School District Ends Gender Secrecy Policy

A Chester County school district rescinded a policy that had directed staff not to disclose a student’s gender transition to parents without the student’s consent.

Chester County Intermediate Unit 24 dropped the rule after a demand letter from the Independence Law Center and Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of a Brandywine Virtual Academy staffer.

The letter stated that many psychiatric professionals believe that social transitioning can “become self-reinforcing, setting children down a path with lifelong consequences.”

The letter cited a March U.S. Supreme Court ruling that such secrecy policies likely violate parents’ constitutional rights and staff’s free speech and religious protections.

FBI Returns to Home in Missing Women Probe

Philadelphia police and the FBI returned Monday to a Chew Avenue home in Olney for another extensive search in an investigation linked to at least seven missing women.

The property is tied to Eugene Horsch and his late father, Raymond Horsch, and investigators have recovered more than a million pieces of digital evidence there.

Police believe five of the seven women connected to the home are no longer alive, though no charges have been filed in their disappearances.

Officials warned the renewed effort will bring heavy equipment, street closures, and digging at the site, with activity expected to last into mid-October. They urged patience, saying the painstaking review of evidence could stretch on for weeks.

Pennsylvania’s Data Center Pipeline Swells to 135

Pennsylvania now has 135 data centers planned statewide, a pipeline that could balloon the state’s capacity from 311 megawatts today to more than 18,000.

The building boom reflects surging demand for the computing power behind artificial intelligence and cloud services, but it has fueled sharp public backlash over the centers’ electricity and water use.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, once an early champion of the industry, signed an executive order in August requiring projects to win local approval and meet strict power and water standards to get state permits.

His Republican opponent for governor, Treasurer Stacy Garrity, and some environmental groups have criticized the order from opposite directions.

A Note from Cole, CEO of The Flyover

Dear Reader,

Buried in the official editorial guidelines of one of the world’s largest news organizations—on the books for decades, published for anyone to read—is a remarkable sentence. It says the word terrorist “can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding.”

The written policy is that the plainest true word for an act of terror gets in the way of understanding it.

That’s not one outlet’s quirk. It’s mainstream media doctrine. And last month, you got to see where doctrine like that leads. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of September 11, reporters at another major news organization, a national public broadcaster, received a memo from the standards office: “Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks.”

The approved language for the deadliest terrorist attack in American history, in which nearly 3,000 people were murdered, was “hijackings that led to plane crashes.”

The memo leaked. Two days of daylight later, the broadcaster backed down. Sort of. They carved out an exception for 9/11, and only 9/11. The rule stands.

And their defense was telling. They didn’t argue that the rule is right. They argued that it’s the industry standard and that newsrooms everywhere follow the same practice.

The worst part is, they’re right. It is the standard. That’s the problem.

You know why we exist. The truth isn’t a barrier to understanding. It’s the only road there. The facts arrive the way we found them, in plain words, and you decide what they mean. That’s your job, and we’d never dream of doing it for you.

We call things what they are.

We keep the spin out and trust you with the facts.

And The Pennsylvania Flyover stays free.

A terrorist attack is a terrorist attack. We’d print that sentence any day of the week. No memo required.

So today I’m asking: if news that calls things what they are is something you want to see thrive, will you stand behind it?

Support the news in plain words. Free, every morning.

Make a generous donation to support The Pennsylvania Flyover.

Give $25
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Our promise: we answer to you.

Help us keep it.

— Cole
 CEO, The Flyover

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➤ Statewide: Pennsylvania is part of a multistate settlement with Labcorp stemming from a 2019 data breach that exposed consumers’ personal information. (More)

➤ Pittsburgh: Attorney Paul Robinson, indicted on charges of concealing evidence for his son in the Penn State fraternity cocaine-trafficking case, issued a statement maintaining his innocence and defending his son. (More)

➤ Also Pittsburgh: Solar United Neighbors is organizing a group-buy program offering local homeowners and businesses 15-20% discounts on rooftop solar to cut energy bills. (More)

➤ Valley Forge: Valley Forge Military College, one of the nation’s few junior military colleges, is facing legal pressure at its Pennsylvania campus, prompting an Oklahoma senator to propose relocating it there. (See Details)

➤ Columbia County: The Berwick Area School District narrowly averted a teachers’ strike, reaching an agreement to keep classes running. (More)

➤ Harrisburg: State and local leaders unveiled a new downtown revitalization plan yesterday, backed by fresh grant money and aiming to rebuild a business district reshaped by post-COVID office declines. (More)

➤ The Philadelphia 76ers unveiled new uniforms and named Bloom Energy their official jersey patch partner, a multi-year deal that includes a seven-figure community investment in the region. (More)

➤ No. 2 Pitt volleyball swept No. 12 Stanford to improve to 12-0, tying a program record with 58 straight home matches won and extending its streak to 21 consecutive sets won. (More)

➤ The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forwards Blake Lizotte, Justin Brazeau, and Ben Kindel, plus defenseman Ryan Graves, on injured reserve ahead of tomorrow’s season opener against the rival Flyers. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | Soccer

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➤ Comcast completed a Washington County expansion, bringing high-speed internet to more than 2,300 previously unserved homes and businesses through a public-private partnership. (More)

➤ Relation Insurance acquired Chalfont-based LaPlaca Insurance to expand in the greater Philadelphia market, adding an agency with 140 years of combined experience. (More)

➤ Reach Cyber Charter School was named one of Central Penn Business’s Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania. (More)

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➤ Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences closed its doors after more than centuries, though supporters are fighting to reopen it with new funding. (More)

➤ TribLive earned an Emmy for its documentary on Pennsylvania’s Civil War-era Soldiers’ Orphans Schools, drawn from letters, photos, and archival records. (More)

➤ A Houston family reviewing their Ring camera discovered their UPS driver had moved packages under cover to shield them from an incoming storm. (See Video)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Scientists ranked the seven pets linked to longer lives, and No. 1 isn’t a golden retriever. (Hear List)

➤ Every household in a Pennsylvania town was offered $10,000 by a data center developer, but residents are pushing back. (Hear Details)

➤ Experts say Spirit Halloween’s real estate strategy quietly signals something about the shopping centers it moves into. (Listen Now)

Which Pennsylvania football team has your heart?

1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Both
4. Neither

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever seen a wild bald eagle in Pennsylvania?

1. Yes, several times: 70%
2. No, never: 21%
3. Yes, once: 9%

The world’s first purpose-built drive-in gas station opened in 1913 in which Pennsylvania city, along a stretch nicknamed “Automobile Row”?

Show me the answer