SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Morgenland Church, 3120 Weidasville Road, Orefield, (Leather Corner Post) will be having a special presentation “Summer Of 1776: Overturning The Pennsylvania Government On The Road To Independence” with highlights about Lowhill Township by David Hunsicker Jr. for the Weisenberg Lowhill Township Historical Society at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 19. Hunsicker is the second vice president for the Valley Forge Chapter of the Sons of The American Revolution and will be speaking at other events in the Lehigh Valley.

COUNTRY FESTIVAL: The 27th annual Night in the Country Festival and car show will take place 4-10 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Northwestern Recreation Fields, 6499 NW Road, New Tripoli. Rain date is Aug. 16. There will be food, community games, live music, car show, a basket raffle, fireworks, beer tent and cow flop.

BALLOON FEST: The Lehigh Valley Balloon Fest will be held Aug. 28 and 29 at Slatington Airport. Festival highlights include sunrise balloon launches, laser-lit balloon glow nightly, live music, family activities, food trucks and vendors, beer and wine garden, helicopter rides, balloon photo opportunities and fireworks each night. Gates open 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Balloon morning launch around 7 a.m., evening launch around 6 p.m.

Tethered balloon rides, passenger balloon flights, and helicopter rides may be available during launch windows for an additional cost. for more information, go to https://balloonfestpa.com/.

ARSON CHARGE: Corinne Oliver, 49, Germansville, was charged by Bethlehem state police with dangerous burning and arson endangering property/reckless endangerment of inhabited buildings.

Troopers said they were dispatched to Pfeiffer Circle in Heidelberg Township on July 12 to assist with a fire.

Officers spoke to a woman who said she saw Oliver walking around with a fully lit torch that she used to ignite a fire pit. The caller said flames were as tall as her residence and grew outside the fire pit.

Another person living in the area said he saw the fire growing, and that he attempted to extinguish it.

Police observed video from the scene, which shows Oliver starting the fire.

LCCC GRADUATION: Lehigh Carbon Community College celebrated its 59th annual commencement May 18 at the PPL Center in Allentown, honoring students who earned associate degrees, certificates and diplomas in December 2025, May 2026 or are expected to graduate in August 2026.

LCCC President Dr. Ann D. Bieber presided over the ceremony. Brittani Emilia Bedoya of Easton served as student speaker, and Shanice Nia Clarke of Nazareth performed the National Anthem and alma mater.

Tyler Turoczy was named Student of the Year, and Brianna Abbott was recognized as Early College Student of the Year. Academic awards also were presented to outstanding students in a variety of disciplines.

Local graduates

*Cum laude (3.5-3.75 GPA); **Magna cum laude (3.75-3.95 GPA); **Summa cum laude (3.95-4.0 GPA).

Breinigsville: Tanisha Augustin, Anthony Beidler, Emmanuel Bonnaire Fils**, Matthew Castro, Ravens Garcon, Nicholas Hetman, Amelia Kupis, Alfonso Leon*, Jessica Monroy***, Nacisha Only, Kiahnilee Reed*, Mya Riddick, Dilpreet Singh**, Jade Tejada*, Keira Tominaj.

Fogelsville: Phoebe Brobst, Ophel Joseph, Kaitlyn Maxwell.

Germansville: Elijah Behler**, Chase Bortz, Noah Chandler*, Isaac Frey*, Emily Johnson.

Kempton: Christine Dietrich*, Daulton Heintzelman, Lisa Webster.

Laurys Station: Anne Langan**.

New Tripoli: Sinjin Cavosi***, Mikaela Dorney, Nicholas Prudente*, Kendra Rooney*, Alec Sewald**.

Orefield: Analesa Continenza, Sully Kutish, Karla Rivera*, Paul Stillittano, Edward Zobel Jr.

Schnecksville: Sandra Collison, Chelsea Crable*, Manh Tuan Do, Tatiana Goulbourne, Katheryn Hopkins***, Emily Mohr, Miche Peters.

