AGP Executive Report

Historic Preservation: First Cambria AME Zion Church received a state award recognizing its work preserving the oldest Black church in Cambria County. The honor includes a time capsule for the congregation. Arts & Heritage: A new Penn exhibit explores Philadelphia’s role as the birthplace of the first Black superhero and the stories that followed. On Screen: Pennsylvania’s Smurl haunting, reported in West Pittston in the 1980s, inspired the latest “Conjuring” film—though the family’s claims were disputed. Farms & Community: Lancaster Farmland Trust is considering turning a 309-year-old East Hempfield farm into a public learning space; no purchase decision has been made. The state also unveiled its first 10-year agriculture plan, aiming to support farmers as land loss and rising costs pressure the industry. Seasonal Fun: A Pennsylvania teen has turned his home into a Halloween haunt to raise money for charity.

Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has reached 1,222 cases and 225 hospitalizations, with the CDC sending additional support to help investigate the spread. Philadelphia Dining: Le Bus East Falls will close Oct. 25 as owner David Braverman steps back from restaurant work after nearly five decades; the local institution began in 1978 as a converted school bus. Halloween & Giving Back: Coatesville teen Joe Veneziale has spent five years building a haunted attraction at home. Last year, ticket proceeds and a matching donation raised $10,000 for Nemours Children’s Hospital. Pennsylvania History: Penn State researchers used a replica to model the Liberty Bell’s original tone, offering a fresh listen ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Local Nature: Downingtown’s century-old food forest traces back to a nut-tree nursery whose trees now grow across private gardens and public streets.

Campus Wellbeing: Penn State CAPS brought therapy dogs to University Park to help students unwind during midterms. Measles Watch: Pennsylvania’s outbreak has reached 1,222 cases, and state officials are reviewing a possible sixth death; the CDC has sent a disease investigator to assist. Student Athletics: Penn Wood High School paused all sports while an independent investigator examines an alleged incident involving the school’s athletics culture and climate. Philadelphia History: A new collaborative of 45 organizations aims to give the city’s museums, archives, historic sites and neighborhood groups a stronger shared voice. Community Giving: Erie News Now and Second Harvest Food Bank will hold their annual food drive Nov. 18, with donations staying in the communities where they’re collected. Local Traditions: Scranton-area Catholic school alumni can revisit plaid uniforms and familiar hymns at a Nov. 4 reunion event in Pittston.

Education: New Castle School of Trades awarded more than $225,000 to 90 students, bringing its five-year scholarship total above $700,000. Youth Well-Being: A Child’s Light and Collegeville-based coeo Therapy are expanding rapid-response trauma care in Montgomery County, aiming to connect children with support within five days. Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has reached 1,222 cases across 42 counties; the state is reviewing a reported sixth death. Local History: Brookville’s archaeology group hosts a free Friday talk on the symbols hobos left near railways and small towns. Arts & Events: This week’s Philadelphia plans include the Film Festival, Great Pumpkin Carve and Philly Bike Ride; the 2027 Philadelphia Flower Show has announced “ICONIC” as its theme.

Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has topped 1,200 cases, and the CDC is sending an expert team to help the state respond. Education: Penn State is considering closing 47 degree programs, while Lancaster’s school district plans to close Wheatland Middle School and consolidate students at a renovated campus by 2029. Arts & Heritage: A Keith Haring mural has joined the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, and the Weitzman Museum has received state funding as it moves toward Smithsonian affiliation. What’s On: Organizers have revealed an “Iconic” theme for the 2027 Philadelphia Flower Show, with displays planned from Longwood Gardens and Chanticleer. Community: After a not-guilty verdict in the death of Marchello Woodard, Erie’s Black Wall Street urged continued support for his family and investment in efforts to address violence and neighborhood disinvestment.

Arts & Theatre: Philadelphia-born actress LaPorscha Rodgers stars as Jo in The Legend of Georgia McBride at Swarthmore’s Players Club through Oct. 18. Fall Events: Schuylkill County has Halloween plans for history and horror fans, including a haunted cemetery tour Oct. 17 and local ghost stories Oct. 22. Garden Culture: The 2027 Philadelphia Flower Show will unite five public gardens from across Pennsylvania under its “ICONIC” theme, March 13–21. Agricultural Heritage: Pennsylvania’s 2027 Farm Show will celebrate generational farm families with the theme “Leading a Legacy.” Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has topped 1,100 cases, with state officials reporting a sixth death and urging vaccination.

