It’s been quite a year in Pennsylvania, and in today’s newsletter, we’re going to take a look back at the stories and people that made 2023 so interesting on so many levels.

A quick programming note before we dive in. I’m going to be taking some time off around the holidays, so we won’t return to your inbox until next Wednesday, Dec. 27. The next time you’ll be hearing from us after that will be Jan. 3, 2024, when we’ll resume our regular schedule.

One of the things that’s made 2023 such an interesting year for me has been taking ownership of this newsletter. I’ve relished the challenge of trying to create something that’s a welcome sight in your inbox several times a week. Keeping you informed and engaged with what we do here at the Keystone has been my goal, and I hope you feel as though I’ve achieved that. It’s been great to hear from so many of our readers about what they like, and what they don’t like, regarding both this newsletter and Pennsylvania on the whole. I feel that what I’ve learned from your feedback will enable this newsletter to evolve into something that will serve readers even better in 2024.

Thanks so much for being a part of the Keystone community in 2023! Here’s hoping you spend the holidays with people you love, doing things you love.

Patrick Berkery,

Senior community editor, The Keystone

9 Pennsylvanians We Loved Meeting in 2023

It’s the people who make Pennsylvania so special. And one of the best parts of this job is that we get to speak with Pennsylvanians from all walks of life with great stories to share. A few personal favorites from 2023:

Shortly after being sworn in as the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, Braddock native Summer Lee told us one of her main goals was empowering Pennsylvanians, particularly those who don’t follow politics. “There are so many people who say, ‘I’m not political,’ but they breathe toxic air,” Lee said. “Or their students go to schools that are underfunded, or their bridges and roads are not being repaired. Or the jobs aren’t in their communities, or the wages aren’t increasing, or their union is being busted, or the bus route has been cut. All of those things are politics.”
As an animal lover, I had to speak with Chelsea Rumbaugh when I learned about the escapades of her wandering pig named Kevin Bacon. I enjoyed the way her family handled the social media notoriety, and I love that she sees a calling for Kevin and her other pigs beyond the viral story. She wants her family and her pigs to be of service to the community. The goal is to have a working farm, where the pigs can serve as therapy animals to neurodivergent adults and children.
As a movie lover, I really enjoyed speaking with Allentown couple Lauren McChesney and Matthew McClanahan about their purchase of Shankweiler’s, America’s oldest continually operating drive-in theater, and their plans for the 89-year-old business going forward.

From a six-year-old with an award-winning mullet, to an 84-year-woman who has visited each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, you can read about more Pennsylvanians we loved speaking with during 2023 in this story.

The PA News That Dominated Headlines in 2023

[Associated Press]

You name it, the 2023 Pennsylvania news cycle has seen it:

A contentious battle for power in the state House
A potentially catastrophic train derailment
Serious air quality issues
A prolonged manhunt for an escaped murderer
A fatal factory explosion

Several stories regarding Pennsylvanians were also big news nationally, like Sen. John Fetterman’s openness about his battle with clinical depression, and Berks County native Taylor Swift’s world domination.

We go deeper on the big Pennsylvania stories of 2023 in this story.

Finally…

[Associated Press]

Over the course of the year, I like to comb through the archives and share historical Pennsylvania photos. This was easily my favorite of 2023. You’re looking at Zonker, a roller coaster-loving canine, and owner Joseph T. Barns, on the Thunderbolt roller coaster at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh, June 28, 1980. It was Zonker’s sixteenth ride on a coaster and his second of the day on the Thunderbolt.

Have a great holiday, Pennsylvania! See you next week.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery. The Keystone Newsroom is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us. Donate here.

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