Our favorite Pennsylvania stories of the year (so far)

From the Erie SeaWolves’ HBO moment to the ‘box demon,’ we’re taking a look back at the stories that have made us smile during the first half of the year.

Seeing as we’ve just passed the halfway point in the year, we’re taking a quick look back at our favorite Pennsylvania stories of 2025 (so far).

We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we have.

Saquon Barkley

Where do you start with the Lehigh Valley native whose historic first season in Philadelphia helped propel the Eagles to the second Super Bowl title in franchise history? How about with the running back spotting an Eagles ball boy during the Super Bowl victory parade and pulling him out of the crowd to join the team along the parade route on Broad Street.

WATCH: Saquon Barkley spots Eagles ball boy at parade

Missing pup rescued

Who wouldn’t love a story about a missing 6-month-old golden retriever named Freddy who was found in a coal pit in Schuylkill County after a weeklong search? 

READ: Missing pup rescued from abandoned coal pit

Eagles fan pays it forward

We loved speaking with Eagles fan Amy Rannabargar, who found a vintage team jacket walking home from the Super Bowl parade with a note inside that read, “I found this jacket on the night of the Super Bowl in 2018 and it only felt right to release back into the city when the Eagles won again. Enjoy the jacket. I hope you get the opportunity to release back into the world with another Super Bowl win soon.” Rannbarger said she intends to do just that.

READ: Eagles fan hopes to keep the team’s good karma going

Philadelphia Eagles fan Amy Rannabargar found a vintage team jacket hanging on a pole after the Super Bowl parade with a note inside that read, “I found this jacket on the night of the Super Bowl in 2018 and it only felt right to release back into the city when the Eagles won again.” (Photo: Amy Rannabargar)

The ‘box demon’

Unnerving? Yes. But the story about the individual who identified themselves as the “box demon” and left an empty box on the porch of a home in North York Borough in the middle of the night—while wearing a colorful mask made from a paper plate—is still one of our favorites.

WATCH: Police in York County seek help identifying ‘box demon’

‘Anybody can play’

We learned a lot speaking with Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar, who joined the Reading Roller Derby team hoping to find an outlet for socializing and regular exercise, and wound up with something much more: a true community where all are welcome. “Anybody can play roller derby,” she told me back in March. “If you’re willing to show up and practice, there’s a space for you.” 

READ: Reading Roller Derby stresses community, inclusivity

The kindness of strangers

Warning: this one’s a bit of a tearjerker, but we loved it all the same. When Hunter Metzger told employees at the Texas Roadhouse in Ephrata that the steak he ordered was his dog Iris’ last meal, they made it ‘with love,’ as instructed, and their act of kindness went viral.

READ: Ephrata family dog’s last meal is a special one

Alex Bieger proposes to Erin Weyant during a show by the band Eggy at the Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh, June 18, 2025. (Contributed)

She said ‘yes’

A few weeks ago, the Connecticut jam band Eggy helped Pittsburgh’s Alex Bieger propose to Erin Weyant during a show at the Thunderbird Music Cafe, by playing a song with a special connection to the couple, and the comedy series “Schitt’s Creek.” Spoiler alert: she said yes.

READ: Pittsburgh man pops the question at a rock show

New name for the SeaWolves

There’s something about HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” and Pennsylvania. Back in May, host John Oliver offered to rebrand a minor league baseball team with a new name and new mascot. The Detroit Tigers’ Double-A Erie Seawolves were selected out of nearly 50 teams who applied. On Sunday’s show, Oliver announced that the Seawolves will be renamed the Erie Moon Mammoths for four upcoming games. Why the Moon Mammoths? The name was inspired by the 1991 discovery of woolly mammoth remains by George Moon, a Summit Township resident who found a bone while scuba diving in Lake Pleasant, about 8 miles south of Erie. 

READ: John Oliver renames the Erie SeaWolves