Lebanon County Commissioners took numerous actions on a packed agenda, including a decision to provide funding to Lebanon Transit for their new transportation center and prison funding.
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 inPeople & Places
South Lebanon Twp. teen promotes dairy industry as statewide dairy princess
Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Jesslyn Risser is promoting the industry to consumers on behalf of dairy farmers across Pennsylvania and will continue in that role through September.
Posted inNews
Wooden nickels promote, celebrate Lebanon County’s rich history & heritage
Lebanon Countians are collecting wooden nickels to celebrate, commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday this year.
Posted inBusiness & Nonprofits
Cedar Crest graduate lands sweet deals on ABC’s reality TV show ‘Shark Tank’
Cedar Crest graduate and Navy veteran Thereasa Black secured two investment deals totaling $175,000 for 20% equity in her Maryland-based dessert company Bon Appe´Sweet on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
Posted inPeople & Places
South Annville Twp. resident crowned 2026 PA Fair Queen at pageant
Olivia Morrissey of South Annville Township and the current Lebanon Area Fair Queen was crowned the 2026 Pennsylvania Fair Queen at a pageant in Hershey last weekend.
Posted inHistory
Lecture explores Lebanon County’s ‘resolve’ to break free of England
Lebanon County’s contributions to the American Revolution were discussed during a lecture celebrating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the nation’s birth on July 4, 1776.
Posted inNews
Bethel Twp. zoning board allows variances requested by poultry producer
Variances granted Thursday at Bethel Township zoning hearing for Bell & Evans for two separate projects being planned by the poultry producer in Fredericksburg.
Posted inNews
Lebanon City zoning board denies medical marijuana relocation request
A request for a variance to move a medical marijuana dispensary to a next door parcel was denied Wednesday by the zoning hearing board.
Posted inNews
Bethel Twp. planners receive solar farm, Blue Mountain Road project updates
The Bethel Township Planning Commission held a nearly 2.5-hour meeting Tuesday to review multiple Bell & Evans projects, including a cold storage facility, Transportation Center and highway improvements, along with Lebanon 22’s solar farm plans.
Posted inPeople & Places
Palmyra farmer who made Dairymen’s milkshakes known statewide to retire
After three decades of transforming the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association from a small operation with four milkshake machines to one serving thousands with 24 machines and 700 volunteers, Dave Smith plans to retire as executive director later this year.
Posted inPeople & Places
Annville woman advocates for agriculture as member of Pa. Fair Queen program
Annville resident Brooke Beamesderfer has been an ambassador for agriculture this past year in her role as alternate Pa. state fair queen.
Posted inNews
Lebanon County Commissioners act on municipal construction, tower projects
Lebanon County Commissioners took actions on ongoing municipal building renovations, radio tower project at their Jan. 15 meeting.
Posted inNews
Lebanon County residents provide input on Route 72/Cornwall Road corridors
Residents identified traffic safety, congestion and pedestrian safety as top concerns during a public meeting about the Route 72 and Cornwall Road corridors, which have experienced significant growth and development in recent years.
Posted inNews
Lebanon County 4-H members sweep Grand Champion honors at Farm Show
Two Lebanon County 4-H Livestock Club members set a local record, taking top honors for their respective bred animals at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Posted inNews
Chick-fil-A granted zoning variances for Londonderry Square location
North Londonderry Township’s Zoning Hearing Board unanimously approved two setback variances Wednesday for a proposed Chick-fil-A restaurant at 21 N. Londonderry Square in Palmyra that will allow construction of ordering and pickup canopies.
