Today in PA | A PennLive daily news briefing with Claudia Dimuro

When it comes to having craft breweries, Pennsylvania is ahead of the game.

If you’re looking for haunted attractions filled with chills and thrills this Halloween, look no longer than these three right here in Pennsylvania.

The University of Pittsburgh has made SATs and ACTs optional for first-year undergrad applications now through 2025. Your TV signal may be out of whack this week, and there’s a scientific reason for that. A cemetery in Washington Township is getting a marker dedicated to the Revolutionary War soldiers interred there. Lastly, unfortunately, Pennsylvania isn’t one of the best states for a night out.

A judge has ruled that Pittsburgh is free to remove a statue of Christopher Columbus that has been standing in Schenley Park wrapped in plastic for the past two years. State universities continue to see a decline in enrollment. A Beaver County animal sanctuary is hosting “Goatoberfest” this weekend. And Pennsylvania has a favorite breakfast chain, believe it or not.

A special education school in Pittsburgh has temporarily switched to remote instruction after a 15-year-old student assaulted a teacher. Governor Tom Wolf has vetoed “Markie’s Law,” a bill that would have kept violent prisoners behind bars for longer. A Pennsylvania-based SPCA is lending a hand in airlifting shelter animals in Florida. Finally, these are the fried foods Pennsylvanians go gaga for the most.

Parents and students protested the suspension of a Beaver County biology teacher who stated referring to transgender students by their preferred pronouns went against his beliefs. About 70 percent of Route 28’s construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year. This year’s theme of the Pennsylvania Farm show is “Rooted in Progress.” Plus, a man figured Hurricane Ian was as good a time as any to show his Eagles pride.

According to a recent report, the Lehigh Valley watershed is amongst the most polluted in the country. The Pittsburgh Public Schools board unanimously voted yesterday to adopt a revised sexual education policy. More state roads will be open for recreational use this fall. And a NASA astronaut gets a lovely surprise.

Kennywood plans on enacting a chaperone policy as well as other security measures following the shooting that occurred over the weekend. New records have shown that Penn State spent almost $318,000 covering things like lodging and food for in-person trustee meetings despite the university’s current effort at tightening its belt. Speaking of which, a new bill could make the finances of state-related universities more accessible to the public. Finally, in honor of National Coffee Day, here are Pennsylvanians’ top five favorite places to get coffee.

Kennywood claims that its weapons detection system was operating the day three people got shot. Those double-parked in bus lanes are the targets of Philadelphia’s current “ticketing blitz.” Pennsylvania’s getting three new state parks. Plus, this chef’s award-winning hot wings are a “nightmare.”

The group of teens that trashed a Wawa in Philadelphia over the weekend is said to have caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. Schools in Pennsylvania are seeing “chronic absenteeism” among students. Officials would like to let you know that, no, that wasn’t a UFO that flew overhead on Saturday night. And apparently Pennsylvania’s a state for meat-lovers.