Matt Heckel
abc27 WHTM
San Antonio, TX, United States
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Past articles by Matt:
Train strikes car in central Pennsylvania, killing woman
NEW OXFORD, Pa. (AP) – Authorities say a woman died after her car was struck by a train in central Pennsylvania. Eastern Adams Regional Police said the vehicle tried to cross railroad tracks while a CSX freight train was entering the intersection at about 9 a.m. Tuesday in Oxford Township in Adams County. Officials said […] → Read More
96 cases of Coronavirus in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – The Department of Health announced on Tuesday there are 20 new additional positive cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. It brings the statewide total to 96. Five of the new cases are in Cumberland County, which now has ten cases. Total numbers of tests that have been performed are not available, due […] → Read More
Two ‘presumptive positive’ cases of Coronavirus in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Governor Tom Wolf announced on Friday the first two presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, in Pennsylvania. Officials are waiting for testing results from the CDC before officially confirming these cases.Both individuals are adults. One is from Wayne County and recently traveled to a country where […] → Read More
Bill looks to move up Pennsylvania primary election date
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A bill is moving through Pennsylvania’s legislature to move up the state’s primary election date. Senate Bill 779 would change Pennsylvania’s primary from the fourth Tuesday in April to the third Tuesday in March, starting 2024. The new date would only apply to the presidential election years. This year, Pennsylvania’s primary […] → Read More
Pa. lawmakers worried mail-in votes could delay vote counting on election night.
While Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar expects more people to sign up to vote by mail, others are worried that large numbers of mail-in votes could delay vote counting on election night → Read More
Pennsylvania bill would legalize recreational marijuana
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A bill to legalize recreational marijuana was introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday. Rep. Jake Wheatley (D-Allegheny) announced the introduction of House Bill 2050. This is not the first time Wheatley has introduced legal marijuana legislation but he says this bill is different. The bill would create a […] → Read More
Trump 2020 store opening in Pennsylvania
BENSALEM, Pa. (WHTM) — If you want to go into business, you better sell what people want or you won’t be in business long. KYW reports one new shop owner in Pennsylvania says he knows exactly what people will buy: Trump merchandise. “You name it. We have it,” said Michael Domanico to KYW. The Trump […] → Read More
Pennsylvania Democrats pen bills to increase housing opportunities
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Senate Democrats plan to introduce a series of bills aimed at increasing housing opportunities in Pennsylvania. The New Deal for Housing is a five-year program, calling for a billion dollars in new money to help expand access to affordable housing. The initiative would create the Survival Accessible Fair and Empowering (SAFE) […] → Read More
Police: Armed woman shot, wounded by state trooper
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (AP) – State police say an armed woman was shot and wounded by a state trooper in western Pennsylvania. Police in Lawrence County say troopers responded just after 9 a.m. Monday to a Slippery Rock Township location where a woman was reported causing a disturbance. Trooper R. Dan Kesten said the woman […] → Read More
How you can stave off the holiday blues
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – The holiday season can mean joy for some but be bluesy for others. Friday, the Wolf administration shared resources and advice for individuals and families affected by mental health and substance abuse disorders during the holiday season. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: additional stress, sentimental memories, or unrealistic […] → Read More
Scams to be wary of for the holiday season
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — State officials are urging Pennsylvanians to remain vigilant for scams this holiday season. There are three common scams people should be aware of for the holiday season: Social security scams, where someone calls and says you are under investigation and need to pay up immediately. They will often ask for payments […] → Read More
Pennsylvania hunting sees changes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – The first day of deer firearms season in Pennsylvania was Saturday, ending a tradition of more than five decades. Since 1963, the first day of the season had been the Monday after Thanksgiving. “The whole idea behind changing the opening day is it would seem to give more hunters the chance […] → Read More
Sunday hunting days poised to become law in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf will sign legislation allowing hunting on three Sundays a year in Pennsylvania. The Senate voted 38-11 on Wednesday, the bill’s last hurdle before it heads to Wolf’s desk. The bill permits Sunday hunting one day during rifle deer season, one during statewide archery deer season and a third […] → Read More
Pennsylvanians should have right to fix own stuff, group says
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – A group is calling on Pennsylvania state lawmakers to introduce and pass “Right to Repair” reforms. PennPIRG Education Fund released its “What are Pennsylvanians Trying to Fix?” report on Tuesday. The report found that 2.3 million Pennsylvanians looked up repairs on the website iFixit.com. The most popular products searched were cell […] → Read More
State boosts program to aid farming veterans
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – State officials are investing in a program designed to help Pennsylvania veterans in the agriculture industry. $1 million will be provided to the ‘PA Preferred Homegrown by Heroes’ program, which labels products from farmer veterans to encourage consumer support for those businesses. Representative Eddie Day Pashinski introduced an amendment to the […] → Read More
Senate Democrats release report to tackle growing poverty
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Senate Democrats have released a report on their Poverty Listening Tour. The tour, which included five stops across the state over the spring, allowed lawmakers to talk with those struggling with poverty in finding the problems they face and develop solutions. The report includes 20 recommendations being made to Governor Wolf, […] → Read More
Wolf approves election reform bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Governor Tom Wolf signed an election reform bill into law on Thursday morning. The reforms include $90 million to partially reimburse counties for the cost of new voting machines, a mail-in voting option, pushing the voter registration deadline to 15 days before an election, rather than the current 30 days, and […] → Read More
Website aids with bullying prevention
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Advocates against bullying announced Tuesday during a rally the launch of a new, online bullying prevention toolkit. The Center for Safe Schools and the Highmark Foundation announced the launch of the “Care. Connection. Champion: A Middle School Bullying Prevention Toolkit” campaign, which includes that website. The website is designed to teach […] → Read More
Mother charged after leaving baby with bus driver
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a Pennsylvania woman who they say handed her 1-month-old baby to a bus driver and walked away in tears. Authorities on Monday charged 26-year-old Ashley Walters of Whitehall with child endangerment. According to court documents, Walters boarded the bus in Bethlehem on Saturday, placed her son on the […] → Read More
Bill introduced to expand ban on conversion therapy
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – A bill has been introduced in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives to ban conversion therapy on minors. Conversion therapy is the practice of trying to change an LGBTQ child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. House Bill 1293, introduced by Representative Brian Sims, would ban it in Pennsylvania for those under the age […] → Read More