CELEBRATING EARTH DAY WITH THESE LADYBUGS WILL DO TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON WGAL NEWS EIGHT AT SIX STARTS NOW. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE A FORMER YORK POLICE OFFICER WAS CHARGED WITH RAPING A CHILD. YORK’S MAYOR AND THE POLICE COMMISSIONER ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ARREST. GOOD EVENING. I’M JERE GISH AND I’M LORI BURKHOLDER. LET’S GO TO ED WEINSTOCK. HE JOINS US NOW LIVE WITH WHAT? THE MAYOR’S MESSAGE IS NOW TO THE COMMUNITY. ED. YEAH. JUST OUTSIDE YORK POLICE HEADQUARTERS. LORI, I THINK THE MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF YORK IS DON’T JUDGE THE ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE ACTIONS OF ONE PERSON. AS SOON AS WE HEARD OF THE CHARGES, HE WAS IMMEDIATELY PUT ON UNPAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. AND RESIGNED SHORTLY AFTER THIS PAST FRIDAY. IT WAS A HEARTBREAKING SITUATION FOR YORK MAYOR MICHAEL HELFRICH AND HIS POLICE CHIEF ON FRIDAY, FORMER OFFICER STEVEN CUGINI TURNED IN HIS BADGE, HIS GUN AND RESIGNED AT YORK CITY HALL. IT WAS THE END OF A SHORT CAREER FOR THE FORMER YORK COP, AFTER STATE POLICE CHARGED HIM WITH RAPING A 13 MONTH OLD BABY IN DAUPHIN COUNTY. WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT MISTAKES DO HAPPEN IN LIFE AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET TO POSITIONS THAT THEY SHOULDN’T BE IN, AND AND THEN WE RECOVER AND WE KEEP GOING DOING OUR DOING OUR WORK. HELFRICH SAYS SO FAR, HE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY NEGATIVE COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY OVER THE OFFICER’S HIRING. THE FORMER OFFICER WAS ONE OF A DOZEN CANDIDATES HIRED IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR. I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY TRUSTS US, AS I THINK THEY TRUST ME AND COMMISSIONER MULDROW TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE HIGHEST STANDARDS AND THAT WE MEET THOSE STANDARDS. NOW, YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER MICHAEL MULDROW, ALSO ADDING HIS THOUGHTS TONIGHT TO THIS SITUATION. HE SAYS THE DEPARTMENT IS STILL LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE WAYS OF SCREENING NEW POLICE OFFICERS. AS A FATHER, AS A GRANDFATHER, AS A PERSON WHO’S DEDICATED MOST OF HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE OVER 24 YEARS TO WEARING THIS BADGE, SERVING AND PROTECTING KIDS, FAMILIES, MY SCHOOLS IN THIS COMMUNITY. MY HEART STILL BREAKS WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS OCCUR. ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE FORMER YORK POLICE OFFICER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. IN YORK, ED WEINSTOCK WGAL NEWS EIGHT. ALL RIGHT, ED, THANK YOU. HARRISBURG POLICE ARRESTED A MAN FOR AN APRIL 18TH MURDER. 26 YEAR OLD MARCUS STOLTZ IS CHARGED WITH MURDER AND ROBBERY. THE VICTIM WAS KILLED ON APRIL 17TH NEAR EVERGREEN AND THOMPSON STREETS. A TEENAGER WAS SENTENCED FOR A 2021 DEADLY SHOOTING IN LANCASTER. ELIJAH JUAN BROWN WAS SENTENCED TO 32.5 YEARS TO LIFE. HE PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND TWO GUN RELATED CHARGES IN THE KILLING OF ROLANDO RIVERA IN AUGUST OF 2021 ON THIRD STREET. BROWN WAS JUST 14 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE KILLING. BROWN FACED A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF LIFE IN