Harrisburg officials address rash of shootings, implore community for help

November 16, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Police Commissioner Thomas Carter speaks at a press conference on Monday.

Seeing an uptick of shootings in Harrisburg, city officials on Monday sent out a plea for the community to help stop the gun violence.

At a press conference, Mayor Eric Papenfuse and Police Commissioner Thomas Carter urged residents to show that they care for the youth in the city by working alongside the police to stop the shootings.

“We are actively trying to do something here, but we need community partners,” Carter said. “I see my officers out there teary-eyed trying to save these people’s lives. The only people I see out there are my officers.”

From Oct. 16 to Nov. 16, there have been 67 shots fired. Of those incidents, there were 24 victims and four homicides, Carter said. Recently, many shootings have involved youth.

“Right now, we are in the middle of a perfect storm,” Carter said citing the pandemic, as children are at home and not in school.

According to Carter, some of the recent shootings have been gang-related. He said Harrisburg participates in a county-wide juvenile gang task force to address the issue.

The Harrisburg Police Bureau has also received help from state, county and local law enforcement agencies, along with the federal government to combat the violence. Still, Carter said community participation is necessary.

“We can’t do much without the help of the public,” Carter said. “There’s no such thing as snitching.”

Kevin Maxson, CEO of activist group Voices for the Voiceless, said that he has been frustrated with the community, as well.

“You see all the commentary on social media, but you don’t see people out here,” he said. “The people with the opinions don’t do nothing but talk.”

Since 2016, Carter said that the police have taken 1,067 guns off the street, including handguns and assault rifles, among others.

“You’ve got to ask for help because I don’t know what is going on in each individual household within the city,” Carter said.

Papenfuse believes that part of the solution is more community policing in Harrisburg.

Last week he proposed a plan to beef up the community services department of the police bureau by creating 12 new jobs for “community service aides” who will assist officers and strengthen relationships with the community. Under the plan, Blake Lynch, currently community policing coordinator, would be promoted to director of community relations to oversee the civilian positions.

Papenfuse said that the city is also considering hiring a crime analyst, bodycam footage manager and records management system manager.

In total, the new investments will cost the city over $1 million.

“Far from defunding the Harrisburg police department, we are going to invest more than ever in it,” he said. “We are going to reorganize it and make it more reflective of the community’s needs and desires.”

The new positions will be voted on by City Council as part of the 2021 general budget.

“What we need to see in our community is respectful dialogue,” Papenfuse said. “We need to teach our youth to not resort to violence as a way of solving their issues.”

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

November 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

The Millworks restaurant in Midtown.

As COVID cases in the state continue to spike, we encourage you to be cautious and stay safe. While you social distance this weekend, catch up on this past week’s news below.

Black entrepreneurs in Harrisburg are starting businesses and pursuing their passions. Read our magazine article about a local jewelry maker, boutique owners and a handmade candle maker.

Bob’s Art Blog spotlights Bill and Russ and their collection of glass art, as well as a 5-year-old artist with work in the Art Association of Harrisburg’s “La Petite Exhibition.”

Cordier Auctions has three virtual events planned for this month, our online story reported. On Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of artifacts from the estate of former Mayor Steve Reed will be for sale. A “Fine and Decorative Arts” auction with more Harrisburg-related items will take place on Nov. 21.

COVID diagnoses surged this past week in Pennsylvania. Since last Friday, the state recorded an average of 4,348 new cases per day, according to the state Department of Health. Find out more in our weekly pandemic report.

Fit on Market, a boutique fitness center opened in Strawberry Square, our online story reported. The gym offers new, state-of-the-art Matrix cardio and strength training equipment.

Harrisburg City Council passed a bill to create a Citizen’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, on Tuesday. The committee will review the actions of the Harrisburg Police Bureau, our online story reported.

Harrisburg’s mayor released bodycam footage of a confrontation between a resident and a police officer. A petition is circulating, calling for the firing of the officer, claiming he illegally entered the resident’s property. Read our online story for more information.

Harrisburg University held a virtual meeting for potential contractors, as it moves towards beginning construction on its 11-story academic building. HU hopes to improve opportunities for small and diverse businesses locally to participate in the project, our reporting found.

The housing market in the Harrisburg area continued to improve, with residential sales and prices rising last month. In October, 789 homes sold in the Harrisburg area, compared to 710 houses last year. For more information on the real estate market in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties, read our online story.

