Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania rescuers say ground unstable near sinkhole where grandmother went missing – UPI.com

Published

1 year ago

December 4, 2024

Pennsylvania rescuers say ground unstable near sinkhole where grandmother went missing – UPI.com

Dec. 4 (UPI) — Officials on Wednesday said a sinkhole in western Pennsylvania is now more dangerous and unstable after a missing woman reportedly fell through it while babysitting her granddaughter.

“The integrity of that mine is starting to become compromised,” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani said during a morning news conference.

Limani expressed hope that Elizabeth Pollard, 64, may still be alive in an air pocket after it was believed she fell in the sinkhole Monday along Marguerite Road down the way from Monday’s Union Restaurant.

“There’s been nothing that said she is not alive or she could not possibly have survived,” the trooper said. “There’s nothing that said 100% definitively it couldn’t have happened. And until that 100% happens, how could I say it’s any other way?”

Pollard left home Monday in search of her cat and was last seen at 5 p.m. EST that day in the unincorporated coal town community of Marguerite in Westmoreland County located about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Police got a call around 1 a.m. Tuesday from a Pollard relative.

The search ultimately led to the discovery of her car at about 3 a.m. In the vehicle was Pollard’s 5-year-old granddaughter, who has since been reunited with her parents. The young girl reportedly had been in the car in freezing weather for 10 hours or more when her grandmother went missing.

About 15 to 20 feet away, police found a sinkhole about the size of a larger manhole. Limani said that they believe the sinkhole appeared as she was walking in the area.

A shoe was found in the hole.

“Let’s just say it’s a modern shoe, not something you would find in a coal mine in Marguerite in 1940,” said Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Company Chief John Bacha.

The sinkhole where Pollard is believed to have fallen is in an area with limestone bedrock and had almost no ground left, state police confirmed.

On Wednesday, Limani said cold water that engineers have been utilizing to flush dirt out of the mine has been causing problems with the mine’s integrity.

Limani said the hole — connected to an abandoned mine — has more than enough oxygen and is about 55 degrees warmer than above ground.

“We have to be very careful with the water issues we’ve been experiencing,” he said.

Abandoned mines and sinkholes, while rare, are uniquely a Pennsylvania problem and have been a safety hazard for decades. Limani noted the sinkhole wasn’t there before Monday. However, experts indicated the mine had been deteriorating for a long period of time.

“A lot of the little villages around here are old coal patch towns,” said Bacha, adding it’s “very common to find a lot of mines in these areas, obviously a concern to have these mine subsidence issues.”

A federal database showed two abandoned mines near the sinkhole where Pollard went missing which “pose the highest danger to citizens’ lives” due to land safety and other environmental concerns, according to the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs.

A few years ago a 30-foot sinkhole uncovered itself in Fallowfield Township in neighboring Washington County where Pollard went missing Monday.

Pennsylvania has a long and sometimes checkered history with the dying fossil fuel industry dating back to the peak of the coal era with abandoned mines at all corners of the Keystone State.

“Sinkholes are dramatic because the land usually stays intact for a while until the underground spaces just get too big,” the U.S. Geological Survey says.

By the 1800s, Pennsylvania coal fueled America’s industrial growth and coal was the primary fuel source for western Pennsylvania’s famous steel industry, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

As of 2020, there were over 3,600 sinkholes in Pennsylvania, according to data collected by Millersville University.

In 1982, an electrician and a 35-ton crane plunged into a 288-foot abandoned mine shaft more than half filled with water around the 80-foot-wide in downtown Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania on the opposite side of the state where Pollard went missing near an abandoned mine.

It was noteworthy in that rescuers had the option to determine if any other old adjoining tunnel to the mine would give them better access to the main shaft that hadn’t been used since the 1930s.

Years later in 2013, a 25- to 30-foot wide sinkhole roughly10- to 12-feet deep forced forced a family in the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania to evacuate their home after a sinkhole appeared. Five years later a similar event took place in the same region when a 30 to 35 feet sinkhole likewise appeared in Cheltenham Township near Philadelphia.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Lottery Pick 2 Day, Pick 2 Evening results for Dec. 21, 2025

Published

42 minutes ago

December 22, 2025

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The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Pick 2 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Day: 6-9, Wild: 1

Evening: 8-1, Wild: 0

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Day: 5-8-0, Wild: 1

Evening: 0-8-5, Wild: 0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Day: 0-7-4-5, Wild: 1

Evening: 6-3-0-0, Wild: 0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Day: 3-8-7-2-8, Wild: 1

Evening: 1-5-1-3-2, Wild: 0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

15-25-30-40-55, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

11-20-31-36-38

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

05-11-13-25-27

Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

08-29-32-33-35-45

Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

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

Nancy Elizabeth (Mast) Yoder, Greenville, PA

Published

13 hours ago

December 21, 2025

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Nancy Elizabeth (Mast) Yoder, Greenville, PA

GREENVILLE, Pa. (MyValleyTributes) – Nancy Elizabeth (Mast) Yoder, age 58, of Greenville, Pennsylvania, went home to be with the Lord on Friday evening, December 19th, 2025, at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside Hospital following an extended illness.

Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Nancy was the daughter of the late Enos D. Mast and Elizabeth J. (Hostetler) Mast. She was a faithful member of Harmony Mennonite Church in Kinsman, Ohio, where her quiet spirit and devotion were well known and deeply appreciated.

Nancy treasured time spent visiting with family and friends and dearly loved her pets. She found joy in crafts and crocheting, often creating items that reflected her care and thoughtfulness for others.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Lavina Yoder and a nephew, Kenneth Michael Yoder.

She is survived by her loving husband of 31 years, Ammon Ray Yoder; six children, Elizabeth Ann Yoder of Garrison, New York, Enos Daniel Yoder of Dover, Ohio, Mollie Sue (Gideon) Hertzler of Salisbury, Pennsylvania and Christopher Andrew, Joseph Eli and David Abraham Yoder, all of Greenville, Pennsylvania. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Karla Faye Yoder, Rosann, and Dorothy Hertzler.

Additional survivors include three sisters, Mollie (Floyd) Yoder, Clara (Albert) Yoder and Ada (Mervin) Yoder; two brothers, Joseph (Laura) Mast and Jacob (Erma) Mast, a brother-in-law, David Yoder; along with many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and friends who will cherish her memory.

Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Harmony Mennonite Church, 6123 Youngstown Conneaut Rd., Kinsman, Ohio 44428, with Speaker Sylvan Yoder officiating.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, December 22nd, 2025, at the church from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Burial will take place in State Line Amish Cemetery in Greenville, Pennsylvania.

Arrangements entrusted to Baumgardner Funeral & Cremation Service.

Nancy will be remembered for her faith, her gentle kindness, and her deep love for family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nancy, please visit our floral store.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball, Pick 2 Day results for Dec. 20, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

04-05-28-52-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 2 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Day: 2-2, Wild: 2

Evening: 5-3, Wild: 9

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Day: 2-0-0, Wild: 2

Evening: 4-6-7, Wild: 9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Day: 6-6-7-9, Wild: 2

Evening: 1-1-7-1, Wild: 9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Day: 9-9-1-2-6, Wild: 2

Evening: 8-1-9-3-5, Wild: 9

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

14-24-26-42-45, Cash Ball: 04

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

05-07-08-37-38

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

03-06-08-16-18

Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

10-13-22-31-35-45

Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

05-08-19-23-43, Powerball: 06

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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