This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

GOP political staffer Pierce Frauenheim was named chief of staff for U.S. Rep.-elect Rob Bresnahan this week, bringing years of political expertise to the incoming congressman’s office. Frauenheim, a Gettysburg College graduate, most recently served as national field director for the National Republican Congressional Committee and previously worked in New Jersey politics.

The 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show will shine a light on the commonwealth’s dairy industry via the show’s annual butter sculpture. This year’s 1,000-pound carving of congealed cream features a dairy cow and methane digester, paying homage to the show’s “Powering Pennsylvania” theme. At the conclusion of the show, the buttery bust will be recycled into renewable energy using a methane digester at Reinford Farm in Juniata County – how could it get any butter than that?

The cities of Reading and Erie will be home to new economic development zones thanks to language in the 2024-25 state budget. The City Revitalization and Improvement Zones – a term often shortened to CRIZ – are parcels of up to 130 acres where state and local tax revenues will be used to fund economic development projects. Gov. Josh Shapiro said the CRIZ designations will help the two cities “attract new businesses, create more jobs, and reach their full economic potential.”

The City of Pittsburgh is looking to fill some vacancies, as it focuses on public safety in the new year. Year-end data shows that the city’s police force lost more officers in 2024 than it has in at least 12 years, with 103 sworn officers leaving the bureau. The retirements, resignations, and one tragic death have left the bureau reeling, as it has lost more than one-quarter of its headcount over the last two years.

Somebody’s black-market holiday gift may have been snatched by Customs officers in Philadelphia. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency announced last week that it had seized more than 20,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers that had been shipped from Israel to an address in Philly. The two shipments of stickers would have a value of $1.4 million – a large transaction for such a small tag.

Those looking to save on gas must pay up this year. Senate Bill 656, legislation establishing a new annual fee for electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid owners, takes effect this year, with EV drivers paying $200 and hybrid drivers paying $50. Lawmakers sought to capture revenue from the drivers who were avoiding state and federal gas taxes at the pump, a move legislators said would generate about $16 million in 2025.