Slatington: Kaiden Dos Santos, Diego Fenstermaker, Matthew Herbold, Matthew Rissmiller, Aicha Salih**, Adisin Tuggle.

Walnutport: Madison Spadt***, Jennifer Wilt.

SCHOLARSHIP RENAMED: Following the Celebration of Life of Immediate Past President Keith Muir, the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association has renamed its long-standing student scholarship program the Keith Muir Scholarship Fund to honor his leadership and lasting impact on the Lehigh Valley automotive community.

GLVADA has also approved a memorial donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Keith’s honor, recognizing his lifelong commitment to service, education and giving back.

SUMMER FEST: Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, 1343 Long Lane Road, Kutztown (Krumsville), will be holding its Summer Fest noon to 7 p.m. Aug. 15. There will be food, games, a basket ruffle, flea market and bake sale.

Music will be provided by Hannah Violet Band noon to 2 p.m., Coal Fired Ramblers 2:30-4:30 p.m. and Avoiding Foreclosure 5-7 p.m. Proceeds to benefit the Eisenhard Children (both parents recently passed away).

FALL BAZAAR: Ebenezer’s Women of the Church are hosting their annual Fall Church Bazaar, Flea Market and Basket Raffle 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 10. This event features crafts, quilts and handmade items for sale. Enter the basket raffle to win one of the 100 plus baskets and gift cards. Homemade soups and baked goods will also be available for purchase. Browse the inventory of new and gently-used items in the flea market. Ebenezer kitchen opens at 8 a.m. to serve food and refreshments throughout the event. For more information, contact the Ebenezer Church office at 610-298-8000.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS: Weisenberg Township will be celebrating the grand opening of its new community center, 9331 Lyon Valley Road, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 1. Concurrently, the volunteer fire department, 2500 Golden Key Road, Kutztown, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with remarks from state Rep. Gary Day, R-187th, and WVFD leadership at noon at the fire station. They will also be hosting a classic car show at Weisenberg Fields Park, 9504 Bachelor Road. These celebrations which are free and open to the public will feature vendors, food trucks, activities and more at each location, rain or shine. Overflow parking will be available at Weisenberg Elementary School and free shuttle transportation will run between each event throughout the day.

TRACTOR SHOW: Weisenberg Lowhill Historical Society, 4585 Werleys Corner Road, New Tripoli, will be hosting the Old Time Plow Boys Club Inc., 37th annual tractor show 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 8 and 9. The feature tractor is the Oliver. This free event will also offer demonstrations, a tractor show, pedal pulls and food. Music will be performed by the Rehrig Brothers noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Weisenberg Lowhill Historical Society will also have their buildings open. For more information, call 484-633-0216.

HOAGIE SALE: Morgenland Church, 3120 Weidasville Road, Orefield, (Leather Corner Post) is accepting orders until Aug. 2 for their hoagie sale. Options available are regular Italian with everything or no peppers, no onions with peppers, no onions or peppers, ham and cheese; no onions or peppers, turkey; no onions or peppers, roast beef; no onions or peppers, tuna and veggie. Ingredients supplied by Thomson’s Meat Market, Walnutport. Hoagie pickup will take place 4-6 p.m. Aug. 11. To order, call Marilyn at 610-395-6885.

TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER: Valley Youth House held it’s 41st annual John E. Walson, Jr. Memorial Golf and Pickleball Tournament on June 29 at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown. The tournament, presented by Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, raised $412,771 for youth experiencing homelessness in the Greater Lehigh Valley region. Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for Pennsylvania’s vulnerable, abused, and homeless youth. Valley Youth House partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. For more information on Valley Youth House, go to valleyyouthhouse.org.

