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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 4h

Pennsylvanians: Do you know what you're doing this weekend? I designed a cute little one-minute quiz to help you figure out how to take advantage of autumn in our beautiful state - www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/10...

Plan the perfect Pennsylvania fall weekend

Take our short quiz to help you decide how to spend your fall weekends in Pennsylvania. There are a dozen possible outcomes, sourced from our staff.

www.spotlightpa.org

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 6d

four listens in & I’m filling out my Jack Antonoff apology form

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 11d

Happy goose day to all who celebrate

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 14d

I was on vacation last week so didn't get a chance to share this piece when it came out, but I had a lovely time speaking to people in the Juniata River Valley about Goose Day, a quirky & unique local holiday that's celebrated every Sept. 29: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...

Celebrate Goose Day, Pennsylvania’s hyper-regional holiday

For over a century, central Pennsylvanians have gathered near the start of fall to celebrate Goose Day, a quirky holiday with ties to Europe.

www.spotlightpa.org

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 14d

I was on vacation last week so didn't get a chance to share this piece when it came out, but I had a lovely time speaking to people in the Juniata River Valley about Goose Day, a quirky & unique local holiday that's celebrated every Sept. 29: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...

Celebrate Goose Day, Pennsylvania’s hyper-regional holiday

For over a century, central Pennsylvanians have gathered near the start of fall to celebrate Goose Day, a quirky holiday with ties to Europe.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 16d

these rules are so upsetting to me

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 18d

I really loved the Chicago History Museum and the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati! (I've been traveling around the Midwest)

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · 18d

If you are a museums nerd like me and will be traveling domestically, I highly recommend getting a local museum membership that offers reciprocal admission to others. My bf & I joined one for $150 before we left for a multi-city trip and ended up going to $200+ worth of museums 💸

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Aug 29

Leap-the-Dips, a 123-year-old coaster near Altoona, only travels at about 10mph, but a now-rare type of engineering adds extra thrills.

Fans told me it's a unique experience, but no one has been able to ride it since 2023 — and its future is unclear.

My latest: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/08...

This PA roller coaster built in 1902 still charms riders

Leap-the-Dips in Blair County is one of a kind, say fans of the 123-year-old wooden ride. But the attraction is grounded and a return date is unclear.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Reposted by Asha Prihar

Danielle Ohl @dtohl.bsky.social · Aug 29

Big news from me: The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is currently locked out of many crucial systems after being hit by a ransomware attack earlier this month.

Will provide updates as I have them.

Ransomware attack on PA attorney general leads to case delays

The attack temporarily took out the department’s website and email and locked staff out of court files.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Aug 25

After having such a lovely time bookshop-hopping at Philly's annual bookstore crawl on Saturday, it was such a delight to read this WVIA story about downtown Scranton's three indie bookstores & how they encourage visitors to do their own little informal crawls 💖 www.wvia.org/2025-08-25/b...

Bookstore boom: new Scranton indie booksellers find support, not competition

Over the past year, three independent bookstores have opened in downtown Scranton, each hoping to fill the same void in the city. But instead of competition, the owners say they've found support among...

www.wvia.org

Reposted by Asha Prihar

Peter Hall @petehallpa.bsky.social · Aug 18

penncapital-star.com/economy/sept...

SEPTA funding crisis could affect central Pennsylvania's Amtrak service, congressman warns • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The public transit crisis “puts tens of millions of dollars in serious jeopardy for the operation of Amtrak in our regions,” Boyle said.

penncapital-star.com

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Aug 18

If you'd like a fun read on this cloudy morning, check out my interview with Michele Bannon, the mayor of Carbondale, PA.

We talked about her city's hidden gems, her decades-long government career, and Carbondale's claim to fame: an (alleged) UFO sighting.

www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/08...

Meet a PA mayor who embraces UFOs and small town quirkiness

Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon says her hometown is full of kind, generous people with “coal miner mentalities,” and praises its love of UFOs.

www.spotlightpa.org

Reposted by Asha Prihar

Danielle Ohl @dtohl.bsky.social · Jul 28

Two years ago, after publishing a story on competency assessments trapping people in jail, I got a call from Sue.

