— The visual would be deceiving: A young man driving alone with no cargo except his luggage and his dreams his trip to Baltimore Ravens’ rookie training camp Friday is one crowded ride a former Emmaus High and Monmouth University star running back made his way to Owings Mills Maryland — with a stop at Harvard in between — he did so thanking more people than he could almost mention “I’m so thankful for this opportunity,” said the 5-feet-11 who signed a free agent contract shortly after the NFL Draft last weekend I’m more so thinking about everybody who helped me get there My teammates at Emmaus and coach [Harold] Fairclough All that support led me to where I am today.” Where Ntoh is today is on the doorstep of the dream of every little boy who ever played tackle football in the back yard with his buddies — a chance to make an NFL team What the scouts saw in Ntoh was a bruising running back with 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash who churns out yardage and has a nose for the end zone Ntoh rushed 165 times for 898 yards and 39 touchdowns Translated: almost every fourth rushing attempt resulted in a score then averaged 4.5 yards with a long of 64 yards in 2024 The honors poured in: First team Colonial Athletic Association all-star and an Associated Press honorable mention FCS All-American After a stellar career for the Emmaus Green Hornets where he totaled 2,924 yards rushing and 46 touchdowns While Ntoh earned a bachelor's degree in psychology at the prestigious university he would grade his football experience there with a D — as in disappointing Playing in only 19 games over three seasons with the Crimson he rushed 106 times for 370 yards and three touchdowns “My career at Harvard didn’t go the way I wanted it to,” Ntoh said “I didn’t score a touchdown my senior year “I was just looking for another chance to make an impact or at least play The running backs in front of him are led by Pro Bowler Derrick Henry who rushed for nearly 2,000 yards with 16 touchdowns last season Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell are the others In his favor: The Ravens did not draft a running back But Ntoh’s main focus is making the team any way he can “I’ve got my opportunity now and will make the most of it,” he said I will go in and attack this process and keep looking to attack it "I will pay attention to detail and be a good teammate.” and Emmaus teammates Izaiah McPherson and brothers Tim and Zach Higgins were there The group flipped back and forth between watching the draft and NBA playoffs When Ntoh was not drafted in the sixth round Sone Ntoh gets his shot at a football dream Emmaus boys tennis players Chris Stone and Nick Stone won the District 11 Class 3A doubles title.Josh Folck | For lehighvalleylive.com On Thursday, Stone accomplished something even more meaningful to him, joining forces with his older brother senior Nick Stone to earn the D-11 3A doubles championship “Grew up together and playing tournaments together all the time We always play doubles together in tournaments,” Chris Stone said “Had a little rough patch for a couple years when we were growing up It honestly means more to me than winning the singles tournament.” The brothers didn’t always enjoy being doubles partners when they were younger but it all paid off in the end as the brotherly duo was able to bring home district gold It’s more than I could ever ask for,” Nick Stone said about winning alongside his brother “We’ve been playing since we were very young Our dad (Nicholas Stone) would sign us up for tournaments and we used to be very angry at our dad for signing us up It’s awesome the fact that this year we were able to pull it off together.” “We’ve probably played together our entire lives,” Chris Stone said Our dad would kind of force us to play doubles He always called it family therapy whenever we played doubles together it’s awesome that we can turn this out the way we did.” The top-seeded Stone brothers won the final three games of the first set to break a tie and post a 6-3 victory the Green Hornets won the first two games and then built a 3-1 advantage The Freedom pair battled through a deuce point to cut the Emmaus advantage to 3-2 The Emmaus pair won the final three games and capped the victory with a celebratory chest bump The Stone brothers didn’t lose a set the entire tournament and dropped 14 total games through the four matches 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Parkland sophomores Jayden Yao and Manav Patel “They played great singles all year,” Emmaus coach Robert Dragotta said of the Stone brothers It’s easy to coach when you have good players.” battled past third-seeded Nazareth senior Gideon Knowles and freshman Vansh Singhal 5-7 The Emmaus pair advances to the PIAA Class 3A doubles tournament on May 23 and 24 at the Hershey Racquet Club The district championship for the Stone brothers was a terrific moment for Chris and an amazing experience for Nick in his final season as a Green Hornet “Sometimes he puts me on his back,” Chris Stone said of his older brother “I think it’s the best possible ending,” Nick Stone said about his senior season “I was telling him before the season even started I’d rather both of us lose singles districts and play doubles districts and win it all together because I thought we had the best chance for doubles.’ It’s the best possible outcome.” Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a subscription Josh Folck may be reached at jfolck@lehighvalleylive.com Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Cloudy with more rounds of showers and possibly some downpours or a t-storm Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Bible Text: Luke 24:13-35 | Series: This sermon explores the transformative encounter of two disciples with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus It delves into their initial despair and unbelief and his revelation through Scripture and the breaking of bread The sermon highlights how Jesus teaches us to recognize him not through physical sight but through the Word and the Lord’s Supper inspiring us to trust in his resurrection and share the good news with others 3311 – Centre St NCalgary, AB, T2E 2X7 (403) 252-1704 info@fairviewbaptistchurch.ca Subscribe to our Mailing List Details: cache-fra-eddf8230157-FRA 1746496471 418769885 TORRANCE, Calif., April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: EMMA), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease today reported on its financial condition and results of operations as of and for the year ended December 31 "We experienced a decline of nearly 44% in net revenues in 2024 as compared to 2023 due to a lack of available inventory that began early in 2024 and extended into the third quarter.  Although sales rebounded once the shortage was resolved they could not make up for the lost sales earlier in the year," remarked Willis Lee Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus "The decline in net revenues was partially offset by a nearly 30% reduction in net operating expenses resulting in a loss from operations of approximately $1.9 million as compared to income from operations of approximately $3.5 million in 2023.  The second half of 2024 yielded slightly positive income from operations.  