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Rudy’s Gym: Legendary World-Champion Powerlifter Marks 51st Year

SHOREWOOD, IL — Off the beaten path, a couple blocks south of busy Route 52 is a tan, windowless industrial building at 400 Earl Road that stands out among the rest inside the small business park. Rudy’s Gym is where dreams are made. It’s where three NFL Super Bowl champions trained, all under the tutelage […]

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SHOREWOOD, IL — Off the beaten path, a couple blocks south of busy Route 52 is a tan, windowless industrial building at 400 Earl Road that stands out among the rest inside the small business park. Rudy’s Gym is where dreams are made. It’s where three NFL Super Bowl champions trained, all under the tutelage of legendary world-champion powerlifter Francis “Rudy” Ruettiger.

Tucked inside the Earl Road business park, Rudy’s Gym has remained a fixture for the past 29 years and counting, and 51st year overall. Ruettiger opened his Rudy’s Gym back in 1974 on Joliet’s Richmond Street. He later moved to Black Road in Shorewood for about 15 years, before leasing the warehouse building owned by Charles Sharp.

“He’s a phenomenal human being,” Ruettiger said of Sharp.

Find out what’s happening in Shorewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The 1972 graduate of Providence Catholic High School is the younger brother of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, another larger-than-life Joliet sports legend who achieved world-wide acclaim thanks to the iconic 1993 underdog sports movie, “Rudy.”

“Everybody needs to a good teacher and it fills my heart up to see that they’re successful in life,” Francis “Rudy” Ruettiger, owner of Rudy’s Gym in Shorewood, explained. John Ferak/Patch

Last week, during an unscheduled late-afternoon interview, Rudy’s Gym was a hectic madhouse — as you might expect. High school and college athletes were constantly coming and going. These athletes make it a point to show their reverence to “Rudy,” or “Coach,” as they call him.

Find out what’s happening in Shorewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Ruettiger said he easily has over 100 athletes training at Rudy’s Gym heading into the summer.

Athletes training at Rudy’s Gym come from Joliet Catholic Academy, Providence, Plainfield South, Lincoln-Way, Minooka, Morris, Wilmington and even as far away as Benet Academy in Lisle.

“It’s closed to the public,” Ruettiger explained to Joliet Patch. “It’s basically invitation only. They can contact me. Any sport they need it, they come in. Tennis, swimming, football, baseball, the kids will talk and contact me. “

Ruettiger said he invites prospective athletes inside for a one-on-one interview before they can join his gym.

“I see why the kid wants to come here, because I don’t allow parents in here. Just the kids,” he said. “I don’t want kids looking over their shoulder. If the parents want to come in and see the place one time, that’s it.”

Rudy’s Gym has several girls who train here, athletes in cheerleading, softball and soccer.

Ruettiger said he will accept kids as young as seventh grade “if I believe they’re mature enough. In high school, it’s all ages. Right now, I got all the college kids coming back. It’s nice to have college kids. For me, it’s not the sport. I want to know what you’re going to do after school. It’s teaching them about life.”

Ruettiger says he arrives at his gym around 4:30 a.m. because he has a 5 a.m. fitness class. The gym usually stays open until 5 or 6 p.m.

“Four days a week,” Ruettiger explained. “Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We go hard at it Monday and Tuesday then a day off and go hard back at it for two more days.”

‘Discipline Is A Huge One’

Joliet Catholic Academy graduates Malachi Hood, who plays linebacker at the University of Illinois, and Jabrill Williams, who plays cornerback for the Army at West Point, pose for a photo with Rudy’s Gym owner and trainer Francis “Rudy” Ruettiger. John Ferak/Patch

Ruettiger said he tries to instill life lessons upon the high school and college athletes he’s training. He wants his athletes to treat their parents with dignity and proper respect.

“And being good with people in general,” he remarked.

“Discipline is a huge one,” Ruettiger emphasized. “And being a good teammate. If you’re going to be here, act like you want to be here. Set goals reasonable. Don’t set goals too high or too fast that you will be depressed.”

