Harrisburg School District to consider non-renewal of city charter school

March 27, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Premier Arts and Science Charter School

The future of a Harrisburg charter school may be at risk.

At a board meeting on Tuesday, Harrisburg School District Receiver Dr. Lori Suski approved a resolution that will commence non-renewal proceedings against Premier Arts and Science Charter School.

The district recently completed its charter renewal review process for Premier, evaluating its academics, administration, operation and other aspects. Charter schools must face renewal every five years. Premier’s prior charter period expired in June 2023, but the school has been legally allowed to continue operating during the review.

District officials and an attorney presented findings from the review that included students underperforming academically, low staff retention and non-compliant programs, among other issues.

“For these reasons and others, Premier’s performance and operations warrants non-renewal of the charter under the grounds in the Charter School Law,” said Dr. Marisol Craig, assistant superintendent of the district.

Premier’s charter was initially granted in 2013. In 2018, the district initiated non-renewal proceedings, but the district eventually reached an agreement with Premier to renew its charter with certain conditions. Most significantly, Premier would go from being a K-5th grade school to K-3rd grade.

“Honestly, this is extremely disappointing. I sat on this board when Premier first presented this charter,” said board member Danielle Robinson. “Now it’s the same thing, possibly even worse than it was in 2018.”

Premier could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to attorney Allison Petersen with Levin Legal Group, who helped conduct the review, the review process was delayed due to certain data that wasn’t available until the 2023-24 school year and because Premier was often delayed in sending the district information.

Data collected by the district showed that Premier students’ Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores decreased, as the percentage of proficient students in math dropped from 7.1% in the 2021-22 year to 0% in 2022-23, and proficiency in English language arts between the years dropped from 14.3% to 5.6%. Academic performance in several other areas also decreased or remained nearly the same over the years.

Officials also pointed out that average staff retention was only 53% and that there were multiple principals over the past five years, including one who was not properly certified. Premier has also increasingly been utilizing teachers who lack certification or experience, many teaching on emergency permits, Craig said.

Other issues included truancy, non-compliant food facility inspections, noncompliant programs for English language learners, under-enrollment and a lack of enough school board members.

As required by the Charter School Law, the district will begin a hearing process with Premier to support their evidence in support of a non-renewal. Premier will also have a chance to present evidence in its defense.

After the hearings, Suski will ultimately make the final decision regarding renewal.

Also on Tuesday, Suski approved the hiring of Dr. Frances Echevarria as the principal of Steele School, which is slated to open for the 2024-25 school year, with a salary of $111,352, plus an additional doctoral stipend of $3,000 per year.

Additionally, Dr. Scott Lindsey was hired as the principal of Ben Franklin Elementary with a salary of $109,686, plus an additional doctoral stipend of $3,000 per year. Lindsey replaces James Snyder, who resigned.

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Harrisburg to begin spending American Rescue Plan money on affordable housing, other projects

March 27, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday

Harrisburg is preparing to start spending a large portion of its federal COVID relief funds.

City Council on Tuesday approved the appropriation of $18.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the city to spend on affordable housing, home repairs and blighted property demolition, among other projects.

In total, Harrisburg received $47 million in ARPA money. In 2022, council voted to use $15.6 million to reimburse the city for pandemic revenue losses and for bonuses for fire and police bureau employees, among other allocations. In July 2023, council allocated the remaining $31.4 million to go into the city’s general fund as revenue replacement, but specified certain projects that the money would fund.

At Tuesday’s legislative session, council voted to move $18.8 million of that $31.4 million into Harrisburg’s 2024 budget for spending.

The allocations include $8 million for an affordable housing program, which will provide up to $2 million each to developers building affordable housing as defined by federal standards, and $5 million for home repairs to low-income households. Another $2 million will be used to pay for low-income residents’ overdue trash bills, $500,000 will go towards tree removal and pruning services for low-income and elderly residents and $1.5 million will help demolish blighted buildings. Additionally, $1 million will help nonprofits providing bridge housing programs and $25,000 will assist local senior programs. Another $600,000 will cover costs associated with project administration.

Council has also previously expressed its intent to use funds to renovate the Hall Manor pool, construct an ADA-accessible playground, create a workforce development program for youth, fund a “Community Matters” grant program for underserved businesses and nonprofits and create “community connection hubs” in the city to assist with workforce development. However, money has yet to be allocated in the budget to those projects.

