North Annville Township supervisors install a private solar unit ordinance at their June 9 meeting.
James Mentzer
James Mentzer is a freelance writer and lifelong resident of Pennsylvania. He has spent his professional career writing about agriculture, economic development, manufacturing and the energy and real estate industries, and is the county reporter and a features writer for LebTown.
James is an outdoor enthusiast whose hobbies include hunting, Ultimate frisbee, disc golf, spikeball and pickleball, biking, traveling and attending live concerts for a number of bands, including moe., String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic.
His published works include the books Pennsylvania Manufacturing: Alive and Well; Bucks County: A Snapshot in Time; United States Merchant Marine Academy: In Service to the Nation 1943-2018; A Century of Excellence: Spring Brook Country Club 1921-2021; Lancaster Development, Inc.: An American Story of Family and Infrastructure, and several other titles. He has also had business profiles published in Central Pennsylvania: Our Time Has Come, and an article in The Columbiad, a scholarly publication of Civil War Times Illustrated, concerning a little-known African American fort and battle along the James River in Virginia. Another book is currently in production for Morris Country Club in Morris, Illinois.
Posted inNews
Lebanon County DES launches preparedness awareness campaign
Lebanon County DES is conducting an emergency preparedness awareness campaign and urges residents to be ready for an emergency event.
Posted inNews
Lebanon County Commissioners approve loan for Jonestown orchard purchase
The Lebanon County Commissioners approved a next generation farm loan for a Jonestown-area orchard among other actions at their June 5 meeting.
Posted inPeople & Places
Wengert Memorial Park dedicated in memory of dairyman, community leader
More than 100 people gathered to dedicate the John E. Wengert Memorial Park in Lebanon on June 6, marking the completion of a 12-year project that transformed a vacant lot into a community green space.
Posted inEducation
Communication is critical to Lebanon County CTC success, new director says
Charles “Chuck” Benton, administrative director, Lebanon County Career & Technology Center, spoke to LebTown about his career, the first five months of his tenure, and his vision for the school’s future.
Posted inNews
Bellegrove’s fire carnival in N. Annville Twp. is a time-honored family tradition
The fire carnival in Bellegrove is a community homecoming for many and a tradition that has stood the test of time.
Posted inEducation
Cedar Crest students drive their tractors to school to promote ag to their peers
FFA students at Cedar Crest High School drove tractors to campus Thursday, demonstrating agricultural technology and farming practices to their non-farming peers.
Posted inNews
Congressman Dan Meuser meets with Chamber members & protesters in city
Congressman Dan Meuser (R-PA9) addressed concerns of local protestors and spoke at a luncheon sponsored by the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce during a visit to Lebanon on Thursday, May 29.
Posted inNews
Bell & Evans gets green light for Bethel Twp. processing and packaging facility
Bell & Evans officials receive permission to advance cold storage and packing facility plans at 241 Blue Mountain Road during a zoning hearing before Bethel Twp. officials on May 22.
Posted inNews
Bethel Twp. zoning board rejects farmer’s request for a lumber business variance
Bethel Township Zoning Hearing Board members deny a variance request for a lumber operation on a Union Road farm.
Posted inBusiness & Nonprofits
Chamber’s 2025 State of the County focuses on needs of local workforce
At the Lebanon Valley Chamber’s State of the County meeting, industry experts discussed the region’s workforce challenges, including difficulties in recruiting skilled mechanics and technical workers, while County Commissioner Mike Kuhn reported the overall state of the county as “very good.”
Posted inNews
Lebanon County Elections Board votes to put Light on ballot for Dems in DA race
The Lebanon County Elections Board voted on Friday to place Michael J. Light’s name on the Democratic ticket for the office of district attorney this November after Light received enough write-in votes to qualify him to run against Republican incumbent Pier Hess Graf.
Posted inEducation
Nearly 50 graduate from Tec Centro Lebanon in inaugural healthcare class
The inaugural healthcare class of adult learners at the WEPA Empowerment Center’s Tec Centro Lebanon received their certifications during a graduation ceremony last week.
Posted inEducation
LCCTC presented with six building design options ranging from $80 to $117 million
Board members of Lebanon County’s technical school are weighing renovation options that would expand the facility from 160,000 to 205,000 square feet while addressing accessibility concerns over an existing interior ramp.
Posted inNews
ARPA-funded project at Mount Gretna’s Soldiers Field nears completion
Mount Gretna has undergone numerous revisions in advance of the upcoming summer season.
