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
Police hunt for masked suspects who looted a Pennsylvania Lululemon overnight
Pennsylvania police are searching for at least two masked suspects believed to have looted a Lululemon store overnight.
At least two masked men broke into a Lululemon in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, around 2 a.m. Tuesday, police told NBC 10 Philadelphia. Ardmore, a suburb of Philadelphia, is home to about 14,000 people.
The suspected thieves used a sledgehammer to break the glass on the store’s front door, according to police.
Once they gained access, the masked individuals grabbed handfuls of merchandise, security footage shows. The men went in and out of the store several times, grabbing handfuls of items that included coats, vests and shirts from the men’s section, police told local outlet WPVI.
“This is taking it to another level,” Lower Merion Police Superintendent Andy Block told WPVI.
The suspects then loaded the merchandise into a U-Haul truck. Their truck was last seen at the intersection of Bryn Mawr Avenue and Woodbine Avenue, just a few miles from the store, police said.
The entire incident lasted about five minutes, which Block said is longer than usual for this type of burglary.
“Usually, it is because in a smash-and-grab situation they want to get in and get out before they’re identified or anybody’s notified on it,” Block told CBS Philadelphia.
Block told WPVI the store is a popular target for robbers, given that many of its items cost more than $100. Now, he expects the alleged thieves have sold or exchanged the items.
“They’re using it on the market, maybe they’re exchanging it for drugs, or they’re selling it on the black market. It’s a highly sought-after item,” he told WPVI.
Even though police say Lululemon is a popular target, Lt. Michael Keenan of the Lower Merion Police Department still called the incident “out of character.”
“This is an out of character, out of type incident where we don’t normally see people smashing windows in the middle of the night. But, certainly this is something that is distinct,” Keenan told NBC 10 Philadelphia.
The store still opened Tuesday, with a banner covering the smashed glass on the door, according to Fox 29. Gina Picciano, a general manager at a restaurant across the street, said it was a frightening incident.
“I walked out here with my bartender and we looked, and it’s scary that it’s happening right across the way from us,” Picciano told Fox 29.
The same store was previously robbed in May 2024. Thieves stole more than $10,000 worth of merchandise during that incident, NBC 10 Philadelphia reports.
The Independent has contacted the Lower Merion Police Department and Lululemon for comment.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro has $30 million for his reelection bid, a new state record
Pennsylvania
3 winning scratch-off lotto tickets totaling $7.5M sold in Pennsylvania
RADNOR TWP., Pa. (WPVI) — Three winning scratch-off tickets totaling $7.5 million were sold in Pennsylvania, lottery officials announced on Monday.
One winning “MONOPOLY Own It All” ticket worth $5 million was sold in Delaware County at the GIANT on the 500 block of East Lancaster Avenue. The grocery store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
“MONOPOLY Own It All” is a $50 game that offers top prizes of $5 million.
In Erie County, a $1.5 million-winning “Cash Spectacular” scratch-off was purchased at a Sheetz on Perry Highway. “Cash Spectacular” is a $30 game that offers top prizes of $1.5 million.
And in Luzerne County, a $1 million-winning “Millionaire Loading” scratch-off was sold at Schiel’s Family Market in Wilkes-Barre. “Millionaire Loading” is a $20 game that offers top prizes of $1 million.
Scratch-off prizes expire one year from the game’s end-sale date posted at palottery.com.
Winners should immediately sign the back of their ticket and call the Pennsylvania Lottery at 1-800-692-7481.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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