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Search for missing grandma who may have fallen in sinkhole turns into recovery effort

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Search for missing grandma who may have fallen in sinkhole turns into recovery effort


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The search for a grandmother who apparently fell into a sinkhole while looking for her cat earlier this week in a coal mine town about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh is now a recovery mission, state officials announced.

The hunt for Elizabeth Pollard entered day three Thursday with crews, who officials have performed what state troopers called an impressive, grueling effort on the ground, attempting to locate the 64-year-old woman.

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“It’s now a matter of trying to find her and do right by her family,” Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said during a news conference Wednesday night, adding there have been no signs of life since she vanished Monday.

Crews search for missing grandma at abandoned mine

Limani said crews had worked “a full two days” pumping water through a long-abandoned underground mine at the site suctioning out dirt, debris and rocks to clear an area and search for Pollard – a process Limani compared to trying to pull a boulder out of a house of stacked cards.

“(Crews) were just busting their butts, covered in mud, everything they could to move debris,” Limani said.

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The abandoned mine is in Marguerite, an unincorporated community and coal town in Westmoreland County.

“During the course of our day today we’ve experienced some difficulty when it came to trying to work on the mine and access to the mine and the fragile state the mine is in,” Limani said, adding there is a good chance the mine may collapse.

Limani said troopers met with her family Wednesday night to update them on the search.

Crews had to switch gears due to unstable mine

At the risk of the safety of people who are in there, the compromised condition of the mine, and the potential for inclement incoming weather including snow, Limani said, crews have had to switch gears.

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The trooper said crews will now work dawn until dusk to dig out a large plot, “more than four times the size of the area that we had originally done, to try and secure the mine so crews can access it to try and go in there and recover her. It’s going to be at least another day of just solid digging.”

Despite crews pumping oxygen into the mine, Limani said oxygen levels remain lower than what someone would want inside “for someone to try and sustain their life.”

Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha said in a Wednesday news conference, Bacha said the danger became apparent around 3 a.m. Wednesday, and the roof of the mine had collapsed in several places making it unstable.

Troopers ‘virtually positive’ Elizabeth Pollard fell into sinkhole

Limani said troopers are “virtually positive” Pollard fell into the sinkhole near Monday’s Union Restaurant in Unity Township.

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On Wednesday, PSP Communications Director Myles Snyder told USA TODAY a camera lowered into the hole revealed what appears to be a shoe.

Pollard was last seen about 5 p.m. searching for her cat Pepper, troopers said. Pollard’s family contacted state police at around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning to report that she had not come home.

Police found Pollard’s car behind the restaurant around 3 a.m. with her 5-year-old granddaughter safe inside, the agency reported. State troopers found a sinkhole in the area near the car nearly the size of a manhole cover.

“The sinkhole, it appears that it was most likely created during the time, unfortunately, that Mrs. Pollard was walking around,” Limani told KDKA on Tuesday. “We don’t see any evidence of any time where that hole would have been there prior to deciding to walk around and look for her cat.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Limani for more information.

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What is a sinkhole?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a sinkhole is a hole in the ground that opens up when there is no external surface drainage. When water builds up, it drains into the subsurface and dissolves the sediment below, creating caverns until the ground surface itself collapses.

They can form from natural or manmade causes, according to Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection. They also can crop up after extreme weather.

In the U.S., they’re most common in these states: Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Pennsylvania, according to the American Geosciences Institute.

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Pollard’s granddaughter unable to provide details about what happened

Pollard’s granddaughter, who’d been in the car for almost 12 hours in freezing temperatures, was found unharmed, troopers said.

The girl, now safe with her parents, was unable to give law enforcement any details about what happened.

“She was just a 5-year-old girl that was waiting in the car for her grandmother to come back,” Limani said.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and James Powel

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Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.



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Pennsylvania Lottery Pick 2 Day, Pick 2 Evening results for Dec. 18, 2025

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The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Pick 2 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Day: 6-1, Wild: 7

Evening: 0-7, Wild: 1

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Day: 9-1-4, Wild: 7

Evening: 9-4-8, Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

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

Evening: 6-1-7-4, Wild: 1

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Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Day: 0-1-5-9-1, Wild: 7

Evening: 8-1-7-5-3, Wild: 1

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

20-26-46-57-60, Cash Ball: 02

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Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

01-02-26-31-38

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

02-11-19-20-22

Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

20-24-29-31-39-40

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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GIANT Company closing five Pennsylvania fulfilment centers

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GIANT Company closing five Pennsylvania fulfilment centers


(WHTM) — The GIANT Company recently confirmed that it will be closing five of its Pennsylvania-based fulfillment centers.

