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Pennsylvania university on lockdown following pro-Palestinian encampment – KYMA

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Pennsylvania university on lockdown following pro-Palestinian encampment – KYMA


PHILADELPHIA (NBC, KYMA/KECY) – A group of pro-Palestinian protesters set up tents on Drexel University’s campus in West Philladelphia Saturday, forcing the school’s buildings to be placed on lockdown.

The protest is mainly organized by the Philly Palestine Coalition. They started at 4:00pm Eastern at City Hall, marching down JFK Boulevard into West Philly.

By 7:00pm, they were setting up tents on Drexel’s Academic Quadrangle. and around 8:00pm Eastern, police set up barricades and came out in riot gear.

Similar to the Penn protests, their two main demands are for Drexel to disclose its investments and redirect any money going to the Israeli military.

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“We wanna keep it peaceful. At the same time, we don’t want anyone to get hurt…just want people to be heard,” said Kendell Lewis, a student of the university.

“Open the books, let us see what it is…Let us see where you’re actually spending your money, and democratically, we should be able to decide, as students who go to the area, who work for the schools, we should be the ones to decide where that money goes and what’s done with it.”

Marie Gioulis, Drexel alumni

The encampment at Penn was disbanded eight days ago when 33 people were arrested, but protesters returned to campus Saturday night, trying to occupy Fisher-Bennett Hall and start a new encampment.

Police arrested 19 people, including six students, one for one for assaulting a police officer. Penn said police found lockpicking tools and homemade metal shields while adding:

“The exit doors had been secured with zip-ties, barbed wire, and barricaded with metal chairs and desks, and the windows were covered over with newspaper and cardboard. Bike racks and metal chairs were also found blocking outside entrances. Penn remains focused on maintaining the safety and security of our campus.”

Now, protesters at Drexel said they’d like to combine with folks from the Penn protest to create a bigger footprint. They also want to encourage the university unions to go on strike in solidarity.

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“Seeing it finally trickle down from our next-door neighbor to finally here, I hope it is more fruitful, and then more organizations around the area will also step up and also collab,” Lewis expressed.

In a statement, Drexel says its buildings are on lockdown and people unaffiliated with drexel are not allowed to trespass on campus. They also added:

“We will be prepared to respond quickly to any disruptive or threatening behavior by anyone against anyone… We will not tolerate the destruction of property…or threatening behavior of any kind, including speech.”



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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to threatening Trump and ICE agents online

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Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to threatening Trump and ICE agents online


Shawn Monper, 33, of Butler, Pennsylvania, entered the plea on Monday before U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy to two counts of threatening federal officials with intent to impede, intimidate, interfere with and retaliate against them in…



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Pennsylvania man charged after son brought loaded gun to school, DA says

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Pennsylvania man charged after son brought loaded gun to school, DA says



A Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, man was charged after his son went to school with his loaded gun, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said Monday. 

The DA’s office said Russell Matthews, 58, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering the welfare of a child. 

East Pikeland Township Police responded to Hares Hill Elementary School on Monday at around 12:15 p.m. for the report of a student who brought a handgun to school.

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At school, the student noticed the handgun inside their backpack and told a school counselor, according to the DA’s office. The student told officials that he recognized it and that it belonged to his father. The semiautomatic handgun was loaded with five rounds of ammunition, the DA’s office said.

Matthews told police that he put the gun in the wrong backpack, the DA’s office said. 

Nobody was injured during the incident.

“We are grateful to the school officials and the East Pikeland Township Police Department who worked quickly to ensure that [Hares] Hill Elementary School is safe again,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement.

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Cynthia Ann Gargasz, Sharon, PA

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Cynthia Ann Gargasz, Sharon, PA


SHARON, Pa. (MyValleyTributes) – Cynthia Ann Gargasz, age 75, passed away peacefully, on Friday, April 10, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Cynthia was born on October 5, 1950, in Sharon, Pennsylvania, to Mary and Carl Spruk.

Cindy grew up in Farrell, Pennsylvania, where she attended Farrell High School and graduated from class of 1969. She went on to dedicate 30 years of hard work at Packard Electric before retiring.

Cindy found joy in simple comforts at home and maintaining her home and family. Throughout her life, she cared deeply for her animal friends and would always feed and nurture any additional critters that would cross her path. She loved sitting with a cup of coffee, watching the birds and welcoming visits from friends and family. She cherished gathering around the kitchen table for meals and conversation and was always adding simple touches to her space to make it feel more like home. She enjoyed hosting holidays, where everyone felt welcome. Cindy had an eye for style, enjoyed meeting up with friends and dancing the night away to good music.  Most recently during her illness, she very much enjoyed trips to the corral drive-in, for vanilla ice cream and burger visits with family. 

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Cindy is preceded in death by her parents Mary and Carl Spruk; her sister, Carol Crisan; and her brother, Edward Spruk.

She is survived by her children, Frank (Reagan) Gargasz and Ashley Gargasz; her grandson, Jordan DeCarmen; her brother, Mark Spruk (Gretchen); and her nieces and great-nieces.

Per her wish, family and close friends may call on Tuesday April 14, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., in the Stephen J. Sherman Funeral Home

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., in the funeral home, with Father James Power, officiating. 

Burial will take place in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery Hermitage, PA.

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Arrangements entrusted to the SHERMAN Funeral Home & Crematory.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Cynthia Ann (Spruk) Gargasz, please visit our floral store.

A television tribute will air Tuesday, April 14, at the following approximate times: 6:47 a.m. on WYTV, 9:43 a.m. on WKBN, 10:58 a.m. on FOX and 8:12 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.



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