Harrisburg removes SciTech principal from position citing lapsed credentials; she responds

March 26, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

A past Harrisburg School board meeting.

The Harrisburg School District has removed a principal from her position, after finding her certifications inactive.

District receiver Dr. Lori Suski at a board meeting on Tuesday approved the removal of Dr. Sieta Achampong from her role as principal of Harrisburg High School—SciTech Campus, after finding her administrative certification to be invalid.

According to a recent statement released by Superintendent Benjamin Henry, Achampong did not have up-to-date certifications that are required under the Pennsylvania School Code, rendering her ineligible to be a principal.

“First, I want to again state that we are very grateful for Dr. Achampong’s leadership and work with students at SciTech and in the district,” Henry said in a statement. “As a school district in state receivership, the Harrisburg School District has a significant duty to ensure accountability and compliance – from employees and students, in our operational procedures, and in the management of our schools and school system.”

The district, with Achampong’s consent, has moved her to a position as an English teacher at Harrisburg High School—John Harris Campus. Henry said Achampong is certified to hold a teaching role.

Dr. Siéta Achampong. Photo from 2020.

Achampong issued her own statement responding to the district this week, stating that she accepted the teaching position, having not been given “any other viable options.”

However, she took issue with some of the statements that the district made surrounding her failure to complete necessary continuing education requirements, as well as their reasoning for demoting her.

Achampong noted that she was working towards updating her certification requirements up until she received a breast cancer diagnosis. She said that she provided her medical records to the district to show that the timing aligned, but they were “uninterested.”

“Battling stage 3 breast cancer is not an easy feat,” Achampong said. “There were many days when my body hurt so badly from treatments that I was restricted to my bed. As you can imagine, my focus became keeping my health insurance, being there for my family, and coming back home to restore myself for the next day.”

However, Achampong said that she does “accept responsibility for not being fully aware of where my certifications stood” and doesn’t put “complete blame” on the district.

The district shared that Achampong had eight years to complete the certification requirements, a timeframe that had been extended three times from the typical five-year time period. Henry also said that, over the past year, Achampong had been notified several times by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) about her status, but had not notified the district.

In her statement, Achampong disputed the district’s claims, saying that she did have a conversation with a district human resources official who told her that if she needed additional training hours, it wouldn’t be until the end of the 2025 school year. She also said that she was not notified several times by PDE.

Ultimately, Henry said, it is the responsibility of administrators to maintain active certification. Henry said that the district may face fines due to Achampong having worked under an inactive certificate.

Henry also said that community members have questioned why Achampong wasn’t issued an emergency certification from PDE. He said that that is an option, but it is reserved for situations where no other certified principal is available. Achampong contested that, saying the district has made exemptions in the past.

The community was also concerned that her demotion had to do with her health status, Henry noted.

“Our decision to offer Dr. Achampong a position as a teacher had nothing to do with health issues,” he said. “While we are sympathetic to any health crisis an employee faces, we must be accountable for following the law.”

However, Achampong claims that her health was mentioned numerous times in conversations with district officials.

“I understand that not every decision will be popular or will be one that is embraced by our community,” Henry said. “However, I hope you will trust that I am committed to moving our district forward, ensuring accountability, and making decisions that I believe are in the best interest of our school system as a whole.”

For more information about the Harrisburg School District, visit their website.

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Harrisburg Council OKs third tiny home community for the unhoused, approves next step in Greenbelt relocation

March 25, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

An Eden Village tiny home

A local group’s plans to build housing for the homeless can now move forward.

Eden Village of Harrisburg is slated to bring tiny homes to South Harrisburg, having received City Council approval on Monday.

“I love the project,” said council member Jocelyn Rawls. “This is one of our most vulnerable populations, so to give them housing, like you said, that’s step one.”

The project was proposed by a group of area residents who have partnered with Missouri-based Eden Village to bring 32 tiny homes and a community center to 1103 S. Front St.

The community will be built near the PennDOT building and next to Veteran’s Grove, a tiny house community for veterans, and Tunnel to Towers, another housing facility for veterans slated for construction.

Eden Village plans to build 400-square-foot units that include a bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. Units will offer long-term housing.

Additionally, Eden Village will provide access to other resource providers to address issues such as mental health and substance abuse.

“If we can get them into a house, we can work on everything else,” said Robert Lawson, an Eden Village board member. “So if we start with the house that’s affordable and that’s safe, we can take care of all of those other issues.”

