When you drive faster every five miles, over 50 miles an hour, your fuel efficiency is going down,” Garrity said. “You’re making the car work harder, making the gasoline consumption less effective.”

Garrity added that in 2022, when our area and many others saw some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, people changed their driving habits.

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“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.



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