Pennsylvania

‘Not your childhood BB guns’: Pa. legislator considers air rifles for big game hunting

Published

6 months ago

May 21, 2025

‘Not your childhood BB guns’: Pa. legislator considers air rifles for big game hunting

Pennsylvania hunters one day may have the option to use an air rifle instead of a centerfire rifle to hunt big game.

Rep. Gary W. Day, a Republican from Lehigh County, sent a memo on May 7 to his fellow House members seeking co-sponsors for legislation that “would authorize the use of large caliber air rifles for hunting big game in Pennsylvania. This measure is designed to modernize our hunting laws and broaden opportunities for sportsmen and women, particularly those interested in emerging air-powered technologies. We will join 29 other states where this means of hunting is currently legal.”

He wrote, “Air rifles have evolved significantly in recent years. Modern large caliber air rifles are capable of achieving the velocity and energy required for ethical big game hunting — these are not your childhood BB guns.

“This change will offer numerous benefits, including attracting new hunters, increasing opportunity, supporting hunting traditions and promoting conservation. With proper legislation and oversight, we can responsibly integrate air rifles into Pennsylvania’s wildlife management framework while maintaining public safety and environmental stewardship.”

Day did not respond to interview requests about his proposal.

Air guns, in calibers from .177 to .22, are already permitted for small game in Pennsylvania, but not for big game hunting like for deer or bears.

While the technology continues to improve, air guns are not new to the hunting community. Air rifles have been used for hunting for more than 200 years in the United States. The National Park Service reports that Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail carried a gun in the early 1800s that used compressed air from a tank instead of gunpowder to fire a bullet.

Today, air rifles have been refined. Perry Henley, a buyer for Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter in Stroudsburg and Brodheadsville, said they have been selling air rifles for years to people and believes the new models are an ethical option for hunters to consider. The largest caliber they have in stock is a .25 caliber which can be used for small game.

There are pre-charged pneumatic rifles that use cylinders filled with compressed air to launch pellets down range at speeds that make them an ethical option for hunters.

When asked about why a hunter would choose an air rifle over a centerfire rifle that uses gunpowder, Henley said there are several advantages to air guns.

“They’re certainly quieter. The technology is there that they still have enough power that they will do the job properly for larger game,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be afraid to use one in place of a high-powered rifle myself.”

If there’s a demand by for larger calibers, Henley said, their stores will start carrying them. “If we have people who are interested in them, we’ll certainly stock them.”

He said in addition to air guns being quieter than centerfire rifles, they also have less recoil which is attractive to some shooters as well.

Pyramid Adventures in Recreation sells air rifles online and offers a caliber-by-caliber breakdown for hunting. According to the company’s website, .30 caliber air rifles are best for hunting small antelope and deer up to 75 pounds. A .357 caliber rifle is best for feral hogs, bighorn sheep and mountain goats weighing up to 250 pounds. A .45 caliber air rifle is best for large antelope, bear and mule deer weighing up to 500 pounds and a .50 caliber air gun can be used for elk, moose and bison. The company recommends keeping shots at game animals to under 75 yards away.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission doesn’t have a stance on air-guns for big game hunting.

“Air guns for big game presently is prohibited by the Game and Wildlife Code. Once the legislation has been introduced, staff here will review it. We expect to take a position on it at that time,” Travis Lau, Communications Director for the agency, said through an email.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website’s homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball, Pick 2 Day results for Nov. 17, 2025

Published

7 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Press Room

The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

07-33-50-57-66, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 5

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 2 numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

Day: 6-5, Wild: 1

Evening: 9-2, Wild: 8

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

Day: 7-1-3, Wild: 1

Evening: 0-0-3, Wild: 8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

Day: 8-2-0-4, Wild: 1

Evening: 0-5-6-8, Wild: 8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

Day: 6-3-0-5-9, Wild: 1

Evening: 5-6-6-4-5, Wild: 8

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

13-16-23-31-37, Cash Ball: 01

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

04-21-27-29-42

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

08-09-15-16-20

Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

01-03-29-31-46-49

Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Nov. 17 drawing

11-18-23-59-69, Powerball: 05

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Sign the Ticket: Ensure your ticket has your signature, name, address and phone number on the back.
Prizes up to $600: Claim at any PA Lottery retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
Prizes from $600 to $2,500: Use a Claim Form to claim at a retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
Prizes over $2,500: Mail your signed ticket with a Claim Form or in person at a Lottery Area Office (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Lottery Headquarters is currently not open to the public. Visit the PA Lottery website for other office locations near you.

