Far too often, it seems, I’ve found myself opening the Feelgood Friday newsletter by saying something to the effect of ‘If ever there was a week when we could use some good news, this is one of them.’ Sadly, the sentiment holds true again today.

So for those of you looking for some good news about Pennsylvania, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start with this: It looks like we’ll be spared this weekend from that massive bomb cyclone snowstorm that’s been forming in the Atlantic Ocean.

Seeing as many of us are still digging out from last week’s snowstorm and temperatures aren’t expected to rise above freezing until the middle of next week at the earliest, that qualifies as good news in my book.

We have to take good news wherever we can get it right now.

For more than 50 years, the Kensington Community Corporation for Individual Dignity (KenCCID) has been working to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Northeast Philadelphia, with the goal of empowering them to full, independent lives.

To fulfill their mission, KenCCID seeks to connect with Philadelphia organizations and businesses that offer opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, promoting inclusion and opportunity in the community.

The crowd watches the festivities while waiting for Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, to come out and make his prediction during the 139th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Feb. 2, 2025. (Associated Press)

As they do each year, thousands of people from across the globe will descend this weekend on the tiny western Pa. town of Punxsutawney ahead of Punxsutawney Phil’s annual Groundhog Day weather prediction on Monday, Feb. 2.

You know the drill: if Phil doesn’t see his shadow, spring could be here earlier than expected. If he sees his shadow, tradition says winter will stick around for six more weeks. 

Events will be happening throughout the weekend with various parties, a talent show, and a bar crawl. On the big day, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s pre-game festivities begin around 3 a.m.

This probably isn’t what the Pennsylvania Dutch had in mind when they began celebrating Groundhog Day based on traditions established in Germany during the 1600s. Nevertheless, because of Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney has become one of the most famous small towns in the world.

Whether you’re headed to Punxsutawney and need to know where to go, what to do, and how to dress (spoiler alert: warmly); you want to know how to watch the festivities from the comfort of home; or you want to learn about the history of Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney’s indelible place in it, we’re here to help.

· Eagles fans won’t be watching the Birds in the Super Bowl next Sunday, Feb. 8. On Feb. 6 however, they can watch a new ESPN “30 for 30” documentary on the legendary play that helped them win their first Super Bowl in 2017, The Philly Special. Watch the trailer here.

· The Library of Congress added two films with significant ties to Philadelphia—1993’s Oscar-winning “Philadelphia” and 1956’s “High Society,” starring East Falls native Grace Kelly—to the National Film Registry this week. Find out more here.

· While many of us were hunkered down inside, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission launched a new Super Plow last weekend for the first big storm of 2026. Learn about the snow truck that can clear a 27-foot-wide path in one pass in this story.

Drew Zimmerman and his three kids, Ruby, 5, Opal, 9, and Onyx, 7, made and slept in this igloo Monday night, re-creating a 30-year-old childhood memory of Drew’s. (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

In the aftermath of the blizzard of 1996, Drew Zimmerman’s dad Jim created a huge pile of snow with his snowblower and when he headed off to work in York, he told his son Drew and daughter Ashley to hollow it out to make an igloo. If they were successful, they would sleep in it that night.

They were and they did.

Thirty years later, Drew re-created his childhood memory after last weekend’s storm, building an igloo with his three kids in the yard of their Manchester Township home. 

Just like he did 30 years ago, they slept in it, atop a cardboard floor, huddled under a comforter to share their body heat. Like his father, he fitted a piece of wood over the opening to keep the heat in, making sure to cut a one-inch-square hole in it to allow air to flow in so they wouldn’t asphyxiate.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Kalena Thomhave and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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