It’s Hump Day.

PA Weather
Uniontown | Mostly Sunny, Windy, 73
Williamsport | Sunny, Breezy, 66
Lancaster | Mostly Sunny, Breezy, 65

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Penguins (27-17-9) | San Jose, W 3-1 | FRI vs. NY Islanders
Flyers (22-23-10) | THU vs. Seattle
76ers (37-19) | WED vs. Cleveland

What We’re Hearing
“We’re a small town. This isn’t happening in a larger city. I think we’re afraid we’ll be forgotten.”

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Top Story

1. Shapiro Outlines Concerns Over Norfolk Southern Handling of Train Derailment

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sent a letter to Alan Shaw, head of the Norfolk Southern Corporation, this afternoon, outlining his concerns regarding the company’s management of the February 3 train derailment near the Commonwealth’s border with Ohio.

Shapiro met with local elected leaders and emergency management officials in Beaver County who echoed the governor’s apprehension over Norfolk Southern’s poor handling of the incident. The leaders, including State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, State Reps. Josh Kail, Jim Marshall and Robert Matzie, are frustrated and concerned by Norfolk Southern’s disregard for crisis management best practices and agree Norfolk Southern could have put Pennsylvanians’ health and well-being at risk. (PoliticsPA)

Related

Ohio Derailment Aftermath. How Worried Should People Be? “Plumes of smoke, questions about dead animals, worries about the drinking water. A train derailment in Ohio and subsequent burning of some of the hazardous chemicals has people asking: How worried should they be?” (AP)

Lawsuit: Thousands of Western PA Residents at Risk After Ohio Train Derailment. “A class-action lawsuit alleges the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and subsequent controlled burn of hazardous chemicals could have an adverse effect on the health of thousands of Western Pennsylvanians.” (Tribune-Review)

“We’re Afraid We’ll Be Forgotten:’ East Palestine Residents Want Answers After Derailment. “Tim Cumberlidge woke up on Feb. 4, stretched his legs and went through his morning routine for what was seemingly a normal Saturday morning. When he stepped outside, he realized it was anything but. Smoke was billowing over his house like a black cloud. The wind kept carrying the smoke down Chain School Road, where he lives. And a foul “ammonia-like” stench met him outside his door.” (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Harrisburg

2. Analysts: Switch PA’s Budgeting Format, Speed Up Corporate Tax Cut

“Pennsylvania’s labor pool is shrinking while its population ages, a problematic combination for the commonwealth’s economy when combined with “uncompetitive” tax policies, analysts told House Republicans at a caucus policy meeting Tuesday.” (New Castle News)

Related

A Q and A With State Senator Sharif Street. “It’s a busy time for state Sen. Sharif Street. Not only is the Democratic state senator active in Harrisburg, but he is leading the Pennsylvania Democratic Party at a time when it is already preparing for next year’s presidential election and key congressional races.” (City & State)

PennDOT To Unveil I-81 Widening at Dunmore. “For state transportation planners, the journey to a wider Interstate 81 between the airport and Scranton will take 10 years.” (Standard-Speaker)

PA Senate GOP Committee Head Is Non-Committal About Continuing a 2020 Election Probe. “Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh), who has led the chamber’s Intergovernmental Operations committee since January, said he’s still deciding what to do now that Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron) is no longer in charge.” (WITF)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Philadelphia Has Had 99 Mayors. Could First Woman Be Elected This Year?

“Philadelphia has long been a city of historical firsts, but when it comes to electing a woman to run the place, it could be one of the last.

Of its 99 mayors dating back to 1691, Philadelphia has never elected a woman. It’s joined only by New York on the list of big U.S. cities never to have a female executive.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Mayoral Candidates Seeking Ways to Circumvent DA Larry Krasner. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Philly’s Mayoral Candidates Are Tip-Toeing Onto Tik-Tok. (Billy Penn)

Related

Sen. Casey Undergoes Prostate Cancer Surgery. “Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania underwent surgery for prostate cancer on Tuesday; it was successful and he expects to return to a “normal schedule” after recovery, his office said.” (AP)

‘Ashamed’: Montco Dems Are Facing Backlash On Handling Over Their County Commissioner Succession Plan. “Montgomery County Democrats just sent one of their own, Josh Shapiro, to the governor’s office. But there are signs of discontent inside the local party organization ahead of its convention Thursday.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Rep. Deluzio Urges DOJ to Take a Closer Look at Post-Gazette Purchase of Pittsburgh City Paper. “U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17th District, is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to more closely scrutinize the acquisition of Pittsburgh’s alt-weekly by the same company that owns the city’s largest newspaper. ” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

PA Township Straightens Out Finances After Embezzlement Scandal. “A failure to follow proper policies and rules led to a Chester County township getting extra money for its pension plan and falling short of making required payments into its pension fund.” (The Center Square)

More Than Half of Republicans Support Christian Nationalism, According to Survey. “Researchers found that more than half of Republicans believe the country should be a strictly Christian nation, either adhering to the ideals of Christian nationalism (21%) or sympathizing with those views (33%).” (WHYY)

Chester Valley Trail to Overlap With Future King of Prussia Rail Project. “As work on the Chester Valley Trail nears completion, Montgomery County officials authorized an agreement for design and construction related to the future King of Prussia Rail project.” (Norristown Times-Herald)

Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. to Seek Reelection to 7th Term. “Panto, a 71-year-old Democrat, served two terms as mayor starting in 1984, then went into the private sector. He was reelected mayor in 2007 and has since served four consecutive terms.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

New Berks County Commissioner Chosen. “A leadership change is coming to Berks County, as former Reading City Councilwoman Lucine E. Sihelnik has been appointed to serve as the county’s newest commissioner, Berks officials announced Tuesday.” (Reading Eagle)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• About That Toxic Mushroom Cloud Over Ohio. (Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Who’s Next? Attacks On Press Freedom, Big and Small, Put Democracy at Risk. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Why Don’t Many More Companies Build in Pennsylvania? (Luke Bernstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Education Funding Ruling Points to School Choice Victory, and Opportunity for Gov. Shapiro. (Matthew J. Brouillette, PennLive)
• The Working Families Party Does Not Reflect My Family’s Values. Does It Represent Yours? (Drew Murray, Broad + Liberty)
• Is Westmoreland Republicans’ Endorsement Too Early? (Tribune-Review)
• County GOP’s Clash With Bar Association Over Judicial Candidate Ratings Is Part of Culture War Against Expertise. (LNP)
• PA Republicans Need a 3-Point Game. (Russ Diamond, LebTown)

1 Thing

5. Bird Watching

It’s that time of year: tens of thousands of snow geese migrating north for the warm months are once again stopping over at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in southeast Lebanon County.

The annual migration of the greater snow geese subspecies, which spend their summers at their breeding grounds in the Arctic, passes along the Atlantic coast and through the eastern United States. The 6,254-acre Pennsylvania Game Commission property, which also spreads into Lancaster County, makes for a convenient resting point along the way.

For the last several years, the peak numbers of snow geese on the lake have been estimated at higher than 100,000. (LebTown)

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