PRISON, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS UNDER THE AGE OF 15 WHEN HE COMMITTED THE MURDER, HE WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THE MANDATORY LIFE SENTENCE THAT AN ADULT WOULD BE. A LANCASTER COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING HIS WIFE NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO WAS BACK IN COURT. TODAY, 69 YEAR OLD JERRY BAGENSTOS PEQUEA TOWNSHIP HAS LONG BEEN THE SUSPECT IN THE DEATH OF HIS ESTRANGED WIFE, MARIANNE. SHE WAS LAST SEEN IN JUNE OF 1984. TODAY, BAGENSTOS, HIS ATTORNEY, ARGUED THAT POLICE RECEIVED NUMEROUS TIPS ABOUT SIGHTINGS OF MARIANNE AFTER HER DISAPPEARANCE, BUT SAY THEY NEVER INVESTIGATED THEM, IMPLYING THAT THEIR SOLE GOAL WAS TO CHARGE JERRY BAGENSTOS WITH HIS WIFE’S DEATH. WELL, CUMBERLAND COUNTY MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON INDECENT ASSAULT CHARGES, STATE POLICE SAY 53 YEAR OLD RICHARD RIDLEY SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A GIRL FROM. 2018 TO 2022. POLICE SAY THAT CHILD WOULD HAVE BEEN 9 TO 12 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. IN FEBRUARY, NEWS EIGHT REPORTED THAT RIDLEY CLASSIFIED AS A SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR, WAS ARRESTED. THEN POLICE SAID HE WAS RUNNING A CARNIVAL GAME BUSINESS AND NOT REPORTING AS REQUIRED UNDER MEGAN’S LAW. PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY IS TOMORROW. POLLS OPEN AT 7 A.M. YOU’LL BE VOTING FOR YOUR PARTY’S REPRESENTATIVE FOR PRESIDENT. CONGRESS? S STATE ROUGEAU OFFICES, STATE HOUSE AND HALF OF THE STATE SENATE AND COUNTY ELECTION OFFICES THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED MAIL IN BALLOTS ARE GETTING READY FOR IN-PERSON VOTING TOMORROW. NEWS EIGHT’S BARBARA BARR JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM LANCASTER COUNTY COURTHOUSE WITH MORE BARBARA. WELL, THE COUNTY’S CERTAINLY GEARING UP FOR THIS PRIMARY. SOME 1500 VOLUNTEERS ARE SLATED TO HELP OUT HERE AT THE ELECTIONS OFFICE AT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, AS WELL AS POLLING PLACES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. NOW, THE CHAIR OF THE ELECTION BOARD TELLS ME HE ANTICIPATES TURNOUT RUNNING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 25 AND 33%, WHICH IS PRETTY STANDARD FOR A PRIMARY. WE DIDN’T GET IT IN THE MAILBOX IN TIME, SO THAT’S WHY WE WERE DOING THIS, TO MAKE SURE OUR VOTE COUNTS. SALLY OATMAN IS ONE OF ABOUT 27,000 LANCASTER COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO REQUESTED A MAIL IN BALLOT. EVERYTHING’S ON THERE, THE COUNTY’S ELECTIONS CHAIR SAYS ABOUT 20,000 HAVE BEEN RETURNED, SO FAR. IF YOU WANT YOUR VOTE TO COUNT, BRING IT INTO THE ELECTIONS OFFICE IN PERSON. DO NOT PUT THAT IN THE MAIL. YOU HAVE TO BRING IT IN AND WE ARE OPEN HERE FROM BASICALLY. 7 A.M. UNTIL ALL 8 P.M. MAKE SURE THEY’RE PROPERLY DATED AND SIGNED. THE COUNTY INVESTED IN HIGH SPEED MACHINES TO OPEN AND COUNT THE BALLOTS BEGINNING AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING. WE’RE READY. I MEAN, OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN REALLY RAMPING UP THE COUNTIES ELECTIONS OFFICE HAS DEALT WITH VENDOR PRINTING ERRORS IN THE PAST. OFFICIALS ARE COUNTING ON THE PROCESS WORKING SMOOTHLY THIS YEAR. THE VENDOR WE’VE BEEN USING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE REALLY DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THEIR QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS IS TOP NOTCH. YOU CAN ALSO VOTE IN PERSON AT ONE OF THE 240 POLLING PLACES THROUGHOUT LANCASTER COUNTY. YOU NEED TO BE A REGISTERED REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY. VERY IMPORTANT AT OUR AGE, AND WE VOTED EVERY YEAR SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO. YEAH, WE NEVER HAVE MISSED AN ELECTION. AND IT IS ONE MAIL IN BALLOT PER PERSON. SALLY’S HUSBAND WAS HERE. HE HAD TO ACTUALLY DELIVER HIS MAIL IN BALLOT IN PERSON TO AN ELECTION WORKER HIMSELF, AND SHE DELIVERED HERS. AND OF COURSE, THERE IS NO DROP BOX HERE AT THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ANY LONGER. SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR MAIL IN BALLOT IF YOU’VE GOT IT AND WANT TO BRING IT IN TOMORROW TO THE ELECTIONS OFFICE, LIVE IN LANCASTER, BARBARA BARR NEWS EIGHT. ALL RIGHT. BIG DAY COMING UP TOMORROW. THANK YOU. BARBARA AND THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH SAYS THE STATE IS READY FOR PRIMARY DAY. AS OF TODAY. AL SCHMITT SAYS MORE THAN 563,000 MAIL IN BALLOTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. OF THE 895,000 REQUESTED. SCHMITT ALSO URGED PATIENCE WHEN WAITING FOR THOSE ELECTION RESULTS. WHILE WE ALL WANT TO KNOW THE RESULTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, COUNTY ELECTION OFFICIALS AS THEIR FIRST PRIORITY IS THE ACCURACY AND SECURITY OF EVERY VOTE. IN LEBANON COUNTY, THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SAYS A BATCH OF 350 MAIL IN BALLOTS WERE INADVERTENTLY PRINTED AND MAILED TWICE. THE FIRST BALLOTS WERE MAILED APRIL 13TH. A SECOND BATCH WAS SENT OUT APRIL 17TH. THE COUNTY SAYS THE DUPLICATE BALLOTS ARE IDENTICAL IN BOTH SERIAL NUMBER AND BARCODE TO THE FIRST BALLOT SENT SO THEY CANNOT BE PROCESSED AND COUNTED MORE THAN ONCE. AND REMEMBER, POLLS ARE OPEN TOMORROW FROM SEVEN IN THE MORNING TILL EIGHT AT NIGHT. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE HAVE A VOTER GUIDE ON WJHL.COM THERE. YOU CAN ALSO FIND LINKS TO FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE AS WELL AS KEY VOTING MACHINE DEMONSTRATED RUNS. AND AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE, WE WILL BE TRACKING THE RESULTS AND BRING THEM TO YOU AS SOON AS THEY COME IN TO US AND WE’LL HAVE A TEAM OF REPORTERS, OF COURSE, COVERING SOME OF THE BIGGEST RACES. SO JOIN US FOR COVERAGE ONLINE. AND OF COURSE HERE ON NEWS EIGHT AT TEN AND 11. LEADERS IN HARRISBURG ARE WATCHING A US SUPREME COURT CASE VERY CLOSELY THIS IS ABOUT THE HOMELESS SLEEPING IN PUBLIC PLACES LIKE PARKS. NEWS 8 TOM LEHMAN FOLLOWING THIS STORY JOINS US LIVE NOW WITH MORE ON THIS TONIGHT. TOM. YEAH. LORI. CITY OFFICIALS SAY THAT HARRISBURG’S GOVERNMENT IS KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS CASE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE CITY MOVED TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT WERE CAMPING IN THE PARK RECENTLY TO LEAVE THE PARK. THEY HAD TO PACK UP THEIR BELONGINGS AS WELL AS THEIR TENTS. AND CITY OFFICIALS SAY THEY’RE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS PARTICULAR CASE BECAUSE OF HOW IT COULD BE APPLIED IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH THE UNHOUSED HERE IN HARRISBURG, THEY SAY THAT REGARDLESS OF HOW THE COURT RULES, THERE IS A LOT OF NEED FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK SHELTER. AT ISSUE IN THE SUPREME COURT IS WHETHER IT’S CRUEL AND UNUSUAL TO BAN PEOPLE FROM SLEEPING OUTSIDE IN PUBLIC AREAS WHEN THERE IS NOT ADEQUATE SHELTER SPACE. I’M TALKING TO THE PEOPLE, THE SHELTERS THAT THEY’RE PRETTY FULL. RUSSELL KURTZ HELPS FEED PEOPLE AT THE TENT ENCAMPMENT BY PENNDOT HEADQUARTERS IN HARRISBURG WITH THAT LOCATION ALREADY PACKED, KURTZ SAYS OTHERS HAVE CHOSEN TO CAMP IN PLACES LIKE PARKS OUT OF NECESSITY. A LOT OF THE HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN UP LOOKING FOR SHELTERS, AND THAT’S WHY THEY’RE LIVING IN TENTS. THE CASE BEING HEARD IN THE SUPREME COURT IS TIED TO A TOWN IN OREGON THAT STARTED FINING PEOPLE FOR SLEEPING OUTSIDE TO HELP MANAGE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. IT WAS A MEASURE THAT WAS STRUCK DOWN BY THE NINTH CIRCUIT OF APPEALS. BUT SHOULD THE HIGH COURT ALLOW THE FINES? SOME ADVOCATES FOR THE UNHOUSED ARE WORRIED THAT IT WILL MAKE A GROWING CRISIS ACROSS THE NATION EVEN WORSE. IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW THEM TO BE ARRESTED, FINED, WHICH IS MIND BOGGLING BECAUSE IF THERE’S ANY GROUP LESS ABLE TO PAY FINES, IT’S THOSE WHO CAN’T EVEN AFFORD, YOU KNOW, BASIC HOUSING OR TO MEET THEIR MOST BASIC NEEDS. OBVIOUSLY, SOME POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS HERE IN HARRISBURG AND OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT HOMELESSNESS, ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, IS UP ABOUT 12% ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION IS EXPECTED THIS SUMMER. SO WE MIGHT HAVE MORE INFORMATION THEN IN HARRISBURG. TOM LEHMAN, WGAL NEWS EIGHT. TOM, THANK YOU. POLICE IN LANCASTER COUNTY HAVE CONFIRMED THE NEWS 8, AN INCIDENT WHERE A STUDENT BIT A TEACHER’S THUMB AND SEVERED IT. IT HAPPENED LAST THURSDAY AT THE IU 13 SCHOOL IN MANHEIM, CALLED THE CENTRAL EDUCATION CENTER. THE SCHOOL SAYS IU 13 SENT LETTERS HOME WITH STUDENTS, AND INDIVIDUAL PHONE CALLS WERE MADE TO SELECT FAMILIES. A SPOKESPERSON FOR IU 13 RELEASED THIS STATEMENT, SAYING OUR NUMBER ONE FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS TO SUPPORT THE STAFF AND STUDENTS WHILE WE CONTINUE ENSURING THE SAFETY FOR ALL. A LANCASTER COUNTY INMATE HAS DIED ON APRIL 16. 60 YEAR OLD DEBORAH MCLUCAS WAS UNRESPONSIVE IN HER CELL. SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEN RELEASED FROM CUSTODY BY THE LANCASTER COUNTY PRISON. A COUNTY SPOKESPERSON SAYS INMATES WHO ARE RECEIVING END OF LIFE CARE ARE OFTEN RELEASED FROM CUSTODY TO REMOVE RESTRICTIONS OF FAMILY HAVING ACCESS. MCLUCAS DIED THE NEXT DAY ON WEDNESDAY, AND THE CORONER SAYS SHE DIED OF A CEREBRAL ANEURYSM. SHE WAS IN PRISON FOR A TECHNICAL PAROLE VIOLATION BENCH WARRANT. A MAN DIED FRIDAY FOLLOWING A CRASH EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE TWO VEHICLE CRASH HAPPENED APRIL 7TH, JUST BEFORE 4 P.M. AT THE INTERSECTION OF MAIN STREET AND NEW STREET IN EAST PETERSBURG, NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY REGIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS ONE OF THE DRIVERS, 74 YEAR OLD MALCOLM PARKER OF LANCASTER, HAS PASSED AWAY. WELL, TODAY IS EARTH DAY, A DAY TO DEMONSTRATE SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. AND IN HARRISBURG, THE CITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES MARKED EARTH DAY AT RESERVOIR PARK. THEY HIGHLIGHTED PROGRAMS