People will need to apply to be considered for a home in Eden Village and are expected to pay $300 in rent each month.

Council member Crystal Davis expressed concern over the cost of rent, saying that she believes some unhoused people won’t be able to afford it.

However, Khary Lane, board president of Eden Village, said that, from his understanding, many unhoused people receive disability and Social Security benefits and have access to housing vouchers.

Despite her concern, Davis, along with all other council members, voted in favor of the project.

Additionally, council approved the city’s submission of a grant application to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnership Program Nonmotorized Trail Grant Program for $150,000. The grant, which the city applied for in partnership with the Capital Area Greenbelt Association, would help CAGA relocate part of the Greenbelt in South Harrisburg.

A section of the Greenbelt has been detoured and will need to be permanently rerouted due to the three tiny home construction projects in the area near the PennDOT building.

CAGA has proposed rerouting the Greenbelt to turn onto Sycamore Street from S. Front Street, just before the PennDOT building. The trail would then follow Sycamore over the railroad tracks and veer right through one of two privately owned lots, before Cameron Street, and then connect with the current trail near Shanois Street.

CAGA has not yet reached agreements with land owners and so they will conduct the relocation in two phases, said Doug Hill, CAGA president. The first phase will cover the Greenbelt move up until it would enter private property and is estimated to cost $1.2 million. Additional money will come from other grants and CAGA funds.

Hill said that CAGA has already spoken to neighboring Greenbelt businesses and communities about the move and plans to complete outreach to the broader community, as well.

For more information about Eden Village of Harrisburg, visit their website. To learn more about the Capital Area Greenbelt Association, visit their website.

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Harrisburg to ramp up codes enforcement at downtown apartment building, as some tenants lack hot water

March 24, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Harmony Tower, 322 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg

Harrisburg is taking further action to penalize the owner of a neglected downtown apartment building.

The city on Monday shared, in a press release, that it would increase the number of code citations it issues Harmony Tower, which they said has left some tenants without access to hot water.

The hot water issues began several months ago and has affected dozens of apartment units, including those that house elderly and medically compromised residents, said Mischelle Moyer, Harrisburg’s director of communications.

“This is outrageous,” said Mayor Wanda Williams, in a statement. “The City of Harrisburg will not tolerate this kind of blatant neglect, especially when it comes to the wellbeing of our senior citizens. No more delays. No more excuses.”

According to the city, officials have issued a handful of previous citations and warnings to the building’s owner, Texas-based Lynd Management. However, some tenants still don’t have reliable access to hot water, the city said.

Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter has directed the city’s codes department to begin issuing fines tomorrow for every apartment at Harmony Tower that does not have hot water, according to the city.

“There are senior citizens living in those apartments who cannot shower or even wash their hands. This is absolutely unacceptable after four months of waiting,” Carter said.

The city said that their codes enforcement team will be on-site at the apartment building throughout this week to check each unit for hot water in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room.

Harmony Tower is currently under receivership, with Brad Kyles as the appointed receiver.

Rich Kinney, Lynd’s regional manager based in Arkansas, has said that the company is awaiting approval of a $58,000 loan to complete repairs, Moyer stated.

A representative of Harmony Tower could not immediately be reached for comment.

“This community deserves better,” Williams said. “No resident of Harrisburg should be forced to live in conditions like this—not on our watch. The city will use every tool available to ensure that Lynd Management fulfills its legal and moral obligations to the people who live here.”

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Burg Review: Souls are bared, friendships deepen in Open Stage’s touching, emotional “I’m Proud of You”

March 23, 2025 | by Gina Napoli

Well, neighbor, you can’t see me now, but I’m changing into a cardigan and tennis shoes as I write this review.

Being a person of a certain age, I well remember Mr. Rogers and the measured rhythm and pattern of his television show… feeding his fish, greeting his mailman, and taking the trolley into the Land of Make Believe. Remembering this character feels like visiting a great uncle or seeing your nerdiest childhood friend – more wholesome than watching “The Brady Bunch” and thumbing through a copy of “Highlights” magazine while drinking buttermilk from a sippy cup.

“I’m Proud of You,” a memoir piece directed by Open Stage’s Kelli Kauterman, has the same slow-burn pacing as “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” but we are nowhere near the Land of Make Believe. We are several layers underneath casual acquaintance territory, invited to observe a friendship where spirit friends lay their hearts and secrets bare.

