New “glamping” reservations at Laurel Hill State Park canceled over tent safety concerns

camping tents and chairs in the middle of a grassy area

Last October, Pennsylvania announced plans to bring “glamping,” or luxury camping, to several state parks, including Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset County. But now, some of those plans have been put on hold.  A safety issue involving tents scheduled to be used at several parks has forced cancellations and refunds for people who had already booked reservations. According to Timberline Glamping, a recently manufactured batch of canvas tents was unable to meet both fireproofing and waterproofing requirements at the same time due to changes in federal environmental standards. The company says that because the tents did not meet safety expectations, it made the decision not to use them.

In a statement to KDKA, Timberline Glamping said, “Timberline Glamping prioritizes the safety of our guests over any profits or convenience. All reservations that had to be cancelled due to this safety recall have been refunded in full.” The issue comes as Pennsylvania state parks continue to see strong visitor numbers and growing interest in camping. State officials have promoted the glamping initiative as a way to expand overnight lodging options and attract new visitors to the parks. In a statement to KDKA, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said, “DCNR is committed to keeping visitors informed and ensuring all facilities meet strict safety standards.

Timberline Glamping identified an issue with a batch of canvas tents that prevent fireproofing and waterproofing treatments from working together, and glampsites using those tents will remain closed. Six sites at Hickory Run and Promised Land State Parks remain on track to open by July 4 using tents that meet safety requirements, and no issues have been reported at French Creek State Park. Timberline notified guests in advance, issued refunds, and has worked closely with DCNR to address the issue and meet the Commonwealth’s public safety standards.”

Source: New “glamping” reservations at Laurel Hill State Park canceled over tent safety concerns – CBS Pittsburgh

Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9

A Father Who Loves Like God

A Dad’s love can leave a lasting imprint on a child’s heart. God calls dads to reflect His unconditional love through patience, grace, and compassion. “Do everything…

Keep reading

Not Meant For the Government

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” Patrick Henry Patrick…

Keep reading

What is the Pentateuch?

At times, another person’s insight can help us see God’s Word in a fresh and meaningful way. In this article, we share content designed to encourage your…

Keep reading

When Silence Protects the Wrong

One of the deepest forms of church hurt happens when abuse, misconduct, or harmful behavior is ignored, minimized, or covered up—especially when trusted leaders or respected members…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

25 people arrested, 52 chickens recovered during raid breaking up cockfight in Chester, Pennsylvania

roosters fighting in close up shot

Police arrested 25 people and recovered 52 chickens while breaking up an active cockfight in Delaware County over the weekend. Law enforcement acted on a tip received last week about a cockfight scheduled for Saturday in the 500 block of Franklin Street in Chester, the Pennsylvania SPCA said in a news release Monday. Multiple agencies executed a search warrant Saturday night and interrupted the cockfight in progress. They arrested 25 people, rescued 52 live birds and found three dead roosters. The live birds were taken to the PSPCA headquarters in Philadelphia for treatment.

They will remain in PSPCA custody pending their surrender or adjudication of the court case, according to the animal shelter. “Cockfighting is one of the most brutal forms of animal cruelty,” Nicole Wilson, PSPCA director of animal law enforcement and shelter operations, said in a statement. “These birds are forced to fight to near death one cut at a time, suffering devastating injuries in the process.”   Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states and a felony in 42 states, including Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. The PSPCA said the investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information should contact its hotline at 866-601-SPCA.

Source: 25 people arrested, 52 chickens recovered during raid breaking up cockfight in Chester, Pennsylvania – CBS Philadelphia

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.
Genesis 9:13

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

New livestream camera shows lives of Pennsylvania’s secretive timber rattlesnakes

close up of coiled sidewinder rattlesnake in sand

A new livestream wildlife camera takes viewers right into a timber rattlesnake rookery in Pennsylvania. The new livestream gives a 24/7 look at timber rattlesnakes living in an undisclosed, remote location in Pennsylvania. A rookery is where the female snakes spend the summer, preparing to give birth and care for their babies.  Considered one of the largest rattlesnake species in the world, the secretive timber rattlesnake is native to the eastern U.S. and is endangered and threatened in nearly half of the states where it lives.  The camera comes from a partnership between Cal Poly and Carlisle-based Dickinson College. It’s the third installment for Project RattleCam, which aims to encourage education about rattlesnake behavior, discourage harm and foster dialogue.  While timber rattlesnakes are venomous, experts say they prefer to avoid confrontation and only strike in self-defense.

Not only do rattlesnakes help control rodent populations, preventing the spread of disease, but their venom has also helped produce medications like anti-clotting drugs. Faculty researchers, students and volunteer community scientists monitor the livestream chat, where viewers can ask questions and even name the snakes. “Scar” is the first to be named in Pennsylvania.  “The public can help us collect data,” Emily Taylor, a Cal Poly biological sciences professor and co-director of Project RattleCam, said in a press release. “In fact, we have science journal article publications coming out soon that are co-authored by some viewers who helped us as community scientists. It’s really important to me that people know that this isn’t just a camera.