Net loss per share increased somewhat to $0.10 from $0.07 in 2023," he added "We believe we have sufficient inventory on hand for the balance of 2025 and currently expect net revenues for the year to reach or exceed 2024 levels absent unexpected developments," noted Mr Net revenues for the year were $16.7 million compared to $29.6 million in 2023  The decreased net revenues were attributable to the inventory shortages that existed throughout much of 2024 No similar widespread shortages were experienced in 2023 Total operating expenses for the year were $17.3 million compared with $24.7 million in 2023 The decrease was due to decreases of $4.2 million in general and administrative expenses and $2.6 million in selling expenses attributable to reduced headcount and a decrease of $0.5 million in research and development expenses due to the suspension of substantially all research and development activities in late 2023 Income From Operations. Loss from operations for the year was $1.9 million compared to income from operations of $3.5 million in 2023  The decrease resulted from decreased net revenues partially offset by the decrease in total operating expenses compared to 2023 The company incurred other expense of $4.5 million for the year compared to $7.3 million in 2023 The decrease was due primarily to an increase of $1.0 million in gain on restructured debt and decreases of $1.9 million in interest expenses $1.7 million in net loss on equity method investment and $1.6 million in foreign exchange loss partially offset by a $2.5 million change in fair value of conversion feature derivative liability and $1.1 million in change in fair value of warrant derivative liabilities the company realized net loss of $6.5 million or $0.10 per share based on approximately 63.2 million weighted average basic and diluted common shares or $0.07 per share based on approximately 53.1 million weighted average basic and diluted common shares in 2023 The increase in net loss was attributable to the loss from operations partially offset by the decrease in other expense the company had cash and cash equivalents of $1.4 million About Endari® (prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder)Endari® Emmaus' prescription grade L-glutamine oral powder Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2017 for treating sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older IndicationEndari® is indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older Important Safety InformationThe most common adverse reactions (incidence >10 percent) in clinical studies were constipation Adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation included one case each of hypersplenism The safety and efficacy of Endari® in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease younger than five years of age has not been established For more information, please see full Prescribing Information of Endari® at: www.ENDARIrx.com/PI About Sickle Cell DiseaseThere are approximately 100,000 people living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States and millions more globally The sickle gene is found in every ethnic group not just among those of African descent; and in the United States an estimated 1-in-365 African Americans and 1-in-16,300 Hispanic Americans are born with SCD.1 The genetic mutation responsible for SCD causes an individual's red blood cells to distort into a "C" or a sickle shape reducing their ability to transport oxygen throughout the body These sickled red blood cells break down rapidly and develop a propensity to clump together which causes them to become stuck and cause damage within blood vessels The result is reduced blood flow to distal organs which leads to physical symptoms of incapacitating pain 1Source: Data & Statistics on Sickle Cell Disease – National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Centers for Disease Control and Prevention December 2020.2Source: Committee on Addressing Sickle Cell Disease – A Strategic Plan and Blueprint for Action -- National Academy of Sciences Press Forward-looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements regarding the outlook for sales in 2025 These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions risks and uncertainties which change over time including the company's need to restructure or refinance its existing indebtedness and raise additional funds from related-party loans third-party loans or other financing to meet its current liabilities and fund its business and operations and doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern  and other factors disclosed in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31 Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made Company Contact: Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc.Investor Relations (310) 214-0065 [email protected]  Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income Loss Net Loss                                                              Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding   Prepaid expenses and other current assets       Total Current Assets       Total Assets   Accounts payable and accrued expenses       Total Current Liabilities       Total Liabilities       Total Liabilities & Stockholders' Deficit a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease Health Care & Hospitals Biotechnology Pharmaceuticals Medical Pharmaceuticals Do not sell or share my personal information: The hit musical Mamma Mia famously chronicles the story of a young woman’s search for her birth father The story unfolds on a Greek island paradise a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago breezy comedy as the daughter searches for her father a more poignant story develops as two generations of women explore the requirement of a male figure in their quest for fulfillment and a mother comes to terms with her daughter leaving for adulthood The storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love Thank you for your support of our theater program East Penn School District · Web Accessibility · Acceptable Use Policy · Technology Help Desk Request · Report Website Error · Sitemap As a cast member of the musical “Savior of the World: His Birth and Resurrection” in 2024 I grew closer to my Savior in several ways with one experience particularly deepening my connection to Christ I usually joined other cast members on the colonnade as we portrayed angels allowing me to watch the second act almost in its entirety Looking down as scripture stories came to life on stage I found myself anticipating the same scene each night — the visitation of the resurrected Savior As the actor portraying the Savior entered the stage — with lights illuminating the pure-white costume — an overwhelming feeling of peace and hope filled my heart I was asked to help with a backstage task during the second act I realized I would not be able to see the Savior I thought that if I couldn’t see the Savior In the production, Cleopas recounts the experience and asks when did you first recognize it was Jesus?” The disciple answers “Yes,” says Cleopas Did not He come as promised to even us to take our sins away?” I initially questioned how they were not able to recognize the Savior as He walked with them “How many times in my life have I walked side by side with the Savior and not recognized Him?” Moments later, I heard the familiar strains of “I Stand All Amazed,” recognizing it as the moment in the production that the Savior would enter I frantically tried finding any hole or crack in the stage’s panel to see the Savior — but to no avail. But I heard the familiar line, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36) I listened in darkness to the remainder of the show who unlike the other apostles had not seen the risen Christ As Thomas sang “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails I will not believe,” it paralleled my initial thought that if I couldn’t see the Savior appear onstage the Spirit would not be felt and the experience wouldn’t be the same In a July 2023 Liahona article titled “Our Own Road to Emmaus,” Elder Patricio M. Giuffra says belief is not dependent solely on physical evidence but also on faith and spiritual discernment Recognizing Jesus Christ in our personal lives and spiritual journeys requires being spiritually attentive and open to Christ’s presence in everyday life In “Savior of the World,” the apostle Peter recalls how Cleopas and the disciple walked side by side the Savior, spoke to Him and yet did not recognize Him. Peter tells Thomas for who He is — we must look with our hearts.” I listened and felt the profound presence of the Spirit As the Savior returned to the stage to appear to Thomas I looked down from my place backstage — I couldn’t see the actor portraying the resurrected Christ but I could see the light illuminating him on stage Seeing the light and feeling the Spirit helped me know the Savior was there On each person’s own road to Emmaus, taught Elder Giuffra, “we may not see how He stays with us, strives with us, works with us and cries with us. Even in our saddest moments, if we take notice, we can feel Him with us and hear His words: ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10).” I now know I need not see the Savior with my eyes to know He is there nor do I need to see Him walking alongside me to know He will be with me every step of the way — Emerson Manning recently concluded an internship with the Church News Emmaus' Griffin Messenlehner is the lehighvalleylive.com Boys Swimmer of the Year.