GOOD MORNING. IT IS 656. TIME FOR WGAL NEWS EIGHT TO GO. THE NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM IS ALL HERE TO HELP YOU START YOUR DAY. I’M GABRIELLE THOMAS, LIVE HERE IN RAPHO TOWNSHIP. TODAY, GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO, ALONG WITH LAWMAKERS, ARE PLANNING TO DISCUSS HOW THE STATE PLANS TO HELP FARMERS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE AVIAN FLU. WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT MEETING. THE SUN IS UP. ISN’T IT NICE TO SEE IT UP A LITTLE BIT EARLIER DURING WEATHER TO GO. LOOKING GOOD. RIGHT NOW IN LANCASTER, WE HAVE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ACROSS MUCH OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, BUT SOME FLURRIES ARE TRYING TO GET INTO MIFFLIN COUNTY. THEY WILL NOT DISRUPT OR SLOW DOWN YOUR TRAVEL. YOU JUST MAY SEE SOME FLURRIES FLYING THIS MORNING. TEMPERATURES MID 20S, WHICH IS TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. BUT WE HAVE A BREEZE AT 10 TO 20MPH. SO THAT’S PUSHING THOSE WIND CHILLS DOWN INTO THE TEENS THIS MORNING. HERE’S A LOOK AT YOUR WEATHER PLANNER. WE ONLY GET TO 32 DEGREES FOR OUR HIGH. PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY THIS AFTERNOON, BUT BRISK AND COLD TONIGHT. AN IMPACT NIGHT BECAUSE WE’RE WATCHING FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW WITH A QUICK COATING TO AN INCH THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE THEN WE GET TO 46 DEGREES FOR OUR HIGH TOMORROW WITH SOME AFTERNOON CLEARING. WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT SOME MINOR SYSTEMS AT THE END OF THE WEEK. COMING UP. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. HAPPY TUESDAY TO YOU RIGHT NOW. A BUSY MORNING. WE DO HAVE A CRASH IN LEBANON COUNTY. NORTH ANNVILLE TOWNSHIP HILL CHURCH ROAD AT NORTH MILL STREET. WE ARE STILL LEARNING MORE INFORMATION ON THAT ONE. WEST CORNWALL TOWNSHIP BUTLER ROAD THERE. IT IS CLOSED DUE TO SOME TREES THAT ARE FALLING THERE BETWEEN ROUTE 117 AND OLD CHURCH ROAD. WE ALSO HAVE THIS DISABLED VEHICLE EARL TOWNSHIP LANCASTER COUNTY ON PETERS ROAD AND WE’RE ALSO MONITORING THIS ONE IN YORK COUNTY AND YORK TOWNSHIP, SOUTH QUEEN STREET. WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE FOR YOU AT 725, BUT FOR NOW HAVE A GREAT TUESDAY. A POLICE OFFICER IN YORK COUNTY A YEAR OF PROBATION. COURT DOCUMENTS SHOW CARROLL TOWNSHIP POLICE OFFICER ELIAS MARTINEZ AND HIS WIFE, SHAE, PLED GUILTY YESTERDAY TO CHARGES OF GIVING ALCOHOL TO TEENAGERS. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE TEENS WERE ON A BASEBALL TEAM. ELIAS MARTINEZ COACHED. HE’S BEEN ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FROM THE CARROLL TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT SINCE JULY. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD SAYS IT’S SENDING A TEAM TO INVESTIGATE THE DEATH OF AN AMTRAK WORKER IN LANCASTER COUNTY. THE CORONER SAYS JEREMY CHARLES WAS KILLED AFTER A TRAIN HIT HIM WHILE HE WAS WORKING ALONG THE TRACKS YESTERDAY IN EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP SERVICE ON THE KEYSTONE LINE WAS SUSPENDED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY YESTERDAY, BUT IT IS RUNNING TODAY AND FLIGHTS ARE MOSTLY ON SCHEDULE TODAY AT HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN DAUPHIN COUNTY. ALL ARRIVALS ARE ON TIME. THREE DEPARTURES, THOUGH, ARE DELAYED AND TWO OTHERS ARE CANCELED TODAY. HIS SPOKESPERSON, SCOTT MILLER, SAYS THE TIMING OF THE SNOW, THOUGH, DID MAKE IT EASIER FOR CREWS TO CLEAR THE RUNWAYS YESTERDAY MORNING. DON’T FORGET, TONIGHT IS THE PRESIDENT’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. YOU CAN WATCH IT AS PART OF NBC NEWS COVERAGE STARTING AT 9:00 TONIGHT HERE ON WGAL, AND THEN AFTERWARDS ON NEWS EIGHT AT 11. WE’LL HAVE REACTION FROM LAWMAKERS FROM BOTH PARTIES. HERE’S OUR TEN DAY FORECAST. TODAY’S HIGH 32 UNDER PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. COLDEST DAY OF THE WEEK. WIND CHILLS IN THE TEENS THIS MORNING. FOR TOMORROW WE’RE AT 46. ANY LIGHT SNOW THAT FALLS OVERNIGHT EARLY TOMORROW MORNING WILL BE LONG GONE. IN JUST A MATTER OF AN HOUR OR TWO FOR THURSDAY. WE’RE AT 38 WITH THE SYSTEM SCOOTING BY TO OUR SOUTH. COULD BRING US A LITTLE RAIN SNOW I
‘Ongoing surge’ of avian flu threatens Pa.’s $7.1 billion poultry industry
Updated: 8:52 AM EST Feb 24, 2026
