Lebanon Daily News
3-alarm fire rages through buildings
Several residents were displaced after Lebanon County fire crews battled a three-alarm fire at the Downtown Lounge area on Tuesday, June 16, according to officials. Fire crews responded to the 700 block of Cumberland Street for a multidwelling fire....
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Study links iPhones, falling birth rates
The arrival of the iPhone nearly 20 years ago may have had a direct impact on declining birth rates, a new study argues. The working study, which was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research but has not undergone peer review, claims the...
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Health workers struggle to contain Ebola in camps
NIZI, Congo – After the Kpangba displacement camp became the first in this part of war-torn Congo to record deaths from Ebola two weeks ago, health workers rushed to trace those who had come into contact with the deceased to break chains of...
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Residents join demands for Andrew to resign
Palmyra School District residents join with school officials calling on Vice President Corey Andrew to resign, saying there is no positive way forward for the district while he remains on the school board. Residents spent almost two hours during the...
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Students honor America 250 with mural at Legion post
Palmyra fifth-grade students, with their art teachers, created a mural at the Quigley Baum American Legion Post 72 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation. More than 15 students were designing and painting an America 250themed mural at the...
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Study examines GLP-1 use during pregnancy
Use of GLP-1 drugs for diabetes or obesity early in the first trimester of pregnancy, before a woman realizes she is pregnant, is not a cause for alarm, a large new data analysis suggests. These medications, which include Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide,...
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National Guard hosts second public open house
The Pennsylvania National Guard and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs hosted an open house at Fort Indiantown Gap June 6, highlighting the military’s heritage during America’s 250th anniversary. This is the second time in almost two...
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West Cornwall crash involving cattle truck leaves one dead
A 91-year-old man died after his vehicle collided with a cattle truck in West Cornwall Township, according to the Cornwall Borough Police Department. At 1:42 p.m. June 4, police responded to a vehicle accident at the intersection of Maple Ave. and...
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Health experts worry about World Cup
With millions of soccer fans and tourists set to travel to 11 U.S. cities hosting the World Cup in the coming weeks, public health officials are wary of potential risks from infectious diseases, such as the Ebola outbreak racing through Central...
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Big water problems need big solutions
When a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might raise water-use rates or offer incentives for installing lowflow devices. h While...
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SCHOTT Pharma expands their South Lebanon plant
SCHOTT Pharma USA’s representatives joined with Gov. Josh Shapiro and government leaders on June 3 to celebrate an expansion and modernization of their South Lebanon Township facility. The facility, which began production in the South Lebanon location...
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AI
When the movie “Her” debuted in 2013, its plot felt like science fiction. The protagonist, Theodore, is a jaded man with no vigor for life. He comes alive after talking daily with his artificial intelligence chatbot, Samantha, with whom he eventually...
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‘There’s been a real kind of upswell’
Lebanon-area protesters joined a multi-county effort calling doubts on U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser’s representation to his constituency, while local residents continue calling for the congressman to hold an in-person, public town hall. ICE Out Upper Bern, a...
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‘I love these coaches’
While residents made another massive outpouring to defend two successful wrestling coaches, Palmyra Area School Board members did not take action to reinstate their contracts. Carrying signs that included “I stand with Coach Regets,” residents spent...
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Pope’s encyclical on AI wins praise
What are humans worth when the work and thoughts they produce threaten to be replicated by technological algorithms? And what is artificial intelligence worth if in the end it does not benefit humanity? With his first major document as head of the...
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Ads for GLP-1 drugs flooding the internet
If you watched the Super Bowl in 2026, you likely saw Serena Williams share her weight-loss journey on GLP-1 medications in a commercial. h Like millions of others around the country, if you’ve ever considered taking one of these drugs, you probably...
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Borough ordinance paves way for apartment project
Palmyra borough officials passed a new zoning ordinance during a May 26 meeting that allows a luxury apartment project that drew opposition from residents to move forward. Borough Council members unanimously approved Ordinance 841, which officials...
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Cannabis legalization spurs innovation
Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients. Barriers to innovation are often higher in illicit or restricted markets, including cannabis, stem cells and cryptocurrencies....
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Big Boy locomotive to make historic stop
The world’s largest steam locomotive will be making a stop at the Lebanon 8th St. Station as part of a coast-to-coast tour to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. h The Big Boy No. 4014 will be making a whistle stop at the Lebanon City station at 250...