How does Ruettiger see his role at Rudy’s Gym?

“Everybody needs to a good teacher, and it fills my heart up to see that they’re successful in life,” he explained. “You’ve got to be tough on them sometimes. I feel it’s my job to be a little tough on them … and teach them to be good to your parents. You only get one mom and dad, right?”

Another Rudyism is to make sure his athletes don’t develop an elitist mindset.

“Don’t ever look down on another athlete. Don’t look down on them,” he said. “Be humble.”

“You Treat Them Right And They Come Back”

Athletes training at Rudy’s Gym in Shorewood come from Joliet Catholic Academy, Providence, Plainfield South, Lincoln-Way, Minooka, Morris, Wilmington and even as far away as Benet Academy in Lisle. John Ferak/Patch

It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy’s Gym.

His walls are donned with autographed photos of Joe Paterno, Penn State University football coaching legend, along with Lane Kiffin, Luke Butkus and Chris Collins.

“Coaches from all over the country come in here,” he said. “Most will come during the spring. They want to see exactly what kind of kids they’ll be dealing work, their work ethic and how they get along with their teammates.

“That’s the first thing that many of these coaches that come in here and say, ‘this place looks like a museum.’ Every article that a kid from my gym is in I clip and put on the wall to honor them,” Ruettiger said.

The walls of Rudy’s Gym also feature photographs of Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Franco Harris, Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, Walter Payton and plenty of star athletes from the Joliet area including Mike Alstott, John Ivlow, Rob Nickovich, Tom Thayer and John Scully, who played center at Notre Dame and for the Atlanta Falcons, baseball player Mike Grace, North Carolina State basketball star Terry Gannon and Walter Downing, who played college basketball at DePaul and Marquette.

Rob Nickovich, Tom Thayer and John Ivlow have the distinction of being three NFL Super Bowl champions who all trained at Rudy’s Gym. John Ferak/Patch

Nickovich, Thayer and Ivlow have the distinction of being three Super Bowl champions who all trained at Rudy’s Gym. Ruettiger said he now has three current NFL players training at his gym.

Thayer became one of the first major super star athletes who trained under Ruettiger.

“We’re still very close to this day,” Ruettiger said of Thayer, who serves as a Chicago Bears radio announcer. “That’s what’s so great. You treat them right and they come back.”

Ruettiger One Of 14 Siblings, 7 Boys, 7 Girls

Francis Ruettiger was one of 14 siblings, seven girls and seven boys. Only his father and his brother Daniel — of “Rudy” movie fame — went to Joliet Catholic.

“The rest of us went to Providence,” he said.

Inside Rudy’s Gym, Ruettiger has several autographed photos of showing his older brother Daniel playing and running on the field for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of South Bend. There are several promotional movie posters of “Rudy” displayed inside Rudy’s Gym.

There are several promotional movie posters of “Rudy” displayed on many of the walls inside his younger brother Francis Ruettiger’s Rudy’s Gym. John Ferak/Patch

The warehouse occupied by Rudy’s Gym contains more than 10,000 square feet of space.

“Ninety-nine percent is free weights, there’s also Pacific football machines and other exercise machines and training equipment for people that are hurt and a couple of older people that I train,” Ruettiger remarked.

As for Ruettiger, he turns 71 years old in June and shows no hint of slowing down. He said he plans to keep Rudy’s Gym thriving and operating in Shorewood into the future.

Ruettiger has been inducted into the Joliet Catholic Academy Athletic Hall of Fame, Joliet Area Historical Museum’s Hall of Fame, St. Mary Magdalene Grade School’s Hall of Fame, the National Fitness Hall of Fame, Illinois Powerlifting Hall of Fame.

Ruettiger Has 82 Achieved World Records

Ruettiger said he will accept kids as young as seventh grade “if I believe they’re mature enough. In high school, it’s all ages. Right now, I got all the college kids coming back. It’s nice to have college kids.” John Ferak/Patch

When asked about his powerlifting world records, Ruettiger told Joliet Patch, “I have 82 of them. Different age groups, 26 world titles. My very first was in Canada in 1989. I was in the 165-pound class, 551-pound squat, bench 330 pounds and 551-pound dead lift. Powerlifting has taken me all over the world. Seven gold medals from the World Police And Fire Games and one bronze medal for boxing.”