The Millworks restaurant in Midtown reopened this week, our online story reported. It was closed since July when a worker tested positive for COVID. Since then, The Millworks has invested some $10,000 in a new HVAC filtration system that removes airborne pathogens.

Open Stage is currently showing “Poirot Investigates!” as this month’s virtual play. The actors blend a cozy mystery, British comedy and French farce with one of Agatha Christie’s oft-repeated and longest-running characters, Hercule Poirot. Read a review on our website.

The November Podcast is out! Tune in to hear from Wendell Hoover of Iron Valley Real Estate, Sam Levine of Red Door Consignment Gallery and, of course, our Editor Lawrance Binda. Harrisburg takes center stage in this episode!

Sara Bozich has delicious ideas for your weekend, like grabbing a bite to eat from the Farm Show Fall Food Fest or dining at the newly reopened Millworks. Check out her Weekend Roundup for more fun ideas.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily digest of news and events delivered right to your email inbox? If not, sign up here!

Support quality local journalism. Join Friends of TheBurg today!

Harrisburg proposes civilian positions in police bureau to assist officers, serve community

November 13, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

With increased national and local attention around law enforcement, Harrisburg is proposing a measure aimed at lightening the burden on police, while better connecting with the community.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse announced on Friday a proposal for the city to create 12 new positions in the Harrisburg Police Bureau for “community service aides” to assist the police.

“In a time where it is difficult to recruit and retain police officers, the idea of having more civilians involved in assisting the department as a whole, I think, is a smart strategy,” he said in another edition of “Community Conversation with Mayor Papenfuse,” the city’s weekly Facebook Live event.

The aides would fall under the community services department of the bureau and would work alongside officers to engage with residents, assist the police with low-level calls, and help with report writing, among other duties.

“These positions are going to be an amazing opportunity for those who love to serve already,” said Community Policing Coordinator Blake Lynch. “We have a lot of people from churches, nonprofits and just members of the community that want to engage and want to help.”

Lynch said that other local municipalities have roles like this. He cited Lancaster, which has 40 civilian positions.

Currently, Lynch has been operating as something of a one-person show, the mayor said.

“I don’t just get calls for police-related matters, I get calls about Comcast, about parking and codes issues,” Lynch said. “Those officers are dealing with the same thing when they should be responding to those people who actually have needs that are life or death.”

Each community service aide would be assigned a policing district in order to develop relationships with the neighborhood. Lynch hopes the aides can help increase officers’ cultural competency by sharing their experiences.

The positions would be paid, Papenfuse said, and would include benefits and the possibility of career advancement. He said that anyone from a new high school graduate to a retiree could apply.

Additionally, Papenfuse said that he sees this as a way to encourage interest in law enforcement as a career path.

These positions must still be voted on by City Council as part of the 2021 municipal budget. Papenfuse said that applications wouldn’t go out until at least January.

He added that Harrisburg would be spending over $1 million annually for community policing, including the positions the city already has.

“This is a large commitment in resources,” Papenfuse said. “You will see an increase in funding for the police, but it is going to be focused on our community services.”

To watch past Community Conversations with Mayor Papenfuse, visit the city’s YouTube channel.

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

COVID-19 diagnoses surge to new highs in PA over the past week

November 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

COVID-19 cases and tests, over time. Source: PA Department of Health

COVID-19 infection rates surged over the past week in PA, with the average new case count exceeding 4,000 per day.

Since last Friday, the commonwealth recorded an average of 4,348 newly diagnosed cases per day, according to the state Department of Health.

This compares to an average of 2,633 new daily cases last week, and 2,134, 1,641 and 1,397 new cases per day for the prior three weeks, respectively. This week’s totals are the highest new-case counts in PA since the pandemic began in March.

The department also reports that testing has increased substantially over this time (see chart).

Locally, diagnosed cases are now as follows since the pandemic began:

Adams County: 1,468 cases (prior Friday, 1,288)
Cumberland County: 3,299 cases (prior Friday, 2,745)
Dauphin County: 5,924 cases (prior Friday, 5,367)
Franklin County: 2,996 cases (prior Friday, 2,546)
Lancaster County: 11,712 cases (prior Friday, 10,562)
Lebanon County: 3,957 cases (prior Friday, 3,503)
Perry County: 473 cases (prior Friday, 408)
York County: 7,869 cases (prior Friday, 7,072)

Today, the department reported 5,531 newly positive cases throughout Pennsylvania for the past 24 hours ending at midnight.