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Event at Indiantown Gap Cemetery honors the fallen
Despite the threat of rain, visitors crowded into the Pennsylvania Veterans Memorial at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Sunday afternoon with the cadences of the various armed services ringing through the structure. It is a sound that...
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THE LIMITS OF LOCKDOWNS
There have been 63 school shootings – meaning any time there is gunfire on a school campus – so far in 2026. h They happen so often that preparing for one has become normal. Students as young as 4 years old routinely practice for the possibility of a...
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ELCO Veterans Memorial honors fallen graduates
Students and staff of the Eastern Lebanon County School District joined with local officials on Thursday to dedicate a new memorial honoring alumni veterans. Located at the district’s high school, the ELCO Veterans Memorial honors the sacrifices of...
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AT&T endures after 150 years of change
You’d need a pretty good chart to keep track of AT&T’s breakups, reorganizations, acquisitions, subsidiaries, CEOs, strikes, settlements, patents, innovations ... the list goes on. The telecommunications company that traces its roots to Alexander...
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Family honors Marine lost for decades
He whips past the tall grass. h Heat is swelling around him, just like the pain in his leg. His glasses must have been lost. At some point, he watches himself stop and lie down. In the blurred greenery, he thinks about his family, how far away he is...
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Universities still hold Native remains, artifacts
Many universities and museums in the United States have long held Native American burial artifacts, other sacred objects and even human remains. Most of these collections were acquired in the late 19th and 20th centuries. They came from grave...
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MI synagogue says aid needed at religious sites
DETROIT – Officials at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, which was victimized by anti-Jewish violence two months ago, are calling for a $1 billion federal earmark to help keep places of worship safe in the wake of the deadly May 18 shooting...
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AI ventures into literature
At some point in the next several months, I am hoping to receive a modest check as a member of the class covered in the class-action settlement Bartz v. Anthropic. In 2025, the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, best known for creating the...
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Officials prep for election interference
Scott McDonell’s training slideshow for poll workers covers what to do in case of fire or flood. A few years ago, the clerk for Dane County – which is Wisconsin’s second most populous county added de-escalation training in case a voter became...
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RISING COSTS
Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel have been elevated since the beginning of the Iran war. But recently released nationwide data shows that even before the war began, these concerns were widespread,...
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Board votes against renewal of two coaches’ contracts
Despite residents showing up in bulk to again defend two successful wrestling coaches, a majority of Palmyra Area School Board members voted not to renew their contracts for the 2026-27 school year. More than 35 residents, coaches, and team members...
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‘Thank God that he was there’
PAULS VALLEY, OK – Dollar store employee Melissa Melton sat in her car outside Pauls Valley High School, waiting to drop off her son and pick up her nephew, when she spotted the young man in the hoodie. He stood behind a tree close to the school. It...
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Century-long effort aims to keep nations White
Whiteness appears to be an official immigration credential in the eyes of the United States government. The Trump administration in late 2025 slashed the annual cap on refugee admissions to 7,500 for budget year 2026, down from the 125,000 cap set in...
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20 people become U.S. citizens at ceremony
Naman Patel has been living in Lebanon County as an immigrant since he was 3-years-old. The now 18-year-old University of Pittsburgh student originally said he started the process of becoming a citizen to formalize being part of the country that he...
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‘Think about their courage’
There have been more than 27,358 police officers killed in the line of duty in the United States since the first recorded police death in 1786, according to Lebanon City Police Chief Eric Sims. In Pennsylvania, the total number is 1,195 officers killed...
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STAYING PREPARED
On Saturday, May 9, Devon Doll was sitting in a Palmyra High School chemistry class room when he heard gunshots. “I didn’t see much, because the door was closed and there was something blocking the window, but from what we heard there was a few shots,...
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AI-integrated cameras raise alarms
For decades, cars dictated urban planning in the United States. h Few could have predicted that they would one day also double as nodes for surveillance. h In thousands of towns and cities across the United States, automatic license plate readers have...
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Freeze wipes out some crops in Lebanon County
A late freeze in April impacted farms across central Pennsylvania, including an orchard in Lebanon County. On Thursday, Honey Bear Orchards in North Annville Township announced that it would not be able to open for the 2026 season due to a mid-April...
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AMISH TO CEO
The pins in Lizzie Ens’ dress were placed thoughtfully and meticulously. Scorn and judgment could certainly come otherwise. Or worse. An eternity in hell awaited little girls who didn’t place their pins perfectly. h The pins must be perfect, and...