Also at their meeting, council approved an update to Harrisburg’s Building and Housing Development Code that would modernize the system and give the city the power to directly fine property owners. The city’s code now aligns with the most recent 2018 International Code Council’s International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) instead of the 2000 edition, which the city was using.

The city will now contract with Wallace, Montgomery & Associates for as-needed engineering services, as council approved the measure on Tuesday. The firm will help fill in for the city’s engineering department, as city Engineer Dan Snow said he has resigned.

Additionally, council awarded $45,000 in funding to the Capital Area Greenbelt Association, which handles maintenance on the city-owned sections of the Greenbelt. Council also approved an agreement with the association for its design, construction and restoration of the Paxtang Parkway Creek and Trail.

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Harrisburg engineer to resign, city begins hiring search again

March 26, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Dan Snow

Harrisburg is back on the hunt for a city engineer as the current department head has resigned.

City Engineer Dan Snow told TheBurg on Tuesday that he would leave his position this week, less than a year after he was hired.

Snow started with the city in July 2023, following a year-and-a-half-long search by Harrisburg to fill the post.

Snow said that he is currently in the process of finding another job, stating that his role with the city was “a lot to manage.” Snow’s last day in his position will be Friday.

“We will continue our search once again for a dedicated city engineer,” said city Communications Director Matt Maisel.

Maisel said that the job posting was published online two weeks ago with a salary of $142,800.

In the meantime, the city has hired Wallace, Montgomery & Associates as a contractor to provide planning and engineering services to Harrisburg on an as-needed basis. City Council voted to approve the contract on Tuesday night.

According to Maisel, the contract with the firm was not brought forth because of Snow’s resignation, but the firm will help fill in for the city engineer while Harrisburg searches for a new one. Former Harrisburg city engineer Wayne Martin, who works for Wallace, Montgomery & Associates, will serve as the project engineer for the firm’s projects with the city.

The engineering firm will replace Dawood Engineering, which has provided services to the city for the past two years.

With Wallace Montgomery’s assistance, Maisel said that ongoing engineering projects will not be affected by Snow’s resignation.

“They will be able to take the ball and run with it,” he said.

Also this week, Todd Webb, the new project manager for the city’s engineering department, started in his role. Webb previously worked as a top official with the Swatara Township Public Works Department.

According to Maisel, he will work with contractors on projects and conduct outreach with city residents, among other responsibilities.

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Harrisburg developer proposes affordable housing project in Allison Hill

March 26, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

The proposed site of “Bailey Street Townhomes” at 1175 Bailey St.

A vacant Harrisburg lot and hot spot for illegal dumping may get a new lease on life as a local developer has proposed building on it.

Ryan Sanders of Harrisburg-based RB Development told TheBurg that they are proposing building affordable housing on the 1100-block of Bailey Street in the Summit Terrace neighborhood.

“For us to bring affordable housing and workforce housing back there and so people don’t have to be displaced, that’s the ultimate goal,” Sanders said.

The project, “Bailey Street Townhomes,” would include 24 townhome-style units in total, configured in eight triplexes with three units in each. There would be one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with at least one parking space per unit, Sanders said.

Currently, the lot sits vacant at the end of Bailey Street, overlooking the downtown skyline. According to Sanders, RB Development plans to purchase the lot from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, which currently owns the property.

In addition to the townhomes, the developer has proposed building a community center with a library and meeting space for the community.

Sanders said that, pending all necessary city approvals, they could possibly start construction on the roughly $8.5 million project by the end of the year.

RB Development is also collaborating with the Summit Terrace Neighborhood Association on the project, Sanders noted.

In August 2023, RB Development broke ground on another affordable housing project on the 1000-block of N. 6th Street in Harrisburg. “Bethel Village” will provide 49 units for seniors in a 46,000-square-foot building.

For more information on RB Development, visit their website.

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Bob’s Art Blog: Those Who Have…Great Minds Think Alike

March 26, 2024 | by Bob MacGinnes

“Navajo Corn Maiden” by Sabrina Lay at “Art in the Wild”

One for the money. Two for the show. Three to get ready. Sneak peeks at three spring events taking place the first half of April are delivered neat and tidy in this Easter basket of Bob’s Art Blog.

