Pa. gov to NH police: Hands off Punxsutawney Phil!
Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, is held by the gloved hands of handler Ron Ploucha during the 129th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter weather. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo)
A New Hampshire police department’s groundhog hunt for Punxsutawney Phil is getting a frosty reception from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.
In a Facebook posting, Wolf called on the Merrimack Police Department to drop its cold-hearted search for the renowned rodent. Last week, the groundhog, according to his handlers, predicted six more weeks of winter.
Merrimack police Chief Mark Doyle says the tongue-in-cheek campaign to get Phil was an attempt to lighten the mood after a series of snowstorms that have buried New England.
Wolf says he’s asked New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan to intervene. He says Phil is no average rodent, but rather “an American legend and Pennsylvania hero.”
The governor says the state will “do what is necessary to protect our beloved weather-predicting groundhog.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.