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Corky Blake | For lehighvalleylive.comChallenge Griffin Messenlehner to a footrace “When I was younger I played soccer for a few years but I found out I didn’t enjoy running,” Messenlehner said I went out for cross country in middle school and that really confirmed I didn’t like running.” Challenge Messenlehner to a race in a swimming pool and there‘s a really good chance you will lose The Emmaus High School senior rose above the competition during the 2024-25 season Messenlehner recorded the region’s fastest times in three individual events He was a member of all three Green Hornets’ relay squads that swept the region’s fastest times He swam to four gold medals at the District 11 Class 3A championship meet who was honored as the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Boys Swimmer of the Year and the Dennis McGinley Memorial Award winner at the district meet can now add 2025 lehighvalleylive.com Boys Swimmer of the Year to his expanding résumé Messenlehner‘s accomplishments in the pool made him a leading candidate for the website’s annual award He claimed his third consecutive district 100-yard backstroke gold medal and won the district 50 freestyle for the first time He swam on Emmaus’ district-winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays the latter of which finished fourth at the PIAA championships But Messenlehner‘s commitment to Emmaus’ team success and being an ambassador for the sport made him stand above his peers More than one of Messenlehner‘s opponents this winter said it had been an honor to compete against him and noted the Green Hornet’s humble nature “The swimming community is a lot different from other sports,” said Messenlehner who competes with the Emmaus Aquatic Club when not representing the Green Hornets “Even though we’re competing against each other Through all these meets we’ve developed friendships I know most of the other guys in the districts I’d say what I’m most proud of looking back at my time at Emmaus is all the friends I made It’s so cool I was able to make so many friends through swimming.” Messenlehner‘s team-first perspective was molded in part by the way he came through the Emmaus program though he did make the Green Hornets’ district meet team as a ninth-grader Messenlehner was seventh in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 100 backstroke — and fourth among the Emmaus entrants in that district race Both races were won by Liberty’s record-setting Patrick Gilhool the 2022 lehighvalleylive.com Boys Swimmer of the Year my goal was to provide depth because we had so many strong swimmers,” said Messenlehner of the Green Hornets’ EPC and District 11 championship squad “I wanted to score as many points as I could and work my way up the ranks “His greatest strength was his willingness to try new things and his desire to get into our bigger meet lineups,” Emmaus coach Tim O’Connor said What made him valuable in his early years was his ability to learn new things quickly and adapt to the event expectations and areas he needed to improve.” Emmaus' Griffin Messenlehner won the Dennis McGinley Memorial Award at the District 11 Class 3A swimming championships.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com Messenlehner moved away from concentrating on the butterfly to incorporating the backstroke and freestyle into his repertoire “We lost some good swimmers in the back and free and I saw that as a need for the team,” Messenlehner said “I switched up to the free and back and had some huge improvements.” Messenlehner won the first of his three 100 backstroke championships and moved up to third in the 100 butterfly He also swam the leadoff (backstroke) leg of Emmaus’ first-place 200 medley relay and was part of the second-place 400 freestyle relay Messenlehner continued to be a key contributor as a junior with another district 100 backstroke title a third in the 100 butterfly and a first and second with the 400 free and 200 free relays “I didn’t have any specific goals for that season but because we lost so many seniors I wanted to fill in and make sure I’d go all out in practice,” Messenlehner said It wasn’t too big of a step for me because some of the seniors from the year before had taken me under their wing When Messenlehner stepped on to the starting blocks this winter for his final high school campaign his opponents saw a more physically fit version of the Green Hornets’ leader “We’ve slowly built back our lifting since COVID and this past year I was pretty aggressive with the weights,” he said “I added about 20 pounds so I’m now 5-foot-10 Messenlehner combined his physical workouts with a more analytical approach to his practice sessions which was then carried over into his races It dovetailed perfectly with his academic interests “I’m going to study cyber security at college,” said Messenlehner who will attend Rochester Institute of Technology where he’ll be part of the school’s strong Division III swimming program I like math and have taken computer science and engineering courses.” He’s taken to O’Connor‘s suggestion to calculate how many strokes he needs to complete a lap in each different event The same goes for maximizing his time underwater after making a turn “It really started this year with the butterfly and I noticed the difference,” Messenlehner said and I certainly feel more confident because of it Coach O’Connor talks about having that pattern in the race He told me about when Michael Phelps’ goggles broke during a race (2008 Olympics 200 butterfly final) and he still won (because of sticking to his stroke pattern) “Griffin is highly coachable and values input from all the coaches,” O’Connor said He can take something that was mentioned in a discussion and apply it At the District 11 Class 3A championships Feb Messenlehner opened Day 1 by swimming the third leg (butterfly) on Emmaus’ championship 200 medley relay he edged Nazareth’s Patrick Leach for the 50 freestyle title Messenlehner collected his third 100 backstroke gold and anchored the 400 freestyle relay to first place Messenlehner reached a long-sought goal in an event he didn’t compete in at districts “One goal I set as a freshman was getting the team record in the 100 butterfly,” Messenlehner “In other meets this winter I had gotten close which is an opportunity for a lot of swimmers to try and get district-qualifying times I knew what I was going to swim at districts but I wanted one more shot at the 100 butterfly record Messenlehner finally cemented himself in the Emmaus record book with his winning time of 49.57 the region’s only sub-50 second effort this winter Emmaus' Griffin Messenlehner earned four District 11 gold medals this season.