HAWK MOUNTAIN

SUMMER CAMP: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary invites families to plan ahead for an unforgettable summer of outdoor exploration with its 2026 Summer Nature Camps. Designed for youth in grades one through five, these week long day camps will immerse children in the natural world through hands-on, educational, and fun-filled experiences on the Mountain. All camps run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until Aug. 7. For camp details visit hawkmountain.org/summercamps. Contact Jessica Gary at gary@hawkmountain.org for more information.

HELPERS WANTED: The Sanctuary is also seeking 14- to 17-year-olds who need internship or volunteer hours to assist with camp by participating in the Counselors-In-Training program, which provides leadership training and hands-on experience working with youth in the outdoors. For more information, go to https://www.hawkmountain.org/education/programs/counselors-in-training.

LEHIGH GAP

SENIORS GROUP: Lehigh Gap Nature Center, 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, has formed a new group for nature-minded seniors. The sessions will be held in the Great Hall at the Osprey House on the second Monday of each month from 9-10:30 a.m.

NATURE ART: Members are invited to join LGNC the second Wednesday of each month 10 a.m. to noon for a Drop-In Studio. Bring a personal art project to work on (all mediums are welcome) and enjoy conversation with fellow local artists. The Nature in Art Club is a free benefit of a Lehigh Gap Nature Center membership. The Drop-in Studio is free to attend and registration is not required.

ECOLOGY CAMP: Lehigh Gap Nature Center, 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, will be hosting a summer day camp 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 4-7 for youth currently in grades three through sixth who are interested in nature and the outdoors. Campers will investigate a different area of ecology each day as they explore the Kittatinny Ridge. Meet animals, explore the Lehigh River, go on hikes, and much more! To register for the camp, go to https://lgnc.org/summer-camps/. For more information, email mail@lgnc.org or call 610-760-8889.

GARDEN ADVENTURES: Lehigh Gap Nature Center and the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society will present Adventures in the Garden: Native Plants and Sun Prints 10-11 a.m. Aug. 11. Discover the amazing world of native plants through a fun scavenger hunt in LGNC’s native sensory garden and learn how these plants support birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Then, unleash your creativity by collecting natural plant materials to create beautiful sun prints, an art activity where sunlight transforms your designs on special light-sensitive paper into works of art! Perfect for curious explorers and artists ages 6–12. Children must be accompanied by an adult. there is a fee per child. To register, go to https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/adventures-in-the-garden-native-plants-and-sun-prints.

MEMBER PICNIC: Lehigh Gap Nature Center members and volunteers are invited to enjoy an afternoon of food and fellowship noon to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 22. All food, beverages, and dessert will be provided. Please RSVP by Aug. 8 at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSej2fgBeuHCsr8XKCtQMcyRXkQ0y7ohLCi_hTV1Eqcs-yKYqw/viewform to let them know you will be coming. If you have any questions about any of these events, email the LGNC at mail@lgnc.org or call 610-760-8889.

VIA FEATURED: Via of the Lehigh Valley will be featured in an upcoming segment of All Access with Andy Garcia, a public television series highlighting organizations making a positive impact in their communities. Air dates have not been announced. Filmed in April, the segment showcases Via’s employment programs for individuals with disabilities and features Matt, a Via participant recognized for his outstanding job performance and lifesaving actions at work. Via has served individuals with disabilities in the Lehigh Valley since 1952.

FOSTER CARE: The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania Children’s Services announces the launch of a new Short-Term Foster Care Program that provides safe, loving homes for children who require temporary care. No prior experience is required, just a willingness to provide a nurturing and supportive environment for children in need for days or weeks. For more information, contact Emily at 610-821-7706 or emily.anthony@use.salvationarmy.org.

NEWS WELCOME: The Northwestern Press welcomes student news, business accomplishments and details about your organization’s events and accomplishments. To have your news published, send information about the event and photos to gtaylor@tnonline.com. Photos should be sent high resolution with captions that list everyone in the photo from left to right, front to back. You can also send news about upcoming events. Please send two weeks ahead of time if possible, though we make every attempt to get last minute information published. Be sure to include a contact phone number in case we have any questions.