THEY’RE WORKING ON, INCLUDING LIGHTS OUT, HARRISBURG, WHICH INVOLVES TURNING OFF OR BLOCKING AS MANY EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL BUILDING LIGHTS AS POSSIBLE DURING MIGRATION SEASON. MANY BIRDS DON’T REACH THEIR DESTINATION BECAUSE THEY FLY INTO BUILDINGS AND WINDOWS. CONFUSE BY THE BRIGHT ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING AND GLASS, THE LIGHTS OUT PROGRAM RUNS IN THE SPRING AND FALL. WHAT WE’RE ASKING, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES TO DO IS TO SHUT OFF UNNECESSARY LIGHTS. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT LIKE STREET LIGHTS OR GARAGE LIGHTS OR LIGHTS THAT ARE NEEDED, YOU KNOW? BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT UNNECESSARY ONES AND MOSTLY IN HIGHER OFFICE BUILDINGS IS WHERE THIS HAPPENS A LOT. SO WE’RE TRYING TO PROTECT OUR BIRD POPULATIONS. AND MELROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS MADE BIRD BOXES USING MATERIALS PROVIDED BY THE BLUE BIRD SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA. THE GOAL FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT CONSERVATION EFFORTS AND DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL JOBS BOXES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN RESERVOIR PARK, WITH PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL BOXES ALONG THE HARRISBURG GREENBELT, AND IT IS AN EARTH DAY TRADITION. TRADITION. THIS IS CHESTERBROOK ACADEMY PRESCHOOL IN LANCASTER COUNTY, RELEASING ALL THESE LADYBUGS. THIS WAS THE PRESCHOOL AT LANCASTER LABS IN LEOLA, AND THEY RELEASED 4500 LADYBUGS INTO THE SCHOOLYARD, ALL TO HELP WITH VEGETATION. CHILDREN LEARN JUST BY DOING AND EXPERIENCING NEW THINGS. AND SO EARTH DAY GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE CAN BRING THE OUTSIDE INTO THE CLASSROOM, MAKE IT REAL, AND LEADING UP TO EARTH DAY, STUDENTS ARE LEARNING THAT LADYBUGS SERVE AS A NATURAL PESTICIDE BY FEEDING ON INSECTS THAT COULD OTHERWISE HARM THE HEALTH OF GARDENS, TREES, AND SHRUBS. YOU KNOW, I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT LADYBUGS BRING GOOD LUCK. OH, YEAH? YEAH, I LIKE THAT. YOU NEVER WANT TO DISTURB A LADYBUG. YEAH, NOT ALL DAYS IN CLASS WHEN YOU’RE YOUNGER CHILD ARE THE SAME. AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FUN ONE. DO YOU SEE THEM THERE WITH THE LADYBUGS? WHEN THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER TO. I LOVE THAT. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, COMING UP NEXT, AN INVOICE FOR A LISTING IN THE YELLOW PAGES PHONE DIRECTORY YOU DON’T REMEMBER PLACING THE ORDER AND IT’S GOING TO COST YOU HUNDREDS IF YOU DO PAY FOR IT. I’M EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE. CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR BRIAN ROCHE HOW TO SPOT THIS SCAM. COMING UP NEXT. IT’S GOING TO BE A QUIET END, BUT A CHILLY END TO OUR EARTH DAY. LOTS OF SUNSHINE OUT THERE ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. BEAUTIFUL SHOT THERE ON OUR GETTYSBURG SKYCAM, BUT GRAB THE WINTER COAT AND YOU MAY NEED TO BRING IN THE PLANTS OR COVER THEM UP TONIGHT AS IT’S AN IMPACT NIGHT AS FROST IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE VALLEY AS LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. WARMER WEATHER WILL BE AROUND FOR OUR TUESDAY, BUT THE CLOUDS WILL RETURN EVENTUALLY. GIVE WAY TO SOME PASSING SHOWERS. FIND OUTN THE NS.