Pennsylvania
Senator says Pennsylvania bus driver had ‘God-given’ right to wear MAGA hat
ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Pa.) has released a statement addressing a former school bus driver in Littlestown, Pennsylvania who left his job after he claimed he was given an ultimatum for wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat on his bus.
The treatment of Littlestown bus driver Dave Bonhoff should outrage every Pennsylvanian who believes in liberty, fairness and the constitutional freedoms that define our nation.
Dave Bonhoff, a retired Baltimore County police officer, stepped away from driving for the Littlestown Area School District after he received a call from his boss at Krise Transportation informing him that one of the students had complained about his hat.
She contacts me and says, ‘Hey, listen, I’m going to buy you a hat, an American flag hat, because the school district has deemed that they don’t want you to wear that ‘Make America Great Again’ hat,” Bonhoff said.
Bonhoff left the company the same day.
Mastriano said in a statement Friday that political correctness has become a “tool of intimidation.”
Mr. Bonhoff is a retired police officer who continued serving his community by safely transporting children to school. Yet he was effectively forced out of his job because he wore a hat that read ‘Make America Great Again.’ Whether someone agrees with that message is completely irrelevant. In America, citizens do not lose their First Amendment rights simply because someone else claims to be offended.
What happened here is not about ‘sensitivity’ or ‘respect.’ It is about the suffocating culture of political correctness that is spreading through our institutions — a culture that demands conformity, punishes dissent and attempts to silence anyone who refuses to bow to its ideology. Political correctness has become a tool of intimidation. It is used to shame, threaten and drive ordinary Americans out of their jobs and public life simply for expressing views that do not align with the approved narrative. That is not tolerance. That is coercion.
Mastriano said it was brave of Bonhoff to stick to his beliefs, “Dave Bonhoff showed more courage in standing by his principles than many institutions have shown in defending the rights they claim to value. No American should ever be forced to choose between their livelihood and their constitutional freedoms.”
Bonhoff said his hat had nothing to do with political views, “There’s nothing in this hat that says anything about partisanship,” he said. “I think that saying that this hat is political is absurd. It’s patriotic.”
He noted the phrase had been used by both republican and democratic administrations.
Mastriano said wearing political views should be respected on both sides of the party system, as protected by the Constitution.
I stand firmly with Dave Bonhoff and with every Pennsylvanian who refuses to be bullied into silence. Free speech does not exist only for views that are popular or politically fashionable. It exists precisely to protect the right of Americans to speak their minds without fear of retaliation. Freedom of expression is not granted by bureaucrats, administrators or activists. It is a God-given right protected by the Constitution — and it must be defended without apology.
Hersheypark in Pennsylvaniacould be forced to close this summer amid a dispute between the site’s operators and union employees, according to a report.
The amusement park is scheduled to open seven days a week starting May 21 in a shift from its weekend-only operation before the summer, despite a looming vote among employees about whether to go on strike.
Over 200 union maintenance employees at Hersheypark, The Hotel Hershey and Giant Center rejected a contract offer from Hershey Entertainment & Resorts on May 7, according to Inside the Magic. The park’s operators described the proposal as their “last, best and final” offer.
Over a three-day period this week, employees will vote on whether to strike after rejecting the offer, which is the third from the park’s operators. A strike could close the park just in time for the start of the busy summer season when families head on vacation.
The list of employees considering going on strike includes ride mechanics, electricians, plumbers, welders, painters, machinists, utilities technicians, carpenters, garage auto mechanics and sign artists.
In mid-March, the union and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts agreed to extend a former contract for 60 days to allow for continued negotiations.
According to Inside the Magic, union workers are seeking fair wage increases, more affordable care plans and higher pay premiums for less-desirable shifts. The union has also said that it will reject new contract offers that lower professional standards, devalue skilled trades or open the door to lower wages in maintenance roles in the future.
The Independent has contacted Hershey Entertainment & Resorts for comment about the possible strike.
Hersheypark, located 15 miles east of Harrisburg, is the largest amusement park in Pennsylvania. Founded in 1906, the 121-acre site boasts more than 70 rides, a water park with 17 water attractions and an 11-acre North American Wildlife Park, according to Hersheypark’s website.
It’s named for and themed in conjunction with the popular candy company.
However, a different park in the Keystone State was named as the top amusement park in the U.S. on TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best list.
It was Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, 42 miles north-northeast of Harrisburg, that topped the list. In doing so, the little-known park was ranked higher than Dollywood, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure that also made the top 5.
“It’s got it all: roller coasters, kid-friendly rides (bumper cars, a haunted mansion), swimming, camping, a mining museum, and even a championship 18-hole golf course,” TripAdvisor wrote. “The accommodating staff, clean facilities, and fun attractions make for a memorable family-friendly visit.”
Knoebels is the U.S.’s largest free-admission park, although tickets for individual rides cost a fee.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on cast vote records creates uncertainty for counties
NEW CASTLE, Pa. (MyValleyTributes) – Charles “Yami” Frederick Jamison, age 83, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, formerly of Warren, Ohio, passed away, surrounded by his family, on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Haven Convalescent Home.
Mr. Jamison was born December 2, 1942, in New Castle, a son of the late Charles N. and Anna (Callihan) Jamison and was a 1960 graduate of New Castle High School.
Charles worked as an order checker clerk for Packard Electric Company, Warren, Ohio, for 31 years, until his retirement in 1999.
A proud veteran, he served his country in the United States Navy.
He was a member of St. Mary’s Church, Warren, Ohio and also attended Mass at Holy Spirit Parish – St. Mary’s Church.
Charles spent his free time hunting and playing Euchre.
He is survived by his four sisters, Margaret I. Klann, Mary E. DeMarco and Catherine “Kay” A. Houk (Robert), all of New Castle and Susan J. Olson (Donald), Winfield, Illinois; his brother, Richard Jamison (Linda) of New Castle; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the City Rescue Mission, 319 S. Croton Ave., New Castle, PA, 16101, and the Salvation Army, 240 W. Grant St., New Castle, PA, 16101.
The family would like to extend their gratitude and appreciation to the Haven Convalescent Home for the care and support that Charles received over the years.
Calling Hours will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 111 W. Falls St., New Castle.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on 10:30 a.m., Wednesday May 13, 2026, in Holy Spirit Parish – St. Mary’s Church, 124 N. Beaver St., New Castle, with Rev. Aaron Kriss, as celebrant.
Interment: Castleview Memorial Gardens, Neshannock Twp.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles F. Jamison, please visit our flower store.
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