Pennsylvania

What to know about the invasive tick that’s taking over local Pa. forests

Published

9 months ago

May 26, 2025

What to know about the invasive tick that’s taking over local Pa. forests

A big part of the reason they’ve managed to spread so quickly, Price said, is that they’re parthenogenetic, which means females are capable of reproducing asexually without the aid of male ticks.

“So the implications of this mean that a single individual female that lays around 2,000 to 2,500 eggs, all without mating, can create an entire population just by that individual,” Price said. “There’s no other tick in North America that reproduces in this manner. And it’s this unique reproductive strategy that enables the Longhorn tick to very successfully and very rapidly invade new geographic regions across the state and the country.”

He added that migratory hosts, including white-tailed deer and black-capped night herons, are capable of carrying the ticks across vast distances, which also accounts for their rapid geographical spread.

Potential threats to public health

One of the biggest questions researchers are asking about longhorned ticks is how much of a threat they pose to humans.

Past research out of Asia has found that longhorn ticks can carry a large variety of pathogens that affect human health.

“But it’s not 100% clear if it actually vectors those pathogens,” Phillips said. “So even if it has the bacteria or the virus inside of it, is it going to give it to you if it bites you? That’s not 100% clear. So that’s part of what we were trying to figure out in our research.”

To investigate that question, Phillips, along with Temple University ecologist Jocelyn Behm and undergraduate student Jackson Fahey, collected longhorned ticks from forested areas around the Philadelphia area, and tested them for pathogens. The results were good.

“None of the ones that we collected carried any pathogens,” Phillips said. “So if you get bit by one around Philadelphia, you hopefully aren’t going to get a disease right away.”

Those findings match with other, previous rounds of testing that likewise found that longhorned ticks aren’t yet carrying some of the pathogens most dangerous to humans.

But that’s not the end of the story. Price said that some of his lab’s current research has discovered multiple pathogens of human health concern in longhorned ticks collected from Pennsylvania parks and public use areas. Among the pathogens they found is the bacteria responsible for causing Lyme disease, though Price added that studies from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that longhorned ticks are less likely to spread Lyme disease because the bacterium tends to be lost during their molting stage.

Still, Price said, the tick is so new that the role it plays in terms of disease transition remains largely uncertain.

However, past studies have found that longhorned ticks are capable of spreading several pathogens that can be found in Pennsylvania, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Powassan virus, a rare but serious disease that can cause encephalitis and meningitis.

“Typically with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterial agent responsible for Lyme disease, the tick has to be attached for 36 hours before that bacteria can be transferred through the bite to an individual,” Price said. “But with Powassan virus, it’s only about 15 minutes, and that’s just because the virus is maintained in the mouth parts and the salivary glands compared to the Lyme disease bacteria that’s maintained in the midgut of the tick.”

Price added that Phillips’ study helped demonstrate that there is significant overlap in habitat between longhorned ticks and local ticks, which provides a potential pathway for pathogens to be transmitted between the species.

Also of concern is the fact that longhorned ticks are more aggressive in their pursuit of hosts and more likely to swarm than other ticks, as well as findings indicating that they’re more likely to be found in areas where local ticks typically don’t reside, like manicured lawns. They’ve also been found to affect domestic animals, like dogs, and can pose significant threats to livestock like cattle.

Luckily, longhorned ticks can be protected against using the same methods recommended for local ticks, including keeping your skin covered, and the use of repellents approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, like permethrin.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 2 Day results for Feb. 27, 2026

Published

9 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 2 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Day: 4-7, Wild: 5

Evening: 8-8, Wild: 0

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Day: 6-7-7, Wild: 5

Evening: 0-0-3, Wild: 0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Day: 7-2-1-4, Wild: 5

Evening: 5-7-3-1, Wild: 0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

Day: 8-4-5-4-4, Wild: 5

Evening: 1-1-9-8-7, Wild: 0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

04-14-16-20-38

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

02-04-08-13-30

Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

10-12-23-31-33-46

Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from Feb. 27 drawing

03-04-13-28-42, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life 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.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 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

Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania Helps Homeowners Protect Their Investment Across Generations » NCRC

Published

21 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania Helps Homeowners Protect Their Investment Across Generations » NCRC

For the past 17 years, the Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania (AHCOPA) has provided a range of programs designed to build wealth within low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. AHCOPA provides services to approximately 3,000 people each year via their pre-purchase, post-purchase and mortgage prevention counseling programs.