Community Tragedy: Authorities have identified the gunman and victims in Erie’s mass shooting, which killed eight people and the shooter, including children and a pregnant woman. Local coverage also points to support for grieving children and families. Public Health: Pennsylvania has reported its sixth measles-related death, in Franklin County, as the outbreak exceeds 1,100 cases; officials continue urging vaccination. Arts & Heritage: Pittsburgh’s jazz history takes center stage in a new WQED and MCG Jazz project, “Jazz Beat: Past Meets Present,” while Milford’s Black Bear Film Festival brings independent films and community events to town. Campus Life: IUP’s homecoming drew students, alumni and neighbors for a parade featuring more than 90 campus and community groups, plus tailgating and live music. Youth Sports: Peters Township girls captured their fifth straight WPIAL Class 3A golf title, with freshman Josie Jeglinski taking medalist honors.

Erie in Mourning: Nine people, including two children and a pregnant woman, died in an Oct. 9 shooting. The Highmark Caring Place offers free support for grieving children and families as the community copes. Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has reached 1,137 cases and six reported deaths, with 219 hospitalizations, prompting renewed concern about vaccination. A Night with Michelle Obama: The former first lady spoke to a sold-out crowd of 8,000 in Erie, sharing reflections on family, her Chicago roots and life in the White House, and urging young people to stay curious and hopeful. Local Color: Pittsburgh’s Evanly Bakes bills itself as “the gayest bakery in Western PA,” while a Glenside gardener’s fairy-themed native-plant yard is bringing neighbors together and teaching them about local plants. Arts and Heritage: A Weedville community is creating a new mural, and Pennsylvania’s OilField Journal is seeking submissions on the state’s petroleum history, including its social and cultural stories.

Erie Tragedy: The community is mourning nine people, including two children and a pregnant woman, killed in a family shooting; authorities identified the gunman as a relative who died by suicide. Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has claimed a sixth reported life, a Franklin County woman with underlying health conditions, as state officials review the case. Arts & Culture: The Pennsylvania Museum’s 50th Craft Show will bring 195 artists to the Convention Center, while Clarion’s Autumn Leaf Festival drew strong crowds. Faith & Community: Rabbi Michelle Denker Pearlman, a longtime Malvern spiritual leader and social justice activist, has died at 56. Education: Clarke Schools is opening an integrated preschool at St. Joseph’s University, bringing deaf and hard-of-hearing children together with hearing peers. Pennsylvania Life: Vietnamese newcomer Tran Thi Hien Luong has made a home with her family on a 300-year-old rural estate.

Public Art: Lancaster’s murals have shifted from government-sponsored civic messaging to grassroots projects that bring neighbors together and build local pride. Erie Tragedy: Eight people, including a pregnant woman and two young children, were killed in a family shooting; the motive remains unknown as the community mourns. Latino Voices: Spanish-language radio callers in the Lehigh Valley say rising fuel and grocery costs have worsened their economic outlook, putting pressure on a key Pennsylvania voting community. Indigenous Peoples Day: Pennsylvanians marked the day with local events celebrating Indigenous communities. Arts & Heritage: A new State College cultural nonprofit opened with a performance by a 14-piece Puerto Rican ensemble, while a look at Pennsylvania libraries traces their evolution from subscription clubs to vital public institutions. Community Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has topped 1,100 cases, with new school and store exposure notices prompting families to check immunity and vaccination records.

Erie Tragedy: Nine people, including two children and a pregnant woman, died in a shooting at a family home. Relatives and neighbors are mourning the victims at a growing memorial as police investigate. Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has topped 1,100 cases, the largest in the country; health officials are also tracking lower vaccination rates in some Philadelphia-area schools. Arts & Culture: A new State College nonprofit, Satellite House, is launching with a performance by Puerto Rican ensemble El Laberinto del Coco, aiming to bring more international and experimental arts to Central Pennsylvania. Health Education: Philadelphia-area nursing schools are expanding accelerated programs and loan repayment offers to help address workforce shortages. Parks & Outdoors: Pennsylvania is investing $81 million to improve and expand trails, parks and public lands.

