Thanks to this job, I’m learning new stuff all the time about Pennsylvania. Like the fact that one of the most fall-friendly activities has roots in Lebanon County.

The first official full-size corn maze was developed in Annville in 1993 by Don Frantz, a Broadway producer known for his work on “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast,” along with other spectacles he created for amusement parks and Super Bowl halftime shows.

Dubbed the Amazing Maize Maze, Frantz deployed a sizable crew to carve the maze into a field at Lebanon Valley College. His idea was based on a maze that had been designed to fit into the back lawn of an English manor.

Since being constructed in Annville, the Amazing Maize Maze has been reproduced in different configurations across the globe, as corn mazes have become an autumnal rite of passage for many. One of the most popular Amazing Maize Mazes in the US can be found at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Ronks, about an hour southeast from where Frantz developed his original maze.

As anticipated, we’ve received some very entertaining answers to this week’s QOTW:

What’s the best thing you ever got in your trick-or-treating bag and what’s the worst?

Here’s what you’re saying…

“Best I ever got was a five dollar bill from someone who clearly had not been expecting trick-or-treaters! The worst was a pencil.” — Laura K., Northampton County

“When we were young, my dad and uncle would take us to the bars to trick or treat. Best, of course, was money. But when they would run out of money or bags of chips, we once got bagged giant pickles. Now I would love that, but then, not so much!” — Marg, Scranton

“I can’t think of what the best was—most candy is great to me. The worst was a woman who gave out popcorn balls, and another woman who gave us pennies. I’m 71, but even 65 years ago that was a pretty bad treat.” — John Schaninger, Bucks County

“Best: one of our neighbors used to greet us with hot apple cider and popcorn balls or fresh baked cookies. Worst: same neighborhood, one of the local farm families didn’t quite get the concept and one year gave us bunches of grapes. By the time we got home, our treat bags were pretty much destroyed by mushed grapes.” — Lesley C., Delaware County

“I went out trick-or-treating until I was too old to be doing so, age 17. I grew a mustache pretty early and was ‘blessed’ with a receding hairline at a young age thanks to my dad, so I looked older than I was. One Halloween, I was rolling through a different neighborhood on my own after my friends had packed it in. Came upon this one house and the guy who answered the door said, ‘You look like you could use a cold one. You’re 21, right?’ ‘Sure am!’ I replied, and he dropped a can of Miller High Life in my sack. Cracked it open a couple minutes later and it exploded over EVERYTHING. You can say that was the best and worst in one shot!” — Tanner G., Somerset County

What’s your trick-or-treating best and worst? Reply with your answer below. 

(USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

By this time next week, we should know if Gov. Josh Shapiro has been elected to a second term, and if Democrats will control all three branches of state government for the first time since 1993 (it would take a net gain of three seats in the state Senate; maintaining their razor-thin 103-102 majority in the state House; and a Shapiro victory to pull off such a trifecta).

We may also know how the competitive US House races in Pennsylvania’s 7th, 8th, and 10th Congressional Districts will impact Democrats’ hopes of gaining a majority in the US House of Representatives.

Election Day is next Tuesday, Nov. 3, and we’re highlighting the key races, key issues, and other important things you need to know in our special edition 2026 Voter Guide. Check it out here, and forward it to anyone you know who needs help getting ballot-ready for the midterms!

• As part of a nationwide effort, the Department of Justice plans to send federal election monitors to observe polling places in Allegheny, Lehigh, Luzerne, and Philadelphia counties on Election Day. Find out why in this story.

• A student at the University of Pennsylvania is among six individuals suing the Trump administration over its banning of certain media outlets from the White House. Learn about the lawsuit here.

• It’s official: Students across Pennsylvania will have to stay off their cell phones during the school day under a new law that will compel local officials to enact restrictions on the devices. Get the details here.

(Carolyn Chalmers)

Carolyn Chalmers sent us this beautiful photo of a recent Chester County sunset. 

NOW SHOW US YOUR PENNSYLVANIA—whether it’s a gorgeous sunset, sparkling fall foliage, or something purely Pennsylvania, like an intersection with a Wawa at one corner, a Sheetz at another corner, and a horse and buggy parked outside a Rutter’s at another corner.

Send us your photos with your name, location, and a brief description of what you’re sharing.

Pittsburgh musician Donnie Iris sings the National Anthem on his 80th birthday before the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins NHL hockey game, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)

If you were a regular MTV viewer during the game-changing cable network’s earliest days, you may recall seeing a handful of music videos from a Buddy Holly-looking singer named Donnie Iris in between the endless loop of Rod Stewart, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, and Loverboy videos.

To Pittsburgh area residents, he was just “Donnie,” no other name needed. He was a living legend in western Pennsylvania.

Iris, an Ellwood City native and one of the most popular rock musicians the area ever turned out, died Monday, after a three-year battle with bladder cancer. He had just officially retired from performing earlier this month.

Read his obituary here.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from The Associated Press, USA Today via Reuters Connect, and Ian Karbal of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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