Journalist Tim Madigan (Stuart Landon) chronicles his eight-year friendship with Fred Rogers (Michael Gingerich), and the impact the friendship made during a dark time in his life. Although the two met when Madigan interviewed Mr. Rogers for an article about the effects of TV violence on children, Mr. Rogers took control of the interview to ask deeper questions of Madigan. Mr. Rogers wanted to know Madigan’s “essential invisibles,” the things about him beyond what meets the eye.

For many of us, sharing our true feelings is more frightening than Mr. Rogers’ creepy puppet Lady Elaine Fairchilde popping over the castle wall in the Land of Make Believe. But part of Mr. Rogers’ puppet ministry was to encourage children to talk about hard things, to deal with feelings in healthy ways – very much the opposite of the other shows on TV during his 30-year run. In his gentle, simple way, he shared about dealing with his own anger and grief, encouraging others to also share.

When Madigan finally reciprocates and shares his own feelings, his new friend Fred creates space for them. He validates those childhood hurts. He casts insights into generational trauma by asking simple questions and asserting unconditional acceptance. He makes his new friend feel important and significant. Over their years-long correspondence, the two reach a level of sharing I’ve not yet touched with my own therapist. According to Madigan, his spiritual friendship with Fred Rogers changed everything for him.

Throughout the play, Landon portrays the reticent Madigan as slightly sarcastic, manifesting his figurative discomfort within his own skin by constantly adjusting the buttons and silhouette on his ill-fitting corduroy blazer. We watch Landon stumble through uncomfortable interactions with his family members, (played by versatile actors Michael Rodriguez and Suzanne Thomas), awkward body language and all. Landon’s conversational delivery falters for words at times, the way one does when foraying into uncharted and painful spaces. Yet Landon bravely lets himself become watery-eyed onstage as his character takes more risks with feelings, opening himself to deeper friendship. I’ve never met Madigan in real life, but I believe Landon’s interpretation of Madigan.

Gingerich blesses the audience with an unflinching embodiment of public television’s most cherished “secular saint.” His portrayal of my favorite puppeteer was just as I remember him: slow and thoughtful words overflowing with positivity, kindness and compassion. At times, I felt like I was parked in front of our family’s old console TV, in my jammies with a bowl of Count Chocula cereal. Through Gingerich’s performance, I felt privileged to see behind the scenes into a private piece of Mr. Rogers’ life. As I grew, I thought Mr. Rogers’ cozy, slow delivery was deliberate just for TV, allowing time for children to catch up and better absorb the message. (Maybe adults need a little time to absorb certain simple concepts, too?) Gingerich is the co-founder and Chief Encouragement Officer of Someone to Tell it To, a nonprofit with a mission of listening, teaching others to how listen, imparting encouragement and kindness. (If you hang about in the lobby, you might meet the other co-founder, Tom Kaden.)

When the lights went out for intermission, I felt inspired to lean over to my plus-one and share with her on a deeper level. Then when she went to the bar to freshen her drink, I overheard two other sets of friends in the rows behind us sharing their own memories and feelings. During the play, Mr. Rogers asked many questions that prompted audiences to think about their own relationships, reaching for tissues or wiping their eyes on the backs of their sleeves. Even more than two decades after his passing, Fred Rogers’ “almost unbearably sweet” ministry continues to reach audiences, of all ages.

Uncharacteristic of a Mr. Rogers program is a warning on this play for children under 14, due to dark subject matter and light profanity. And I’m not sure if Mr. Rogers ever drank, but behind the bar are two cleverly named signature drinks that you can sip while seated next to the trolley in the lobby.

Well, neighbor, I’m putting my jacket and street shoes back on now. I hope you decide to take the trolley journey to Open Stage. In fact, I knew you could.

Open Stage’s “I’m Proud of You” runs through April 12. For more information, check their website at https://www.openstagehbg.com/shows/ipoy. Also worth a look is https://www.someonetotellitto.org/.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

March 21, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Local officials held a press conference at the state Capitol to speak out against the detainment of local refugees.

It is officially spring, and we couldn’t be more excited for the sunnier days. If you find yourself out and about more, check out one of the many local businesses that distribute TheBurg. Patronize a local shop, while grabbing your favorite publication—it’s a win, win! While you’re here, catch up on our news coverage from the week, below.