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com When it came time to determine what he would enter at the PIAA championship March 14-15 at Bucknell University Messenlehner skipped the 100 backstroke in favor of joining the 200 freestyle relay which didn’t include the senior at districts and placed third but qualified for states “I always expected to compete on three relays so it came down to whether I’d do the 50 free or 100 back at states,” Messenlehner said “I knew we’d have three pretty strong relays O’Connor wasn’t surprised by Messenlehner taking a team-first approach to the situation having Griffin on that (200 free) relay helped tremendously,” O’Connor said We discussed the pros and cons of staying in the (individual) event or going into the relay We all appreciated his willingness to be open to all sides and I think in the end even Griffin was happy with his decision.” “I think people would be surprised that states is a team-heavy sport and the relays are the most fun events in the sport,” Messenlehner said The Green Hornets’ 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays both reached the B final and placed 11th Messenlehner also was 11th in the 50 freestyle qualified for the championship A final in 3:07.33 With Messenlehner leading off and followed by junior Roman Herman and seniors Brady King and Julian Vlaeminck the Green Hornets earned a fourth-place medal in a region-best 3:06.80 Messenlehner first learned to swim at the age of 5 when his mother soccer and other activities fell by the wayside Messenlehner decided swimming was his athletic ticket my mother left it up to me whether I wanted to keep swimming,” Messenlehner said “By that time I had made so many friends through swimming that I wanted to keep doing it and that’s when I joined the Emmaus Aquatic Club So many of those guys are still my teammates or were my teammates and have graduated.” and it’s the right decision now for Messenlehner who’s made his mark on the Emmaus and local swimming communities in so many ways in and out of the pool Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com Corky Blake can be reached at sports@lehighvalleylive.com Emmy Horner (Field Hockey) and Will Buck (Football) both plan to attend Cornell University Emmaus High School was one of the local schools who held a ceremony as senior athletes announced their intentions to continue their academic and athletic careers at the next level Email notifications are only sent once a day Cloudy with a few scattered showers; a cooler and breezy day There could be a t-storm as well but overall it's mainly just some downpours to watch for then some breaks of sun in the afternoon but still scattered showers or a t-storm — Two PFAS-contaminated wells are one step closer to remediation after the borough was awarded $11.78 million in state grants and loans “The Borough of Emmaus is very thankful for the PENNVEST funding as the financial assistance is going to help alleviate the financial burden on our community members,” said Shane Pepe “… It is our goal that construction will begin by late March “Although there will be ongoing costs in the future this is going [to] alleviate a huge financial burden by saving millions of dollars for our community members.” State officials on Wednesday announced $288.2 million for 39 drinking water wastewater and other projects across two dozen counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority or PENNVEST Emmaus’ tranche of the funding included a $9,731,255 grant and a $2,048,745 loan to remediate two wells contaminated with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances “Today’s investment in our communities strengthens our clean water infrastructure while addressing legacy contaminants like lead and PFAS,” said Brian Regli “Through use of traditional funding programs and funding introduced in 2022 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law PENNVEST has already financed more than $67 million for nine PFAS projects across five counties before today’s funding awards announcement “With the announcement of funding awarded at today’s board meeting PENNVEST’s total PFAS funding commitment has now increased to in excess of $95,096,576.” PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in consumer products since the 1940s but have been nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they are incredibly slow to break down once introduced into the environment They’re prevalent and found in products ranging from drinking water to food, household and personal care products, and have been linked to a variety of health problems, including liver and immune-system damage and some cancers. In April, EPA officials announced the first-ever national drinking water standard regulating forever chemicals.They set a maximum of 4.0 parts per trillion for perfluorooctanoic acid individually — two of the most widely used and studied chemicals in the PFAS group utilities have three years for initial monitoring they have another few years to monitor and communicate those results to residents utilities must comply with all maximum contaminant levels PFAS have been recorded in at least four streams in the Valley there have been efforts locally to mitigate further contamination In November, officials at the Bethlehem Landfill cut the ribbon on its new $2 million PFAS treatment plant and uses foam fractionation to remove forever chemicals from water that has flowed through garbage in the landfill Emmaus’ efforts to remediate its four wells have been costly and well-documented after firefighting foam used for decades at the Klines Lane firefighting training grounds was found to be the source of PFAS contamination Emmaus in April 2022 filed a lawsuit against 3M Co. DuPont and a slew of other PFAS manufacturers alleging that the companies knew about the link between their firefighting foam and the dangers of PFAS since the 1950s 3M officials announced they would stop manufacturing PFAS and “discontinue the use of PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025.” But the borough hasn’t gotten a payout — and officials don’t seem to be holding their breath “We were within reach of a major settlement that was well above what they were offering before and literally the documents were being written and then 3M fired their CEO,” Pepe said during a recent phone interview “ … We are continuing to pursue lawsuits on every one of those companies I can tell you that it's very highly unlikely that we will receive any kind of settlement in the next year.” In December, Borough Council approved, in a 6-1 vote, a 26% tax increase for 2025 Reasons for the hike included health care rates Funding from PENNVEST is earmarked for two of the borough’s wells at 101 Kline’s Lane including one that’s been offline since contamination was discovered “The project is for well one and well two — $13 million is what we expect the bid the bid spec has been written and the bid is actually out right now,” Pepe said Asked if there’s a priority between the two wells Pepe said the well currently offline will most likely be remediated first the other one can stay online while we're doing the other well,” he said “And then once that treatment system is ready to go and then and then finish the second well.” There are about 50 prospective bidders so far the price is whatever they decide,” Pepe said they know that they have to put their best foot forward if they plan on winning the bid The borough has already submitted purchase orders for tanks from Calgon Carbon, a PFAS remediation company “There’s four of them — they’re something like 12 feet wide by 30 feet tall,” Pepe said “The entire complex over there is getting redone.” “It's going to cost about $100,000 a year to maintain them because you have to change the carbon bedding out,” Pepe said if all the scientists and engineers are right — I mean I can only count on what they say — that system will remove all PFAS from those two wells and that water will be treated and be clean going out to the town.” With remediation plans well underway for two of the borough’s wells “We have two wells that are on the borderline of what the acceptable levels are from [the] DEP and EPA,” Pepe said “We need to worry about one thing at a time We need to worry about 1,000 parts per trillion and 160 parts per trillion before we worry about the 10 parts per trillion Because one thing the community does have is an endless supply of money.” The most recent estimate for remediation of the borough’s other two wells was $6 million Pepe said engineering costs alone could be $1 million We need to get those treated first and then start game planning for the other two.” In an email after the PENNVEST funding was announced Pepe thanked local legislators and officials for advocating for the borough “We want to thank Representative Schweyer and Senator Miller for their advocacy and hard work in pushing to help get our project funded,” Pepe said “We also want to thank Rebecca Hayden at PENNVEST for her guidance and advocacy for our project throughout the application process “We also want to thank our engineers at Gannett Fleming for assisting me with the grant application design work and helping guide the borough to get to this point as