Pictured left to right: Christopher Mahoney, attorney with Stuckert & Yates, Kurt Panouses, attorney with Panouses Law Firm, and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Pennsylvania Lottery officials announced that a jackpot-winning Mega Millions® ticket from the May 21, 2021 drawing has been claimed. The jackpot had an annuity value of $516 million.

The jackpot winners who wished to remain anonymous opted to form a trust to claim the jackpot prize as a cash, lump-sum payment. As a result, Peace of Mind Trust, a five-member group, will receive the prize of $348,600,000, less 24 percent federal and 3.07 percent state tax withholding. The after-tax prize amount is $254,233,980.

The winning ticket, sold at 7-Eleven, 2760 Trenton Road, Levittown, Bucks County, matched all five white balls drawn, 6-9-17-18-48, and the yellow Mega Ball 8.

The chances of winning the Mega Millions® jackpot are approximately 1 in 302 million.

Keystone State News Connection

July 6, 2021

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf signed the new state budget last week, which includes a historic $416 million increase in public-education funding.

While the investment was praised by some, child-care providers say the budget missed the mark in their field. They also want to ensure the $1.2 billion dollars the state received from the American Rescue Plan for child-care centers gets to them as soon as possible.

Jen DeBell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, said child-care line items got no state-budget increases despite being devastated by the pandemic, so the federal funds are critical.

“We’ve seen almost 700 programs close, and more than 360 are still temporarily closed,” DeBell observed. “So, we don’t want to see those numbers driven up because the money isn’t going out quick enough.”

Some areas she’d like to see receive increased funding include hiring or retention bonuses to help centers build back staff lost in the pandemic. DeBell noted the average child-care teacher in Pennsylvania makes $10.69 an hour.

Nancy Frederick, director of The Learning Center at Third Street Alliance, a child-care center in Northampton County, said they’ve been struggling to hire teachers, making it difficult to increase classroom size to meet the growing need.

She argued government support is necessary for them to increase pay and offer teachers a living wage, and stressed the importance of high-quality early learning.

“I think the state and federal support financially there would be greatly put into use,” Frederick asserted. “Because they are really getting students early on, where they can make a difference and build those connections before they even go to the public school, or whatever school they go to once they are the age of five or six.”

Frederick added she also hopes to see funds for expanding what’s known as the Infant/Toddler Contracted Slots Program, which provides free child care for children of eligible families, up to age three.

Gamel hits 2 HRs, drives in 6 runs; Pirates rip Braves 11-1
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Gamel homered twice and drove in six runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Atlanta Braves 11-1 on Monday night. Gamel took Max Fried (5-5) over the fence in center field for a two-run home run in the fourth. He doubled home Bryan Reynolds in the sixth and added a three-run shot in the seventh. The Pirates have won two straight following a six-game losing streak. Freddie Freeman and Ronald  Acuña Jr. had two hits each for Atlanta, but the Braves missed a chance to get back to .500 for the first time in a month.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican says Pope Francis has “reacted well” to planned intestinal surgery at a Rome hospital. In a statement late Sunday, a Holy See spokesman says the 84-year-old Francis had general anesthesia during the surgery necessitated by a narrowing of the sigmoid portion of the large intestine. the Vatican gave little detail about the pontiff’s condition. Spokesman Matteo Bruni didn’t say how long Sunday’s surgery lasted or give any other details of the procedure. Bruni also didn’t say for how long the pope was unconsciousness under anesthesia or how long Francis is expected to stay in Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic. Francis is expected to convalesce in a special 10th floor suite reserved for popes.

BOSTON (AP) — The cyber insurance industry, once a profitable niche, is now in the crosshairs of ransomware criminals. They have hacked brokerages and major insurers. Determining who has coverage and how much can help them pick targets and negotiate payments. Skyrocketing extortion demands and a rise in ransomware attacks have the industry teetering on the edge of profitability. Pressure is building on the industry to stop reimbursing for ransoms, but so far only one major cyber insurer, AXA, is doing so — and only with new policies in France. To try to absorb the growing onslaught and stay profitable, insurers are retooling coverage, demanding clients up their security.

Police in Novi, Michigan, say 24-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks has died after hitting his head following a fireworks accident Sunday night. Novi Lt. Jason Meier tells The Associated Press a mortar-style firework tilted slightly and started to fire toward people nearby. Meier says Kivlenieks was in a hot tub and fled along with several other people, but he slipped and hit his head on concrete. Meier said Kivlenieks was pronounced dead after first responders reached the scene. The Blue Jackets called it a “tragic accident.” Their statement made no mention of fireworks. Kivlenieks was a candidate to be the Columbus Blue Jackets’ future goaltender. He represented Latvia at this spring’s hockey world championship.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers have resumed their search for victims at a collapsed South Florida condo building after demolition crews set off a string of explosives that brought down the structure in a plume of dust. The crews on Monday morning discovered three more victims dead, bringing the confirmed death toll to 27. Rescuers were given the all-clear not long after the 12-story high-rise came tumbling down Sunday night. Crews began clearing the new debris so rescuers could start making their way into parts of an underground garage of particular interest in the search for 121 people still unaccounted for. The first portion of the Champlain Towers South building collapsed on June 24.

A 46 year old Aliquippa man was arrested for drug possession. State troopers in Hopewell stopped a 2009 Dodge Journey for a traffic violation. Upon investigation, troopers found that the man was in possession of a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia. Charges are pending.

A 41 year old Aliquippa Woman was arrested Sunday night for suspicion of DUI. State Troopers pulled over a 2020 Toyota Tacoma traveling through Bridgewater for a traffic violation. Upon investigation, troopers say the woman admitted to drinking and was found to be impaired. Charges are pending.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden celebrated the second July Fourth holiday of the coronavirus pandemic by declaring that “America is coming back together.” Service members and first responders were among more than 1,000 guests at a White House event Sunday marking the nation’s birthday. Biden highlighted the success of the vaccination campaign he has championed but also warned that the fight against COVID-19 isn’t over. To the millions yet to be vaccinated, the president said getting your shots “is the most patriotic thing you can do.” More than 200 Americans still die each day from COVID-19, and a more infectious variant of the virus is spreading rapidly.