When we asked you earlier this year about the stories you’d like us to cover in 2026, the issue that drew the greatest response was the impact of Pennsylvania’s data center boom on local communities.

With 52 active data centers and about 50 proposals in various stages of review across the commonwealth, according to the website Track Data Centers, we’ve covered townships passing zoning ordinances, the local pushback over potential development, as well as keeping tabs on sales of potential data center development sites.

We’ve also been speaking with residents of communities targeted for data center development who have voiced concerns about local air pollution and noise pollution from round-the-clock operations, and the massive energy demands of data centers, raising electricity bills for Pennsylvania residents and straining the grid.

Our Ashley Adams recently spoke with Indiana Township resident Vanessa Lynch, who lives about six miles from the proposed Cheswick/Springdale AI Data Center site, a planned 565,000-square-foot facility on a 47-acre campus in Allegheny County.

Lynch expressed her reservations to Ashley about what a data center so close to her home would mean for her family (“As a mom, you look at something like this and think about your kids….and what they’re breathing”) and how the surge in data center development is colliding with communities unprepared for the scale of such projects.

“These small communities get these enormous proposals and local officials feel boxed in by the fear of lawsuits if they deny them,” Lynch said. “Our communities need clear rules before projects arrive, not after, because once a proposal is on the table, residents are already trying to catch up.”

You can read Ashley’s story here.

Kindred Spirits Rescue Ranch in Beaver County provides a safe haven for neglected or abused animals, including mini horses Rock It, Fancy, and Faith. (Kindred Spirits Rescue Ranch)

Animal sanctuaries are places where creatures big and small—often those who have been abused, neglected, or injured—can safely and comfortably live out the rest of their lives. Unlike shelters, the focus isn’t on adoption, but lifelong care.

Across Pennsylvania, you’ll find a wide range of sanctuary residents, from retired horses and former dairy cows to often overlooked farm birds like ducks, geese, and chickens. In this story, our Kalena Thomhave highlights 11 animal sanctuaries in Pennsylvania providing forever homes for animals in need, and details on how you can visit and support them.

• The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania’s May 19 primary election is next Monday, May 4. We’ve got the details on how to get registered in this story.

• A new survey shows Pennsylvanians are expressing more dissatisfaction with the quality of healthcare in the commonwealth than in any year since 2019. Get the details here.

• Bucks County Republican US Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s fiancee was among those on stage with President Trump on Saturday night when a man fired shots at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Find out more here.

• State Treasurer Stacy Garrity told Pennsylvania State Police her agency cannot legally pay for more than $1 million in security improvements at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s private home in Montgomery County. Find out what Garrity, who is almost certain to be the Republican nominee for governor who will face Shapiro in November, had to say here.

Gennings Dunker. (USA Today Network)

Fun fact about Gennings Dunker, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ newest offensive guard. Dunker, who was the Steelers’ fourth selection (96th overall) in last week’s NFL draft, won back-to-back hay bale tossing championships at Iowa’s Solon Beef Days in 2022 and 2023. 

He set the event record by tossing a hay pound weighing more than 50 pounds over a 14-foot-6-inch bar.

Maybe that will convince Aaron Rodgers to return?

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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