Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Harrisburg teen accused of $30,000 bad-check car purchase

Coming up on the Harrisburg Patch calendar: Beers & Business at The Ball Park

Thursday August 20th Patch AM
Thursday August 20th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good morning Harrisburg! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Harrisburg teen accused of $30,000 bad-check car purchase
  • How scammers tried to lure a local woman to Harrisburg with threats
  • How a Harrisburg-based state police helicopter ended up in a deadly crash

Also on today's calendar: House of Heavy and 7 more events.

Today's riddle: Why do fish live in salt water? 🤔 (Answer below!)


Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Humid with rain and a t-storm, with a high of 73 and low of 62 degrees.
  • Friday: Times of clouds and sun, temps: high: 81, low: 66.
  • Saturday: Humid with a shower in places, with a high of 77 and low of 67 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Dauphin County man taken into custody for reported fraudulent down payment on vehicle in Lancaster County (fox43.com) — An 18-year-old Harrisburg man is facing charges after police say he used a $30,000 check that later bounced as a down payment on a vehicle at a Lancaster County dealership. He was arrested at Newark Airport, the vehicle was recovered, and he's now free on bail awaiting a preliminary hearing. The case highlights cross-county financial crime involving a Dauphin County resident.
   

2. 'They Had Everything': Woman Warns After Scammer Posed as U.S. Marshal (local21news.com) — Scammers are impersonating U.S. Marshals and trying to lure residents to a supposed federal address in Harrisburg while demanding IDs and Social Security cards. A York County woman avoided the trap by double-checking the address and calling real authorities, who confirmed it was a scam. Local law enforcement urges anyone receiving similar calls to hang up and independently verify using official phone numbers.
   

3. Carlisle Airport Midair Collision: What State Police Said (lowerbuckstimes.com) — A state police helicopter based in the Harrisburg area was badly damaged in a deadly midair collision with a Cessna at Carlisle Regional Airport, about 20 miles west of the city. Two troopers from the Harrisburg-region aviation unit were injured but are expected to recover, while federal investigators and state police now work to reconstruct what happened at the uncontrolled airport.
   

4. PGC and PFBC Seek Public Input on New Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan (pa.gov) — State wildlife officials in Harrisburg are asking residents to weigh in on a draft 2025–2035 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan that guides conservation funding and priorities. You can review the plan online and submit comments through September 19, helping shape how hundreds of at-risk species and their habitats are protected across the Commonwealth.
   

5. Data center projects across Pennsylvania face uncertainty under new Shapiro order (fox43.com) — From Harrisburg, the governor has ordered strict new rules for AI data centers, requiring developers to secure and pay for their own power and win local approval before permits advance. Projects like the PAX-1 campus and a proposed Dauphin Highlands data center near Harrisburg now face added uncertainty. Local officials and residents will have greater say over whether these facilities move forward.
   


📸 Around Harrisburg

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!


🗓 Upcoming Events in Harrisburg

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Featured events

Want to see your event featured? Click here!


Other local events
    Thursday August 20
  • Penbrook Revitalization Meeting
    Penbrook Borough 150 S 28th St, Harrisburg, PA 17103
    6:00 pm
  • Saturday August 22
  • House of Heavy
    Capital City Music Hall - Lower Level 234 N 2nd St Harrisburg, PA 17101
    8:00 pm
  • Monday August 24
  • Borough Budget Meeting
    Penbrook Borough 150 S 28th St, Harrisburg, PA 17103
    6:30 pm
  • Tuesday August 25
  • Autism Open House at Ben Franklin, Downey, and Foose Schools. For
    Harrisburg City SD Harrisburg, PA 17101
    4:00 pm
  • Business Meeting
    Harrisburg City SD https://hbgsd.zoom.us/j/86392550317?pwd=J77tx6EST5AH6JOMukHwXZrD8a
    6:00 pm
  • Wednesday August 26
  • First Day of School
    Harrisburg City SD Harrisburg, PA 17101
  • Thursday August 27
  • Planning Commission Meeting
    Penbrook Borough 150 S 28th St, Harrisburg, PA 17103
    6:30 pm
  • Saturday August 29
  • Cowboy Mouth
    XL Live, 801 S 10th St, Harrisburg
    8:00 pm
  • Thursday September 3
  • SilverSneakers® Classes at Juniper Village at Mount Joy
    Juniper Village at Mount Joy, 607 Hearthstone Ln, Mount Joy
    11:00 am

📣 Harrisburg Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!


🗓 Events Nearby

    Thursday August 20
  • Open House Events at Elementary Schools
    Harrisburg City SD Harrisburg, PA 17101
    4:30 pm
  • SLAC - Back to School Night
    Sara Lindemuth / Anna Carter Primary School SLAC CLASSROOMS
    5:00 pm
  • HS - Open House
    Susquehanna Township SD Harrisburg, PA 17109
    5:00 pm
  • Kona Ice Breaker
    SHAULL EL SCH Enola, PA 17025
    5:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.


 

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • In-Pulse Special Report: A Pennsylvania Employer's Guide to OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and First Aid —Donna Ryan Read on Patch
  • Who do you contact if a bat is in your living room?
    It's alive flying around. In this video it's resting in our roof window. (Nextdoor Amber Fields)
  • Going out today👀.
    Tips for making them last- change water often & snipe the stems. Across from Mt Laurel Park (Nextdoor Fishing Creek Valley)
  • United Natural Foods, Inc. posted a job opening for Receiving High Reach Operator- Overnight in Harrisburg. Apply here.
  • Serco posted a job opening for Closeout Billing Specialist in Harrisburg. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Harrisburg here.

Ok Harrisburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Pepper makes them sneeze (Thank you Karla H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!


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