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| Lancaster, Pennsylvania - The Red Rose City |
It was an ordinary day. The story in the local newspaper told of the "Top 10 News Articles of The Year" in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The stories were listed in order from most important to least important. For those reading this who do not live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the stories may not be familiar, but they still were newsworthy and may be of some interest to you for many towns and cities in the world have the same problems as Lancaster does.
#1 - COVID-19 Pandemic - It was about three-quarter of a year ago on March 18 that Lancaster County recorded its first COVID-19 case at Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster's largest hospital. Nine days later we had our first death from the virus. Since that time, Lancaster County has had almost 700 people die from the coronavirus. But, we also have had the first vaccine administered in Lancaster County with hopes of many more being vaccinated soon. Many county schools are using on-line learning as part of their daily lessons and the words "essential worker," "flatten the curve" and "social distancing" have all become a part of our daily vocabulary. "Front line workers" now include not only medical staff, but grocery store clerks. Most have a mask covering their face when they are with friends and family. Nothing has defined life in 2020 more than the Pandemic.
#2 - The Linda Stoltzfoos case - A young, innocent 18 year-old Amish girl named Linda Stoltzfoos disappeared on June 21 while walking home from church to her parent's home in Upper Leacock Township. Many searches in the nearby Welsh Mountain took place, but with no results. DNA evidence found on a stocking of the missing Amish teenager led police to a 34-year-old Justo Smoker who has been charged with her murder. Police found his car at a farm lane near where the girl was last seen. He has been charged with her death, even though her body has not yet been found.
#3 - The Election of 2020 - President Donald Trump recorded the most votes by any sitting President in U.S. History, but still lost the election since President-elect Joe Biden received the most votes for a presidential candidate win in history. Both candidates stopped in Lancaster, but Lancaster County is traditionally Republican so Mr. Biden stopped only briefly while Mr. Trump stopped a few times. Trump rallies were usually very vocal and very seldom could you see anyone wearing a mask.
#4. - Police brutality protests - Yes...Lancaster had more than 1,000 people protesting in the streets of Lancaster City May 30 in response to the death of George Floyd five days earlier at the hands of police in Minneapolis. There were months of Black Lives Matter protests throughout Lancaster County. The leaders of my church, St.James Episcopal, did much to help quell the violence and calm the crowds.
#5 - Lancaster's GOP leaders defy Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's reopening phase plan. Republican leaders in Lancaster County moved the county out of the red phase of Gov. Wolf's reopening plan ahead of when Wolf was set to do so. A letter was set to Gov. Wolf in early May saying that Lancaster would move to the yellow phase earlier than told they could. The County has been in the red phase since! A few tried to open a week ago and Wolf shut them down.
#6 - Protests erupt after fatal police shooting of knife-wielding Ricardo Munoz - Protests erupted in Lancaster city after Mr. Munoz charged police with a knife. An investigation by the District Attorney's office found the officer was justified in shooting the victim which led to large crowds gathering at the scene of the shooting. Police had to use pepper spray on the crowds and several protesters were arrested.
#7 - Lancaster City Police Chief Retires - Police Chief Jarrad Berkihiser retired amid the controversy of the George Floyd protests and the fact that the wife of the police chief posting a pro-Trump message on Facebook. Lancaster City is primarily Democratic.
#8 - Lancaster County's unemployment rate hits a high - The unemployment rate soared to 20.8%, the highest since the Great Depression. It was due to the coronavirus pandemic pushing county residents out of jobs.
#9 - Andrew Scheid - A funeral director in Lancaster County was charged with four misdemeanor counts of abuse of a corpse and four felony counts of tampering with public records and information. He had been under suspension when he was charged. He pleaded not guilty in October.
#10 - Worley & Obetz CEO sentenced to 14 years for fraud - Jeffrey B. Lyons, the former CEO of Worley & Obetz, a heating and cooling company whom we were a client of, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for orchestrating a 15-year fraud that shuttered the company and cost all 275 employees their jobs. The company was a well-respected heating and cooling company in Lancaster County and created a stir when the fraud was first was reported.
The 10 cases you just read about were the top 10 cases in Lancaster County that required legal intervention. For some reading this, the cases may seem minor compared to other cities and towns, but in Lancaster they were a big deal. Here's hoping 2021 will bring fewer cases of criminal wrongdoing. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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