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and other leaders will hold a roundtable discussion in Lancaster County today about the “ongoing surge” of avian influenza infections. Tracking avian flu in Pennsylvania | What you need to knowThe roundtable will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center as the commonwealth is in the midst of the worst avian flu outbreak in decades. WGAL will livestream the roundtable in the video player above when it happens. “As HPAI cases surge across Pennsylvania, Governor Shapiro has expanded his Administration’s response capacity, mobilizing additional personnel, expanding testing capacity, and coordinating closely with the USDA and industry partners to mitigate the spread of HPAI and protect Pennsylvania’s $7.1 billion poultry industry,” a statement from the governor’s office said.Roundtable attendeesGov. Josh ShapiroSecretary Russell Redding, PA Department of Agriculture Dr. Alex Hamberg, State VeterinarianChris Herr, Vice President, PennAg Industries Executive Sen. Judith Schwank, Senate Democratic Ag Chair, PA’s 11th Senatorial DistrictSen. Scott Martin, PA’s 13th Senatorial DistrictSen. James Malone, PA’s 36th Senatorial DistrictRep. Mindy Fee, PA’s 37th House DistrictRep. Brett Miller, PA’s 41st House DistrictRep. Keith Greiner, PA’s 43rd House DistrictRep. Dan Moul, House Republican Ag Chair, PA’s 91st House DistrictRep. Nikki Rivera, PA’s 96th House DistrictRep. Steven Mentzer, PA’s 97th House DistrictRep. Eddie Day Pashinski, House Democratic Ag Chair, PA’s 121st House DistrictChallengesBefore today’s roundtable, WGAL spoke to said Chris Herr, Executive Vice President of PennAG Industries, which bills itself as the state’s premier agribusiness trade association in the state.”(Avian flu) is a virus that, it’s difficult to contain, spread by wild birds. No one is immune from it. You can have a backyard flock, or you can have, a million layers and you’re not immune from it. So, there’s a lot of nervousness. It’s had a tremendous economic impact. And, and again, one of the things that we look forward to highlighting is the investment that has been made, by the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania,”On the horizonLeaders say they’re hoping the avian flu outbreak will improve by summertime. Warmer weather means fewer migrating birds are moving through the region, thus reducing the spread of the virus.
LANCASTER, Pa. —
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and other leaders will hold a roundtable discussion in Lancaster County today about the “ongoing surge” of avian influenza infections.
The roundtable will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center as the commonwealth is in the midst of the worst avian flu outbreak in decades. WGAL will livestream the roundtable in the video player above when it happens.
“As HPAI cases surge across Pennsylvania, Governor Shapiro has expanded his Administration’s response capacity, mobilizing additional personnel, expanding testing capacity, and coordinating closely with the USDA and industry partners to mitigate the spread of HPAI and protect Pennsylvania’s $7.1 billion poultry industry,” a statement from the governor’s office said.
Roundtable attendeesGov. Josh ShapiroSecretary Russell Redding, PA Department of Agriculture Dr. Alex Hamberg, State VeterinarianChris Herr, Vice President, PennAg Industries Executive Sen. Judith Schwank, Senate Democratic Ag Chair, PA’s 11th Senatorial DistrictSen. Scott Martin, PA’s 13th Senatorial DistrictSen. James Malone, PA’s 36th Senatorial DistrictRep. Mindy Fee, PA’s 37th House DistrictRep. Brett Miller, PA’s 41st House DistrictRep. Keith Greiner, PA’s 43rd House DistrictRep. Dan Moul, House Republican Ag Chair, PA’s 91st House DistrictRep. Nikki Rivera, PA’s 96th House DistrictRep. Steven Mentzer, PA’s 97th House DistrictRep. Eddie Day Pashinski, House Democratic Ag Chair, PA’s 121st House District
Peter Garrard Beck
Pennsylvania is currently experiencing its most severe avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak since the 1980s.
Challenges
Before today’s roundtable, WGAL spoke to said Chris Herr, Executive Vice President of PennAG Industries, which bills itself as the state’s premier agribusiness trade association in the state.
“(Avian flu) is a virus that, it’s difficult to contain, spread by wild birds. No one is immune from it. You can have a backyard flock, or you can have, a million layers and you’re not immune from it. So, there’s a lot of nervousness. It’s had a tremendous economic impact. And, and again, one of the things that we look forward to highlighting is the investment that has been made, by the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania,”
On the horizon
Leaders say they’re hoping the avian flu outbreak will improve by summertime. Warmer weather means fewer migrating birds are moving through the region, thus reducing the spread of the virus.