EMT reportedly attacked by patient in Lancaster County, dispatch says
ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY LOOKS TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION. AFTER DEALING WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN A BUDGET DEFICIT. A CHILLY DAY TODAY. BUT A WARMING TREND IS COMING OUR WAY. WE’LL SHOW YOU WHEN THE TEMPERATURES REACH NEAR 70 AGAIN IN THE TEN DAY FORECAST. I MEAN, YOU THINK IT’S NOT GOING TO BE THAT BAD, BUT THEN YOU GET HERE AND YOU KNOW, YOU THINK, OH MAN, IT’S IT REALLY IS AS BAD AS THEY SAY IT IS. LONG LINES AT SOME AIRPORTS. OTHERS ARE BACK TO NORMAL. ONE DAY AFTER ICE AGENTS ARRIVED TO HELP STRAIN TSA CHECKPOINTS AS MORE AGENTS WALK OFF THE JOB. THE POTENTIAL FUNDING DEAL IN D.C. THAT COULD GIVE THEM THEIR FIRST PAYCHECK IN A MONTH, A CASE IN OHIO IS LEADING TO A BIZARRE MOMENT IN PENNSYLVANIA. WHY THE LEGAL VICTORY FOR RAPPER AFROMAN AS LOCAL SHERIFF OFFICE ISSUING A PSA WGAL NEWS 8 AT FOUR STARTS NOW. WELCOME TO NEWS EIGHT AT FOUR, EVERYBODY ON THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON I’M MICHAEL FULLER AND I’M THIS MEAN MCPHERSON. TONIGHT MORE THAN 100 EMPLOYEES IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LANCASTER MAY BE OUT OF A JOB. AS THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETS TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL FURLOUGHS. IT’S ONE OF THE OPTIONS ON THE TABLE AS THE DISTRICT DEALS WITH A NEAR $10 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT. NEWS EIGHT’S MCKENNA ALEXANDER JOINS US LIVE WITH A PREVIEW OF TONIGHT’S MEETING THAT’S SET TO BEGIN IN JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS. WHAT DO WE KNOW? MCKENNA? YEAH. MICHAEL. NOW, THIS VOTE WAS INITIALLY SCHEDULED FOR LAST WEEK, BUT AFTER A VERY LENGTHY PUBLIC COMMENTS, BOARD MEMBERS DECIDED TO TABLE IT UNTIL TONIGHT SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE MORE TIME TO DIGEST ALL THOSE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. NOW, THE DISTRICT IS DEALING WITH A NEARLY $10 MILLION DEFICIT DUE TO WHAT THEY SAY IS AN ACCOUNTING ERROR. IT SAYS IT WANTS TO KEEP FURLOUGHS AS A FINAL OPTION TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. THE DISTRICT SAYS WHILE IT HOPES TO AVOID FURLOUGHING ANYONE, STATE LAW REQUIRES THE DISTRICT TO ADOPT THIS TYPE OF RESOLUTION AT LEAST 60 DAYS BEFORE A FINAL BUDGET IS ADOPTED FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. THE DISTRICT ALSO SAYS STUDENT ENROLLMENT IS DOWN NEARLY 14% IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, WHILE THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES INCREASED BY NEARLY 9%. IN THAT SAME TIME, IT SAYS IF FURLOUGHS NEED TO BE CARRIED OUT, MORE THAN 100 EMPLOYEES COULD BE FURLOUGHED, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. THEY SAY IT WOULD SAVE THE DISTRICT $17 MILLION. A PUBLIC MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT AT SEVEN AT LINCOLN MIDDLE SCHOOL ON LEHIGH AVENUE. I’LL BE HERE WATCHING ALL OF IT AND TRACKING IT ALL FOR YOU, AND I’LL BRING YOU ALL THE LATEST AS WELL AS THAT DECISION COMING UP LATER TONIGHT ON NEWS 8. BUT FOR NOW, LIVE IN LANCASTER CITY. MCKENNA ALEXANDER, WGAL NEWS EIGHT. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU. MCKENNA. WELL, NEW AT FOUR. A DAUPHIN COUNTY MAN WHO POLICE SAY WAS ANGRY HE GOT A POWER SHUTOFF NOTICE, IS CHARGED WITH SETTING HIS OWN APARTMENT ON FIRE. THIS IS 34 YEAR OLD PEDRO RODRIGUEZ. HE’S CHARGED WITH ARSON AND RISKING A CATASTROPHE. INVESTIGATORS SAY THREE OTHER PEOPLE WERE IN A CONNECTING APARTMENT. THE FIRE HAPPENED ON MARCH 3RD ON SOUTH SECOND STREET IN STEELTON. NOW, ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, RODRIGUEZ CAME HOME THAT MORNING AND SAW THAT HIS ELECTRICITY WAS BEING TURNED OFF BECAUSE OF UNPAID BILLS, AND HE GOT ANGRY. THE DOCUMENTS ALSO SAY HE WAS AT AT LEAST TWO MONTHS BEHIND IN RENT, AND HIS WATER WAS SHUT OFF FOR THREE WEEKS. IN LANCASTER COUNTY, A VETERINARY CLINIC IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AFTER A FIRE. THE FLAMES STARTED AROUND 630 LAST NIGHT AT NETTLE HILL VET CLINIC ON LITITZ PIKE IN MANHEIM TOWNSHIP. THE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES AT THE CLINIC, SAYS ALL PEOPLE AND ANIMALS MADE IT OUT SAFELY. WHEN OUR NEWS EIGHT CREWS STOPPED BY THIS AFTERNOON, THEY SAW THIS SIGN ON THE DOOR DESIGNATING THE BUILDING AS UNSAFE DUE TO THE DAMAGE FROM THE FIRE. AN UPDATE NOW OUT OF LANCASTER COUNTY ON A DEATH INVESTIGATION FROM EAST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP. SO ON MARCH 13TH, FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO A PICKUP TRUCK ON FIRE AND THE FLAMES SPREAD TO A BARN ON JUNCTION ROAD. THE CORONER NOW SAYS 65 YEAR OLD BRIAN SWAN OF WEST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, WAS FOUND IN THE TRUCK. THE CORONER RULED HIS DEATH A SUICIDE. HOUSE LAWMAKERS ARE ADVANCING A BILL TO ENSHRINE PROTECTIONS FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY INTO PENNSYLVANIA LAW. EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE POLITICAL REPORTER TOM LEHMAN IS LIVE AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO. TOM. YEAH, MICHAEL, THIS PARTICULAR LEGISLATION WOULD ADD INTO THE NONDISCRIMINATION LAW IN PENNSYLVANIA. THESE AREAS SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION, THINGS CURRENTLY PROTECTED AS A MATTER OF REGULATION, NOT AS A MATTER OF LAW. AND IT PASSED A HURDLE EARLIER TODAY THAT CUES IT UP FOR A FINAL VOTE IN THE HOUSE WHEN IT IS PUT ON THE CALENDAR. EARLIER TODAY, WE SPOKE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THIS LEGISLATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LGBT CENTER OF CENTRAL PA. SHE SAYS THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THE QUEER COMMUNITY DON’T HAVE PROTECTIONS UNDER THE LAW, FROM DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING, HEALTHCARE AND EMPLOYMENT. SHE SAID SUCH PROTECTIONS RIGHT NOW ARE ONLY COVERED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, AGAIN AS A MATTER OF REGULATION, NOT AS LAW. PENNSYLVANIA IS THE ONLY STATE IN THE NORTHEAST THAT DOES NOT HAVE LGBTQ DISCRIMINATION. AS FAR AS ON THE BOOKS. THAT IS ILLEGAL TO DO IN THE STATE. AND SO WHEN FOLKS SAY IT’S NOT NECESSARY, IT ABSOLUTELY IS NECESSARY UNTIL EVERYONE HAS EQUALITY, EQUALITY, EQUAL RIGHTS, AND CAN LOOK FOR THINGS LIKE EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, HEALTH CARE WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE. THE LEGISLATION DOES FACE OPPOSITION FROM SOME REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WHO QUESTION ITS NECESSITY. THEY ALSO SAY THERE COULD BE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES BASED ON HOW THE LAW IS WRITTEN. YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS COMING UP AT FIVE, AS WELL AS WHY ONE LAWMAKER SAYS THOSE CONCERNS ARE OVERSTATED AND THE LEGISLATION IS NECESSARY. BUT FOR NOW, HERE AT THE STATE CAPITOL, TOM LEHMAN WGAL NEWS EIGHT. ALL RIGHT, TOM, THANK YOU. AND IT’S ANOTHER PUSH TO RAISE PENNSYLVANIA’S MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR. THE PROPOSAL IS SET TO BE VOTED ON IN TODAY IN THE HOUSE. AND IT WOULD GRADUALLY INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE IN PENNSYLVANIA TO THAT $15 MARK. IT’S BEEN 15 YEARS SINCE LAWMAKERS INCREASED THE MINIMUM WAGE TO 7.25. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE NIKKI RIVERA, WHO COVERS EAST PETERSBURG AND PARTS OF MANHEIM TOWNSHIP AND LANCASTER CITY, SAYS PENNSYLVANIA’S MINIMUM WAGE HAS STAYED TOO LOW. SHE POINTS OUT THAT ALL OF PENNSYLVANIA’S NEIGHBORS HAVE A HIGHER RATE WITH NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE AND MARYLAND ALL HAVING AN HOURLY MINIMUM WAGE OF AT LEAST $15. IF THERE’S SOMEBODY THAT YOU VALUE IN HIRING, THEN YOU VALUE IN PAYING THEM AN AFFORDABLE LIVING WAGE. 15 GETS US CLOSER TO THAT NUMBER. IT DOESN’T REACH IT, BUT IT GETS US CLOSER THAN 725. IF YOU’RE PAYING YOUR EMPLOYEES $15 AS REQUIRED BY GOVERNMENT, SOMEONE’S GOING TO PAY FOR THAT. SO CHANCES ARE WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR A HAMBURGER RIGHT NOW IS GOING TO DOUBLE. IF THE MINIMUM WAGE GOES TO $15 AN HOUR. AND OPPONENTS OF THE CHANGE HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT HOW IT COULD IMPACT SMALL BUSINESSES, SAYING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EARNING 725 AN HOUR IS LOW AND MANY EMPLOYERS ARE ALREADY PAYING WELL ABOVE $15 AN HOUR. AND TONIGHT, OIL PRICES ARE BACK UP ABOVE $100 A BARREL. AFTER FIGHTING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND IRAN CONTINUED OVERNIGHT. SO BRANT CRUDE, THAT’S THE GLOBAL OIL BENCHMARK, HIT MORE THAN $114 A BARREL YESTERDAY, BUT THEN DROPPED JUST UNDER $100 AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP PRAISED PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH IRAN ABOUT ENDING THE WAR. IRAN HAS DENIED ANY DIALOG WITH WASHINGTON AND IRAN AND U.S. ALLY ISRAEL HAVE CONTINUED TO TRADE STRIKES. THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS NOW IN ITS FOURTH WEEK, AND HERE’S A LOOK AT WHERE PRICES AT THE PUMP STAND TONIGHT. SO IN PENNSYLVANIA, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR A GALLON OF REGULAR IS $3.95, AND THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. IT’S A WIDE RANGE OF PRICES. SO IN FRANKLIN COUNTY REPORTING THE LOWEST AT 3.83, PERRY COUNTY REPORTING THE HIGHEST AT 3.97. AND WE HAVE HEARD FROM SO MANY OF YOU AT HOME ABOUT THE DIESEL PRICES. TODAY’S STATE AVERAGE IS COMING IN AT $5.81. BUT TAKING A LOOK OUTSIDE LIVE OVER LANCASTER, A GORGEOUS AFTERNOON TO ENJOY THE FRESH AIR AND THE TEMPERATURES ARE ONLY GOING TO GET WARMER THIS WEEK, BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOME RAIN. I KNOW, ALWAYS SO HAPPY THE SUN WAS OUT TODAY THOUGH, RIGHT? IT