The Charles Bruce Foundation in Carlisle assists musicians and artists by giving them work opportunities. In our magazine story, find out more about how the organization supports creatives by offering them gigs at local nonprofit events and completing projects for its nonprofit publishing house.

Dauphin County and other local officials spoke out against the detainment of five county residents, refugees, by ICE, our online story reported. The federal agency detained several members of the Bhutanese refugee community.

Gamut Theatre’s production of “Frankenstein” runs through March 30. Our reviewer shares her thoughts on the “slow-burn, gothic horror devised to both thrill and repulse you.”

Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC President Ryan Unger encourages the community to talk positively about Harrisburg, in a column. “Stop apologizing for Harrisburg,” he says.

Harrisburg State Hospital will be repurposed by the commonwealth into laboratory space for several state departments. Find out more about the plans, as well as the history of the hospital complex, here.

Lent offers the perfect chance to try a new pasta recipe. In her column, Rosemary offers a suggestion for trying baked ditalini.

Mount Everest Nepali and Indian Cuisine recently opened in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg, our magazine story reported. The restaurant fills a gap, bringing south Asian cuisine back to the city.

PennDOT shared that its plans for a Derry Street Bridge replacement project are now available for the public to view, our online story reported. The project will include replacing the bridge structure and making updates.

Sara Bozich’s Weekend Roundup highlights all of the happenings in and around Harrisburg this weekend.

UPMC Health Plan celebrated the first graduating class of its Dauphin County Freedom House Foundation training program, our online story reported. The initiative provides a free five-week course to students interested in the healthcare field.

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PennDOT opens Derry Street Bridge project plans to the public for comment

March 21, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

PennDOT’s Derry Street Bridge project map.

The community is invited to give its input on an upcoming bridge construction project.

PennDOT on Friday announced that its plans for a Derry Street Bridge Rehabilitation project are now available to view and comment on.

The proposed project will rehab the bridge (Route 3012), which carries Derry Street over Spring Creek between Wilhelm Road and Rosewood Lane in Swatara Township and Paxtang Borough. PennDOT will replace bridge beams, the bridge deck, repair the northeast wing wall and rehabilitate the abutments.

During most of the construction, both lanes of traffic will be maintained for motorists, as PennDOT plans to construct the bridge in half-widths. However, the full bridge will be closed for up to four weeks, while beams are removed and installed.

Truck traffic will be detoured during construction, due to narrow lanes.

Additionally, PennDOT may make updates to signage, pavement markings, drainage and traffic calming measures during construction.

The project is in the design phase. Construction is expected to take place in the 2027 and 2028 seasons and last 12 to 18 months.

Plans are available to view online through April 22 and viewers can provide input on a comment form. Hard copy plans are also available to view at the Swatara Township and Paxtang Borough municipal buildings.

For bridge plans and the comment form, visit PennDOT’s website.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

March 20, 2025 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find ⤵️

For something new: Englewood Hershey reopens today! Locals Market in Dillsburg celebrates one year. Worth noting: 3rd in the Burg, obv – The Super High-Tech Jet Fighters with special guest Strangest Hearts play FREE at Strawberry Square Music Series is my top pick; Zembo Circus all weekend Things on my agenda this weekend: see above; also, youth baseball is back; maybe the circus?

For your weekend planning

The Super High-Tech Jet Fighters with Strangest Hearts FREE in Strawberry Square FRIDAY
WIN a 5-day daycare induction program from Greenlin Pet Resorts
Celebrate Women’s History Month with FWGS
See what else you missed on the blog

Below are more options for your weekend.

A Look Ahead

Grab your (exclusive discounted) tickets to Harrisburg Regional Chamber’s VIBE featuring Jon Taffer on April 29
Add to calendar now: The full Strawberry Square Music Series lineup here!
Grab tickets for the food event that feeds people — April 6 in Harrisburg!
Are you on my email list?
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

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County, state officials speak out against ICE detainment of Harrisburg-area Bhutanese refugees

March 18, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas, along with other officials, spoke at a press conference in the PA state Capitol building.

Federal immigration policies are hitting especially close to home, as several Harrisburg-area refugees are being detained and held.

Local county and state officials spoke at a press conference Tuesday to oppose the detainment of five Dauphin County residents, refugees from Bhutan, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to officials, five men, who have legal permanent status and came to the country through the refugee resettlement program, were recently detained by ICE and sent to immigration detention centers, including some out of state.

