State will write medical pot rulesHARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Department of Health said it expects to write temporary regulations this year creating a medical marijuana program.The state’s Secretary of Health, Dr. Karen Murphy, had scheduled a briefing today on the process.Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation in April creating the program. The bill’s drafters have said it could take two years to write regulations and get retailers opened.The bill sets standards for tracking plants, certifying physicians and licensing growers, dispensaries and physicians. Patients could take marijuana in pill, oil, vapor, ointment or liquid form, but would not be able to legally obtain marijuana to smoke or grow.

Survey shows cost of stalemateHARRISBURG — A new survey says nonprofit organizations that carry out social services in Pennsylvania still owe interest from loans taken out during a protracted state government budget stalemate.The survey of 176 non-profits also found that the organizations haven’t filled or restored about half of the 380 full-time positions that were eliminated or affected during the budget fight. The survey released last week comes from the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership, the United Way of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations.It also says 17,100 people received no or reduced services. Meanwhile, organizations reported taking out loans, tapping reserves and delaying vendor payments to the tune of $172 million. It says some organizations owe more than $530,000 in interest collectively.The data reflects July 1, 2015 through Feb. 29.

Youngster points out museum errorPHILADELPHIA — A boy who collects antique radios is taking umbrage with the vintage radio on display inside gangster Al Capone’s cell at a historic Philadelphia prison.Eastern State Penitentiary closed in 1971 and now operates as a museum. Thirteen-year-old Joey Warchal took a tour and noticed the radio in Capone’s cell was wrong.The Prohibition-era mobster spent time at Eastern State in 1929 and 1930. The radio was made in 1942. The seventh-grader offered to find the prison a historically accurate radio. The prison gladly accepted his help. The teen has located a 1929 model and will deliver it next week.Joey began collecting at age 8.

Harrisburg teachers finally get contractHARRISBURG — School teachers in Pennsylvania’s capital who worked without a contract for more than 1,400 days have unanimously approved a new contract that gives union members a pay bump for the first time in five years.School board members on Tuesday passed a tentative agreement reached last week between the Harrisburg Education Association and the school district.Union members also agreed to health-care premium increases. Pennsylvania State Education Association UniServ Representative Carolyn Funkhouser says more than 90 percent of the union voted to ratify the contract. The contract runs through June 2018.