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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Girl Scout, 6, breaks record selling 87,000 boxes of cookies: ‘Unstoppable’
A dedicated Girl Scout in Pennsylvania has smashed the record for most cookies sold in a single season and isn’t letting anything stop her from earning the top prize.
Little 6-year-old Pim Neill sold nearly 87,000 boxes of the seasonal treat as of Saturday morning for her fundraiser, which started with the modest goal of selling enough cookies to earn a spot at scout camp.
“Pim is literally unstoppable,” Pim’s father, Luke Anorak-Neill, told People.
The young Pittsburgh scout had her eyes set on selling the most boxes within her group of 11 kindergartners. She then aimed to sell 5,000 boxes before setting her sights on breaking the state record then quickly aimed for selling over 10,000 boxes.
Her new goal is set for 100,000 boxes.
“Pim’s goal is 100,026 boxes so she can go to Girl Scout Camp this summer, go on adventures with her troop and bring some amazing service projects to her community,” Anorak-Neill wrote on Facebook on Friday night.
“Pim is hoping to sell ‘more cookies than anyone’ and we are tackling her goal a few (thousand) at a time. Pim has shattered several national records and is looking to crumble the world record for most boxes sold.”
Pim, currently a Daisy scout – the youngest of all scouts — began selling cookies on Tuesday, January 6, and by that Friday, she had sold 800 boxes, according to CBS News Pittsburgh.
The Girl Scouts’ cookie season often runs from January to April, the organization said.
The family has utilized Facebook and TikTok accounts to market the little girl’s ventures, updating followers on the daily count of cookies sold.
Anorak-Neill has shared the young girl’s adventures on social media, where he routinely tracks the number of cookies that Pim sold.
Anorak-Neill helped Pim by advertising on multiple Facebook groups and telling family members his daughter wanted cookie sales instead of Christmas gifts.
They have also gone the traditional route, going door-to-door offering the goodies.
“Pim has been out knocking on doors everyday after school and on the weekends so long as the weather allows. She calls people, hands out flyers, and asks everyone at church and community activities. We are excited to get preorders so she can deliver cookies and continue bringing joy! Place your order online today!” Anorak-Neill wrote.
The family has shared the online tracker for Pim’s cookie sales.
Pim faced delays joining a troop because of her late birthday and was then mocked because of her disabilities when she tried to join a group, a journey Anorak-Neill described as “brutal.”
“At one cookie booth, when we asked the adult ladies running the booth, before we knew anything about Girl Scouts, the one lady literally screamed at us (in front of all the girls) that my child’s disabilities would hold a troop back and that she didn’t want Pim in her troop,” Anorak-Neill told the outlet. “She told us to go find a playgroup for disabled kids.”
Pim had dreamed of joining the scouts since she was 3 years old, when she saw a group selling cookies.
When she eventually joined, Pim’s family feared she wouldn’t acclimate to the fast-paced lifestyle, but the fearless kinergartner proved everyone wrong.
“Pim’s first few meetings were very hard. Her disabilities were things we had to overcome, but everyone was supportive,” Anorak-Neill says. “I did all the background stuff and signed up as a troop leader so I would be able to go anywhere Pim goes to support her.”
Pim was dedicated to selling the most cookies after learning that the top prize was a trip to Niagara Falls, a place where Anorak-Neill was brought to by his partner, Don Neill, before moving from Idaho to Pennsylvania.
Neill collapsed last year and was hospitalized, jeopardizing the family trip to the natural landmark.
“Pim knows Niagara Falls is important. She wants to see it in person,” Anorak-Neill said.
The lifetime cookies record is currently held by motivational speaker Katie Francis, who sold 180,000 boxes between 2011 and 2020.
Francis also held the record for most sales in a single season until Lilly Bumpus sold over 32,000 in 2021, a record quickly demolished by Pim’s business.
“We aren’t sure what happened, so we can only try to sell more boxes,” Anorak-Neill said about his daughter’s incredible performance. “Friday morning, we watched the cookie counter. People were excited to help a 6-year-old crush a record that was literally set the season after she was born.”
MIFFLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — A Mifflin County man was arrested Thursday after Pennsylvania State Police say he dumped oil on a vending machine and rubbed raw chicken on the door of a nearby business.
Timothy Peachey, 33, is accused of committing the acts on May 17 on East John Street in McVeytown, according to a state police release.
The oil caused an estimated $10,843 in damages to the vending machine and the items inside of it, troopers said.
Peachey allegedly rubbed raw chicken on the front glass door of McVeytown Market. The reason for these actions is unknown.
Peachey is charged with criminal mischief — a third-degree felony due to the total property damage — as well as a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct and a summary offense for scattering rubbish.
He was released on bail and is awaiting a preliminary hearing, according to his court docket.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A Luzerne County legislator introduced a bill this week intended to allow local governments to place a moratorium on data center applications.
Rep. Jamie Walsh (R-Luzerne) introduced House Bill 2533 on Wednesday.
“Our municipalities, which decide local land use policies, have struggled to understand the myriad environmental and community impacts of this new industry and to review and revise their zoning ordinances to keep up with the influx of interest from data center developers,” Walsh said in a co-sponsorship memorandum. “I am therefore proposing to give municipalities the option of placing a moratorium on data center applications so that, if they choose, they can revise their ordinances and establish conditional use policies addressing issues like power supply, water consumption, noise and setbacks which they determine protect the community’s interest.”
It is a companion bill, he said, to Senator Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks/Lehigh)’s Senate Bill 1345.
They both would allow an 18-month moratorium on both unapproved and new data center applications.
The two legislators also introduced legislation they say would repeal the state Computer Data Center Equipment Exemption program enacted in 2021, which the legislators say incentivizes data centers to locate in Pennsylvania by exempting computer data center equipment from the Sales and Use Tax when it is sold to, used or consumed in a certified data center by an owner, operator or qualified tenant. This is in the form of House Bill 2532 and Senate Bill 1344 respectively.
“While we all appreciate the technological advances that are driving the development of new data centers, I am certain most Pennsylvanians want a more thoughtful approach to where and under what requirements they can operate and don’t want to subsidize them with tax incentives,” said Coleman. “The bills Rep. Walsh and I partnered on will do just that.”
Data centers have been a hot topic issue across Pennsylvania as communities have rallied to oppose developments, including in Columbia and in the Annville area.
Court records show a man is facing numerous charges after local news outlets reported he was accused of partially demolishing his Pennsylvania home with members of his family still inside.
Erik Pierwsza, 48, is charged with three counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count each of causing a catastrophe and disorderly conduct, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY.
According to local media outlet WTAE, Pierwsza allegedly destroyed a portion of his home with an excavator, while his wife and two children were inside. Pierwsza is a resident of Buffalo Township, roughly 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The Buffalo Township Police Department did not immediately return USA TODAY’s request for more information. Court records did not list representation for Pierwsza and noted that he is not currently represented by a public defender.
According to a criminal complaint reported on by WTAE and WPXI, Pierswza had allegedly got into an argument, at which point Pierswza threatened to tear down the house.
He then allegedly climbed into the excavator and began demolishing the home, per the outlets.
According to WPXI, no one was injured.
Pierwsza is being held at Butler County Prison on $10,000 bond, per court documents.
Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
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