Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania license plate featuring the Liberty Bell coming in 2025
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Pennsylvania drivers can show off their Keystone State pride with a new license plate design set to debut next year.
The “Let Freedom Ring” design, which features an image of the Liberty Bell, is the latest element of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s “Great American Getaway” tourism initiative as the state prepares to host the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
Drivers interested in getting the plate can sign up now for email updates and notifications once they’re available for purchase. PennDOT says it will also provide drivers with instructions on how to request and pay for the new plates.
Along with the plates, Shapiro shared a photo on X of new “Welcome to Pennsylvania” signs that are already being installed along state highways. “Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American democracy and American freedom, and we want the world to know it,” Shapiro wrote in the post.
So far, the new signs can be found at state-border entry points on U.S. 15 in Adams County, I-295 in Bucks County, I-90/the Ohio line in Erie County, I-70 in Fulton County, I-80 in Monroe County, Route 449 in Potter County, I-81 in Susquehanna County and Route 1015 in Tioga County. PennDOT says another 29 signs will be installed in the coming months.
Similar to the new license plates, the signs also feature the Liberty Bell, the “Let Freedom Ring” slogan, and a red, white and blue color scheme.
In an interview with CBS News Philadelphia’s Don Bell, Shapiro talked about why the state is going all-in on its new tourism campaign, even though the nation’s 250th birthday is still two years away.
“Look, 74 million people live within a four-hour drive of Pennsylvania, and as a result of that, we’re really into tourism,” he said. “We’re really into promoting the wonderful outdoor spaces, museums, restaurants, bars, sporting events that happen right here in the Commonwealth, and it’s huge business for us.”
In 2026, Pennsylvania is set to host a myriad of events that are likely to draw thousands of people to the state and city of Philadelphia, including the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, the 108th PGA Championships, U.S. Amateur and the first two rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
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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