We give our Ups & Downs for the year 2014 and Gillen drops out of the Philly Mayoral race. Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz!

2014 Ups & Downs: Happy New Year politicos! Our countdown of who had the best and worst 2014.

Gillen Drops Out of Philly Mayoral Race: The former Redevelopment Agency head has left the race.

Statewide
Capitolwire: Healthy PA can move forward following federal judge’s denial of injunction request
StateImpactPA: Obama’s interior secretary says fracking bans are ‘wrong way to go’

Philadelphia
Inquirer: Analyst: Few Benefits to Selling PGW to Private Firm
Inquirer: City Council At-large Race Widens
Inquirer: Kenney Ponders What He’ll Run For
Daily News: Gillen Drops Out of Race for Mayor
WHYY Newsworks: PA 2016 Senate Battle in National Spotlight
WHYY Newsworks: It’s Hard to Lead in Philly

SEPA
Pottstown Mercury: Ryan Costello Set to Take Seat in 114th Congress
Daily Local News: Harry Lewis Becomes New State Representative Tuesday
Daily Local News: White Clay Legislation Expands Protection to Watershed
Delco Times: The Shame of Education Funding in PA

Pittsburgh
Tribune Review: Pennsylvania’s Congressional Delegation Commands Clout
Tribune Review: Pittsburgh City Council Incumbents All Running for Re-election
Tribune Review: Castille Cut Independent Figure as Pa. Chief Justice
Post-Gazette: Charter Schools Debate Continues — Are They About Money or Education?
Post-Gazette: A+ Schools Moves to Stronger Advocacy on Pittsburgh Schools
Post-Gazette: Astrobotic Aims to Make City a Space Port for Shipping
Pittsburgh Business Times: Power of 32 Raises $50m, Aims To Attract Businesses to Region
Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh Startup One of Forbes 10 to Watch in Energy Analytics

Southwest
Beaver County Times: Assistant DA Running for Head Position in Beaver County
Beaver County Times: Retired Federal Judge William Standish Dead at 84
Beaver County Times: A Witness in the Grand Jury Room
Observer-Reporter: Pittsburgh Chief Lauded, Criticized over Race Sign
Altoona Mirror: Operation Our Town Caught in Crossfire
Altoona Mirror: Leaders Hoping to See Reform
Altoona Mirror: Blair County Controller Won’t Seek Re-election

NEPA
Times Leader: Luzerne County Council to Pick New Chair Tuesday
Times Leader: New Year Promises Action in Key Luzerne County Court Cases
Times Leader: new NAACP President: Time to Change ‘Perception’ of Area
Times-Tribune: Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright Pleased with His First Year at City Helm
Pocono Record: Pa. ‘Hold Harmless’ Policy Harms Growing School Districts
Pocono Record: Philadelphia Bike Share Program Hopes for Greater Access

South Central
Patriot News: Plans for Wolf’s Inauguration Slowly Taking Place
Patriot News: State Government Revenues Continue Late-Year Uptick in Pennsylvania
Patriot News: Health Insurance Enrollments Growing with Pennsylvania’s Options for Low-, Moderate-Income Households
Patriot News: Editorial: Why Does Pennsylvania Make it so Hard to Vote?
Intelligencer: Police Chief’s Anti-Racism Sign Lauded, Criticized
York Daily Record: West York District Taxpayers Can Anticipate a Hike This Year

Lehigh Valley
The Morning Call: Politics as Usual
The Morning Call: Source: Probes Into Philly VA Expanded
Reading Eagle: Wally Scott Seeks Democratic Nod for Mayoral Race
Reading Eagle: Wolf Faces Steep Climb When He Takes His Oath
Express Times: Editorial: The Uphill Road to Equitable School Funding in Pennsylvania

North by Northwest
Sun Gazette: Lock Haven Boosts Taxes by 16 Percent
Sun Gazette: State Police: Heroin and Gun Trade Among Reason for Robbery Spree

Opinion
Tribune Review: Food stamps: Dependency’s Sinkhole
Post-Gazette: Withering Wage: The Neighbors Put Pennsylvania’s Minimum Wage to Shame
Beaver County Times: Open-Government Reform a Win for Both Parties
Inquirer: Former Traffic Court Judge Acquitted
Philly.com: Reform Pa.’s Flat Tax Rate
Daily News: Tossing Pols in Jail Seems to Be the Way to Reform in Philly
Patriot-News: Why does Pennsylvania make it so hard to vote? PennLive editorial

Blogs
Commonwealth Foundation: Top 5 Articles of 2014
Pittson Politics: Coleman making her mark