Articles by Maryclaire Dale and Mark Scolforo

Multiple Security Failures? Arsonist Faced Little Resistance as Governor and Family Slept

The arsonist who broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s residence while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his extended family slept upstairs on the first night of Passover encountered little resistance as he scaled a security fence, smashed windows with a hammer, ignited …

Fourth Gang Member Sentenced for Thefts of Warhol, Pollock Art and Yogi Berra Rings

A Pennsylvania man who was part of a group that stole paintings by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock among other valuables was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to theft of major artwork. Thomas Trotta, 49, …

Lawsuits Claim Children Were Sexually Abused in Pennsylvania Juvenile Facilities

A set of lawsuits was filed last Wednesday by people who claim they were sexually abused inside Pennsylvania juvenile detention and treatment facilities, making more than 200 people to have launched such cases since May. The New York-based Levy Konigsberg …

Debby Triggers Floods, Power Outages, Water Rescues in Rural MidAtlantic, Northeast

First responders launched high-water and helicopter rescues of people trapped in cars and homes in rural New York and Pennsylvania as heavy rain from the remnants of Debby slammed the Northeast with intense floods. The worst of the flash flooding …

Investigators Say Tanker Spilled Gas in Crash That Destroyed I-95 Bridge in Philly

Gasoline spilled out from an unsecured hatch on the top of the gasoline delivery tanker that overturned and ignited beneath an Interstate 95 bridge in Philadelphia a year ago, according to new details from federal investigators. Video evidence obtained by …

McDonald’s Franchisee Agrees to Pay $4.4M Over Manager’s Sexual Assault of Teen

A franchisee of fast food giant McDonald’s has agreed to pay a teenage girl $4.4 million to settle her lawsuit over having been sexually assaulted by a Pittsburgh-area restaurant manager who was a registered sex offender, the victim’s lawyers announced …

Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Over 2022 Philadelphia Fire That Killed 9 Kids, 3 Adults

Families of the 12 people killed in a Philadelphia row house fire that began in a Christmas tree two years ago sued a pair of city agencies Friday, claiming unsafe conditions on the property violated the victims’ civil rights. The …

Pennsylvania Court Says State Police Must Show How They Monitor Social Media

Pennsylvania`s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state police can`t hide from the public its policy on how it monitors social media. Advocates for civil liberties cheered the decision. The law enforcement agency had argued that fully disclosing its policy …

Sin or Crime? Inquiry Targets Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Handling of Child Sex Abuse

A Pennsylvania grand jury in recent months accused nine men with connections to the Jehovah’s Witnesses of child sexual abuse in what some consider the nation’s most comprehensive investigation yet into abuse within the faith. The sets of charges filed …

Pennsylvania Nears Vote on Opening Window to Child-Abuse Lawsuits

Pennsylvania House Democrats put their freshly minted majority status to work this week in shutting down Republican efforts to make changes to legislation designed to let victims of childhood sexual abuse file otherwise outdated lawsuits. After the winners of three …