She told me about her yearslong struggle to get her son mental health care, and how none of it mattered.

In the end, all of those attempts failed to find stability for her son Robert.

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 25

I didn't talk to people from all of them (that would've been too many to fit into one story), but I really enjoyed getting to learn about the wide variety of different types & sizes of rail history sites that exist in PA, many of which rely on volunteers who just really love trains & local history.

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 25

Pennsylvania's train history is extensive and rich, and I learned over the course of working on this story that there are many, many museums/heritage railroads across the state that try to preserve it and share stories about how railroads shaped PA. Like, a lot.
www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/07...

Volunteers, museums help preserve PA’s railroad history

Trains played a huge role in Pennsylvania’s development, and local museums and volunteer groups statewide help to preserve that history.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 25

I can’t get on board with social platforms overusing AI for many reasons, & a minor one among them is that when I search “which bagel is your girlfriend” it’s APPARENTLY not smart enough to conjure up the “which bagel is your girlfriend” post that I literally JUST saw but lost when I refreshed

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 25

if I am watching a dessert recipe video on Instagram and I see any sign of protein powder, that’s my sign to stop watching

Reposted by Asha Prihar

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 16

Pennsylvanians: Do you know someone who deserves recognition for doing good in their PA community?

Nominate them to be featured in our monthly PA Local Heroes series! You can submit their name & a few lines about them here: forms.gle/9WBuEgLrTkxS...

Examples of some previous profiles in thread 🧵

PA Local Heroes nomination form

Know a person in your community who deserves some praise? Let us help. Spotlight PA is spotlighting one community do-gooder each month with a feature, sponsored by Ballard Spahr, in our PA Local newsl...

forms.gle

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 17

i always appreciate a dubai chocolate roundup because i'm allergic and it helps me know which bakeries to avoid (at least until the craze is over). 10/10 service journalism

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 16

... and more! (You can find more of them here: www.spotlightpa.org/topics/pa-lo...) Once again, we'd love your thoughts on who we should feature in future editions: forms.gle/9WBuEgLrTkxS...

PA Local Heroes nomination form

Know a person in your community who deserves some praise? Let us help. Spotlight PA is spotlighting one community do-gooder each month with a feature, sponsored by Ballard Spahr, in our PA Local newsl...

forms.gle

Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 16

Mandy Mastros, a pastor and licensed social worker at the Moravian Center of Lancaster: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/04...

The pastor-slash-social worker reaching out to Lancaster’s unhoused community

As pastor at the Moravian Center of Lancaster, Mandy Mastros’ work extends far beyond leading Sunday services.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 16

Karen Phillips, a veterinarian who started a farm animal sanctuary in Pittsburgh: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/11...

Where farm animals go to thrive

Hope Haven Farm Sanctuary in Allegheny County is run by Karen Phillips, a veterinarian, and is home to over 100 rescued animals.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 16

Kyra Taylor, the co-founder of a nonprofit that helps Black Erie County residents become homeowners: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/06...

Erie’s Black Wall Street helps renters become owners

Local organizers turned a Facebook group into a nonprofit that addresses racial disparities in home ownership in Erie County.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 16

Taj Brown, a volunteer counselor at Chester County's Camp Dreamcatcher, a summer camp for kids living with or affected by HIV: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/03...

A summer camp where HIV stigma stops

Camp Dreamcatcher in Chester County, launched at the height of ‘90s stigma around HIV, has served thousands of children living with or affected by the virus.

www.spotlightpa.org

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Asha Prihar @ashaprihar.bsky.social · Jul 16

We've featured Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova, a Philadelphian who's helped give away over 13,000 children's books over the past decade: www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/01...

The Philadelphia nonprofit sharing ‘books and beauty’ with local kids

A Book a Day has distributed over 13,000 children’s books in the past decade.

www.spotlightpa.org

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