it has been a long journey and we are excited that the project is out to bid - A bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek in Lehigh County leading to the Wildlands Conservancy collapsed while a propane truck was on it Tuesday afternoon The bridge collapsed along the 3700 block of Orchid Place in Lower Macungie Township Police said the driver had been trapped from the vehicle but was removed from the truck uninjured Pennsylvania state police say the driver has been identified as a 35-year-old woman from Fleetwood Salvage companies worked to remove the propane truck from the bridge Tuesday The truck was crossing when the bridge gave way About half of the bridge was broken across the Little Lehigh Creek And the cab of the truck raised into the air Authorities say police and fire crews responded shortly before 12:30 p.m The fire command rescued the driver from the truck The bridge is owned by the Wildlands Conservancy There were about 100 students on a field trip on property nearby when the bridge collapsed "We had kids here on campus for their educational program we do here our staff acted quickly and got them out of the zone and the potentially dangerous area," said Chris Kocher and we are told that propane will be removed from the truck the Wildlands Conservancy said that until further notice there is no public access to the Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary The state Department of Environmental Protection says it is helping Lehigh County emergency response crews A tense moment was caught on camera as the propane tanker dangled above the creek Distinguished Service Leadership Professor and Professor of History This book served as the inspiration for the award-winning eight-part National Geographic series “MLK/X.” Joseph frequently comments on race and the PBS NewsHour on issues related to American history and democracy “The Fire This Time: James Baldwin’s 1963 and America’s Civil Rights Revolution,” offers a new interpretation of one of the most critical years in postwar American history The book reimagines the scope and breadth of the political and economic systems and forces that shaped 1963’s national and global civil rights landscape through the eyes of James Baldwin’s art and activism Varick Stout Professor of Political Science Sarah & James Bowdoin Associate Professor of Government & Legal Studies Clopas’Peter Paul Rubens | Museo Nacional del Prado I kept thinking about an Italian Eucharistic chapel during National Marriage Week last week My wife and I visited the Domus Familiae near Bovolone, Italy, last summer. Flanking the altar, stone panels depict a married couple walking with Jesus and then dramatically recognizing him in the breaking of the bread at their Emmaus home. It’s at the heart of the headquarters of Don Renzo Bonetti’s Great Mystery Project and it is an unapologetic vote for one take on an age-old question from the Gospel of Luke: “Who was the other disciple who walked with Jesus to Emmaus?” Luke tells the story of two discouraged disciples leaving Jerusalem who are joined by Jesus since he had just been killed three days earlier in Jerusalem the two disciples walking to Emmaus are considered to be men.  some leading Catholic interpreters of Scripture say that the two disciples are married Father Mike Schmitz on Day 321 of his Bible in a Year Podcast calls the two “Mr Clopas.” He is likely following the lead of Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins in their remarkable book Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible They point out that Luke tells us one of the disciples’ names, and it is Cleopas — an unusual name, which is spelled “Clopas” in its Jewish pronunciation. John’s Gospel happens to mention that that the wife of Clopas was at the cross that weekend it is hard to imagine that there is a wife of Cleopas who also is in Jerusalem for the Passover.” And it seems likely that if one left Jerusalem they are a fitting completion of the story of salvation that began in the Garden of Eden One thing I have been discovering in my Extraordinary Story podcast is that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection is part of God’s grand plan to return his beloved creatures to our original state of innocence and friendship with him Gray and Cavins spell out the ways the Emmaus story fulfills the earlier story:  “When the first couple in Genesis ate the first meal (from the forbidden fruit), ‘then the eyes of both were opened’ (Gn 3:7); as Jesus breaks open the bread at table with the couples from Emmaus ‘their eyes were opened’ (Luke 24:31) The eyes of the original couple are opened to shame and guilt whereas the new couple that Jesus walks with to Emmaus have their eyes opened to the resurrected Lord in the Eucharist.” Eden was lost in a meal when a husband and wife tried to be like God on their terms — and it is regained in a meal by a husband and wife becoming like God on his terms when they “recognize him in the breaking of the bread” and he disappears Not only do they fulfill God’s story in all his Scripture — they also fulfill Luke’s story in his Gospel Wright calls the Emmaus story a “masterpiece within the masterpiece” of Luke’s Gospel and he also thinks of the disciples as a married couple “Consider how Luke has used this story to balance the story he told way back at the beginning of his gospel about another husband and wife But whereas Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the Temple — this new couple find him in the new way Jesus intends to be with us Pope Benedict XVI describes what that new way is: the Eucharist these disciples give us a beautiful vision of “home.” I like one last writer’s take on this story — the late Deacon Tom Bello “To me it makes perfect sense that Mary and Cleopas would be returning to their home in Emmaus, ‘conversing about all the things that had occurred’ as would any husband and wife,” he wrote “It sounds like an invitation to stay at one’s home.” We know Jesus dined with Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus; perhaps Luke is having another family meal here every married couple should pray to Jesus just as they did: for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.” He is waiting for an invitation to abide in our marriages Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you Please make a tax-deductible donation today Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news Emmaus’ Brady King spits out water as he looks at the scoreboard after taking first in the 200-yard freestyle during the District 11 Class 3A championships on Feb .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Corky Blake | For lehighvalleylive.comThese are the best times and performances from lehighvalleylive.com region boys swimmers and divers from the 2024-25 season invitationals and championships submitted to lehighvalleylive.com NJ.com or published at the Swimcloud and BE Smartt Only a competitor’s best time or diving total per event is listed and only the best relay team per school is published Times clocked from a leg of a relay are not considered for individual events Results recorded during the postseason are listed in bold type Roman Herman) 3/14 at PIAA Class 3A championship B final 3/1 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions preliminaries 1/25 at Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex championship 2/28 at District 11 Class 3A championship 3/12 at PIAA Class 2A championship preliminaries 3/1 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions preliminaries 2/7 at Princeton in NJSIAA North 2 Group B quarterfinals 2/28 a t District 11 Class 3A championship 12/27 at Cumberland Valley Holiday Invitational 3/15 at PIAA Class 3A championship preliminaries 3/15 at PIAA Class championship 3A B final 3/14 at PIAA Class 3A championship B final 3/14 at PIAA Class 3A championship preliminaries 1:29.23 – Central Catholic (Thomas Rafferty 3/13 at PIAA Class 2A championship B final 3/15 at PIAA Class 3A championship A final 3:17.22 – Central Catholic (Thomas Rafferty — Plans to create a special tax district for a proposed 144-unit apartment complex on blighted land were delayed Wednesday by a proposed amendment