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Victims of violence share stories, fight for resources at Pa. state capitol

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Victims of violence share stories, fight for resources at Pa. state capitol


A group of advocates from around Pennsylvania are heading to Harrisburg on Tuesday hoping that state leaders will hear their stories and make legislative changes to help victims of violent crimes.

The push at the capitol on June 3 aims to give victims the resources and security they need while going through traumatic and tough times.

Yolanda Jennings is a survivor of domestic abuse and is all too familiar with losing loved ones to violence.

In 2004, Jennings said that her sister was stabbed to death by her fiancé during a domestic violence dispute. Then, in 2019, she said her cousin was shot and killed by the father of her children. Jennings also said that, in 2024, police shot and killed her son while he was having a mental health crisis.

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“My faith is paramount to my survival. I could not do it if I did not have my faith. And then being able to help people every day. Knowing that all the things that I’ve gone through that now I can help somebody else get through their trauma,” Jennings told NBC10.

That’s why, Jennings will join a coalition of crime victims, community members and advocates with crime survivors for safety and justice to bring their voices to Harrisburg to meet with state leaders.

“We are hoping to share with them our stories. To put a face on the people who need these services, because we are all survivors and nobody can tell our story better than us,” Jennings explained. “The whole society is affected by these things. And we just want to make sure that people get the resources that they need.”

The group is pushing for three bills to get passed.

  • House bill 72: Provides tenants rights in cases of violence.
  • House bill 1042: Offers nonviolent offenders vocational and education credit while serving time.
  • House bill 964: Provides employment leave for victims and their families of violence.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence said that 119 people died because of domestic violence in the Keystone State in 2022. The organization reports that it serves about 90,000 people in the commonwealth each year.

The organization is also going to Harrisburg on Tuesday looking to secure $5 million to build three new trauma recovery centers in the state in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Altoona. As of 2025, there is only one and it’s located in Harrisburg.

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Toddler injured by wolf after crawling under Pennsylvania zoo’s exterior metal fence

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Toddler injured by wolf after crawling under Pennsylvania zoo’s exterior metal fence


A toddler was lightly injured by a wolf at a Pennsylvania theme park zoo after he crawled under a fence and stuck his hand into the animal’s enclosure, officials at the zoo confirmed Sunday.The child was never inside the wolf habitat at the ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, which is part of the Hersheypark theme park, and the officials characterized the injuries as minor without elaborating.After the “unsupervised” child reached the metal enclosure around the wolf habitat on Saturday morning and put his hand through, a wolf approached “and made contact with the child’s hand,” according to a statement from the zoo.”This type of response is consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression,” the zoo said in a statement. “Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing. Guests are expected to remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times.”The zoo is part of the entertainment complex in Hershey, Pennsylvania, featuring a chocolate-themed amusement park. The zoo’s website says it has three gray wolves.Hersheypark made headlines last summer when a lost boy wandering a monorail line above a crowd was rescued by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails. The child was unharmed and reunited with his family.

A toddler was lightly injured by a wolf at a Pennsylvania theme park zoo after he crawled under a fence and stuck his hand into the animal’s enclosure, officials at the zoo confirmed Sunday.

The child was never inside the wolf habitat at the ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, which is part of the Hersheypark theme park, and the officials characterized the injuries as minor without elaborating.

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After the “unsupervised” child reached the metal enclosure around the wolf habitat on Saturday morning and put his hand through, a wolf approached “and made contact with the child’s hand,” according to a statement from the zoo.

“This type of response is consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression,” the zoo said in a statement. “Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing. Guests are expected to remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times.”

The zoo is part of the entertainment complex in Hershey, Pennsylvania, featuring a chocolate-themed amusement park. The zoo’s website says it has three gray wolves.

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Hersheypark made headlines last summer when a lost boy wandering a monorail line above a crowd was rescued by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails. The child was unharmed and reunited with his family.



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MSU football locks in official visit with underrated CB prospect from Pennsylvania

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MSU football locks in official visit with underrated CB prospect from Pennsylvania


Michigan State football has locked in an official visit with an intriguing defensive back prospect from Pennsylvania.

Trey Hopkins of Wyndmoor, Pa. announced on Saturday that he’s scheduled an official visit to Michigan State for late May. According to a social media post from Hopkins, he will visit Michigan State on May 29.

Hopkins is currently unranked and unrated on 247Sports. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, and plays for La Salle College. His position is listed as cornerback.

Michigan State extended Hopkins an offer in late February, and is one of nearly 20 schools to offer him, according to 247Sports. Other than his offer from the Spartans, Hopkins has received offers from Penn State, Maryland, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Wake Forest, USF, Temple, James Madison, Liberty, Miami (OH) and some other group of five or FCS programs.

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Michigan State will be the first of three currently scheduled official visits for Hopkins. According to 247Sports, he will also take official visits to Virginia Tech (June 5) and Penn State (June 11).

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.





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Small plane makes emergency landing on interstate in Pennsylvania

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Small plane makes emergency landing on interstate in Pennsylvania


A small airplane made an emergency landing on Interstate 78 in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Saturday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Rockwell Commander landed at around 9:20 a.m. after reporting engine issues, the FAA said.

The two people onboard were not injured, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Dashcam video of the incident circulating on social media shows the plane flying low overhead before landing on the interstate and slowing down.

Emily Rivera, who posted the video, was traveling from Harrisburg to Lehigh Valley when she saw the plane make the landing.

“Honestly I was in disbelief because I never expected a plane to land in front of me!” Rivera said, adding that she was impressed with how the pilot landed.

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Police said to expect delays in the area and that all traffic eastbound is being detoured onto exit 40. More information will be released later, police said.

The FAA is investigating the incident.



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