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🌱 Patch AM: What did D.C.’s top education official promise during her Harrisburg visit?

Be sure to catch Valencia Wonderland: A Holiday Music Experience on the Harrisburg Patch calendar

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Wednesday December 17th Patch AM
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Hi there, Harrisburg! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What did D.C.’s top education official promise during her Harrisburg visit?
  • Flying from HIA soon? Here’s how to skip holiday travel headaches.
  • Could you be owed money from Google Play purchases?

Also on today's calendar: Valencia Wonderland: A Holiday Music Experience and 2 more events.

Find out what's happening in Harrisburgfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Harrisburg? Post it to Harrisburg photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Find out what's happening in Harrisburgfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: Partly sunny and not as cold, with a high of 44 and low of 24 degrees.
  • Thursday: A bit of afternoon rain, temps: high: 43, low: 39.
  • Friday: A few morning showers; windy, with a high of 49 and low of 24 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Linda McMahon meets with Pa. legislators to discuss possible closure of US Department of Education (lancasteronline.com) — Harrisburg hosted U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon this month for meetings with Pennsylvania lawmakers and a visit to Foose Elementary, part of Harrisburg Community Schools, as she promotes shifting control of education from Washington to the states. Local Republicans discussed school choice and career and technical education while McMahon floated the controversial idea of closing the U.S. Department of Education.
   

2. TSA provides tips to make your holiday travel merry (abc27.com) — If you’re flying out of Harrisburg International Airport this holiday season, officials say preparation is key as they expect about 66,000 travelers between December 20 and January 3. Make sure you know your gate, have a Real ID, and weigh your bags ahead of time to avoid last-minute stress at the airport.
   

3. AG Sunday provides updates on restitution from $700 million Google settlement (wfmz.com) — If you’ve bought apps or made purchases on Google Play since 2016, you may automatically get restitution from a $700 million settlement that Pennsylvania’s attorney general announced from Harrisburg. Payments, likely in spring 2026, will be sent mainly via PayPal or Venmo, with a later claims process for anyone who doesn’t receive theirs as expected.
   

4. Couple sentenced for stealing body parts from Harvard morgue, selling them in PA: DOJ (local21news.com) — From Harrisburg, federal officials detailed sentences for a New Hampshire couple who helped traffic stolen human remains, many of which ended up with a Pennsylvania buyer. The case, tied to a Harvard morgue and a Dauphin County defendant awaiting sentencing, highlights a disturbing interstate body-parts market with direct connections to central Pennsylvania.
   

5. Cumberland Valley's Riya Srinivas is PennLive's girls tennis Player of the Year (pennlive.com) — A standout of the Mid-Penn Conference with ties to Harrisburg’s sports scene, Cumberland Valley tennis star Riya Srinivas has been named PennLive’s girls tennis Player of the Year for the third time. After missing her entire 2024 season with a serious ankle injury, she returned in 2025 to sweep multiple Mid-Penn and District 3 titles, capping a dominant high school career.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Lawmakers and Advocates Call on Pennsylvania to take a lead in Legionnaires' Disease prevention —Travis Akin Read on Patch
  • Oracle posted a job opening for Delivery Manager (Individual Contributor) - NetSuite ACS (Products Team) in Harrisburg. Apply here.
  • Sam's Club posted a job opening for Meat Cutter and Wrapper in Harrisburg. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Harrisburg here.

Ok Harrisburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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