to the bill Lehigh County Board of Commissioners passed the amendment which directs the property owner to agree to give $5,000 for each year of the five-year tax abatement plan to The Seed Farm program at 5854 Vera Cruz Road The Seed Farm is a program of the Second Harvest Food Bank practical experience and skills on a training farm as well as the opportunity to launch sustainable farm businesses on the borough farm Property owner CSW Furnace Street Emmaus LP of Montgomery County are seeking tax relief on an 8.5-acre deteriorated parcel at 300 Furnace St The owner is seeking approval of tax relief authorized by state law or the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act is a Pennsylvania state law that lets local taxing authorities offer tax abatements to incentivize redevelopment of deteriorated or underutilized properties and encourage new construction in economically distressed areas The tax incentives encourage redevelopment of deteriorated properties that might not otherwise be developed The Furnace Street property has been abandoned since 1995 The current site conditions include an abandoned building cleaning and lining and a machine shop foundry in a meeting of the commissioners' executive committee prior to the full meeting Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi proposed the amendment to the bill reverting the bill to a first read and preventing a vote on Monday A second read and vote will be at the next full commissioners meeting on May 14 “This [amendment] is appropriate and helps with the abatement of money to the county,” said Commissioner Jeffrey Dutt “This provides money to a great organization It comes down to benefitting the community as a whole.” Said Borghi: “Maybe this sets a precedent for developers looking to do business in Lehigh County Added Commissioner Geoff Brace: “This [amendment] could set a trend.” Dubbed “Foundry Flats Emmaus,” the project lists 144 residential units over four buildings with 80 one-bedroom units and 64 two-bedroom units A clubhouse with amenities also is planned The development would have 317 parking spaces Emmaus held a public hearing to determine the boundaries of the area or areas to be designated as deteriorated areas pursuant to the requirements set for in LERTA The borough in September adopted an ordinance providing for tax exemption on improvements or new construction in deteriorated areas the East Penn School District adopted a resolution by a 5-4 vote to provide tax exemption on the property pursuant to LERTA The tax exemptions will be assessed on a graduated scale over five years For the first year immediately following the date upon which the improvement becomes assessable 100% of the eligible assessment shall be exempted The property owner would be responsible for the full amount of any interim real estate tax bills issued for the tax year(s) of the county in which part or all of the new construction or improvement is completed but the final phase of the new construction or improvement is not yet completed The Green Hornets’ Eastern Pennsylvania Conference matchup with Nazareth which had averaged more than 17 goals per game in its first nine games put in its best performance of the season in the attack The Green Hornets pulled away in the second quarter and kept going in the second half to defeat Nazareth 20-8 Tuesday night “Playing good opponents helps us pick up our game,” Emmaus senior Brooke Peterson said “I know we had that loss against Pleasant Valley but we came out strong today and we wanted this win.” which won both the EPC and District 11 Class 3A championship last spring The Green Hornets fell by three goals to Wilson West Lawn and Easton the week prior to that but it always exploits your weaknesses so you have to be able to make adjustments and that’s what we’ve really been focusing on,” Emmaus coach Roxann Betz said An adjustment on the draw controls was one of the catalysts for Emmaus’ victory on Tuesday After the Blue Eagles (8-2) won five of the first seven draw controls Emmaus junior Rylie Poll changed her technique on the draw controls when I was throwing it (the ball) over my shoulder so I then adjusted to putting it straight up in the air,” Poll said I’m trying to place it… Once we made that adjustment along with sophomores Madison Lenig and Sofia Isaksson won 10 of the next 12 draws and the Green Hornets never looked back Peterson snapped an eight-minute scoring drought for Emmaus with 1:19 left in the first quarter to cut Nazareth’s lead to 4-3 junior Sara Gross scored off a long-range assist from Isaksson and senior Abby DiComes found the cage with 18 seconds left in the first to give the Hornets a 5-4 lead who scored after Nazareth had a goal disallowed for offsides Peterson converted a free position with 59 seconds left in the first half to cap a run of five unanswered goals for Emmaus Even after sophomore Keeley Kershner scored from a free position for the Blue Eagles to cut the deficit to 11-6 20 seconds before halftime progressed quickly to their attack and Peterson scored off a feed from Isaksson to restore their six-goal lead 17 seconds later “Moving the ball really fast,” Peterson said of what the Hornets’ attack did well we have better cutters and I think our transition is better too.” Emmaus shut out the Blue Eagles for all of the third quarter and held them off the scoreboard for 18:50 of game time “We had to make a lot of adjustments on all ends of the field We’ve continued to do that early in the season,” Betz said We made some of the adjustments we needed to our defense made the adjustments we needed and our transition improved dramatically We’re just making all the small corrections that we’ve needed to from the beginning of the season.” who scored 20 goals in a game for the first time since a win at Moravian Academy last April DiComes recorded four goals and five assists and Poll had three goals and four assists it was really just swinging it and seeing the open cuts when they (Nazareth) were getting confused,” Peterson said “They were getting mixed up on the cutters and I think we took advantage of that.” Desmond Boyle may be reached at dboyle@lehighvalleylive.com The Zephyrs then woke up their bats in a big way scoring six runs on six hits to put together an incredible comeback victory Sophomore first baseman Juliana Muth hit an RBI single into left field to score junior second baseman Molly McFetridge with two outs in the seventh inning to complete the wild comeback and clinch the 8-7 win “I remember I was getting a lot of inside pitches,” Muth said of the final at-bat I felt the pull and it led me to left field The Zephyrs improved to 8-5 overall this season The Green Hornets fell to 12-3 overall on the year and saw their seven-game winning streak end Junior shortstop Josie Shultz led off the bottom of the seven inning with a single Senior left fielder Aryanna Donlon followed with an infield single and then Shultz scored on an error on the play Junior pitcher Morgan Laub then reached base on another Emmaus error Whitehall cut the deficit to 7-4 with a one-out RBI double into right field by sophomore catcher Amya Espinal Senior center fielder Paige Tacker drilled a two-run triple into right field to trim Emmaus’ advantage to 7-6 McFetridge tied the game with an infield RBI single that scored Tacker After McFetridge stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball Muth’s game-winning line drive gave the Zephyrs a dramatic victory but we’ll take it,” Whitehall coach Jeff Vivian said I just said I thought we were playing with bigger brains and small hearts “Coach Jeff really had a little pep talk with us And we really came out and played with our hearts.” Emmaus took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on RBI singles by senior third baseman Avery DeFanti and senior right fielder Sophia Tranguch junior left fielder Avery Shank scored on a wild pitch senior second baseman Sadie Haefeli connected on a sacrifice fly and junior first baseman Abby Derr hit an RBI double to put the Green Hornets ahead by five runs Shultz and Donlon each had a pair of hits for Whitehall Tacker tallied two RBIs and Espinal hit a pair of doubles for the Zephyrs who