With today’s update, 254,387 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus, an increase of 30,437 over the past week, according to the health department. Active cases total 72,790. Currently, 2,196 people are hospitalized in PA with coronavirus, compared to 1,599 last Friday.

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 47,109 total cases. Allegheny County ranks second with 19,129 cases, and Montgomery County is third statewide with 16,773 cases.

The department also reported an additional 249 deaths since last Friday, meaning that 9,224 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Fatalities totaled 191, 159, 168 and 149 over the prior four weeks, respectively.

Around central PA, COVID-19 fatalities now stand as follows since the pandemic began:

Adams County: 37 deaths (prior Friday, 34)
Cumberland County: 86 deaths (prior Friday, 82)
Dauphin County: 200 deaths (prior Friday, 196)
Franklin County: 72 deaths (prior Friday, 62)
Lancaster County: 495 deaths (prior Friday, 488)
Lebanon County: 83 deaths (prior Friday, 72)
Perry County: 8 deaths (prior Friday, 7)
York County: 221 deaths (prior Friday, 211)

PA nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 6,052, or 65.6 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there have been 28,990 resident cases of COVID-19, and 6,028 cases among employees, for a total of 35,018 at 1,144 distinct facilities in 63 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 13,315 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 2,778,371 individuals have had coronavirus tests, with 2,523,984 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Last Friday, the state reported that 2,632,316 people had been tested for the virus.

The state reports a total of 4,647,108 PCR tests, which includes many people, such as health care workers, who have been tested more than once.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

About 1 percent are aged 0-4
About 2 percent are aged 5-12
About 5 percent are aged 13-18
About 13 percent are aged 19-24
About 36 percent are aged 25-49
About 21 percent are aged 50-64
About 20 percent are aged 65 or older

Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. However, the health department has emphasized that, increasingly, younger people are being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The health department continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
Wear a mask whenever out of your house.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Currently, we are providing a COVID-19 update weekly, each Friday, or as breaking news warrants.

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Harrisburg, Center Stage: TheBurg Podcast, November 2020

November 12, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

Harrisburg takes center stage in this episode.

First, Lawrance Binda provides his insights, as editor of TheBurg, into the capital city’s unique role through 2020’s pandemic and political landscape.

Expanding on two stories within the pages of our November issue:

Wendell Hoover of Iron Valley Real Estate describes Harrisburg’s sizzling hot real estate market and explains why the city is perfectly positioned to capitalize on pandemic lifestyles.

Although he’s helped to furnish Harrisburg homes for nearly 10 years, Sam Levine of Red Door Consignment Gallery has never experienced a business boon like 2020’s pandemic-induced one. He explains what Harrisburg homeowners and buying and selling—and why.

Additionally, we head north along the Susquehanna River to chat with Central Pennsylvania podcaster, Peterson Tuscano of Susquehanna Life Out Loud. Reciprocally, TheBurg Podcast’s Karen Hendricks is a guest on his winter episode.

TheBurg Podcast is hosted by Karen Hendricks, a lifelong journalist who also dabbles in PR/Marketing. Visit her website here.

TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pa.; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

Interested in sponsoring TheBurg Podcast? Contact Lauren ([email protected])

Meet some of the Harrisburg area’s most fascinating people, and hear their own authentic stories, expanded from every month’s magazine, on TheBurg Podcast—because there’s always “more to the story.”

Show Notes:
“Headed to Harrisburg”
“A Season Like No Other”

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Harrisburg’s past up for bid as Cordier plans three auctions with local history ties

November 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Twin fireplace surrounds from Harrisburg’s Senate Hotel, which will be auctioned later this month.

If you’d like to possess your own slice of Harrisburg history, now would be a great time to raise your number.

Cordier Auctions plans three virtual events this month for those who want to possess a piece of the olden days.

First, on Saturday and Sunday, the Harrisburg-based auction house will hold two auctions featuring hundreds of items from the estate of long-time Mayor Steve Reed, who died in January.

Those auctions contain more than 1,100 lots, many of them old west artifacts, such as saddles, statues and documents, along with a broad assortment of military and sports collectibles, among other items.

However, a number of Harrisburg-specific items also are featured, including a Harrisburg Patriots signed football from 1987, historic Harrisburg postcards and old Harrisburg prints and newspapers.

A screen shot of a few of the items up for bid on the first day of the Steve Reed estate auction.

