Cumru Township adopts Berks County’s first AI data center rules
DEBATING, PEACEFUL PROTESTING AND VOTING ARE HOW WE NEED TO SETTLE DISAGREEMENTS, NOT BULLETS. A MAN NOW CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. THE UPDATE FROM INVESTIGATORS AFTER THE CHAOS SATURDAY NIGHT SETTING NEW STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY IN PENNSYLVANIA. WHY SOME LAWMAKERS WANT KIDS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW SCREEN TIME AND SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS THEM, AND POWER ON ONE MINUTE LIGHTS OUT THE NEXT WHERE REPAIRS STAND TONIGHT AT SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY. AFTER A DAYS LONG BLACKOUT, COOLER TEMPERATURES AND MORE RAIN RETURN TO THE FORECAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, WE’LL SHOW YOU THE TIMING AND HOW MUCH YOU CAN EXPECT IN THE TEN DAY FORECAST. SHOWING OFF THEIR UNUSUAL SET OF SKILLS, THE ODD COMPETITION IN HONOR OF THE SEQUEL, WGAL NEWS EIGHT AT FOUR STARTS NOW. OBVIOUSLY, THE BULLYING DOESN’T STOP AT 305. IT CAN CONTINUE ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. WORLD WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS ALMOST INESCAPABLE. IT’S A PUSH TO MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS ARE LEARNING WHAT’S FACT AND WHAT’S FICTION. WELCOME NEWS FOR EVERYBODY. I’M THIS MEAN AND I’M MICHAEL FULLER TEACHING KIDS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY. IT COULD BECOME A MORE REGULAR PART OF LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM. EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE POLITICAL REPORTER TOM LEHMAN JOINS US LIVE FROM THE STATE CAPITOL ON A PROPOSAL TO SET NEW STANDARDS ON HOW KIDS LEARN ABOUT HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA. TOM. IT IS MEAN. AND, MICHAEL, SUPPORTERS OF THIS LEGISLATION BASICALLY SAY SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME SUCH AN IMPACTFUL PART OF KIDS LIVES BECAUSE OF THINGS LIKE CELL PHONES AND TABLETS AND COMPUTERS, AND THEY REALLY OUGHT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE EFFECTS IT HAS ON THEM. THAT IS WHY THE STATE HOUSE JUST PASSED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD TASK THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION COMING UP WITH NEW STANDARDS TO TALK ABOUT THAT TOPIC IN THE CLASSROOM. NOW, THIS LEGISLATION WOULD SET NEW STANDARDS. THAT INCLUDES HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AND MOBILE DEVICE USE CAN IMPACT STUDENTS MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. THE MATERIAL THAT WILL BE GIVEN TO STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS WOULD ALSO INCLUDE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON ACADEMIC GROWTH AND LEARNING. THE STANDARDS WOULD ALSO EDUCATE STUDENTS ABOUT PERSONAL SECURITY ONLINE AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THINGS LIKE SCAMS AND SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR, OR CYBER BULLYING. WE’RE REALLY PUTTING SOMETHING INTO KIDS HANDS WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN, BOTH THE POSITIVE AND THE NEGATIVE. AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE SEE BULLYING, WE SEE ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS HAPPENING, AND WE’RE NOT GIVING THEM THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. STATE REPRESENTATIVE JIM PROCOPIO OF BUCKS COUNTY SAYS THE LEGISLATION WOULD ALSO MAKE THAT MATERIAL AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS ALIKE, AS WELL AS PROGRAMING AVAILABLE FOR TEACHERS DURING CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS. COMING UP AT FIVE, WE’RE GOING TO TALK WITH WHAT ONE SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT SAYS IS IMPORTANT PART ABOUT MAKING SURE STUDENTS ARE WELL AWARE OF THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA, AS WELL AS WHY ONE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER AND FORMER TEACHER SAYS THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM IN HARRISBURG. TOM WGAL NEWS EIGHT. THANK YOU. WELL, IT’S A PUSH TO TAKE THE DEATH PENALTY OFF THE TABLE IN PENNSYLVANIA ENTIRELY. TWO BIPARTISAN BILLS, HOUSE BILL 99 AND HOUSE BILL 888 PASSED COMMITTEE TODAY AND ARE HEADED TO THE HOUSE FLOOR FOR A VOTE. THE PENALTY FOR FIRST DEGREE MURDER. SUPPORTERS SAY CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IS DEEPLY FLAWED, COSTLY, INCONSISTENTLY APPLIED AND HAS LED TO INNOCENT PEOPLE BEING SENTENCED TO DEATH IN THE PAST. I THINK IT’S GOOD THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING AT THIS FROM POLAR OPPOSITE POLITICAL VIEWS, BUT THE LANDING AT THE SAME PLACE TO AWARD THE STATE THE POWER TO DECIDE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. EXECUTIONS OF INMATES ACTUALLY