When are the Pennsylvania Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: 1:35 p.m. and 6:59 p.m. daily.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. daily.
Treasure Hunt: 1:35 p.m. daily.
Match 6 Lotto: 6:59 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Pennsylvania editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Pennsylvania

SEIU reaches labor pact with Erie-area nursing home, nine others in Pennsylvania

Published

1 day ago

November 17, 2025

Press Room

SEIU reaches labor pact with Erie-area nursing home, nine others in Pennsylvania

This new contract comes after workers had previously scheduled a three-day strike in October but opted to continue negotiations instead.
SEIU Healthcare represents about 750 employees across the 10 facilities, including nurses, aides and support staff.

Union workers at 10 Pennsylvania long-term care facilities, including one in Millcreek Township, have ratified a new labor deal less than a month after they had scheduled a three-day strike.

Members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania approved the agreement with owner Valley West Health the week of Nov. 7, an SEIU spokeswoman said in an email. Since it was a wage reopener, the agreement dealt with employee pay and the current contract continues to run through the end of 2028.

“We have a lot of work to do to maintain the stability of the industry in Pennsylvania, and we hope to build a relationship with Valley West in the future to retain and recruit the workforce that residents deserve,” Matthew Yarnell, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania president, said in a statement.

The agreement includes “multiple scheduled wage increases,” according to Aharon Franco, vice president of operations for Valley West’s parent organization, Oxford Health.

Oxford Health purchased 10 facilities from Guardian Healthcare in 2024, including Walnut Creek Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, 4850 Zuck Road, and others in Titusville, Oil City, Clarion, Waynesburg, Johnstown, Uniontown, Hastings, Warren and Lewistown.

SEIU voted to hold three-day strike, but negotiated instead

SEIU reached a labor deal with Valley West in 2024 after the company notified SEIU officials that it wouldn’t honor the union’s labor contract with Guardian. The deal included an opportunity to resume negotiations in 2025.

When initial talks yielded no progress and Valley West postponed a second session, SEIU members voted to hold a three-day strike Oct. 14-16 at eight of the facilities and informational picketing at two others. Valley West officials said the 2024 agreement included a “no-strike” clause.

Instead of striking, SEIU Healthcare members agreed to negotiate on Oct. 16. Progress was made and a second session was held.

Union looking for wage hikes to match SEIU members elsewhere

SEIU Healthcare members were seeking an increase in wages that would place them at levels similar to those at other Pennsylvania facilities staffed by SEIU members, who include nurses, nursing aides, housekeepers, and dietary and laundry staff.

“(O)ur guiding priority throughout the process was safeguarding resident care and stabilizing the facilities,” Franco said in an email. “We approached the negotiations with a focus on ensuring that every outcome strengthened the quality of care, protected staffing continuity, and supported the operational turnaround already underway.”

SEIU Healthcare represents about 750 employees at the 10 facilities, including nearly 100 at Walnut Creek.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.

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Pennsylvania

Fetterman says he’s back home after a fall put the Pennsylvania senator in the hospital

Published

2 days ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Fetterman says he’s back home after a fall put the Pennsylvania senator in the hospital

Sen. John Fetterman says he has returned home to his family in Pennsylvania after being hospitalized due to what his office said was a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that caused him to feel light-headed and fall during an early morning walk Thursday.

Fetterman, D-Pa., posted a picture Saturday on X that showed the aftereffects to his nose and forehead, saying “20 stitches later and a full recovery, I’m back home” with his wife, Gisele, and their children.

The smiling Fetterman also said he was grateful for the medical team in Pittsburgh that “put me back together.”

“See you back in DC,” he concluded.

Ventricular fibrillation is the most serious form of abnormal heartbeat and can lead to cardiac arrest — when the heart suddenly stops beating — and sudden cardiac death, according to the American Heart Association.

Ventricular fibrillation occurs in the heart’s lower chambers, and the heart association says its causes include cardiomyopathy, which Fetterman was diagnosed with in 2022. Cardiomyopathy can impede blood flow and potentially cause heartbeats so irregular they can be fatal.

Fetterman, 56, disclosed that he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and another type of abnormal heartbeat, atrial fibrillation, after he had a stroke during his 2022 campaign.

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