will play East Stroudsburg North on Tuesday “We really played our heart out in the last inning,” Espinal said We all gave each other advice on what pitch was coming and what we can swing at and what we can do differently.” Derr went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the road team Junior center fielder Taylor Hauver and Tranguch each added a pair of RBIs for the Green Hornets who play at Allentown Central Catholic on Wednesday “We got to make plays,” Emmaus coach Rich Giering said “We were fine and then we had a couple errors there we were pushing the limit there with Mari (Eiswerth) as far as pitch count The Zephyrs hope the comeback victory over a tough Green Hornets team will ignite them to a strong finish in the regular season “A win like this will definitely push us forward,” Muth said I feel like we can be up there with everyone.” Construction on "Foundry Flats Emmaus" in February 2025 The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners considered a bill that would support tax abatements for a 144-unit apartment complex planned for Emmaus – The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners considered a bill that would support tax abatements for a 144-unit apartment complex planned for 300 Furnace St Dubbed "Foundry Flats Emmaus," the project provides upper-scale one and two-bedroom apartments Wednesday's request was offered by Westrum Development Co. and calls for a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance designation for the project The LERTA would help the developer offset costs to remediate the former fuel distribution site the East Penn School District approved the measure in a 5-4 vote EPSD's approval was based on an amended LERTA for three years instead of five years reducing to 50% in year two and 25% in year three The district currently receives $8,432 annually in property taxes this would increase to about $281,000 each year once the project is complete and the LERTA expires this will have increased more than 30 times Westrum officials noted previously the apartment complex will not attract a significant number of school-aged children Most of the units — 80 of 144 — will be one-bedroom apartments which typically do not attract families with children The 64 two-bedroom units would produce about 10 school-aged children Residents and commissioners alike expressed concern about granting the abatement to the developer as they are grappling with a 26% property tax increase Emmaus Borough Council said reasons for the increase include loss of revenue and increases in operating expenses like health care It said capital improvements like a new roof for the library and sewer upgrades are also contributing factors Commissioner April Riddick said that at $2,100 the proposed apartments' rent is higher than the borough's average of about $1,800 for a three-bedroom apartment "[The rent] is a bit much for a person that might make $50,000 or $60,000 a year," Riddick said Commissioner Jon Irons said the project does not provide affordable housing options "I don't see how [the project] is helping affordable housing," he said Commissioner Dan Hartzell said the project provides much-needed housing options "I know it's not exactly the type of housing people want "I'm surprised there is as much pushback as there is This is a long-term gain for the borough," Hartzell said Commissioner Beitler voiced his philosophical concerns with supporting the action "I don't see why we would do this," Beitler said "I'm skeptical of these kinds of abatements." He said that relief for the developer could have been addressed by the seller by offering the property at a lower cost due to environmental concerns Commissioner Sheila Alvarado emphasized the developer's need to fit into the community "Emmaus is a small borough and hosts a slew of community events," she said Since the abatement has been approved by East Penn School District and Emmaus Borough Council it will go forward without Lehigh County's support The measure will have a second reading and a vote at the body's next meeting on April 23 The East Penn school board voted 5-4 to give the developer of a brownfield site in Emmaus a tax break on site improvements that include 144 apartments The Hazleton City Police and District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce will hold a press conference on the investigation into the murder of Jessica Lockwood long prepared and detailed tributes to Pope Francis But for many Catholics his death will simply have come as a shock – oddly as he was obviously dying – and as a moment for tears and for cherishing personal memories Heaven above knows how many people he greeted There was something very moving about those daily phone calls to the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza — something Francis made both the secular and religious-minded aware of a deeply personal way of being Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church He cut away so much of the formality of the office It was not only his stunning workload – an example to all in their 80s — but how he modelled love and compassion in his interactions with the public Watching the television pictures I was often reminded of words attributed to Pope Francis’ hero Francis of Assisi:  “Preach the Gospel with all your heart all your mind and all your soul and sometimes use words.” who clung to tradition and didn’t like his approach In words and actions he so clearly took the side of the poor and vulnerable His great encyclicals Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti his repeated calls for compassion towards migrants and asylum seekers At a time when sexual abuse scandals had eroded the credibility of leadership in the Catholic Church Pope Francis  was perhaps at his most traditional in his conduct of international affairs his efforts to  protect local churches as head of the Vatican State Even in those last hours before his death Pope Francis found time for Easter greetings with the Vice-President of the United States It could have been no easy matter to engage with the Chinese Communist Party whilst attempting  to stay outside the politics of a polarised world Peter’s square it is obvious that popes have symbolic importance for Catholics Pope Francis also had importance for what he was as a man and as a priest and for the secular world who recognised his goodness His spirituality fitted our troubled times there is no path – we make the path by walking.”  Francis taught us how to walk And following the life of our beloved Pope What's this for? 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Register here Please enter your registered email address below and we will send you a link to reset it By proceeding, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy If an account exists for this email address please check your Junk Mail folder and add info@thearticle.com to your safe list The Parkland High School football team’s Week 10 game against Emmaus was a complete letdown Third-seeded Parkland smothered fourth-seeded and rival Emmaus 17-3 in the District 11 Class 6A final at Whitehall’s Zephyr Stadium The win avenged a 27-0 defeat to the Green Hornets three weeks ago in the regular-season finale Turning point: The Emmaus offense didn’t reach Parkland territory until its final possession of the first half had second-and-8 at the Trojans’ 9-yard line with 37 seconds left before intermission A negative run and an incomplete pass forced Emmaus to settle for a field goal attempt Parkland linebacker TJ Lawrence burst into the backfield and blocked the kick on the last play of the second quarter After the Trojans defense forced a pair of three-and-outs in the third quarter Parkland took over at its own 16-yard line The offense used 10 plays to go 84 yards in 4 minutes and 15 seconds Parkland quarterback Osmany Guzman capped the series with an 8-yard touchdown run Doug Bell’s PAT gave Parkland a 17-0 lead with 1:06 left in the third period Top performers: Parkland’s defense limited Emmaus to 111 yards of total offense who had an interception in the fourth quarter He also rushed 18 times for 90 yards and a score Guzman carried the ball 18 times for 62 yards and a TD Reserve