Jo Dee Messina, one of country music's most congenial performers who has had a long string of hits, makes a return to Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe tomorrow.
She's back with her popular "Music Room" series, during which she takes fans' requests, tells stories, and likely has some special surprises.
Messina said she is looking forward to returning to the venue, which is her third time performing here.
Adult Day Care
The Tamaqua Area Adult Day Care Center is conducting a non-perishable food drive to benefit the Tamaqua Salvation Army Food Bank. Donated goods will be accepted Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., through Nov. 1.
The center has a variety of activities planned for October, including a pancake breakfast on Oct. 4.
During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, the American Cancer Society is urging women to follow early detection guidelines for breast cancer and to make healthy behavioral changes to lower their risk of breast cancer.
An estimated 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 39,520 deaths from breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the U.S. in 2011.
Lansford's zoning hearing board on Wednesday granted approval for a new business, the Holistic Therapeutic Outreach Center, to operate out of a former voice and dance studio on East Ridge Street.
The board also approved a new sign for the enterprise, to be placed above a wooden fence that marks the property.
The business owners needed a change of use variance. The site was originally granted a variance to operate a voice and dance studio in a residential section of town in July 1998.
Then, it was The Studio, owned and operated by Janet and Joel Sager.
Thinking about starting a business? Community members, representatives, local and state officials were on hand this week during the Lehigh Carbon Community College Entrepreneur Week and grand opening and dedication ceremony of their Business Enterprise Center (BEC) in Tamaqua.
Among the business establishments preparing for the month-long Fall Foliage Festival in Jim Thorpe, is the Molly Maguires Pub & Steakhouse where Bernadette Behan is seen preparing a large and colorful Autumn flower display in front of the Pub's outdoor deck.
Work crews and machinery from the Norfolk and Southern Railroad have been busily working on the railroad tracks passing through the Jim Thorpe area for the last few days. The track maintenance workers, using 26 pieces of equipment, have been putting in new ties, surfacing, and aligning the tracks at a rate of about a mile and a half a day. This piece of equipment known as a "Tie Crane" was being used in pairs together, with one crane removing the old ties from alongside the tracks while the following crane dropped off new ties to be installed by another pice of machinery.
A Schuylkill County man was jailed this week for passing a fake $20 bill at a county business.
State police at Schuylkill Haven said Juesten Davis, 23, of Pine Grove, went to the McDonald's restaurant at 427 Suedber Rd., in Pine Grove Township, about 4:37 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and gave the bill to a cashier, who gave him four $5 bills in exchange.
The Jim and Tammy Dunn family of Dunn's Pride Holsteins, New Ringgold, received the first place Charles Itle Exhibition and Display Award at the 2011 All-American Dairy Show, held last week in Harrisburg.
The 48th All-American Dairy Show, the world's largest dairy show. It was held this year at the Pa. Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.
Credit for the Dunn's design and execution of the pack's display, featuring fall foliage, electric lanterns and rustic wood trim, goes to mother Tammy, said brothers Josh and Jim, who accepted the award, an embroidered jacket and cash prize.
St. Matthew's UCC
This Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9 a.m., the guest preacher at St. Matthew's UCC will be the Rev. Dr. Scott Brooks Cope, director of Pastoral Care-Phoebe Ministries.
Also, if you would like to make food donations to PVEN, please bring items to the church on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or Sundays from 8-11:30 a.m.
Lowe's, Lehighton, held its grand opening ceremony on Thursday morning by having a grant recipient saw a painted board with the words Lowe's of Lehighton engraved on it in half.
Kerry Collins, store manager, said that Lowe's opened last Thursday, but this was the official grand opening celebration of events.
"We are opening our store by giving the Lehighton Area School District $1,000," said Collins, as he handed Jonathan J. Cleaver, curriculum director, an oversized check.
The Service of the Lord's Supper will be held during Morning Worship at 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2. Sunday School will be held at 10 a.m.
The church board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3.
The church's Women's Class will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, nursing home services will be held at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at St. Luke's-Miners and MapleShade, respectively. Choir rehearsal will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Morning Worship will be held at 9 a.m. and Sunday School at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 9.
America is far from being the envy of the world that baby boomers were used to hearing while growing up in our Ozzie and Harriet world in the 1950s.
The reality today is that many outside – and some even inside our own borders – want to see this country, along with its democratic freedoms, crash and burn. More evidence of this emerged earlier this week when federal authorities arrested Rezwan Ferdaus, a Muslim American, near Boston for plotting to attack federal buildings with remote-controlled model planes packed with explosives.
Can't believe we're closing in on the midway point of the high school football season as Week 5 is on the card.
It was a rough week for most of us in Week 4 with the majority finishing with 9-6 records, including myself.
As a matter of fact, the only writer to have a better week was Shawn McFarland, who was 10-5, and with the help of TJ Engle's 5-10 mark, made it out of the basement.
This week, there are quite a few tough games on the schedule so it might be a good week to try and make a move.
So no sense putting things aside, let's get to it:
This picture was taken Thursday afternoon during the heavy down pour. The water is rushing down the hill by the stairs located on Rt 903 in Jim Thorpe by The Jim Thorpe Market.
The Pleasant Valley School District board of directors voted to not approve the Proposed Amendment to the Monroe Career and Technical Institute Articles of Agreement dated Aug. 2011 with a 7-0 vote. Directors Harvey Frable and Russ Gould were not in attendance.
The Weatherly Area PTA will hold its first annual meeting for the 2011-2012 school year on Monday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. in the elementary/middle school cafeteria.
Among the items for discussion will be the 2011-2012 PTA budget, homeroom parent notification, PTA calendar of events, announcement of the November speakers, by-laws amendment, reflections and more. Childcare will be provided. Refreshments will be served.