According to his 2024 Joliet Catholic athletic Hall of Fame write-up: “Everybody knows Francis Ruettiger. Almost nobody calls him Francis. Almost everybody calls him ‘Rudy.’ And everybody loves him. Rudy lettered in three sports in high school, earning all-conference and all-area honors in football. He also wrestled and played baseball before graduating in 1972. In 1974, Rudy married Kathleen, his high school sweetheart, and founded the now-famous ‘Rudy’s Gym’ in Shorewood. He worked as a police officer and detective for 28 years in Joliet, retiring in 2013.”

Like the rest of his siblings, he’s used to everyone just calling him “Rudy.”

“Hell, nobody calls me Francis, unless they’re trying to be funny” he smiled. “I’m just proud that I became a good father and good husband. My two daughters each have three kids. All involved in sports. I think it’s super important to get involved in something. My wife has been an angel and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to do all this. She’s been very supportive of my career.”

Francis “Rudy” Ruettiger spent his career with the Joliet Police Department, where he became a detective. He retired from the agency in 2013.
It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy’s Gym. John Ferak/Patch
It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy’s Gym. John Ferak/Patch
It would take days, probably weeks, for Rudy to go through all the newspaper articles, photographs and autographed portraits displayed on his walls inside Rudy’s Gym. John Ferak/Patch

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Recapping Penn State’s June 13-15 official visits | Penn State Football News

As compared to previous weeks, there was a smaller number of official visitors in Happy Valley this past weekend, but there were still some notable players. Overall, nine prospects took their official visit to the Nittany Lions this past weekend, including seven uncommitted targets and two Penn State commits. Here’s a rundown on each player […]

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As compared to previous weeks, there was a smaller number of official visitors in Happy Valley this past weekend, but there were still some notable players.

Overall, nine prospects took their official visit to the Nittany Lions this past weekend, including seven uncommitted targets and two Penn State commits.

Here’s a rundown on each player that was in State College.

Uncommitted visitors

247Sports composite 5-star interior offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho was the headliner of the weekend for Penn State. He’s the No. 8 player nationally, No. 1 interior offensive lineman and No. 2 player in Maryland.

Iheanacho recently announced his top-four programs — Oregon, LSU, Penn State and Auburn. He also said on X that he’ll be back in town for the White Out game.

Brian Bonner, a 4-star running back out of Valencia High School, made the cross-country trek to State College this weekend. He’s the No. 105 player nationally, No. 7 running back and No. 13 player in California.

Bonner announced a top five of Notre Dame, Washington, UCLA and Nebraska in addition to the Nittany Lions back in April.

Four-star tight end Brayden Fogle also visited Penn State after receiving an offer from the team on May 22. He’s the No. 163 player nationally, No. 10 tight end and No. 7 player in Ohio and has been on trips to Georgia and LSU recently.

It’s a six-school race to land 4-star offensive tackle Drew Evers: SMU, Ohio State, LSU, Texas A&M, Penn State and Oklahoma.

The Texas native out of Flower Mound High School is the No. 208 player nationally and No. 27 player in Texas, and he’s visited each of his finalists except for the Aggies so far.

After many defensive line prospects took their official visit to Penn State last week, another had one this weekend in 3-star T-Ron Richardson.

He comes in as the No. 83 defensive lineman and No. 17 player in Virginia. The Hopewell High School product is another recent player to receive a Penn State offer as he announced his on May 21.

Rounding out the list of uncommitted visitors was offensive tackle Charlie Thom, who recently picked up his offer from the Nittany Lions. He’s unranked in the 247Sports composite, but 247Sports rates him as the No. 74 offensive tackle and No. 5 player in Connecticut.

Thom also visited Boston College earlier this month.