According to The GIANT Company, these Pennsylvania fulfillment centers that will be closing down include locations in Lancaster, Philadelphia, Willow Grove, Coopersburg, and North Coventry.

The company will also be closing its centralized e-commerce fulfillment operations in Manassas, Virginia, per a press release.

A spokesperson with GIANT says these upcoming closures are the result of a company decision to transition fully to store-based fulfilment, as opposed to centralized fulfilment.

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“We’ve learned over the past few years that there isn’t a one size fits all approach to our e-commerce business, particularly our fulfillment model” The GIANT Company said in an email. “With customers expecting faster delivery, we need to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible to meet their ever-changing needs. ”

The GIANT Company adds that orders will now be “shopped” by GIANT Direct team members in store, and delivered orders will now be completed by a third-party instead of a GIANT Direct driver.

Some benefits of this change include faster delivery times, expanded assortment, delivery windows are now only one hour, and customers will be able to make changes to an order 2-3 hours before the delivery window, instead of the previous 4-6 hours window.

According to The GIANT Company, these fulfillment centers will continue to operate into early next year, with most closures occurring by the end of Q1 in 2026.

The fulfillment center in Lancaster County is expected to wind down operations by the end of April 2026, affecting 81 team members.

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According to a WARN Notice filed with the Department of Labor & Industry, the GIANT fulfillment center located in Philadelphia will close down on February 13, a move that will affect 128 employees.

The GIANT Company notes that its focus now is to support team members affected by this transition.

“E-commerce remains an important segment of our business strategy and key to our future omnichannel growth,” The GIANT Company added. “We remain committed to providing an outstanding experience to our customers by offering speedy delivery, more delivery windows, broad product assortment and value.”

This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available.



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Pennsylvania GOP Reps buck party on health care subsidies

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Pennsylvania GOP Reps buck party on health care subsidies


Although he voted for the first iteration of the bill, which cut funding for Medicaid and Medicare, Fitzpatrick ultimately voted against it a few months later. Mackenzie and Bresnahan, however, did vote for its ultimate passage, which their opponents have been quick to jump on.

“Rob Bresnahan unleashed a health care crisis on Northeastern Pennsylvania by voting for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, stripping funding from our rural hospitals, and failing to take meaningful action in time to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing for Northeastern Pennsylvanians next month,” Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti said in a statement.

“Ryan Mackenzie’s eleventh hour attempt to paper over his own record of gutting health care and jacking up costs is like an arsonist calling the fire department after he already lit the match,” said firefighter Bob Brooks, who is running to replace Mackenzie. “Hardworking people all across the Lehigh Valley are struggling with rising prices and a health care crisis that Mackenzie unleashed when he voted for Trump’s so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’”

Neither Fitzpatrick nor Bresnahan responded to WHYY News’ requests for comment, but Mackenzie replied with a statement in which he called the health care crisis “a serious issue with real-world consequences” and said “we must find commonsense, bipartisan solutions to protect access to health insurance for families in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos.”

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Mackenzie’s office pushed back on the characterization that the congressman waited until “the 11th hour,” arguing he has spent several months working with members on both sides of the aisle to find a bipartisan compromise. They also pointed out that Mackenzie participated in a televised town hall in September, during which he discussed the impending health care crisis.

Sans bipartisan compromise, Mackenzie called the three-year extension “the only remaining option.” He further blamed Democrats for failing to sign onto his efforts for compromise that would include “longer-term reforms that reduce costs.”

“The Affordable Care Act remains broken, and our health care system is in urgent need of reforms that improve transparency, expand choice, and reduce costs,” he said. “Supporting this discharge petition is currently the only way to keep discussions about bipartisan reforms alive.”

Harvie disputes that contention and that the “so-called problem solvers” among the Republican Party have their constituents’ best interests at heart.

“The Republican party’s been trying to kill the Affordable Care Act since it was originally passed, and I think this is just another step of what they’re trying to do and they’re trying to make it look like they’re not doing it,” he said. “Democrats have been fighting for people to have access to health care access that really is meaningful to expand health care opportunities for people.”

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