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Prayer event largely focused on one religion
WASHINGTON – A national prayer event meant to unite the country will largely reflect just one faith. President Donald Trump’s May 17 National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving on the National Mall is designed to “gather a broad assembly of...
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Indiantown Gap Cemetery to host Echo Taps ceremony
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery will host its 20th annual Echo Taps Ceremony on May 16. The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. in front of the cemetery’s Administration Building with a traditional three-volley rifle salute by the Vet 21 Salute Honor Guard of...
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America250Pa needs volunteers for July 4
Lebanon America250Pa organizers are looking for volunteers for the upcoming July 4 festivities at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center celebrating the United States’ semiquincentennial anniversary. Organizers are working towards getting the word out about...
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Protesters rally against proposed data centers
Lebanon County residents rallied along Route 422 to voice opposition and share their concerns about a proposed $1.7 billion data center in South Annville Township. Motorists traveling down Route 422 Saturday, May 2, were greeted with signs of “Protect...
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Microplastics could be overestimated
It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air. h Yet finding and identifying microplastics is extremely challenging, especially given their...
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Palmyra council gets leadership shake-up
Palmyra Borough Council got a leadership shake-up as a new member and new vice president were selected during the April 28 meeting. Council members unanimously voted for Karen Nye to fill a vacant position after former vice president Sheila Snyder...
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A store built on love and hope
Heart to Heart Thrift organizers celebrated the grand opening of their new Jonestown store April 27, which is dedicated to helping survivors and women battling breast cancer. Heart to Heart is a nonprofit organization that was created in February...
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U.S. highly unlikely to run out of oil
The pain at the pump is real for Americans, but the chances of the United States running out of gasoline are fairly low. Why? Because over the past 15 years, the nation has become more self-sufficient, relying less on imports for our crude oil – the...
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Prediction markets see explosive rise
Though prediction markets have been legal in the United States for less than 18 months, they can’t stop making news and making money. On prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, users can stake real money on just about anything, from the...
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Contractors respond to Palmyra school officials about building options
Contractors asked Palmyra school officials to consider keeping and using the new administrative building on South Forge Road, saying selling the $4.3 million building in any form may potentially cost taxpayers millions of dollars with no benefit to the...
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States mull ways to deal with abuse
Some states are trying a new approach to domestic violence prosecution, making family psychological intimidation illegal. Such laws are coming under the national spotlight after a Louisiana man fatally shot his seven children and their cousin April...
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Farmers betting on peas, lentils amid protein craze
CHICAGO – Aaron Smith, a fifth-generation pea and lentil farmer in northern Idaho, says the dizzying rise of GLP-1 medications and a social media-fueled protein craze may be his farm’s only path to profit this year. The farm economy has been pummeled...
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Food aid doesn’t make people loafers
Millie Morales believes in hard work. h “I feel that as an American citizen, we all have a great opportunity to be able to improve our life,” the 58-year-old woman explained in an interview I conducted with her in 2025. “Are you willing to put in the...
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These medics redefine care before the ER
LANCASTER — Lancaster County paramedic Vickie Martin is starting her day by clambering into her Ford Expedition, a hulking SUV with a chilly, December rain spattered over its windows and EMS logos painted on its side. She affectionately calls her ride...
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Ping-pong robot beats top-level human players
An autonomous robot ping-pong player dubbed Ace has achieved a milestone for AI and robotics in Tokyo by competing against, and sometimes defeating, top-level human players at table tennis, a feat that could presage an array of other applications for...
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World’s great fish migrations collapsing
Hidden beneath the surface of the world’s rivers, some of Earth’s great animal movements unfold – migrations that rival, in sheer biomass, the famous mass movements of zebra and wildebeest across the Serengeti. h For centuries, fish migrations were as...
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‘It’s an overall wonderful program’
Lebanon resident Melissa Gillette was attempting to reapply for certification as a nursing assistant. Gillette’s original certification had lapsed, forcing her to retake the state test. While she passed the written portions, she failed the skills...
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Patel sues The Atlantic, claiming false reporting
FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick following the publication of an article on April 17 alleging the director had a drinking problem that could pose a threat to national...
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Latino vote shifting away from Trump, GOP
In the 2024 election, President Donald Trump dramatically improved his performance among nearly all groups of voters from four years earlier. Trump’s growth among Hispanic voters was especially notable, increasing by more than 10 points from 2020 to...