When Kenneth Bigos joined AHCOPA as their Executive Director in 2013, he set out to expand the organization’s offerings beyond first-time homeownership counseling services. He identified estate planning as an urgent need for the region’s LMI communities as well.

A 2022 Consumer Reports survey found that 77% of Black and 82% of Hispanic Americans do not have a will in place, which is needed to ensure that their home investment continues to build generational wealth. Consequently, the state court steps in upon the owner’s passing to decide how assets will be distributed, with property not being able to be transferred to an heir until that lengthy process is complete. In Philadelphia alone, there are approximately 10,000 properties with titles that have not been legally settled.

In response to this, AHCOPA launched the Will Power program in 2022 by leveraging existing relationships with pro-bono lawyers in the creation of wills and trusts for community members. The program has created an opportunity to serve a larger portion of Philadelphia’s population.

While the first-time homebuyer program initially attracted people in their mid-30s, Will Power participants are generally in their late 60s, prompting AHCOPA to think about what housing support looks like across an individual’s lifetime.

“Elderly households are more vulnerable,” Bigos said. “To reach these homeowners, we had to develop relationships with trusted agencies, such as senior centers, churches and other institutions that we would not typically work with in our first-time homebuyer program.”

As a result of that work, AHCOPA marked a major milestone in October 2025: the signing of 1,000 wills. Thanks to the success of Will Power and the first-time homebuyer program, AHCOPA has solidified its reputation as the go-to financial advisor for working-class residents.

Looking ahead, they are planning to add a new program designed to support people beyond the initial purchase of their home, which will include coaching to help owners develop their financial literacy. This would encompass how to build savings to buy a first home and avoid foreclosure in the event of a crisis.

For Bigos, NCRC membership is key to ensuring the success of these programs, especially in terms of organizing at the federal, state and local levels advocating for continued funding.

“Engaging with decision makers is very important and being an NCRC member has helped facilitate those relationships,” Bigos said. “Their support has been very impactful.”

Jesse Rhodes is a Contributing Writer.

Photo courtesy of the AHCOPA team.

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Pennsylvania

How gambling revenue helps Pennsylvania fire departments

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

How gambling revenue helps Pennsylvania fire departments

It is hard to imagine that money spent and collected at casinos and in slot machines around the state can wind up being used at local volunteer fire departments throughout the commonwealth, but it’s true.

In Pennsylvania, a portion of the state’s gaming revenue is allocated to support fire departments and emergency management services to the tune of about $30 million each year.

Departments can apply for those funds through a series of state grants, and most departments say that the money from gaming is vital to help them pay for equipment, vehicles and even improvements to their buildings.

“This time we put in for a grant to finish our second floor of our facility here,” said Derry Township Fire Chief Mark Piantine.

Piantine says that gambling revenue has purchased many things for his department in the past like swift water rescue boats as well as a new equipment washing station. Now he hopes that money can give his company a place to sleep when they are working long shifts in bad weather.

“The last storm we had, the Snowmageddon here a couple of weeks ago, we had people staying overnight,” Piantine said. “They were laying across the seats of the trucks and on the floor sleeping because our second floor is not finished.”

Piantine says every little bit helps both their department and other departments, because when it comes right down to it, running a fire department is expensive.

“When you buy a regular pair of gloves, you may pay $25 for them. We buy a pair of gloves, they’re $75 to $100,” said Piantine. “You can buy a pair of boots for $50, ours cost $600.”

Just a few miles away, in the city of Latrobe, Chief John Brasile says that while the city does a lot for them financially, gaming revenue helps a lot. It even helps them make payments on their rescue unit.

“We have about a year’s worth of payments left on it,” Brasile said. “And we use our money for debt reductions on that truck.”

“And that’s essentially from gambling revenue?” Chris DeRose asked.

“Yes. It comes from the State Fire Commissioners’ Office,” Brasile said.

“When is that truck paid off?” DeRose asked.

“About this time next year,” Brasile replied. “And then we can use that money for other stuff then. We would like to get new rescue tools for that truck and they’re expensive.”

The fire departments KDKA has spoken with about using state grant money from gambling revenue say that gambling money is great, but it is not a cure-all. And in fact, on Thursday night, the Latrobe Fire Department was holding yet another fundraising event to help them once again raise money for new fire equipment.

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