Erie Tragedy: Nine people, including two children and a pregnant woman, died in a shooting at a family home. Police say the suspected gunman also died; the investigation continues. Libraries: A Pennsylvania historian traces the state’s library roots to Benjamin Franklin’s 1731 Library Company of Philadelphia and highlights Carnegie’s lasting influence on public libraries. Crafts & Community: Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen’s annual holiday festival moved to Hamburg Field House, where about 50 artisans showcased handmade work. Arts: Allentown’s Baum School of Art is marking its centennial with an exhibition of more than 100 works honoring founder Walter Emerson Baum and generations of artists. Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has become the nation’s largest, reviving memories of Philadelphia’s deadly 1991 epidemic.

Erie Tragedy: Nine people, including the suspected gunman, died in a shooting at a home in Erie. Two children and a pregnant woman were among the victims; police say seven were related to the shooter. The motive is unknown. Measles Watch: Pennsylvania’s outbreak has surpassed 1,100 cases across 41 counties. In the Philadelphia region, 40% of kindergarten classrooms had vaccination rates below the level considered protective against community spread. Pittsburgh Wildlife: Animal-care officers spent hours freeing a coyote trapped between walls in an Oakland alley, then released it in the woods outside the city. Arts Calendar: Delaware County Community College’s free gallery exhibition, Window/Frame, runs Oct. 26–Dec. 4, exploring how paintings and smartphone screens frame the images we see.

Erie Tragedy: Nine people, including two children, were reported dead after a shooting at a home in Erie on Friday. The suspected gunman also died; police say there is no ongoing threat as investigators work to establish what happened. Public Health: Pennsylvania has recorded 1,136 measles cases and five associated deaths this year. The CDC has sent states $100 million for vaccination, testing and surveillance efforts. Outdoor Life: The Fish and Boat Commission is stocking about 114,700 trout in 117 Pennsylvania waterways this fall and winter. The fish can be caught as soon as they’re stocked. Local Arts: Kutztown professor Deryl Johnson’s free production, “Centralia: The Fire Below,” revisits the coal town’s history in a mix of play, film and museum elements, Oct. 15–17. Pittsburgh Culture: Randyland, the colorful North Side art attraction created by artist Randy Gilson, grew from a $10,000 building purchase into a celebrated example of grassroots neighborhood art.

Public Health: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has topped 1,100 cases across 41 counties, with five deaths reported; a Chester County high school closed after a confirmed case. Arts & Culture: Luzerne County Community College’s Schulman Gallery is marking 20 years with an exhibition of 84 works, free to visitors through Oct. 23. Local History: Bucks County Community College hosts a free family-history meet-up Oct. 15, connecting visitors with local archives, museums and genealogy groups. Pennsylvania Jazz: Keystone Jazz Orchestra brings its “Our Jazz Story” tour to Misericordia University on Nov. 6, celebrating the state’s role in jazz. Community Heritage: Philadelphia has renamed a Market Street block Walt Palmer-Black Bottom Way, recognizing a historic West Philly neighborhood razed during urban renewal. Outdoor Safety: State officials warn anglers not to eat fish from the Wissahickon watershed after tests found PFOS contamination.

Religious Rights: Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled that state officials wrongly denied a Muslim family a religious exemption from limits on Medicaid payments for relatives caring for a disabled family member. Children’s Health: A measles case prompted Oxford Area High School to close Friday while officials check staff immunity; Lancaster County has reported more than 400 cases this year. Indigenous History: A Philadelphia Firstival event is highlighting the region’s Indigenous peoples, including the Lenape, whose communities were displaced as colonization advanced. Fall Family Fun: Nineteen Philly-area farms are offering pumpkin picking, hayrides, corn mazes and other seasonal outings. Outdoor Heritage: Removing Hoffman’s Mill dam has reopened a stretch of the Brandywine Creek, improving fish passage and recreation while addressing a flood hazard.