WAS GREAT. IT WAS REALLY GREAT. WE GOT METEOROLOGIST MIKE SUSKO HERE. MIKE HAPPY THEY’LL BE WARMER. YEAH WE’RE HOPING RIGHT? YEAH, IT WAS DEFINITELY GETTING WARMER AS WE HEAD TOWARDS TOMORROW AND THURSDAY. AND AFTER A CHILLY START TODAY WE’LL TAKE IT. HERE’S A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE’RE WAKING UP TO THIS MORNING. WE’RE WAKING UP TO UPPER 20S AND LOW 30S. AND WHEN WE ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF MARCH NIGHTS AT OR BELOW 32 DEGREES, WE HAVE HAD NINE SO FAR. THAT INCLUDES LAST NIGHT. OUR AVERAGE FOR THE MONTH IS 13. SO WE’VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF CATCHING UP TO DO HERE, BUT WE’LL SEE IF THAT ENDS UP HAPPENING WITH THE OVERNIGHT LOWS WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THE DAYTIME HIGHS ARE GOING TO BE GOING ABOVE AVERAGE AS WE GET TO THURSDAY. NOW TOMORROW RIGHT AROUND AVERAGE. IT’S MORE SEASONABLE. RAIN CHANCES WILL RETURN THOUGH AS WE HEAD INTO THURSDAY NIGHT AND THEN FOR THE WEEKEND. IT WILL BE A COOL START AND SEASONAL END. BUT RIGHT NOW PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AND CARLISLE, EPHRATA, GETTYSBURG AND HERSHEY. ALL FOUR PLACES LOOKING REALLY GOOD. TEMPERATURES AT THE MOMENT. UPPER 40S TO LOW 50S IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. SO THAT IS REALLY NICE AS WELL. AND LIVE RADAR NETWORK
EMT reportedly attacked by patient in Lancaster County, dispatch says
Updated: 7:45 PM EDT Mar 24, 2026
An EMT was reportedly attacked by a patient in Lancaster County on Tuesday, according to dispatch. Video above: Top stories, weather from WGAL News 8. The incident happened on Willow Street Pike and Locust Lane in West Lampeter Township around 6:30 p.m. Police responded to the scene, which was cleared around 7 p.m. It is unclear if anyone is injured. Scanner traffic details incidentOn police scanners, an EMT can be heard describing a patient as intoxicated and uncooperative. “Intoxicated patient now sitting up on a stretcher, refusing to be cooperative. He is currently combative with us.”Other officials are then heard responding to the EMT, saying they are heading in their direction. Seconds later, the same voice comes back on sounding more panicked. “County, tell police to expedite, we’re currently being attacked.”Another voice responds, “Calvary is on the way.”
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. —
An EMT was reportedly attacked by a patient in Lancaster County on Tuesday, according to dispatch.
Video above: Top stories, weather from WGAL News 8.
The incident happened on Willow Street Pike and Locust Lane in West Lampeter Township around 6:30 p.m.
Police responded to the scene, which was cleared around 7 p.m.
It is unclear if anyone is injured.
Scanner traffic details incident
On police scanners, an EMT can be heard describing a patient as intoxicated and uncooperative.
“Intoxicated patient now sitting up on a stretcher, refusing to be cooperative. He is currently combative with us.”
Other officials are then heard responding to the EMT, saying they are heading in their direction.
Seconds later, the same voice comes back on sounding more panicked. “County, tell police to expedite, we’re currently being attacked.”
Another voice responds, “Calvary is on the way.”