“It’s amazing how quickly this community has put away their past trauma, started a new life and has contributed in many ways to our region,” said state Sen. Patty Kim. “We are lucky to have them. All this to say, it is an affront when we learned that folks with legal status were picked up by ICE and federal officials think that they can just send them back to Bhutan.”

The residents, all of whom live in the greater Harrisburg area, came to the U.S. after being forcefully evicted from their home country. Officials said that when the federal government attempted to deport them, Bhutan would not accept them. Currently, officials believe that they are being detained and have no information about what will happen next, including if they will be deported, and where to.

“Five individuals who have their family, who have their children, wives, parents here, have just been picked up without reason,” said Tilak Niroula, board chair of the Bhutanese Community Group in Harrisburg. “These are permanent residents. We were forcefully evicted from Bhutan; we do not have a country. Deportation is not an option for the Bhutanese American.”

Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas, who organized the press conference at the state Capitol building, said that he has contacted the governor’s office and state representatives to advocate for the residents.

“This is not just a policy issue. It’s a human issue and today is about standing together in solidarity and making our collective voices heard,” Douglas said.

Niroula said that he heard from families in the community about the ICE raids, many sharing that they were not given a reason for detainment.

According to county officials, as far as they can tell, they didn’t believe that any of the detained residents had felony charges, although some may have had minor past criminal charges.

However, whatever the case may be, officials said that the residents deserve a fair process.

“If there are legal concerns, we have a court system; we have something called due process,” Douglas said. “But what we’re seeing isn’t about justice, it’s about fear. It’s about sending a message to a community that’s already vulnerable. Is this really about public safety, or is this simply a scare tactic, I would ask.”

Douglas said that in central PA, there are around 50,000 Bhutanese residents. He believes that the five detainees in the county, were the first to be arrested in the commonwealth. Additionally, he knows of one Cumberland County resident who was detained, as well.

While the county and state don’t wield the power that the federal government has when it comes to immigration matters, Douglas said that there are ways that the county could limit cooperation with ICE, if needed.

“We don’t have any obligation to collaborate with them,” he said.

Tika Dhungana of Harrisburg is a friend of several of the affected families and attended the press conference to speak out against the federal government’s actions.

“We are very afraid,” he said. “If these people are deported somewhere, they may not see their children; they may not see their parents; and they may not speak the language if they are deported somewhere else.”

Dhungana said that some of the families have been in the United States for over a decade.

“This is completely unacceptable,” said state Rep. Justin Fleming (D-105). “This policy seems reckless. This policy is absolutely destructive to families.”

Officials encouraged concerned community members to advocate for immigrants by contacting federal officials and local representatives.

“I’m calling on them [officials] to stand with these five men and honor the promise that we made as America to them and bring them back home to Dauphin County to be reunited with their families,” Douglas said.

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Burg Review: Gamut masterfully adapts “Frankenstein,” reviving questions of our own humanity

March 15, 2025 | by Gina Napoli

From the quill pen of Mary Shelley, which she likely dipped in blood, Gamut Theatre brings Nick Dear’s adaptation of “Frankenstein” to Harrisburg. It’s a slow-burn, gothic horror devised to both thrill and repulse you—in all the best ways.

This play represents an allegory straight from the Book of Genesis, with ethical overtones thought-provoking on a “what-if” sci-fi level, but increasingly disturbing as technology advances with ever-loosening guardrails to keep overly ambitious scientific advances in check.

In keeping with Gamut’s mission to tell stories in new and exciting ways, and borrowing from the West End’s original 2011 production, Director Jeff Luttermoser incorporates a twist: the heavy lead roles of the Creature and Victor Frankenstein will alternate each night between the industrious, über-talented tag-team of Thomas Weaver and David Ramón Zayas. Both actors excel in their roles, engaging in a hate-filled, edge-of-your-seat wrestling match, leading you to question your own motivations, whichever villain you’re rooting for.

We first meet the Creature as a freakish foundling in a burlap diaper, scarred and non-verbal, writhing through literal growing pains, struggling with being born into the world. We watch him struggle to walk, to feel, to invent a gibberish vocabulary the way toddlers do when they have much to say. In scene after scene, the Creature wanders into dangerous encounters with numerous villagers, most of whom violently react to him based on his appearance (makeup designer Sade Smith succeeds in bringing the ugly).

