Lebanon Daily News
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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School officials look to expand full-day programs
Palmyra school officials are considering options to have an all inclusive full-day kindergarten classes in the Lingle Avenue Elementary School. Several Lingle kindergarten teachers spoke with the Palmyra Area School Board during its meeting March 26...
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Protesters say ‘No Kings’ to Trump’s policies
Motorists passing by Fisher Veterans’ Memorial Park Saturday, March 28, were greeted to the chants of more than 600 protesters again shouting “No Kings” to various motorists. Among their number was Lebanon Valley College students Mia Perilli, Hallie...
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Mayor Capello says Lebanon is thriving
Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello highlighted a new crime reporting system, economic development and housing concerns during her annual State of the City address on Wednesday. Speaking to a packed house at a Community of Lebanon Association luncheon in the...
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Cuba talks in the hands of Rubio
MIAMI – For Marco Rubio, disdain of the Cuban government was practically a birthright. Raised among Cuban exiles in Florida, his political ascent from local politician to U.S. senator was propelled by an unwavering hard-line toward Fidel Castro and...
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Store’s ads used by White nationalists
PROVIDENCE, RI – For the last 15 years, apparel and accessories brand Kiel James Patrick has sold an aspirational image of preppy, coastal New England life, gaining more than 1 million followers on Instagram. Lately, though, some of the brand’s...
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‘Trump slump’ hit U.S. tourism in 2025
With an upcoming FIFA World Cup being staged across the nation, 2026 was supposed to be a bumper year for tourism to the United States, driven in part by hordes of arriving soccer fans. And yet, the U.S. tourism industry is worried. While the rest of...
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Union: TSA ‘desperate’ for end to shutdown
DENVER – Day after day, flight after flight: Cancun. Orlando. Honolulu. Happy families and college students heading off on spring break vacations are being helped every day by 61,000 unpaid Transportation Security Administration workers. The...
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Target boycott garners more public attention
When Atlanta pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant called off his yearlong Target fast, the announcement set off fireworks. At a hastily convened news conference March 11 in front of Target’s Minneapolis headquarters, grassroots activists denounced Bryant and...
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Movement fights mental health crisis
AT TOP: Poor mental health among teens and young adults has become a growing crisis. Jayla Cole never experienced the carefree teenage years. She could not get a driver’s license because of epilepsy and frequent seizures. She didn’t want to take...
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Trump’s ‘war on fraud’ a 50-state problem
President Donald Trump declared a new “war on fraud” during his State of the Union, embracing a task that has eluded presidents for decades. He even tapped his vice president to lead the effort. “This is the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric...
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Study: Quitting GLP-1s can risk heart health
People who quit taking GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic might not only gain back lost weight. They also might be jeopardizing their heart health, according to a new report. A study of Veterans Affairs patients published March 18 found those who quit the...
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AI school flips learning on its head
Matt Shenker recently witnessed a group of fourth and fifth graders at Alpha School Scottsdale doing what he said boys that age do: calling each other fat and making jokes at each other’s expense. At most schools, a teacher or staff member would step...
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Israel kills another top Iranian official
Israel said it had killed Iran’s intelligence minister in its second targeted killing of a top leader in two days, as President Donald Trump suggested he might abandon the task of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, Iran’s huge Pars...
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Board censures member over social media comment
Lebanon School District officials approved a public censure against a board member’s ‘discriminatory’ social media comments March 16, and called for him to resign. In a 8-1 vote, Lebanon Area School Board of Directors passed a resolution calling for...
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Venezuela’s students reclaim the streets
In mid-February, hundreds of students from Venezuela’s most prestigious university did the once unthinkable: Their protest left the campus of the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas and spilled out into a nearby street. Before the U.S. military...
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Local shelter expansion begins
The Lebanon Rescue Mission broke ground on March 12 on its Agape Safe Haven expansion project, which, when completed, will significantly increase the mission’s capacity to serve people experiencing homelessness. The new facility will be located across...
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Controversial beaver pond may get removed
Years of debates over beavers on the Gettysburg battlefield have been reignited amid reports that federal officials are pushing local staff for the eviction of a colony of beavers on the Gettysburg battlefield. A recent call to action from the South...
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Wanted: Volunteers to host nuclear waste
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s plan to unleash a wave of small futuristic nuclear reactors to power the AI era is falling back on an age-old strategy to dispose of the highly toxic waste: bury it at the bottom of a very deep hole. But there’s...
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Garman Builders to open new housing development
Garman Builders is preparing to open a new single-family home community in South Annville Township, with a public grand opening scheduled for March 14. County and local officials, along with members of the Annville-Cleona School District, attended a...
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MALARIA FIGHT MOVES FORWARD
Every year, malaria kills more than 600,000 people worldwide. Most of them are children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. But the disease isn’t confined to poor, rural areas – it’s a global threat that travels with people across borders. For decades, the...
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Red Cross honored for Lebanon Co. service
American Red Cross officers are calling on donors to help the national blood supply recover following a severe shortage, with county officials recognizing the organization’s efforts within the Lebanon community. During their meeting March 5, the...