Committed visitors

On top of the seven uncommitted visitors, two players that have already pledged to Penn State made the trip up to Happy Valley.

In-state 4-star linebacker Terry Wiggins, a teammate of 2027 priority target Maxwell Hiller at Coatesville Area High School, has been committed to the Nittany Lions since May 2. He’s the No. 24 linebacker and No. 9 player in Pennsylvania.

Three-star interior offensive lineman Benjamin Eziuka committed on June 3, marking the third offensive lineman in Penn State’s 2026 class. He’s the No. 11 player in Michigan.

MORE FOOTBALL CONTENT


‘I’m kind of out of that business’ | Penn State switches up transfer portal strategy

Historically, James Franklin has been ultra-careful with the transfer portal. He prefers hom…

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Original Florida Pokers Shine With All-Conference Awards – Parkland Talk

44 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp 11Shares Jake Rizzo and Mikheal Ghann. {(54 Preps} The Original Florida Pokers made up most of this year’s First-Team All-Conference Selections following two schools’ State Championship wins. Bennett Gary and Drew Freeman were all part of the 2025 Pokers team and won a State Championship with Marjory Stoneman Douglas. […]

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Original Florida Pokers Shine With All-Conference Awards 1

Jake Rizzo and Mikheal Ghann. {(54 Preps}

The Original Florida Pokers made up most of this year’s First-Team All-Conference Selections following two schools’ State Championship wins.

Bennett Gary and Drew Freeman were all part of the 2025 Pokers team and won a State Championship with Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Gary is a University of Miami signee and hit five home runs with 21 RBIs as the Eagles won their first straight title after going 31-2. Freeman is a University of Louisville signee and also made the First Team from MSD. He finished second on the team with 31 RBIs and hit two home runs.

Jake Rizzo is a member of the 2026 Pokers Team and was the MVP at this year’s State Championship. He is a Dayton commit and hit three home runs with 28 RBIs for the Eagles.

Manuel Sarcos recently committed to Miami Dade College and made the First Team. He hit .319 with two home runs, 10 doubles, and 23 RBIs. Adrian Bermudez was also selected and hit .348 with 15 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

Max Burzholz played high school baseball for North Broward Prep and led the team with a .500 batting average. He is signed with Bryant University and also had one home run, five doubles, two triples, 13 RBIs, and 28 runs scored. Eddy Marshall competed at Cardinal Gibbons High School and made the First Team after hitting .360 with 10 home runs and 25 35 RBIs.

The Second Team featured Breylynn Courtney, Thomas Giltner, Nick Diaz, Jonny Lopez, and Jack Rostock, while Mikey Ragusa, Blake Sundberg, Jaden Doverspike, and Julian Diaz all made the third team.

Send your news to Parkland’s #1 Award-Winning News Source, Parkland Talk. Don’t Miss Tamarac Talk,  Coral Springs Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, Margate Talk, and Sunrise FL Talk. 

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Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman
Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.






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Father’s Day, Camp season, and the College World Series

Good morning, folks! And a Happy Father’s Day to all of the great dads across the Big Blue Nation. How did your old man like that multi-colored tie you got him? The design of tiny golf clubs was a nice addition this year. Now get that man in front of a TV with the US […]

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Good morning, folks! And a Happy Father’s Day to all of the great dads across the Big Blue Nation. How did your old man like that multi-colored tie you got him? The design of tiny golf clubs was a nice addition this year. Now get that man in front of a TV with the US Open on — there’s a couch to be sat on this afternoon.

Not for Mark Pope, though. His Father’s Day celebration will have to wait just a bit longer. As of Saturday, he and a couple of his 2025-26 Wildcats — freshmen Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno — are in Colorado Springs for the 2025 USA Basketball Men’s U19 Training Camp. Held at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, the camp runs from June 14 through June 22. Johnson and Moreno were two of 32 players invited, but only 12 can make the finalized roster. Pope is serving as one of the camp’s assistant coaches, where he’ll not only work with his current Kentucky players but also have a chance to develop relationships with the several top-ranked high school recruits who are also competing.