Source: New livestream camera shows lives of Pennsylvania’s secretive timber rattlesnakes – CBS Pittsburgh

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.
Proverbs 23:24

1 Peter 1:6–7

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is…

Keep reading

1 Timothy 1:13-15

Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are…

Keep reading

Psalm 1:1–3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;  but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law…

Keep reading

James 1:14–15

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth…

Keep reading

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. This reminds us that our choices have consequences. God is not fooled by outward appearances,…

Keep reading

Proverbs 13:20

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. This reminds us that the people we spend time with have a powerful influence on our…

Keep reading

1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals. We can see here that Paul gives a powerful warning: the people and influences we allow into our lives can shape our character,…

Keep reading

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. This…

Keep reading

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. This verse reminds us that our words carry tremendous power. That what…

Keep reading

Proverbs 23:7

For he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. This verse reminds us that our thoughts shape our…

Keep reading

Matthew 6:22

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, In this verse Jesus teaches that what we focus…

Keep reading

Luke 6:45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Chester, Pennsylvania, police officer hospitalized after violent attack while responding to burglary

a paramedic holding a radio

A Chester police officer is expected to recover after authorities say he was violently attacked Tuesday morning while responding to a reported domestic burglary. According to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Officer Michael Tierney approached a man connected to a reported burglary near Meadow Lane and West 9th Street in Chester when the suspect suddenly attacked the officer. “It was a really scary incident, and it could’ve been a whole lot worse,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said. Investigators said Tierney attempted to calmly speak with the suspect on the sidewalk before the encounter turned violent. “There was no real provocation.

Officer Tierney was acting in nothing but a professional manner,” Rouse said. Authorities identified the suspect as Lawrence Crews. Prosecutors said Crews repeatedly punched Tierney, wrestled him to the ground and struggled for control of the officer’s Taser. “He was in effect pistol-whipped with his own Taser as a struggle ensued,” Rouse said. “Eventually, he was able to get the suspect, Mr. Crews, off of him.” Additional officers later took Crews into custody. Tierney was rushed to ChristianaCare Wilmington Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. Officials said Tierney suffered cuts to his face and head and may have sustained a concussion, but he is expected to make a full recovery. “He was banged up, he was shaken up, it was wild, and it was unprovoked,” Rouse said. Prosecutors said Crews may have been suffering a health crisis at the time of the incident, though officials stressed there was no justification for assaulting a police officer.

Source: Chester, Pennsylvania, police officer hospitalized after violent attack while responding to burglary – CBS Philadelphia

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:11

God Sees Your Unseen Efforts

God has not overlooked a single act of your faithfulness, not one prayer, not one quiet sacrifice. Even when no one else sees, He remembers, and your…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

6-year-old Pennsylvania girl holding art auctions to raise money childhood cancer patients

patient lying in bed

Life for a child should be a time of wonder and discovery, but children with cancer are sometimes robbed of those wonders. A 6-year-old girl from Pennsylvania is making it her mission to help those patients through art.  It all started when Kaylin Lundell, who loves to draw and color, was in the car with her mom and a commercial for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which specializes in care for kids with cancer, came on the radio. “She wanted to do something about it, and I wanted to support her,” said Kaylin’s mom Tea Lundell. 

That’s when Tea Lundell said she came up with “a conspiracy of kindness.” She proposed an art auction to raise money for St. Jude’s. The artists would be children, just like her daughter.  “Right now, we have four businesses that we have scheduled the event for, they are fully committed,” she said.  The kids can draw whatever they want. Then it’s up to the highest bidder to claim the creation. The money collected is all going to St. Jude’s.  Kaylin Lundell said she’s trying to raise $100,000. She sad she wants the kids to enjoy something other than fear and pain.  “Kids should just dream about other kids, being a kid and having ice cream after dinner from their parents,” she said.  Kids who make art for the auction will have their creations embossed with the official seal of Kaylin Lundell’s Draw for a Dream campaign. They’ll also have a signed certificate of authenticity. 

Source: 6-year-old Pennsylvania girl holding art auctions to raise money childhood cancer patients – CBS Pittsburgh

Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!
Proverbs 23:4

Avian Flu Has Killed Thousands of Birds in the U.S. Pennsylvania Is at the Epicenter.

flock of birds flying in the sky

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment and a Pennsylvania Capital-Star partners.  When two bald eagles built a nest in Philadelphia in 2007, it was the first time one had been recorded in the area in 200 years. Today, eagles can be spotted swooping over Wissahickon Creek, flying near Kelly Drive, and soaring above FDR Park. Their return to American skies is one of the 21st century’s great conservation stories. From near-extinction lows in the 1960s, the estimated population of bald eagles in the United States has rebounded to more than 315,000.

Source: Avian Flu Has Killed Thousands of Birds in the U.S. Pennsylvania Is at the Epicenter.

You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:17-18

Man charged in murder-for-hire plot at Pennsylvania shopping plaza

News Room

Another man has been charged in connection with a murder-for-hire plot that ended with a deadly shooting in the parking lot of a Westmoreland County shopping center in 2022.

Source: Man charged in murder-for-hire plot at Pennsylvania shopping plaza – CBS Pittsburgh