REMAIN UNDER A MORATORIUM IN THE COMMONWEALTH. THE LAST INMATE TO BE EXECUTED WAS GARY HEIDNIK BACK IN 1999. HOWEVER, INMATES ARE STILL ABLE TO BE SENTENCED TO DEATH. AND WE’RE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS. POLICE IN EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP ARE INVESTIGATING A STABBING. SO IT HAPPENED AT THE SHEETS ON OLD PHILADELPHIA PIKE AROUND 320 THIS AFTERNOON. WE ARE WORKING TO LEARN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, AND WE DO HAVE A CREW ON THE WAY TO THE SCENE RIGHT NOW. WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON AIR AND ALSO ONLINE. A DEER AND IT LEADS TO A CRASH ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY PART OF ROUTE 283 IN LANCASTER COUNTY WAS SHUT DOWN FOR HOURS JUST AFTER 530 THIS MORNING NEAR THE ROUTE 741 EXIT. TRAFFIC CAMERAS IN THE AREA SHOW THERE ON YOUR SCREEN. YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS HEAVY FOG AT THE TIME. EAST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP POLICE SAY THE DRIVER OF THE SUBARU SWERVED TO AVOID THE ANIMAL, THEN HIT AN UNOCCUPIED MERCEDES BENZ PARKED ON THE SHOULDER. NO ONE WAS HURT. POLICE SAY THERE ARE NO TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. IT TOOK ABOUT TWO HOURS FOR EMERGENCY CREWS TO CLEAN UP THE AREA AND REOPEN THE ROAD. IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. ONE PERSON HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND ANOTHER WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER A FIERY CRASH. THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY MORNING. TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE PICTURES RIGHT THERE. THE INTERSECTION OF PHILADELPHIA AVENUE AND SUNSET PIKE IN GREEN TOWNSHIP. AFTER THE CRASH, YOU CAN SEE THE CAR JUST CAUGHT FIRE. NOW, THE FRANKLIN FIRE COMPANY ARRESTED THE DRIVER FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. AND IN DAUPHIN COUNTY, SWATARA TOWNSHIP POLICE ARE ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD AFTER A DEADLY HIT AND RUN JUST AFTER NINE SATURDAY NIGHT, A VEHICLE HIT AND KILLED 41 YEAR OLD JAMES BLOW OF HARRISBURG WHILE HE WAS WALKING ALONG PAXTON STREET. THIS WAS NEAR THE FRONT OF THE APPLEBEE’S. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, CONTACT SWATARA TOWNSHIP POLICE. THE NIGHT WAS HIJACKED BY A CRAZED ANTI-TRUMP INDIVIDUAL WHO TRAVELED ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ASSASSINATE THE PRESIDENT, AND AS POSSIBLE. THE ALLEGED GUNMAN WHO STORMED THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER WITH SEVERAL WEAPONS, APPEARED IN FEDERAL COURT FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY. THAT’S WHERE OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, JACKIE DEFUSCO JOINS US LIVE IN. JACKIE, WHAT ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT THE CHARGES TODAY? YEAH. MICHAEL, IT HAS BEEN A BRAND NEW CHARGE ANNOUNCED TODAY IN THIS FIRST APPEARANCE IN FEDERAL COURT. WE’RE LEARNING THAT THE SUSPECT IS BEING CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT DONALD TWO OTHER FIREARMS CHARGES. NOW, THE SUSPECT DID NOT ENTER A PLEA TODAY. WE ARE ALSO LEARNING THAT HE WILL REMAIN DETAINED, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, PENDING ADDITIONAL HEARINGS IN THIS CASE. AND THEN AFTER TODAY’S AUTHORITIES JUST THIS AFTERNOON DETAILING A MOUNTING BODY OF EVIDENCE THAT THIS ATTACK WAS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. TAKE A LISTEN. THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL CHARGES AS THIS INVESTIGATION CONTINUES TO UNFOLD. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS WAS AN ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH THE DEFENDANT MAKING CLEAR WHAT HIS INTENT WAS. AND THAT INTENT WAS TO BRING DOWN AS MANY OF THE HIGH RANKING CABINET OFFICIALS AS HE COULD. 31 YEAR OLD COLE THOMAS ALLEN REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS A FRIENDLY FEDERAL ASSASSIN IN A MESSAGE SENT TO FAMILY MEMBERS JUST MINUTES BEFORE THIS ATTACK ON SATURDAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER. NOW, IN THESE WRITINGS, WHICH WERE REVIEWED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, ALLEN CRITICIZED A NUMBER OF THE PRESIDENT’S POLICIES, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT NAME HIM SPECIFICALLY. AUTHORITIES ALSO UNCOVERING A NUMBER OF ANTI-TRUMP SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS LINKED TO THIS SUSPECT. OFFICIALS SAY THAT THEY BELIEVE HE TRAVELED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM HIS CALIFORNIA HOME, AND THAT JUST ONE DAY BEFORE THIS EVENT, HE CHECKED INTO THE WASHINGTON HILTON HOTEL. THEY ALSO BELIEVE AT THIS POINT THAT HE ACTED ALONE. AUTHORITIES SAY THAT ALLEN CHARGED TOWARDS THE EVENT