The lawsuit won by Panther Valley and Shenandoah Valley school districts, along with other distressed and underfunded districts in the state, has cost Pennsylvania taxpayers $12.6 million to defend. The decision itself is expected to ultimately cost billions of dollars to implement in an effort to correct a system that is way out of whack and that has shortchanged these districts for years. The General Assembly and former Gov. Tom Wolf spent the nearly $13 million on a legal defense to keep the current system in place, but the judge in the case was not persuaded and found for the districts.

Swift joins other megastars

Berks County native and megastar Taylor Swift has joined Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian on the Forbes magazine’s list of the 100 richest self-made women. The total worth of these 100 superrich high-achievers is $124 billion, up nearly 12% over a year ago, thanks to a rebounding stock market. Winfrey is the highest-earning with a net worth of $2.5 billion. Rihanna takes the top spot for a musician, checking in at number 20 with a net worth of $1.5 billion. Beyoncé landed in 48th place with an estimated net worth of $540 million, while Swift placed 34th with a net worth of $740 million, thanks in part to sales from her latest album “Midnight” and her insanely successful ongoing ERAS tour. Kardashian at number 21 surpassed her younger sister, Kylie Jenner, who at 25 is the youngest on the list, for the second year in a row. Kardashian’s net worth of $680 million places her at number 38.

Plant closing

The area’s booming economy, which has had employers beating the bushes for employees for several years, received an unpleasant and startling wake-up call this month when Stitch Fix, the online personal styling service company, announced it was closing its Lower Nazareth Township distribution plant in Northampton County by the end of the year, meaning that its 375 employees will be without a job.

Smoke chokes the area

The talk of the area last week was the horrible air quality we experienced because of the many wildfires in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, particularly Nova Scotia. At one point last Wednesday, the unhealthy air in the Lehigh Valley was the worst of any measuring station in the United States with a reading of 447. Hazardous levels occur when the air quality index reaches 301 or higher. The highest unhealthy air quality index possible is 500.

Panther Valley teacher honored

Congratulations to Kim Laird, a Panther Valley Middle School teacher who is recipient of the coveted “Lifechanger Award” presented by the National Life Group. The presentation was made recently at the school in recognition of her positive influences on her students. The sponsoring organization received 135 testimonials on her behalf, indicating Laird’s contributions to the betterment of her former and current students. Recipients of the prestigious award are cited for “making a significant difference in the lives of students by exemplifying positive influence and leadership.”

Softball dynasty

When it comes to sports dynasties, high school softball isn’t exactly top of mind awareness, but in the case of Minersville High School, it should be. On May 31, the Battlin’ Miners captured their 23rd District 11 championship with a 6-3 win over top-seeded Northern Lehigh and with it another trip to the Division 2A state playoffs. In its first state appearance, Minersville defeated Elk Lake on June 5, 14-3, earning the right to play Bald Eagle on June 8, but Minersville came up a bit short, losing 3-2 to end its season. While this year’s team was not among the school best in terms of wins (16-9 overall, 10-3 in Schuylkill League play), they came through when it counted, won three games in the district tournament and performed well in state competition.

Moms for Liberty convention

A handful of local members of the Moms for Liberty group will be attending the organization’s second annual convention, this year in Philadelphia, June 30-July 2. Organizers hope that they will have a full house at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center for the event that is scheduled to attract the likes of former President Donald Trump and other Republican presidential hopefuls Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Registration fees are priced at between $299 and $499. LGBT groups and others have announced they plan protests at the gathering. There is also an effort underway to persuade Marriott officials to withdraw their agreement to be the event’s host venue.

Martin gets more accolades

The honors and congratulations continue to pour in for Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin, who will complete his sixth four-year term in office at the end of this year. Martin did not run for re-election. The latest honor comes from the Citizens Crime Commission of the Delaware Valley, which presented Martin with its first Award for Law Enforcement Innovation and Leadership Excellence. The presentation was made at the group’s recent 42nd annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day luncheon in Philadelphia. Martin was appointed in 1998 to fill the unexpired term of Robert Steinberg when he was elected as a county judge. Martin was re-elected five times, most recently in 2018.

By BRUCE FRASSINELLI| tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.