Pittsburg, PA
Bill that would legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania stalls out in state senate
A bill that would have made recreational marijuana legal in Pennsylvania stalled out in the state senate.
The Senate Law and Justice Committee voted it down 7 to 3. That vote means the bill will not be taken up by the full state senate and the bill will not be signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro.
Bill passes the Pennsylvania State House
Last week, the bill that would have allowed Pennsylvanians 21 and older to purchase marijuana legally passed the Pennsylvania House.
It marked the first time that a recreational weed bill had been approved by either chamber in Pennsylvania.
The main sponsor of the bill was Democrat Rep. Rick Krajewski of Philadelphia, who said it was a “balanced, responsible, and robust framework.”
Republicans in the House opposed the bill.
Governor Josh Shapiro proposed legal marijuana in his budget and counted on Pennsylvania getting around $500 million in revenue from legal marijuana.
The proposal would have allowed direct sales that would be managed by the state-owned liquor store system. However, Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations wouldn’t have become marijuana dispensaries, other retail outlets would have been created for marijuana purchase.
“Toothpaste is already out of the tube.” Democrats in Pennsylvania want legal sales of marijuana
According to one of the sponsors of the bills, Democratic Rep. Dan Frankel, it had the potential to bring in $600 million in revenue.
“The toothpaste is already out of the tube,” he said. Rep. Frankel also cited a state store model, such as Quebec, Canada, where there has been proven success.
He did caution that the longer Pennsylvania waits to legalize marijuana, illegal or quasi-legal places will continue to pop up, and those places have no public health supervision.
“You go right next door, you’ll see a sign on the street with a big marijuana leaf saying no medical card needed here. We need to regulate that. That’s a public health hazard,” Rep. Frankel said.
While the bill failed in the Senate, it’s not clear what comes next or if there will be another attempt at passing a legal marijuana bill anytime in the future.
For a neighborhood that has been missing discount grocery store choices, the opening of Aldi on Banksville Road meant quite a lot for the community.
From the fresh paint to the extremely stocked shelves, the new Aldi on Banksville Road opened its doors to over 100 customers.
“It’s nice to see new businesses come in here, especially with the Rite Aid [closed] over there, and this [former] Staples, it’s nice to see,” said Jackie Geyer.
Banksville Road is now home to the 51st Aldi in the greater Pittsburgh area, and for this community, it’s helping fill a big gap.
“This particular location was an area where we recognized a lot of customers weren’t being served,” said Kevin Ely, divisional VP. “This can really fill a void in this particular neighborhood to be able to give our customers every day low prices.”
As for its grand opening, the first 100 in line walked away with a gift bag full of essentials, a gift card, and bragging rights. Some of those customers lined up as early as 5:30 a.m. to get the full experience.
“A gift bag, and some fun things, we just want the camaraderie of the line,” said Justin Lavalle, who was one of the first people in line.
What really had people buzzing, more than anything, was the word affordable. Aldi said that shoppers can save up to 36% on average household shopping, and that’s something that many who came out on Thursday said matters.
“I think it’s really important, especially in an area like Banksville, we need a grocery store close to downtown – one in a highly-trafficked area, especially with Sheetz coming next door, so [we’re] excited to have it here,” said Derek Allinder.
An aquatic creature only found in Mexico City was discovered in a Pennsylvania waterway.
Buzz N’ B’s Aquarium & Pet Shop posted on Facebook that somebody brought them an axolotl after finding her swimming in Walnut Creek near Lake Erie. They shared a photo of the axolotl in a tray of water near snow and leaves.
“No domesticated animal can be safely released outside — not even aquatic ones,” the pet shop wrote. “They depend on proper water quality, temperature, and care to survive.”
According to media reports, the axolotl was medicated for a fungal infection but ultimately died.
What is an axolotl?
Axolotls are only found in waterways in Mexico City. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that there are only about 50 to 1,000 mature axolotls in the wild. They’re considered critically endangered.
According to the Natural History Museum in London, axolotls are known as a conservation paradox since they’re almost extinct in the wild, yet they’re widely distributed in pet shops and labs throughout the world. Axolotls are kept as pets, and they’re studied by scientists who want to understand their ability to regenerate body parts. But experts say the captive population is very inbred, meaning there isn’t much genetic diversity, and they’re vulnerable to disease.
Pennsylvania State Police troopers are investigating a series of recent arson fires in Somerset County.
State Police said Tuesday that the Fire Marshal Unit from Troop A, which is based out of Greensburg, is investigating at least two fires within Addison Township that happened earlier this month.
Troopers said there was a fire at a remote cabin along Listonburg Road on November 7, which was determined to be an arson.
Investigators also determined that a fire at a vacant home on Mount Davis Road on November 16 was an arson.
Troopers said both properties are owned by the same person and the buildings were a complete loss.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the State Police or submit a tip online.
Troopers said that tips that lead to an arrest could be eligible for a cash reward.
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