WITH SEVERAL WEAPONS, BUT WAS QUICKLY TACKLED BY SECRET SERVICE AS PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS RUSHED OFF STAGE UNHARMED IN THE BALLROOM NEARBY. THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THE PRESIDENT WAS SATISFIED WITH THE SECURITY RESPONSE ON SATURDAY, BUT THAT THERE WILL BE A MEETING THIS WEEK TO REVIEW SECURITY PROTOCOLS. WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE SECURITY. I THINK IF YOU JUST SIT HERE AND SAY EVERYTHING IS PERFECT ALL THE TIME, THAT’S NOT A GOOD WAY TO OPERATE. AND SO THE WHITE HOUSE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH DHS AND WITH SECRET SERVICE TO FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE AND STRENGTHEN SECURITY. DESPITE SOME CRITICISMS OF THE PRECAUTIONS THAT WERE OR WERE NOT IN PLACE ON SATURDAY, TODAY, THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL ARGUED THAT THIS WAS NOT A SECURITY FAILURE. HE EMPHASIZED IN THIS PRESS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON THAT THIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE SUSPECT HAPPENED. A FLOOR ABOVE THE BALLROOM, AND THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF FEDERAL AGENTS BETWEEN THAT ATTACKER AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. MICHAEL. YEAH. AND, JACKIE, WE’VE LEARNED A LOT ATTACK. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND? YEAH. MICHAEL AND INVESTIGATORS JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE’S STILL SO MUCH THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO LEARN. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW AT THIS POINT IS THAT THE SUSPECT, BASED ON OUR REVIEW OF COURT DATA, HAD NO PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORY. THERE DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WHEN IT COMES TO HIS FIREARM PURCHASES. IN TERMS OF THE GUNS THAT WERE USED IN THIS EVENT, WE KNOW THAT HE WORKED AS A TUTOR, AS AN AMATEUR VIDEO GAME DEVELOPER. AS FOR HIS POLITICAL AFFILIATION WASN’T CLEAR. BASED ON CALIFORNIA’S VOTER RECORDS, BUT WE DO KNOW, BASED ON FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORDS, THAT HE MADE A SMALL DONATION TO A DEMOCRATIC PAC THAT WAS EARMARKED FOR KAMALA HARRIS’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. NOW, ALSO, ACCORDING TO SOURCES WHO SPOKE TO OUR NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT, THE SUSPECT’S BROTHER ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO POLICE IN CONNECTICUT ABOUT TWO HOURS AFTER THIS INCIDENT, RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT THE ATTACK. AND ALSO, IT IS REPORTED THAT HIS SISTER SPOKE TO INVESTIGATORS SAYING THAT HER BROTHER WAS PRONE TO MAKING RADICAL STATEMENTS. WE KNOW INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING INTO HIS TIES TO LEFT WING GROUPS, THEY SAY. SO AGAIN, STILL SO MUCH THAT
Cumru Township adopts Berks County’s first AI data center rules
Updated: 6:42 PM EDT Apr 27, 2026
Cumru Township has become the first municipality in Berks County to adopt an ordinance regulating AI data centers that could be developed in the community.You can view News 8 headlines in the video player above. The township, located southwest of Reading, approved the rules as local officials prepare for possible interest from data center developers.Cumru Township sets broad limits on ordinanceCumru is among a handful of Berks County municipalities with properties that have attracted attention from prospective developers.The ordinance sets broad limits on noise, water use and energy consumption tied to future AI data center projects.It also creates monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure those limits are followed.Township officials say the new rules are intended to address potential impacts before any major data center projects move forward.
CUMRU TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
Cumru Township has become the first municipality in Berks County to adopt an ordinance regulating AI data centers that could be developed in the community.
You can view News 8 headlines in the video player above.
The township, located southwest of Reading, approved the rules as local officials prepare for possible interest from data center developers.
Cumru Township sets broad limits on ordinance
Cumru is among a handful of Berks County municipalities with properties that have attracted attention from prospective developers.
The ordinance sets broad limits on noise, water use and energy consumption tied to future AI data center projects.
It also creates monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure those limits are followed.
Township officials say the new rules are intended to address potential impacts before any major data center projects move forward.