“Those who have…” refers to the veterans of an annual rite, the season known as “Art in The Wild,” Friends of Wildwood’s gift to the public of landscape art. The 12th edition, opening April 7, features quite a few surprises.

Back in 2012 in its initial offering, AITW founder, Elizabeth Johnson and friends, felt it imperative that the park’s exhibit, open to the community, would engage the public on all levels, provide good public art, and place an emphasis on educational opportunities. Time marches on to 2024 and a field of 17 participants. Visionaries like Marcy Brenner, Donna Curanzy-Seltzer, Moe Hickey, Mary and Paul Lundeen, Olivia Susskind and Jim Caufield have steered the event over the years. Chris Reber, long-time Wildwood Park manager and Richelle Corty, environmental educator, add additional annual support in the day-to-day operations through the six-month run of AITW through Sept. 30.

Beau MacGinnes and his mother, Jana, past back-to-back fist-place award winners, shared the theme this year is “Nature Heals.” Their team includes Aubrey McNaughton, sister, and daughter respectively, and Debbie Reihart, city parks guru, who approach this installation from an ecological point of view with reforestation as its primary focus. In its simplest form, a woodland creature plays a vital role in forest ecosystems. This character is solely responsible for the continued growth of tree development purely by accident. Without revealing its identity, this culprit is taking shape by the hour and day as the team builds from the ground up. On Sunday, April 7, the public gets to meet the artists and can choose to saunter, stroll or scurry and scamper to see what this forest hero drops to replenish the woods.

In terms of AITW artists, they fit into two categories. Having discussed the first already, the group of “those who haven’t” are newbies to the fray. Both sets of participants are equally important in carrying out the tradition. In any annual event, especially one now in year 12, the x-factor needed is to add fresh ideas to the mix to ensure the event’s growth and success in years to come.

Included in the group of those who have are Richard Cary and Maria Joel, will-o-the-wisp woodsman, Ray Curanzy, Lorayn McPoyle who loves the soil, student Ava King has a certain ring, teacher Cindy Mindy, you can’t make that up, the Marcus family of four may leave their mark for sure, and Sabrina Lay may save the day with her “Navajo Corn Maiden” (pictured). Double R’s, Stephen Reinhart and Carol Reed at one end balance Indie Kachel and Tracie Houston, rounding out these time-tested terrain technicians. Chomping at the bit to start creating includes the Heather Whipple family of six promising to gather sticks. Student Yianna Karagianis and Emma McDowell Best individually add fresh takes while dynamic duos, mother and daughter, Samantha and Adeline Lezcano as well as Cortney Malecki and Tracy Buikema prove two may be better than one. Again, behind the scenes, Mick Corman and his intrepid group of student videographers at Capital Area School for the Arts, captures the installations to perfection.

Circling back to the trail’s beginning, team MacGinnes put the finishing touches on their outsized installation. As to the identity of their forest hero, all Beau would say is, “sometimes you feel like a nut!”

Great Minds Think Alike

In the case of the title listed above, a dilemma arose when great minds decided the day to honor spring is April 14, just a few weeks away. On the east shore, Sara Bozich, yes, the one and only, unveils her third annual rite of passage with Plants + Pints on that day from 1 to 5 p.m. at Strawberry Square in Harrisburg, while the west shore raises the curtain on their second Earth and Arts Festival, held by the New Cumberland Collective, on the lawns of the New Cumberland Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A scene from last year’s Plants + Pints in Strawberry Square

If one were to distinguish between the two, the main difference is Plants + Pints may be better suited for the over-21 set as craft beer is a featured attraction. Sara promises that “suds may splash so make a dash and be sure to stash some ready cash for this bash!” With swag bags, exciting demos, and plant-based food vendors, it’s all for a worthy cause to benefit Downtown Daily Bread, feeding the unhoused. Plants + Pints might be just the ticket for you. Shine Delphi will be providing a live soundtrack to make certain the plants enjoy the day. With well over a dozen vendors and vegan cooking demos from Chef Craig Ward of his eponymous Ward of Health restaurant, as well as Chef Corrie of Downtown Daily Bread, health and wellness will be the key items on their menus. Free city parking on Sundays, this family friendly community event will be a sure hit. Buy tickets for $20 (adults) and $10 under 21. https://sarabozich.com/event/plants-pints-2024/

