Berks County commissioner changes position on family detention center

• Ed Mahon
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  Ed Mahon comes to Spotlight PA from PA Post, where he covered state politics and policy, produced radio stories that were broadcast on public media stations throughout the state and on NPR’s national newscasts, and co-wrote a weekday newsletter. Prior to joining PA Post, Ed worked for six years as an investigative and political reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. His reporting on failures in Pennsylvania’s system for protecting domestic abuse victims was a finalist in the national 2018 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the local reporting category. He was also part of a team whose coverage of the criminal justice system, including the aggressive use of civil asset forfeiture by York County prosecutors, received the 2018 G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Before joining the York Daily Record, Ed covered K-12 education at the Centre Daily Times in State College and worked as a stringer for suburban sections of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He grew up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

 Rachel Wisniewski for WHYY

A group of immigrants detained at the Berks County Residential Center in Leesport, Pennsylvania, respond to a protest of the detention center occurring across the street from the facility on the afternoon of July 15. On the left, a man holds a handmade drawing of the Honduran flag.

It is one of three ICE facilities to house detained families

Rachel Wisniewski for WHYY

A group of immigrants detained at the Berks County Residential Center in Leesport, Pennsylvania, respond to a protest of the detention center occurring across the street from the facility on the afternoon of July 15. On the left, a man holds a handmade drawing of the Honduran flag. (Rachel Wisniewski for WHYY)

• A Democratic commissioner in Berks County says it’s time for the county to end a partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain families there. WITF’s Katie Meyer has the details.

• The center is one of three family immigrant detention centers. In May, Katie reported on efforts by a group of activists to shut down the center. Those activists projected images of immigrant families onto a building near the state Capitol. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has said he doesn’t have the legal authority to issue an emergency removal order of the families.

• Last month, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, a Democrat, said he would review how the Berks County center treats detainees, including how long asylum seekers are being held and what concerns advocates have about the treatment of detainees.

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Jessica Kourkounis for Keystone Crossroads

Jovan Weaver, 37, was charged with vehicular homicide in April 2019. Here, he’s pictured at his childhood playground in 2017.

• WHYY’s Kevin McCorry has put out a special update to last year’s podcast series about Jovan Weaver. News emerged last month that the former charter school principal is charged with vehicular homicide and evidence tampering.

• During the launch of the Pennsylvania’s “Women for Trump” Coalition, Josephenie Iovacchini said, “We couldn’t ask for a better man and I pray to God every night to keep him safe.” WHYY’s Ximena Conde covered the event.

• A Pittsburgh police officer who was shot while off-duty on Sunday died of his wounds Wednesday. Calvin Hall was 36. “This is a dark day for Pittsburgh, a city that has seen far too many tragedies in recent months,” said Gov. Tom Wolf, who ordered commonwealth flags at half-staff.