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Civil rights veterans see familiar repression
Federal immigration agents in military gear roam city streets, wielding tear gas, pepper spray and firearms against protesters. They forcibly enter homes to make warrantless arrests. Bystanders who record enforcement actions are swept up and...
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Officials table ICE protesters’ resolution
Lebanon County Commissioners did not take an official vote on a proposed resolution Thursday, March 5, that would discourage local law enforcement from assisting with non-criminal immigration enforcement actions. The resolution, presented to...
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Protesters still call for a Rep. Meuser town hall
Nearing the one year anniversary of calling for a public town hall with U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, Mondays with Meuser protesters say they will be bringing their concerns about potential increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence to county...
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Trump looks for loyalty from his ambassadors
Just before Christmas, President Donald Trump fired more than two dozen career ambassadors. The action was unprecedented, providing a clear signal that when it comes to diplomacy, Trump values loyalty above all else. All ambassadors face a persistent...
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HACKING THE GRID
The darkness that swept over the Venezuelan capital in the predawn hours of Jan. 3 signaled a profound shift in the nature of modern conflict: the convergence of physical and cyber warfare. While U.S. special operations forces carried out the dramatic...
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Palmyra board OKs $2.1M HVAC fix for local school
Palmyra school officials approved a $2.1 million contract to replace 58 HVAC units at Pine Street Elementary after the district discovered a mold issue in the summer of 2025. Elected school board members approved the $2.1 million contract with the...
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Dubai’s safe-haven status put to the test
DUBAI – For decades, Dubai’s sales pitch featured gleaming skylines, taxfree salaries, ease of doing business and something far more intangible: the unspoken promise that whatever was happening elsewhere in the Middle East, this city was different. The...
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Iranian Americans split over U.S. military attacks
Military strikes in Iran have highlighted deep chasms between Iranian Americans seeking to overthrow the country’s government and others who wanted a peaceful resolution through negotiations. The United States and Israel launched military strikes and...
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Shapiro pushes back on ICE centers
Gov. Josh Shapiro gave an update on proposed ICE detention centers Thursday, Feb. 26, saying his administration plans to do everything to keep them from opening. Shapiro met with state and local leaders of Berks and Schuylkill counties for more than...
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Art collection reveals Susquehanna’s history
It all started with a petroglyph. The petroglyph in question was among a collection of carvings in rock found near Safe Harbor in the lower Susquehanna River, etched onto stone with crude tools by the artisans of the Algonquian tribes that inhabited...
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‘Snowicane’ just bluster, some say
A raucous winter storm that clobbered the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic was both perilous and a “meteorological masterpiece” that hit a sweet spot for maximum snowfall over the warm Atlantic waters and cooler mainland United States. More than one...
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Push to automate science with AI has constraints
Consistent with the general trend of incorporating artificial intelligence into nearly every field, researchers and politicians are increasingly using AI models trained on scientific data to infer answers to scientific questions. But can AI ultimately...
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‘A regional asset’
Officials are looking to highlight the ecological efforts in Coleman Memorial Park in 2026, while representatives lay out their upcoming projects and events for the upcoming year to residents. Organizers want to register Coleman Memorial Park as a...
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Heated meeting
A special Myerstown Borough Council meeting devolved at times into shouting matches as residents and council members spent more than two hours discussing options for police coverage in the borough. More than 100 people gathered at the Myerstown...
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Epstein controversy could sink Starmer
With a series of resignations in his Cabinet linked to another batch of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein being released, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under fire, even though he never knew the convicted sex offender, experts say. “His...
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ICE, county agencies expand partnership
Four Lebanon County law enforcement agencies have signed on to a program to serve as immigration enforcers. The county’s District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff ’s Office, as well as the Lebanon County Regional and South Lebanon Township police...
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Live drummer saves friend’s life after cardiac arrest
Chad Gracey garnered a measure of fame as the rock band Live’s drummer based on his sense of rhythm. That skill came in handy when a friend, George Taylor, suffered a heart attack while hiking. Unbeknownst to either man, Taylor’s arteries were 95%...
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Foster hometown pride to grow civic engagement
Eileen Higgins won a historic victory in December. She became the first woman ever elected mayor of Miami, as well as its first Democratic mayor since 1997. h Although the stakes in the city’s Dec. 9, runoff election were high, interest was not − 4 in...
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STUDY: PLANET IS IN WATER BANKRUPTCY
The world is now using so much fresh water amid the consequences of climate change that it has entered an era of water bankruptcy, with many regions no longer able to bounce back from frequent water shortages. About 4 billion people – nearly half the...
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‘We’re going to do everything we can’
Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser said he’s working with federal authorities to address local concerns about planned immigration detention centers, adding that he believes they’ll ultimately be a net positive for the community. Meuser, who represents...
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Palmyra board delays $2.1M HVAC upgrade
Palmyra school officials postponed a decision on needed heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades to the Pine Street Elementary School building, possibly delaying the work into the 2026-27 school year and beyond. A majority of the Palmyra...
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AI COMPANIES GEAR UP TO SELL ADS
Eighteen months ago, it was plausible that artificial intelligence might take a different path than social media. Back then, AI’s development hadn’t consolidated under a small number of big tech firms. Nor had it capitalized on consumer attention,...
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