Artist Steph Holmes at last year’s Earth and Arts Festival

Jon Crum, festival chair and Alana Bubris of New Cumberland Collective tout the second annual Earth and Arts Festival as “an arty party for the planet.” It’s a free family get together for the entire community to celebrate spring in all its glory. With all the hoopla surrounding the event, it promises to be bigger and better than last year. With workshops, hands-on activities for the kids, food and fun, and just all out fabulous, you’ll be counting down the days till the 14th. Speaking with some of last year’s participants, artist Steph Holmes of York shared, “The day was amazing with a great turnout, and the reception at my stand came from art lovers of all ages.” Nature inspires Steph’s fine art renderings of flora, fauna and fantasy finding favor with young and old alike. Kid crafter “Kiwi” McNaughton of Harrisburg, age 9, stated, “Sales were brisk all day” as she sold out of her one-of-a-kind handmade clay bracelets perfect for kids and adults. Perhaps as the youngest crafter there, she co-opted the booth with grandmother Jana MacGinnes, artist and soap-maker selling her vegan soap with partner, Barb Kline. This year, they’ve added some new nature-inspired tea soaps. Live music, a plethora of garden topic talks and demos from two dozen “advocates” for those of “the green thumb way of life” will inform and educate from A-Z, and did I mention food trucks with an entire street full of options? Follow New Cumberland Collective on FB and IG for more details or visit their website.

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Broad Street Market vendors begin to move into temporary structure, as tent nears spring opening

March 25, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Broad Street Market temporary tent

Harrisburg Broad Street Market patrons will soon be able to visit some of their favorite brick-building vendors who were displaced by the July fire.

The city just announced that vendors can begin moving equipment into the temporary tent market structure that was constructed just across the street from the market.

For months, the opening of the structure has been delayed, due to challenges securing contractors. However, city Communications Director Matt Maisel said that vendors may begin moving in and preparing for an opening by the end of April or early May.

According to Dave Baker, director of facilities, vendors are mainly beginning to move in sinks, so that crews with Harrisburg-area-based McClure Company, which donated services to the city, can finish plumbing work.

The rest of the interior work—electric and carpentry—will be completed in the coming weeks, while vendors move in and the market prepares to open.

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Harrisburg, county to ramp up “full legal enforcement” for illegal dumping issue

March 25, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams, along with city and county officials, at a press conference in a vacant lot in Summit Terrace that is a hot spot for illegal dumping.

Harrisburg and Dauphin County will use new strategies to penalize those illegally dumping trash in the city.

City and county officials stood at the site of a dumping hotspot in Summit Terrace on Monday to talk about the new ways they plan to take action against repeat offenders.

“The last place this junk belongs is in someone’s backyard,” said Mayor Wanda Williams. “We are committed to doing everything we can to stop illegal dumping today.”

According to Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo, his office will work with the city to ramp up enforcement. Instead of using the city ordinances, Chardo said the city will use the state’s crimes code, which allows repeat offenders to face misdemeanor charges. The city code does not allow that. With the state’s charges come fines and mandatory trash cleanup hours.

“There are real teeth in this statute; that is a mandate,” Chardo said.

Additionally, all illegal dumping cases will now go before Magisterial District Judge Marian Urrutia, who presides over the 12-2-01 district court in Swatara Township. This will funnel the cases to one judge who can focus on enforcement, Chardo said.

According to city officials, magisterial district judges often let offenders off with a warning, or a “slap on the wrist,” as Williams described it.

Officials are now saying that enough is enough.

“We do not want to have to use the blunt instrument of the criminal justice system if we don’t have to, but we will if the problem continues,” Chardo said.

According to Public Works Director Dave West, this increased enforcement will also now apply to property owners who don’t take action to deter illegal dumping on their properties. They too may face criminal charges, fines and even fees for the city’s cleanup efforts on their properties.

The city also has at least a dozen cameras placed at dumping hot spots around the city to try to catch criminals.

West said that his crews are cleaning up illegal dumping sites in the city daily. In 2023, that work cost the city over $153,000. In the last year, over 700 tons of illegally dumped trash were picked up by the city.

“We are committed to full legal enforcement to clean up our capital city,” said Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries.