Online viewing and pre-bidding is open now for the first day and the second day.

Then, on Nov. 21, Cordier will hold a “Fine and Decorative Arts” auction with more Harrisburg-related items up for sale.

At that auction, you’ll be able to bid on several large items from Harrisburg’s past, including a pair of fireplace surrounds from the second-floor private dining room of the Senate Hotel (pictured at top). These surrounds were donated to the Historic Harrisburg Association, where they were kept for many years. The nonprofit HHA will be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the sale.

A section of the mural from the State Theater

Two other local lots of note are the massive oil-on-canvas mural (130-feet long by 5-feet high) that decorated the interior of the State Theater, which closed in 1974, and a large still life painting by Severin Roesen, a 19^th century, German-born artist who spent substantial time in Harrisburg.

That auction also features many other items not specifically tied to Harrisburg. Online viewing and pre-bidding begins Nov. 16.

To learn more about these auctions, visit the Cordier Auctions website.

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

HU Presents adds The Englewood to its growing list of concert venues

November 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The Englewood

Harrisburg University is adding another central PA venue to its locations for live music.

Starting next year, the music series, HU Presents, will host musical acts at The Englewood, a large, converted barn just outside Hershey.

“We are very excited to bring Harrisburg University Presents shows to this top-scale venue,” said Frank Schofield, HU director of live entertainment and media services. “The venue is beautiful, and we are partnering on many shows to highlight and complement our existing HU Presents line-up.”

Over the last few years, HU has offered music at several different Harrisburg locations, including XL Live, Whitaker Center and in Riverfront Park.

The Englewood expands the geographic reach of HU Presents into the Hershey area. The venue also offers a state-of-the-art music and lighting system installed by Clair Brothers, a nationally recognized audio products company based in Lancaster County.

The Englewood opened in July in a historic bank barn just off of Research Boulevard. In addition to a large, 250-person event space, the converted barn includes a restaurant and brewery, with total capacity for 650 people.

“This partnership will provide great exposure for our unique venue and the university’s exceptional programming,” said Angela Moramarco, marketing and creative director for The Englewood. “We are excited to showcase the space and the engineered elements designed to create an immersive, multi-sensory experience for both performers and guests.”

Due to the pandemic, HU had to cancel a large slate of shows it had planned for 2020. However, it already has rescheduled several of them for 2021, including Young the Giant (April 1) and MisterWives (May 1) at XL Live and Jason Isbell (May 29) and Cage the Elephant (Sept. 23) in Riverfront Park.

For more information about the HU Concert Series, including a full lineup of 2021 concerts, visit their website.

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Home sales, prices show substantial gains in Harrisburg area for October

November 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

This row home recently sold in Harrisburg.

The local housing market continued to show strength last month, as both residential sales and prices rose.

For October, 789 homes sold in the Harrisburg area, compared to 710 houses in the year-ago period, while the median price increased to $206,100 from 190,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, sales totaled 369 housing units, compared to 309 last October, as the median price rose to $182,000 from $170,000, said GHAR. Cumberland County saw sales rise to 374 homes versus 343 a year ago, as the median price increased to $230,165 from $218,900 in October 2019.

Perry County also experienced gains, with 38 homes sold, a small increase from 37 last year, while the median price shot up to $197,800 versus $179,900 in the year-ago period, according to GHAR.

Meanwhile, it took less time for houses to sell. GHAR reported that the average house was on the market for 31 days, a drop from 46 days a year ago.

In GHAR’s coverage area, the housing market has been consistently strong following the expiration of a pandemic-related business suspension in the spring.

Support quality local journalism. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

November 12, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

There are plenty of things to do this weekend around Harrisburg and central PA.

Things on my agenda this weekend: Tonight I’m a guest co-host on The Obstructed View! It’s free, it’s on the internet, it’s fun! Outside of that, how is it home-related projects never quite end? Andy got a deer, so I’m going to organize the freezers and make something cozy. And football.

The Millworks has reopened. Locals favorite part of the Farm Show — the Food Court — is available all weekend.

For your weekend planning:

The perfect gift for your favorite home cook.
Giveaway: Bon V!V BrüMates
Book a Closet Audit with Threads of Hershey.
There’s still time to tackle your Fall Bucket List.
Passionate about Pa. food? Become a Friend of PA Eats.
See what else you missed on the blog.