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Steel site reborn for local businesses
The efforts to rejuvenate the former Bethlehem Steel building into a space for local businesses to thrive is underway, with the owner hoping to open the doors in October. Common Craft Development, with partner Funks Construction, hosted a...
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Officials hear concerns about data center proposal
Lebanon County residents took their concerns to the Lebanon County commissioners about a proposed $1.7 billion data center in South Annville Township. More than 30 residents came to the commissioner’s workshop meeting April 15, where 1235 Martina...
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Hurricane season outlooks stir worries
Tempted to take hurricane season a little more lightly this year because early seasonal outlooks call for fewer than the average number of storms? Weather and disaster experts would like a word. They fear these attention-grabbing forecasts for...
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Palmyra H.S to hold emergency exercise
Palmyra Area High School will host local first responders for a full-scale emergency exercise on Saturday, May 9, to prepare for potential future school safety related incidents. The Palmyra Area School District is partnering with the Lebanon County...
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Snow drought presents climate stress test
Across much of the Western United States, winter 2026 was the year the snow never came. Many ski resorts got by with snowmaking but shut down their winter operations early. Fire officials and water supply managers are worried about summer. Where I...
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School board discusses options for new building
As Palmyra school officials continue exploring legal options to potentially exit a contract for a new administrative building, board members contemplate selling the $4.3 million building after construction is completed. Palmyra School Board members...
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Why third partie perform best in Northeast U.S.
A majority of Americans say they are “frustrated” or “angry” – or both – with Republicans and Democrats, according to the Pew Research Center. But that rarely translates into support for independent or third-party candidates. One exception has been in...
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Neighbors alert residents to Palmyra house fire
Firefighters are on the scene of a twoalarm, multi-dwelling house fire in Palmyra on Friday, April 10. The fire started at 204 N. Chestnut St. in the borough at 2:02 p.m. Officials reported that no one was injured in or battling the fire. Neighbors...
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PAYING THEIR SHARE
Taxes are due by April 15 for the Amish and their neighbors alike. Contrary to some misconceptions, Amish individuals and businesses pay many of the same federal, state and local taxes as everyone else, often with the help of certified public...
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Pentagon opens doors to other AI
WASHINGTON – Small defense industry artificial intelligence startups are suddenly fielding calls from generals, combatant commanders and deep-pocketed investors, after the souring relationship between the Pentagon and its oncefavored AI vendor,...
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The high cost of U.S. health care
IBut it also reflects a complex system fraught with competing interests – and the fact that patients, hospitals, health insurance companies and drug manufacturers change their behaviors in conflicting ways when faced with new rules. Soaring...
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Lebanon Co. updates mail-in ballot policy
Lebanon County residents who submit mail-in ballots with mistakes will have more opportunities to fix them under a new policy. County commissioners, who also make up the election board, voted unanimously on April 2 to approve updates to the mail-in...
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Successor
After a two-year experimental run, an updated track forecast cone graphic moves into a starring role with the National Hurricane Center this summer. The new graphic, to debut when the first tropical storm forms, is one of several changes the hurricane...
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Public defender shortage ripples across legal system
The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5 issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants. Like other states, Oregon must provide...
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Commissioners meet with local protesters
Lebanon County Commissioners met with protesters regarding their concerns about ICE enforcement amid a growing number of 287(g) agreements with local police agencies. The elected officials did not, however, make a formal vote on a proposed resolution...
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Local classics worth a trip
Our USA TODAY Network food writers love spotlighting great new restaurants, but there’s something about oldschool classics that warms our hearts. These outposts of Americana offer great old stories, classic recipes and the comfort of knowing a place...
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SNAP-Ed saved money, helped Americans eat healthier
If the government had found a way to save $10 for every dollar it spent helping low-income people get healthier, wouldn’t it make sense for it to keep doing that? Well, that’s exactly what the U.S. government did when it piloted the SNAPEd program in...
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MEMORIAL WALK
Before March 31, 2022, Lt. William Lebo would walk most days into work at the Lebanon Police Department. In inclement weather, the 40-year police veteran would often take his green and white striped golf umbrella. “Lt. Lebo used to walk this route...
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Officials move forward on potential police merger
Municipal officials of Lebanon County’s two regional police departments want to move forward with a potential merger that would create a 40-officer department covering five municipalities. The Lebanon County Regional Police Commission and the Western...
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