Harrisburg City Council member Ralph Rodriguez, who was present at the press conference, announced this summer’s dates for his Hot Spot Saturdays initiative, which encourages people to volunteer to clean up illegal dumping sites.

The dates are as follows:

April 13, Camp Curtin area, from 10 a.m. to noon, meet at the Camp Curtin YMCA
May 18, Allison Hill, from 10 a.m. to noon, meet near 13th and Swatara streets
June 29, Midtown, from 10 a.m. to noon, meet outside Historic Harrisburg Association on N. 3rd Street
July 20, Southside Cloverly Park area, from 10 a.m. to noon, meet at the Southside Boys and Girls Club
Aug.24, North Allison Hill area, from 10 a.m. to noon, meet at 15th and Verbeke streets
Sept. 14, Italian Lake, from 10 a.m. to noon, meet near Zembo Shrine

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Burg Review: Mary Speaks is a tapestry of culture, history and the unending devotion of the Black mother

March 25, 2024 | by Maria James-Thiaw

Angela Polite. Photo courtesy of Angela Polite.

“Mary Speaks” is a one-woman show, brilliantly written and performed by Angela Polite. Polite draws audiences into the life and times of Mary, a girl who was prophesied to bring light into the world. That light is revealed to be a son, whom she must protect at all costs. Her grandmother embeds the divine directive into her spirit: “Always speak up and always speak out.”

Like a needle and thread dipping in and out of fabric, this story takes you on a journey back and forth through history, displaying the joys of African American culture and the truths of mother/son relationships throughout some of toughest racial moments in the American experience.

This, however, is not a play that only Black mothers can understand. Anyone who has felt loss, dreams dashed, joy or pride can connect to Polite’s many characters. I dare say that anyone who has a mother can be moved by the joy and pain of Mary’s life.

Just as baby Mary and Mary’s baby are unveiled at birth to reveal the light, this play sheds light on moments in history that some audiences may have previously been unaware of–for instance, the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Jim Crow era, the Vietnam War and others, when Black lives were deemed unworthy of existence. It is this journey through history that opens eyes of understanding to the recent uprising in wake of the murder of George Floyd.

Playwright Polite does this without judgment or preaching. She masterfully weaves story over story, always holding onto the main thread that is Mary and her son’s relationship. As the play continues, it seems that this American history is the soil in which her son has been planted. Subtly, Polite’s masterful script shows us the parallels between the life of Mary, mother of Jesus, and the life of this 20th-century Black mother. And though a journey through African American culture and history is not without its church moments, they become demonstrations of culture and moments of context, without forcing a religious point of view on anyone. The call and response of the Black preacher’s cadence and music draws audiences in, without pushing anyone away.

Polite fully embodies each character, while continuing to demonstrate a masterful ability to gently transition from one person to the next. The props, lights and musical accompaniment, played by Music Director Jeff Bolding, all take part in telling the story. The simple set becomes a poor grandmother’s southern home, a rich white lady’s kitchen, the foot of the cross, a bloodied street–and the audience has no trouble sustaining their disbelief in those moments.

“Mary Speaks,” written and performed by Angela Polite, with musical direction by Jeff Bolding, should not be missed. It is a powerful part of the Good At Heart Festival at Open Stage of Harrisburg.

“Mary Speaks” runs through March 30 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. For information and tickets, visit https://www.openstagehbg.com/shows/maryspeaks.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

March 22, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Bike share at the Broad Street Market

We’ve made it to the end of another week here in Harrisburg, and we appreciate you following along with our daily news coverage. If, by chance, you missed any of our stories, you can find them all, below.

Bike share has returned to Harrisburg for the season, our online story reported. SusqueCycle allows people to rent bikes at stations in downtown, Midtown, Allison Hill and City Island.

“Cocoon Steelton: The Migrations of Many,” is on display through late May at the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg, our magazine story reported. The exhibit, by Kate Browne, shines a light on the history of Steelton and its steel mill.

Dennis Owens, the news anchor and Capitol reporter for ABC27, has had a 30-plus-year television journalism career. In our magazine story, read about his background and the highs of his long career.

The Harrisburg City School District Athletic Hall of Fame Committee will host an induction ceremony to honor current and former city student-athletes, coaches and program supporters, our online story reported. The April ceremony will take place at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Harrisburg officials announced that the city will crack down on illegal parking on sidewalks, our online story reported. Officials said that the issue has become an increasing problem, hindering accessibility for pedestrians.