KSR’s Jack Pilgrim is on the scene and will be providing regular updates throughout the day and the rest of his stay in Colorado. He’ll be dropping plenty of nuggets over on KSBoard. Send Jack some Happy Father’s Day messages, too.

Now let’s dive into the rest of this morning’s top news and notes.

Join KSR Plus! With a KSR Plus membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.

College World Series updates

We’re all Murray State fans right now, but the Racers dropped their College World Series opener on Saturday, losing to UCLA 6-4 after going down 6-0 early on. The Racers made a last-ditch effort in the eighth inning in a comeback attempt, but the Big Ten champions held on late. Murray State (44-16) will play again on Monday afternoon in Omaha in the elimination game against a top-10 Arkansas squad. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

On the other side of the bracket, another Bluegrass team will take the field later today. Louisville looks to avoid elimination this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) against Arizona. The Cardinals dropped their CWS opener to Oregon State, 4-3, on Friday. We are not all Louisville fans right now.

Bat Cats building top portal class

Nick Mingione knows how to work the transfer portal. He’s on a heater right now as Kentucky baseball continues to reload ahead of the 2026 season. On Saturday, the Bat Cats added another high-level portal prospect, Elon catcher Alex Duffey. The redshirt junior (6-0, 210) slashed 349/.463/.479 in 2025 and earned All-CAA Second Team honors along the way.

Below is Kentucky’s current incoming portal class for 2026.

Riding some much-needed recruiting momentum (in spite of Vince Marrow‘s departure for Louisville), Kentucky football will get a first-hand look at a large group of offensive and defensive linemen this afternoon. UK is hosting the O-Line & D-Line Mega Camp from 1:30-5:00 p.m. today at Kroger Field. It’s a camp designed specifically for linemen in the high school ranks (with some college transfers potentially sprinkled in) looking to earn an offer, surprise the coaches, or simply get better at the game of football.

I’ll be making the trip over there later today to see if anyone stands out. Kentucky has found plenty of players at these camps over the years — will more emerge from this one?

Final round at the 2025 US Open

Could we have a first-time major championship winner crowned at Oakmont Country Club on Father’s Day evening in Western Pennsylvania? That certainly seems possible. 28-year-old Sam Burns fired a one-under 69 one day after a five-under 65 to claim a 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open. Three other players remained within three shots when closing day wrapped up on Saturday evening. Below is the top of the leaderboard ahead of Sunday morning’s tee times.

Place Player Score Round Summary
1 Sam Burns -4 72-65-69
T-2 Adam Scott -3 70-70-67
T-2 J.J. Spaun -3 66-72-69
4 Viktor Hovland -1 71-68-70
5 Carlos Ortiz E 71-72-67
T-6 Tyrrell Hatton +1 73-70-68
T-6 Thriston Lawrence +1 67-74-70
8 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +2 69-74-69
T-9 Robert MacIntyre +3 70-74-69
T-9 Cameron Young +3 70-74-69

Download the KSR/On3 App for all things KSR, including breaking news alerts, podcasts, schedules, and access to KSBoard, our message board.



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Panthers beat Oilers in Game 5, on verge of second straight Stanley Cup

EDMONTON, Alberta — Brad Marchand scored twice, Sam Bennett had his NHL playoff-leading 15th goal and the Florida Panthers moved to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup title by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night. The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road this playoffs. They can […]

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EDMONTON, Alberta — Brad Marchand scored twice, Sam Bennett had his NHL playoff-leading 15th goal and the Florida Panthers moved to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup title by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night.

The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road this playoffs. They can hoist the Cup again as soon as Tuesday night if they win Game 6 on home ice in Sunrise.

Florida this time built a multigoal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers.

Marchand, Bennett and Sam Reinhart provided the offense. Marchand joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to score five-plus goals in a final multiple times, and his 13 career goals in the final are the most among active players.

Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series after the Oilers fell behind 3-0. Reinhart’s came 46 seconds later to restore the Panthers’ three-goal lead, and by the time Corey Perry scored with 3:13 left, it was too late.

Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:19 left, silencing the once fired-up crowd for a final time.

Edmonton’s power play went 0 for 3, a product of the Panthers’ aggressive penalty kill knocking McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the top unit out of their usual rhythm.

Calvin Pickard lost for the first time in eight starts this spring, allowing four goals on 18 shots. He got the nod over Stuart Skinner after entering in relief and winning Game 4 to improve to 7-0, a record that is now 7-1.

Skinner could be back in for Game 6, with the Panthers aiming to close things out following another cross-continental trip back to the other corner of North America. They are in this spot after bouncing back from blowing a three-goal lead and falling in overtime in Game 4, taking advantage of their depth to send the Oilers to the brink again.



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Panthers beat Oilers 5-2 in Game 5, take 3-2 series lead

EDMONTON, Alberta — Brad Marchand is making more highlights for his new team, Sam Bennett is piling up the goals again and the Florida Panthers are on the verge of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row. Marchand scored twice, Bennett had his playoff-leading 15th goal and the Panthers beat the […]

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EDMONTON, Alberta — Brad Marchand is making more highlights for his new team, Sam Bennett is piling up the goals again and the Florida Panthers are on the verge of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row.

Marchand scored twice, Bennett had his playoff-leading 15th goal and the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 of the final on Saturday night to take a 3-2 series lead.

WATCH BELOW: Panther fans pack Amerant Bank Arena for Game 5 watch party

Panthers hold watch party at Amerant Bank Arena for Game 5 in Edmonton

The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road during this run, matching the NHL record for victories away from home in a single playoffs. They can hoist the Cup again as soon as Tuesday night if they win Game 6 on home ice in Sunrise.

“It was very solid game, definitely,” goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said. “But the series continues and we are excited about the next game. It’s going to be a big game.”

Florida this time built a multigoal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers.

Marchand, Bennett and Sam Reinhart provided the offense. Marchand joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to score five-plus goals in a final multiple times, and his 13 career goals in the final are the most among active players.

“I’m just enjoying every moment,” said Marchand, who is in his fourth final and third since winning the Cup with Boston in 2011. “It’s such a special group of guys, and I’m having so much fun here right now. I honestly feel like a young guy in the league again, just excited to be part of the group.”

Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series after the Oilers fell behind 3-0. Reinhart’s came 46 seconds later to restore the Panthers’ three-goal lead, and by the time Corey Perry scored with 3:13 left, it was too late.

Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:19 left, silencing the once fired-up crowd for a final time.

“We just got to play our game earlier,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “We can all agree in our room that we can be better.”

Edmonton’s power play went 0 for 3, a product of the Panthers’ aggressive penalty kill knocking McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the top unit out of their usual rhythm.

Calvin Pickard lost for the first time in eight starts this spring, allowing four goals on 18 shots. He got the nod over Stuart Skinner after entering in relief and winning Game 4 to improve to 7-0, a record that is now 7-1.

Skinner could be back in for Game 6, with the Panthers aiming to close things out following another cross-continental trip back to the other corner of North America. They are in this spot after bouncing back from blowing a three-goal lead and falling in overtime in Game 4, taking advantage of their depth to send the Oilers to the brink again.

“We’ve been pretty good at bouncing back all playoffs,” Marchand said. “We learned a pretty good lesson there last game, and thought we did a much better job in this one.”





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CAPITOL ROUNDUP: State Department of Health opens new health center in Wyoming County

WILKES-BARRE—Wyoming County residents will have increased access to critical health care services as the Pennsylvania Department of Health opened a State Health Center in Tunkhannock this week. Secretary of Health Debra Bogen participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Wyoming County State Health Center in its new location at 608 […]

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WILKES-BARRE—Wyoming County residents will have increased access to critical health care services as the Pennsylvania Department of Health opened a State Health Center in Tunkhannock this week.

Secretary of Health Debra Bogen participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Wyoming County State Health Center in its new location at 608 Hunter Hwy, Suite #2, Tunkhannock.