PTA meetings will be held on the second Monday of every month unless otherwise noted.
The Slatington High School Class of 1951 held its 60-year reunion at the Heidelberg Church on Sept. 21. Classmates attending were, front row, from left, Kathryn (Koenig) Snyder, Ruth (Snyder) Geiger, Elaine (Herber) Niedermeyer, Joan (Chandler) Wieand, Grace (Remaley) Schneck, Marie (Fisher) Walters, Marion (Rex) Neustadter, Delores (Silvius) Wetzel, and Delores (Meckes) Lentz. Second row, Elaine (Hallman) Kern, Ruth (Kutz) Geiger, Donna (Meckes) Muth, Robert Kemmerer, Henry Kline, Paul Hewitt, Richard Neustadter, Jane (Garrity) Smith, and Nancy (Coffin) Follweiler.
Every year around September 11, Susan Stine leaves her warm, cozy house on Dutch Hill and makes a 200-mile pilgrimage to a grassy field in western Pennsylvania.
There, she spends a few days sorting through thoughts and feelings deep inside.
She's been doing it for a decade, and never misses the trip, regardless of what might be happening in her busy life.
Stine is drawn to the serene setting where she ponders a sequence of events that challenge the imagination.
A hearing took place on Thursday evening at the Tamaqua Middle School auditorium for the public to voice their comments about an $11.5 million project to install sewage facilities in 306 homes in Walker and West Penn Township, and only five people had anything to say about it.
Travis Robert Fichter, 5895 Little Gap Rd., Kunkletown, and Alaine Ruth Halick, 6483 Mountain View Drive, Slatington.
Charles Edward Troutman, 672 Fairyland Rd., Lehighton, and Drewann Melanie Eckman, 407 Mahoning Alley, Lehighton.
Alan Wayne Nastelli, 700 Quaker circle, Apt. 6, Lewisberry, and Judy Lee Schafer, 1166 Red Hill Rd., Lehighton.
Frank Sean Tiedman and Krystle-Dawn Marie Willing, 20 W. Fourth St., Jim Thorpe.
September 30, 1950 Slatington scores a pair of touchdowns in the opening quarter and hangs on to defeat Lehighton, 14-0, at Victory Park in both team's Lehigh Valley League opener. The Slaters get on the board early when Bruce Kemmerer returns a punt 92 yards for a score. Later in the first period, Romaine Ross breaks loose for a 35-yard TD run. Slatington's defense, which forces three turnovers, does the rest in recording the shutout.
Destany D. Delp and Trevor J. Krisak, 20 E. Ruddle St., Coaldale.
Nicola H. Homa, 95 S. Linden St., Mahanoy City, and Randall B. Clawson Jr., 9A Fourth St., Rear, Kelayres.
The age of nuclear medicine arrived at Coaldale State General Hospital, with test calibrations on the Ohio Nuclear Scanner conducted by Dr. William Maroun, director of the department, and Dennis J. Ockenhouse, neclear technologist. It can be used to scan the brain and is the best way to investigate tumors, find the cause of strokes, and discluse the reason of mygraine headaches. It will be useful in thyroid, lung, heart, and bone scans, as well as for other organs.
For some, high water isn't a bad thing. Up to his handlebars is Colton Black, 15,
riding his bicycle through the flooded Coaldale skate park.
The Slatington High School Class of 1952 celebrated its 59-year class reunion at the Post 16 Restaurant on Aug. 27. Attending were, front, Myrle Wannamaker Bird. First row, from left, Pearl Hamm Follweiler, Delores Scheffler Dengler, Marian Sittler Miller, Theo Jones Elias, and Shirley Fredrick Kern. Second row, Mary Jane Smith Sheckler, Irwin Zellner, Mildred Kern Zellner, Mae Hankee Rehrig, Nancy Leiby Billig, Carolyn Krause Steele, Judy Lentz Shiner, Grace Williams Lewis, Joan Skutches Heffelfinger, and Doris Shellhamer Bruder.
Summit Hill
Shade Tree news
The Summit Hill Shade Tree Commission will be conducting the fall tree plantings on Oct. 28-29. The commission is also planning to continue its maintenance program on existing trees in the parks.
Volunteers are always welcome on planting days, as well as helping with maintenance.
The Blue Mountain School District was successful in increasing the market value of 24 properties
located within the boundaries of the district following hearings held on appeals filed before the Schuylkill County Assessment Appeals Board.
In three hearings held at the courthouse the district was successful in increasing values of 92 properties to add almost two million dollars to the assessed valuation of the district for tax purposes. Latest increases were as follows:
Count the Palmerton Area Education Association among the many detractors of the school district's revamped dress code policy.
In a letter directed to the school board and read aloud by Superintendent Carol Boyce at Thursday's Policy Committee meeting, the PAEA urged the board to revise the policy.
Signed by PAEA President Brad Landis, the letter expresses the PAEA's position.
Could Palmerton Area School District be headed for a standardized uniform policy next school term?
That was one of the options that was explored at a Palmerton Area School Board Policy Committee meeting on Thursday.
Several district administrators, school directors and building principals gathered to review the district's current dress policy.
Mary Brumbach, principal of S.S. Palmer/Parkside Education Center, said the dress code hasn't been an issue in either of her buildings.
There will be plenty of action this weekend at Becky's Drive In, Route 248, 4548 Lehigh Drive, Walnutport, Berlinsville area.
The Cub Scouts from North Valley District (Minsi Trail Council) are camping out at the drive-in. A double feature will be shown: "Spy Kids 4", and "The Smurfs".
Activities will include a rope bridge, scouting displays, moon bounce, and roasting marshmallows before the features begin at 7:30 p.m.