Below are ample options for your weekend, whether you’re laying low (there is no shame in the stay home game!) or venturing out.

Are you on the email list?

Top Weekend Recs

Pre-order your Turkey from RG Hummer
Grab delicious local cheese from Revittle Market
Drink PA cider! Ploughman Cider delivers to your door.
Tattered Flag ships beer and spirits faster than Prime! Two words: Canned. Cocktails.
Watch Poured in PA: The Series
Shop online with Meeka Fine Jewelry.

COVID-19 Disclaimer: As always, please click through the links or call ahead to get the most up-to-date information about venues and/or events below. It should also go without saying, but I’ll say it — Mask up, follow the rules, and be nice. And tip extra!

What are you doing this weekend around Harrisburg? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Harrisburg mayor releases bodycam video of confrontation between police, resident; petition calls for officer’s ouster

November 10, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

A screen image of Dr. Kimeka Campbell from the police bodycam footage

Harrisburg’s mayor on Tuesday night released bodycam footage of a confrontation between Harrisburg police and a city community activist, an incident that has resulted in a petition calling for the officer’s dismissal.

The 13-minute video starts with a police narrative of the Saturday evening incident at the Shipoke home of Dr. Kimeka Campbell, which began with officers responding to a noise complaint. It next shows the quickly escalating confrontation between Campbell and Officer Brandon Hoover and, later, other officers.

In the video, Hoover enters the backyard of the property at 11:38 p.m., saying he has received a noise complaint and, at first, the occupants agree to lower the noise. The situation rapidly escalates after Campbell confronts the officer, resulting in an increasingly heated disagreement over whether he is allowed to enter her property without her explicit permission.

“You don’t come into the gate until I give you permission to come through the gate,” she says.

Hoover disputes this.

“I have a right to come into the property because you were violating an ordinance,” he says.

“At the property, not in the property,” Campbell says. “I know what the (expletive) law says.”

As the confrontation grows heated, Hoover calls for backup. Several of Campbell friends then get between her and the officers, and one of the officers deploys pepper spray into the crowd as they move in to arrest Campbell on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Click here to see the full video. [The video contains explicit language.]

Papenfuse released the video after the issue arose during the public comment period of Tuesday’s Harrisburg City Council meeting.

“I was so scared for Dr. Campbell’s life,” said resident Rachel Peacock in a comment to council on Tuesday. “I knew I had to get in between them. Hoover’s demeanor was full of malice, and then he maced me.”

Papenfuse, though, painted a different picture of the situation.

“The homeowner refused to identify herself and grew increasingly irate,” Papenfuse told council members. “At several points, the officer tried to de-escalate the situation. It grew increasingly hostile and profanity-laced.”

Earlier in the day, a petition began to circulate calling for Hoover to be fired, garnering more than 1,000 signatures by Tuesday night.

The petition states that Hoover illegally entered Campbell’s property without identifying himself in response to the noise complaint. The situation escalated, it states, when she asked him to leave her backyard.

“This incident has proven yet again that Black people are not safe from police violence in the City of Harrisburg,” the petition says. “We demand transparent oversight and accountability of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police and call on Mayor Papenfuse to immediately fire Officer Hoover.”

Papenfuse said that an officer responding to a citation, such as the noise complaint, must get a name and date of birth from the resident, which is what Hoover asked for and needed before he could leave.

Papenfuse said that Hoover called for backup, and the officers decided to arrest Campbell for disorderly conduct. According to Papenfuse, people who were at the scene were blocking the police from being able to arrest her.

However, Campbell, a co-founder of Harrisburg Young Professionals of Color, said that her friends were trying to de-escalate the situation themselves by standing between her and the officers.

“When I tell you he was so scary in the way he reacted to me telling him to get off my property,” Campbell said when reached by phone. “He asserted he had the right to be here.”

Papenfuse said the officer kept his composure the entire time.

“The fact that we have a petition circulating as well as numerous commentators calling for this young officer to be fired without people having actually seen the body camera footage is really disturbing,” he said. “This incident, which could have been easy addressed by cooperation, ended up wasting a lot of people’s time and energy.”

Council President Wanda Williams agreed with Papenfuse’s comments, while other council members declined to weigh in on the situation.

“We shouldn’t be providing editorial remarks,” council member Ausha Green said. “We should let the footage speak for itself.”

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

For your weekend planning:

Are you on the email list?

Top Weekend Recs

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

You May Also Like

You May Also Like