In the Creature’s quest for companionship and social acceptance, he meets DeLacy (J. Clark Nicholson), a blind ex-professor who infuses him with knowledge and kindness. DeLacy is the only person who treats the Creature like an actual person. We watch the Creature feel snow for the first time, and then morph into a thoughtful scholar who asks existential questions about life. Even still, his sense of right and wrong is as patchy as the gaping wounds that hold his skin flaps together. He immediately reacts without restraint against the many fearful villagers who harm him.

An obsessive quest for knowledge also drives Dr. Frankenstein, the tortured genius. In fact, his fixation with his experiments is his sole motivation—his dark energy and arrogance trumping any moral compass, common sense, or full grasp of consequences. Each of his decisions support the adage, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

Even Dr. Frankenstein’s fiancé, Elizabeth Lavenza (Erin Shellenberger), is repeatedly back-burnered in his priorities, competing for his attention and losing every time. Shellenberger delivers us a likable but lonely companion, patiently waiting for any scraps of affection from her fiancé.

Another would-be companion, the Female Creature (Hope Mackenzie), brings us a performance more memorable for her lack of emotion. The vacant stare during Mackenzie’s performance is easily the creepiest of the entire show. And the young William (Nora Gazsi), who shines when full of life, plays convincingly and equally well at the opposite end of the life spectrum.

Gamut’s talented cast and crew succeed in creating a burdened mood that feels solitary, despite its cast of over a dozen, and even more backstage. From the haze to the moonlight to the tolling bells, the setting feels electric and alive, even with all the un-alive corpses strewn about.

To truly absorb the full scope of the main characters’ approaches to their roles, and the director’s intent in alternating the actors, try to see this production twice, from both points of view. Each viewing provides distinctive insights with the separate interpretations of the Creature and his creator, Victor Frankenstein. And if you can make time post-performance with your plus-one to hash over the moral implications of playing God gone awry, and the many deep questions surrounding existence, it’s well worth your while to pull your chairs around that campfire. You may very well discover a similar dichotomy that’s alive within yourself.

“Frankenstein” runs through March 30 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. Because the main characters head-hop every other night, be sure to see this play at least twice. The character lineups for each performance are available at https://www.gamuttheatre.org/frankenstein.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

March 14, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

A past St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Harrisburg.

It’s been a full week here in Harrisburg, so if you missed any news, we’ve got you covered. All of our reporting is listed and linked, below.

Bob’s Art Blog showcases a recent exhibit at the Susquehanna Art Museum and encourages people to visit the Civic Club of Harrisburg for 3^rd in the Burg. Click here, to read.

Candidates for Harrisburg mayor and City Council submitted their nominating petitions this week. Find out who is running in this year’s crowded field, here.

City Council approved Harrisburg giving Governor’s Square money to help the affordable housing development get back to livable conditions, our online story reported. Council also made a move towards kick-starting the city’s police advisory board.

Harrisburg has lots of fun ways to spend springtime as a family. Our columnist has suggestions, including the outdoors and education, here.

Home sales and prices in the Harrisburg area both increased in February, our online story reported. For the region, 398 homes sold compared to 373 in February 2024, as the median price rose to $279,750 from $264,000.

Open Stage’s Good at Heart Festival will return from March 22 to 30, our magazine story reported. The festival includes the annual production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” which is celebrating its 25^th year at the theater.

Sara Bozich has your guide to the weekend in Harrisburg, here.

Sawyers will reopen this spring in downtown Harrisburg under new ownership, our reporting found. Justin Browning, owner of JB Lovedraft’s Micro Pub, will revamp the club with a synthy ’80s Miami/South Beach vibe and update the menu with new drinks and quick-serve bites.

Small businesses will receive training and resources through M&T Bank and Harrisburg University’s Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s accelerator program, our online story reported. Applications are now open and the classes begin in May.

St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated this weekend with a downtown parade on Saturday, our online story reported. The parade will feature dance groups, music, marching bands and more.

Tri County Regional Planning Commission is bringing back its Sober Ride Home program for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, our online story reported. The initiative offers bar and restaurant patrons free Uber rides home to deter drunk driving.

A Youth Commission spearheaded by Harrisburg City Council will restart this year, our online story reported. Council is looking to hire two advisors to oversee the program.

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Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find ⤵️

For your weekend planning

A Look Ahead

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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