“State Health Centers are a bridge to health care, providing many public health services to Pennsylvanians and linking those who need more comprehensive care to local providers,” said Secretary Bogen. “Whether you need a flu shot, vaccines for your child, or confidential STI testing and treatment, your local State Health Center is a great place to start if you don’t have a primary health care provider in your community.”

The Wyoming County State Health Center is now more accessible to public transportation at its new location and shares a plaza with the Wyoming County Assistance Office.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health oversees 59 State Health Centers in counties throughout the Commonwealth.

These clinics offer several health services for free, including:

• Confidential testing, counseling, and treatment for sexually-transmitted infections (STIs).

• Tuberculosis (TB) testing and treatment.

• Naloxone.

• Condoms.

• Gun locks.

• COVID-19 take-home tests.

• Health education materials.

Immunizations are also available for people who are uninsured and under-insured. Health care providers at State Health Centers make referrals to local health care and social services for people with needs beyond what the center is equipped to provide.

All of Pennsylvania’s State Health Centers are open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meuser supports HALT Fentanyl Act

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, voted this week in favor of S. 331 — the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, more commonly known as the HALT Fentanyl Act.

Meuser said the HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently classify fentanyl analogues as Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act, replacing the current temporary designation set to expire in September.

He said the bill also streamlines registration for researchers working with Schedule I substances, removes unnecessary barriers to critical research, and allows for individual analogues to be exempted from Schedule I if supported by scientific evidence.

Meuser said it ensures that medical practitioners and researchers can continue studying fentanyl-related substances to better understand their effects on human health, while also giving law enforcement the tools needed to halt this epidemic.

The fentanyl crisis continues to devastate communities across Pennsylvania and the nation. In 2023 alone, fentanyl was linked to a staggering 76% of Pennsylvania’s overdose deaths, underscoring the urgent need for decisive action.

“For too long, traffickers have exploited loopholes — tweaking chemical compounds to stay one step ahead of the law while continuing to flood our communities with deadly drugs,” Meuser said. “The HALT Fentanyl Act puts an end to that. By permanently scheduling fentanyl-related substances, we’re giving law enforcement the authority and tools they need to go after traffickers and shut down these operations.

“This builds on the important progress made under President Trump to slow the flow of illegal drugs through our borders and strengthens our ability to combat the crisis at every level. It also ensures researchers can continue developing life-saving treatments and countermeasures. This is a serious, bipartisan step toward protecting our communities and ending the fentanyl epidemic.”

Meuser said the U.S. House of Representatives voted and passed S. 331 — the HALT Fentanyl Act — this week by a margin of 321 to 104, with all Pennsylvania Republicans voting in favor of the legislation.

The bill now heads to President Trump to be signed into law.

Flynn announces funding for Family Literacy Direct Service Grants

State Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton, announced this week that two community-based education organizations in Northeast Pennsylvania — United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania and Luzerne County Community College — have been awarded a combined total of $781,200 through the Family Literacy Direct Service Grant program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

“This grant empowers both generations by making education a shared experience,” said Flynn. “Parents have the opportunity to return to the classroom, while their children begin their own educational journey with a strong foundation. These are the kinds of investments that lift up entire communities and create lasting pathways to opportunity.”

Flynn said the funding will support literacy programs that help parents and caregivers strengthen their reading, writing, and workforce skills while also promoting early childhood education for their children. These services are designed to uplift entire families as a unit, improve educational outcomes, and increase access to economic mobility.

This grant is part of a statewide investment of more than $3.6 million to expand access to family literacy services across Pennsylvania. Since taking office, the Shapiro Administration has dedicated over $10.6 million to support these programs. The Governor’s proposed 2025–26 budget includes a request for an additional $6 million in adult and family literacy funding.

Institutions receiving the Family Literacy Direct Service Grant include:

• United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County: $403,000 to support adult and family literacy education, including reading and writing skill development, early childhood learning and parent education services.

• Luzerne County Community College: $378,200 to provide comprehensive family literacy programming that integrates adult education, early learning, and parent-child engagement activities.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.



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