Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And if the special someone in your life is more into horror movies and frightfests than candy and flowers, we’ve got a couple of ideas.

For those hopeless romantic ghouls in the Philadelphia area, there’s a haunted Valentine’s Day experience at Manayunk’s Lincoln Mill Haunted House, called Viktor’s Valentine—A Dark Love Story. Guests wander through pitch-black corridors, “each step drawing you closer to the ghost of Viktor’s lost Valentine—a love that ended in betrayal.”

That sounds romantic.

Across the state in Western Pa., Buffalo Bill’s House—yes, the one from “Silence of the Lambs”— is offering a getaway package called “Silence of Valentine’s Day.”

The historic 1910 Victorian home in Perryopolis served as the house where serial killer Buffalo Bill lived in the Academy Award-winning film starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. It’s been transformed into an inn, though it has remained largely unchanged since the movie was shot more than 30 years ago.

The “Silence of Valentine’s Day” package includes an assortment of fine local chocolates, Buffalo Bill’s House souvenirs for every person in your party, rose petals sprinkled in the shape of a heart on your bed, and a bottle of Chianti, of course.

If you’re not going to watch the Super Bowl, what are you planning to do instead on Sunday?

“Sleeping. I work overnight, so I won’t be getting up until around 10 pm anyway.”

— Danny R., Pittston

“My partner and I are going to see ‘Marty Supreme,’ then out to dinner. My hatred of football—and all the alpha male, aggro behavior associated with it—knows no bounds.”

— Jenna, Media

“I just started binge watching ‘The Righteous Gemstones,’ so I’ll probably watch some more on Sunday. I’ve just never been a football person, which is strange having grown up in western Pa.”

— Greg Smythe, Millersville

“Thanks for letting me know the Super Bowl was Sunday. That’s how much I pay attention to sports. I’ll probably read and do laundry. That’s what I do on most Sundays anyway.”

— Mary Patrick, Lehigh Valley

“If the Steelers aren’t playing, I rarely watch football. So while my husband and son watch the game in the “man cave” (our finished garage) I’ll probably make dinner and bring them snacks throughout the game. It’s just not for me.”

— Amber Z., Beaver County 

If you’re not going to be watching the Super Bowl, we want to hear about your plans. (And please let us know where you live!)

Russell Bufalino, left, a reputed northeastern Pennsylvania organized crime boss fighting deportation to Italy for 14 years, walks into the US Immigration building in Philadelphia, March 26, 1973, where he surrendered to immigration authorities. (Associated Press)

If your familiarity with the Mafia is based on what you’ve learned from watching “The Godfather,” “Goodfellas,” and “The Sopranos,” you may be surprised to learn that our very own Northeastern Pennsylvania was once a Mafia stronghold, just like New York and North Jersey.

NEPA’s proximity to New York made it an excellent location for mob activities, but the NEPA Mafia, most famously the Bufalinos, flourished particularly because of its early influence in the region’s coal industry.

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Pennsylvania families are struggling with rising costs—but too many of our representatives aren’t taking action. Share how higher prices affect you and help hold our leaders in Congress accountable to fight for lower costs.

• A bipartisan proposal to ban student cell phone use from bell to bell in Pennsylvania schools advanced to the House this week with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s backing. Read more here.

• After a fatal natural gas explosion at a Bristol Township nursing home, PECO distributed $250 gift cards to nearby residents while federal investigators continued probing the cause of the blast that killed three people and displaced more than 100 others. Get the full story here.

• Starting Feb. 13, most Pennsylvania public libraries will no longer be able to process passport applications. Find out why by reading this story.

Cheyney University (Shutterstock)

Did you know that Cheyney University and Lincoln University, located about 25 miles apart in Southeast Pa., are the nation’s oldest HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities)?

Cheyney was established on Feb. 25, 1837, when Quaker philanthropist Richard Humphreys left $10,000 (about $292,000 today) from his estate to create a school to educate people of African descent. The school, then known as the African Institute, provided training in the trades and agriculture.

The school has changed names several times over the years, officially becoming Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and joining the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education in 1983.

Well-known Cheyney alumni include civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and “60 Minutes” correspondent Ed Bradley.

Lincoln University was established in 1853 when the Presbytery of New Castle approved minister John Miller Dickey’s plan to establish an institution to provide education in the arts and sciences to young men of African descent. The school, then known as The Ashmun Institute, received its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on April 29, 1854. 

The school changed its name to Lincoln University in 1866 in honor of President Abraham Lincoln.

Well-known Lincoln alumni include Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall and poet Langston Hughes.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Ashley Adams, Kalena Thomhave, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, and USA Today via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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