Pennsylvania
New bill aims to make restaurant streeteries permanent across Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — It looks like streeteries across Pennsylvania are here to stay.
Many restaurants expanded their outdoor dining by adding streeteries during the pandemic.
George Profi, who owns Ambrosia at 24th and Locust streets, says his streetery seats 30 people and it’s open year-round, with fans for the heat.
“These are the first reservations where people go in and the last reservation that people ask for,” said Profi.
The COVID dining permits were set to expire at the end of this year. Now, streeteries are expected to be permanent thanks to House Bill 829.
“There are some restaurants and taverns that have shut down because of the COVID restrictions, and some are still trying to get back on their feet and the outdoor dining does really help them,” said state Senator Lisa M. Boscola (D-Northampton).
Boscola is championing the bill, which allows restaurants in Pennsylvania to expand from 400 to 1,000 square feet. She’s also throwing restaurants more lifelines as part of her updates to the state liquor code included in the bill, like a happy hour extension from 14 hours a week to 24.
Alcoholic beverages can be included in a discount combo meal. In all, restaurant owners can now be confident that their streeteries are here to stay.
“The predictability now at the statewide level gives restaurants some certainty as they kind of explore things moving forward,” said Zak Pyzik, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association (PRLA).
The Senate just approved the bill, so now it’s going to go back to the House for another vote.
It’s expected to pass the House. It would be implemented within a week or so after the governor signs it.
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Pennsylvania
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.
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.”
Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards
Pennsylvania
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.
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.
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.
“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.
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