Open Stage’s annual “Good at Heart Festival” focuses on social and racial justice conversations and art, our magazine story reported. The festival will feature the one-woman show “Mary Speaks,” highlighting the strength of Black mothers.

“Problemista” is a whimsical film that “is pretty much a guarantee to delight and confuse,” says our movie reviewer. The movie is playing at Midtown Cinema this month.

Our publisher looks forward each year to seeing Historic Harrisburg Association’s “Preservation Priorities,” a list of endangered properties in the city. While it is discouraging to see the buildings that linger on the list, he is also happy to see the restoration over the years.

Sara Bozich has lined up a great list of activities for your weekend. Find it, here.

Sonya McKnight, a suspended Harrisburg magisterial district judge, will face trial, charged with allegedly shooting her ex-boyfriend in his sleep, our online story reported.

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Case against suspended Harrisburg judge accused of shooting boyfriend will go to trial

March 22, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Sonya McKnight (file photo from 2018)

Suspended Harrisburg Magisterial District Judge Sonya McKnight will face trial, charged with allegedly shooting her ex-boyfriend in his sleep.

At a preliminary hearing at the Dauphin County Courthouse on Friday, retired Chester County Magisterial District Judge William Kraut moved the case forward to trial.

On Feb. 15, McKnight was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault in connection with the shooting on Feb. 10 of Michael McCoy, her ex-boyfriend. McCoy was shot in the head while he slept in his home in Susquehanna Township and is currently blind in one eye as a result.

On Friday, McKnight pled not guilty to the charges.

McKnight’s formal arraignment is scheduled to take place on May 3 in the county Court of Common Pleas.

During the hearing, Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack made the case, based on testimony by McCoy, that McKnight was the only person in the house with the victim on the night he was shot. McCormack also stated that McKnight was the owner of the gun used to shoot McCoy and that McCoy testified that he did not shoot himself.

The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office assumed jurisdiction of the case at the request of Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo. Because McKnight is a judge in Dauphin County, Chardo said that his office had a conflict of interest.

The defense, McKnight’s attorney Cory Leshner, argued that the commonwealth did not meet their burden of proof, stating that McCoy testified that he did not know who shot him, as he was blinded at the time. Leshner also pointed out that McCoy would’ve had access to the gun, as it was kept in his home.

“The only thing I can say is that I did not shoot myself,” McCoy said during the hearing.

While Kraut said that there was a case to be made, he also said it was “weak,” based on the evidence presented.

McCormack said that his office used the bare minimum of evidence required of them for the preliminary hearing.

McCoy testified that his relationship with McKnight’s was “off and on,” the two often getting into arguments. One of those arguments occurred on Feb. 4 when McKnight “accused me of not having her back,” McCoy stated. At that point, he asked her to leave his house, where she was residing at the time, and said that he no longer wanted to be in the relationship. McKnight left, but returned later and, for the days leading up to the shooting, did not leave the house when repeatedly asked, McCoy said.

On Feb. 9, McCoy said that he again asked McKnight to leave and she responded by saying, “Oh, you’re serious?” He went to sleep in his spare room around 11 p.m. and woke up later with “excruciating pain,” he said.

McCoy said that McKnight was screaming and repeatedly asking him, “What did you do to yourself?” When he asked McKnight to call an ambulance, she asked him what the number was, he said.

McCoy said that he didn’t realize he’d been shot until officers arrived at the scene and told him. He said that he told police at the time that he did not shoot himself.

Since the shooting, McCoy has regained sight in his left eye, but not his right, has sustained damage to his eardrum and suffers from facial numbness. He has already had surgery to put a titanium plate in his face and has another surgery for his right eye next week, he said.

However, Leshner maintained that McCoy did not identify a shooter.

“Ultimately, they didn’t prove my client did anything wrong,” Leshner told reporters after the hearing. “We look forward to the opportunity to prove our innocence. Today was the first step in that process.”

In November, McKnight was suspended from her role as magisterial district judge, for the second time, without pay based on allegations of misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania.

In another case, McKnight shot her estranged husband in 2019, but claimed it was self defense and eventually was cleared of those charges.

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