It’s about this time of year I usually start thinking about what noted Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin once said: “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

Tax prep. Ugh.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, “To file jointly or not to file jointly?” That is the biggest question my wife and I have been mulling over, as the 2026 tax season marks the first time we will be filing our taxes since we were married last year.

I’m sure many of you have got questions about filing your 2025 taxes as well. And we’re here to help, with a story covering everything from the reasons you should file sooner rather than later this year, to getting free help preparing your taxes, to a new deduction for seniors, and more.

Should you be allowed to save your parking spot after a snowstorm?

As I anticipated, smack dab in the middle of another snowy Pennsylvania winter, many of you feel that if you dig out a parking spot, it’s yours. Fire away:

“Yes!! I am too old to either shovel more than one space or walk blocks home in negative wind chills. Saving the space you shoveled should absolutely be legal.”

— Kathy K., Bethlehem

“Saving a spot with a parking chair after a snowstorm makes sense. You’ve spent hours digging the space out, after all. Pittsburgh has good company in following the practice: Chicago and Boston, for starters.”

— Elise MacDonald, Pittsburgh

“Yes. An individual should be allowed to ‘reserve’ the parking space he or she has created by removing the snow in that area. However, the space should be directly in front of the individual’s dwelling or in its proximity if the dwelling in question includes several residential dwellings as in a duplex or apartment complex. Such a reservation should be of limited time. Perhaps 48 hours.”

— David D., Wilkes-Barre

“Absolutely you should be able to. At any other time of the year, I would say it’s public parking, yet if someone spends time and potentially risks backache, after shoveling a spot out, I wouldn’t have the audacity to park in that space.”

— Shalonda J., Franklin County

“Definitely, after taking time and energy to dig out your parking spot, you should be able to save it. All the city, borough, etc. does (sometimes) is clear the street and usually plows you in.” 

— Anita, Huntingdon

“Yes. If you dig out a spot, it should be yours to use. If someone steals your space, they are a real jagoff.”

— Mike Crossey, Pittsburgh

Let us know where you stand on saving spaces after a snowstorm, and please let us know where you live!

Kava is a trending beverage (or extract) derived from Piper methysticum plants. (Shutterstock)

Kava, the common name for Piper methysticum, is a pepper plant native to the Pacific Islands. Kava also refers to a beverage made from the plant’s root that is growing in popularity across the country.

Pacific Island communities in the South Pacific have used kava for thousands of years for ceremonial, recreational, and medicinal purposes, as the drink made from ground kava root has calming, relaxing effects similar to alcohol—but without the same risks of intoxication and addiction. As a supplement, kava has been studied and traditionally used for anxiety, stress, and insomnia.

In the United States, kava is most commonly served as a muddy-looking, earthy-tasting drink in kava bars, where it’s often positioned as part of an alternative experience to conventional, alcohol-fueled nightlife.

Want to know more about kava? Our Pittsburgh-based food and travel writer, Kalena Thomhave, has the details and info on where you can find it in the Steel City.

• Our Sean Kitchen looks at the potential financial hardships facing two Pennsylvania townships after the US Department of Homeland Security purchased a pair of warehouses to serve as ICE detainment facilities in Berks and Schuylkill Counties. Get the story here.

• About 85,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped their Affordable Care Act coverage through the state’s insurance exchange for 2026 in the face of soaring premium costs from the expiration of federal subsidies, and officials expect more people to shed coverage in the coming months as people begin feeling the effect of the cost changes. Find out more here.

• A proposal to build an underwater line to transmit electricity from Canada to Erie County that was halted in 2022 is once again seeking government approvals. Get the details here.

Erie Benedictine Sister Linda Romey, right, holds the Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award that the Erie County religious congregation received from the National Association of Secretaries of State. The award was presented by Stephanie Reid, executive deputy secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of State. At left is NASS President Michael Watson, Mississippi secretary of state. (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

Remember how The Benedictine Sisters of Erie pushed back against a false claim of voter fraud at their monastery levied against them by a right-wing activist ahead of the 2024 presidential election?

They were recently honored for their actions as the National Association of Secretaries of State presented its Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award to the Erie Benedictines. 

The Erie Benedictines were nominated by Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania secretary of the commonwealth, who said, “the sisters used their visible platform to urge all Americans to be discerning consumers of social media and to rely on trusted sources of election information.”

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

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