Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

A scene from the Reopen PA rally last week

COVID and more COVID summed up the week’s news for the n-th straight week. As we have before, we tried to cover it from many different angles—from daily state health department updates to features and opinion. We have all of our coverage listed and linked below.

COVID-19 pandemic seems to have plateaued for now but new cases and fatalities remain high statewide. Every day, we wrote a news story with the latest facts and figures from the state Department of Health, including the most recent update.

Earth Day celebrated its 50th anniversary this past week, so we shared our pre-COVID feature story with readers. It was a welcome break to a time when things seemed more normal, and we expected to have many Earth Day-related activities and celebrations.

Earth Day art exhibits were a real thing before the pandemic shut down galleries everywhere. Still, in his blog, our arts writer reflected on the golden anniversary of Earth Day and the artwork now stranded behind closed, locked doors.

“Friends of TheBurg” launched this week, TheBurg’s new membership program. Would you like to support our community journalism and receive some great benefits in the process? Read our editor’s introductory post to find out more.

Gov. Tom Wolf plans to begin lifting business restrictions and stay-at-home orders beginning on May 8 for certain, rural areas of PA. He also unveiled a three-color system to indicate a gradual, regional return to normalcy. We had the news stories this week.

“Grub for Scrubs” launched last week, a program that uses donations to buy meals from local restaurants that are then donated to health care workers. It’s the brainchild of local firm, andculture, and we have the story in our online feature.

Harrisburg finances remain relatively stable despite the general economic chaos, according to the city’s finance director. Questions remain about the future, but, so far, the city seems to be weathering the crisis better than some other local jurisdictions, he said. Find out more from our news story.

Impact Harrisburg, along with the city, have begun a $1 million grant fund to help support small businesses. The “Business Stabilization Program” will award as much as $10,000 to help city businesses weather the economic crisis. We have the details in our online story.

“One Midtown” launches this weekend, a new program designed to encourage people to support Midtown businesses during the pandemic. Friends of Midtown is asking locals to show their love for their neighborhood by buying local. Get all the details in our online story.

PA Liquor Control Board is opening up many more state-owned liquor stores for phone ordering and curbside pickup. This includes many stores in the greater Harrisburg area. Read our online news story for all the spirited details.

“Reflections Amid the Pandemic” was the title of a blog post by contributing writer Karen Hendricks. In a beautifully written piece, she weighs the surreal experience of trying to live a life during a bizarre time that seems to be our “new normal.”

“Reopen PA” arrived in Harrisburg last week, in the form of a rally at the state Capitol. Equal parts protest and Trump rally, attendees honked horns and waved signs for hours to show support for returning life to normal in PA. We attended and brought back a story.

Sara Bozich swears that she’ll leave her house one day. But, in the meantime, she lists a bunch of online things to do over the weekend, as well as links to great businesses to support.

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