tailback Naquan Thomason spelled Lawrence and had 65 yards on nine carries Bell hit a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring for Parkland What it means: Parkland (11-2) won its 12th district championship in program history The Trojans advance to the PIAA quarterfinals where they’ll meet the winner of St Joseph’s Prep and Imhotep Charter next week Joseph’s Prep and Imhotep Charter meet for the District 12 title noon Saturday the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Lehigh Division winner The Hornets were denied their first D-11 title in their third championship game appearance Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com Despite sub-zero temperatures delaying the start of the SkillsUSA Council District 11 Championships on Wednesday LCTI students delivered outstanding performances against their competitors Emmaus High School students earned 1st and 2nd place honors demonstrating technical excellence that impressed both judges and spectators at the 39th annual event LCTI gold medalists qualified for advancement to the SkillsUSA state competition Hosted at the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex the championships attracted hundreds of students from seven schools across five counties Competitors showcased their skills in various individual and team contests sponsored by numerous Lehigh Valley businesses challenges students to apply their knowledge in scenarios that reflect real-world workplace demands Please join us in congratulating the following Emmaus High School students who placed for each SkillsUSA contest : Electrical Construction WiringElectrical Technology Automotive Refinishing TechnologyAuto Collision Repair Technology Early Childhood EducationEarly Childhood Education Crime Scene Investigation – TeamCriminal Justice First Aid/CPRHealth & Medical Sciences The snow was falling faster and the wind howling louder than I had ever experienced in my almost-decade of living in Erie trapped in a cabin on the grounds of my monastery — Mount Saint Benedict wondering whether there was any way to open the soup kitchen that night It was the day after Thanksgiving and I had planned to take a few days in the cabin resting and reenergizing for the Christmas season preparing for the busy days at Emmaus during the holiday season ministry — the work we offer the world — finds its roots in our life together and in prayer But Snowmaggedon was making it difficult to meditate on spiritual matters or to think about anything beyond the most basic practicalities: keeping the doorway clear so I wouldn't get trapped inside the cabin and how to make sure our whole Emmaus family — guests and volunteers — were safe and well cared for When it was too dangerous for anyone to be on the roads our soup kitchen doors still covered in feet of snow We ordered salads and pizzas from a local pizzeria hopped in a friend's car that was equipped with snow tires and delivered the food to local shelters the staff and I knew it was time to give it a shot and open for dinner even as we asked volunteers to stay home and off the roads We hadn't received our usual food delivery because of the bad weather it was because they had no other options for a meal The thought of them making the trek to Emmaus and finding it closed was not one I could consider We didn't have much to offer — just soup and sandwiches — a far cry from the elaborate Thanksgiving meals we had served just a few days before. Usually, the dinners we offer have a main dish and two sides, and an alternate choice for those who don't like or can't eat that night's menu. It's a practice that comes right out of The Rule of Benedict written by Saint Benedict in the sixth century and followed by communities like mine right down to the present day how a meal impacts much more than our physical health and how much happier everyone is when they have some ability to choose for themselves what they will eat But he also wrote that sometimes local conditions make the ideal scenario impossible and they kept coming in for the whole hour and a half And when they saw the simple meal we had to offer and felt the chill fade off them as they brushed off the snow and took a seat Happy to have a warm bowl of soup and unlimited seconds and happy to see the staff and volunteers who greeted them even though there was a much smaller crowd than normal even though we missed the usual volunteers and some of our frequent guests who were able to stay home a time for longer conversations about the weather and how this storm had affected each of us — and about how it amazed us with its beauty dangerous weather lingered for several more days and that feeling didn't leave the kitchen all week the meal was served as we watched as the sunset turned the sky a glorious magenta over the white streets reflecting on how glad she was that we had decided to navigate the storm after all and how meaningful it was to spend this time with each other and our guests It wasn't exactly a silent retreat at the edge of Lake Erie but those evenings at Emmaus did renew my love for this ministry and fill me with the energy I'll need for the coming holiday celebrations The staff of Emmaus is so grateful to have shared some moments from this year with you through this monthly column we have taken time to look back on five decades of offering "Bread for the Body and Care for the Soul" through our soup kitchen What will be called of us as new political realities develop in 2025 What might become possible as we work to create food sovereignty for each citizen and for our community joyful — together with all our Erie community we have the power to embrace the moment for all that it holds is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie and can be reached at vluckey@emmauserie.org including special events for the 50th anniversary and watch this space for more commentary on how to address the needs of Erie’s most vulnerable people The postseason clash of two Eastern Pennsylvania Conference divisional champions – a rematch of an overtime thriller – didn’t disappoint on Friday night Fourth-seeded Emmaus defeated top-seeded Easton 20-19 in a dramatic District 11 Class 6A semifinal at Cottingham Stadium Turning point: Tailback Reilly Bechtel ran for a 3-yard touchdown to give Emmaus the lead in the fourth quarter Will Buck’s PAT made the score 20-13 with 6:18 left to play Easton crossed midfield on the ensuing possession but fumbled on fourth-and-2 The ball was jarred loose by defensive back Zachary Stephens and recovered by linebacker Neo Michel The Green Hornets tried to drain the final 3 minutes and 29 seconds off the clock but Easton used its three timeouts and forced a punt on fourth-and-20 from the Red Rovers’ 48 Buck’s punt was downed at Easton’s 25-yard line with 1:29 on the clock Red Rovers quarterback Cole Ordway connected with wideout Andrew Biddle for a 25-yard reception to reach the 50 A defensive holding penalty later made it first-and-10 at the Emmaus 29 Ordway scrambled right and lobbed a jump ball to Jasir Frutchey The wideout made the catch over a defender in the end zone cutting the score to 20-19 with 20 seconds remaining Ordway tried to find Frutchey in the back of the end zone Kai Jefferson-Rushing recovered the ensuing onside kick and the Hornets were free to start their celebration Top performers: Bechtel took 20 carries for 162 yards and two touchdowns He was also all over the field defensively for Emmaus which avenged a regular-season defeat to Easton Tailback Will Day rushed for 64 yards and a pair of TDs for Easton Ordway was 12 of 21 for 213 yards and a score What it means: Emmaus advances to a District 11 final for the third time in program history All three appearances have been under head coach Harold Fairclough The third-seeded Trojans knocked off second-seeded Freedom 24-21 in the other semifinal which lost its first game at home this season fell to 10-2 and was denied its first trip to a District 11 final since 2014 will now prepare for their Thanksgiving Day meeting with nemesis Phillipsburg 1/17PIAA Class 3A field hockey semifinal: Villa Maria Academy vs. Emmaus on Nov. 12, 2024.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Kyle Craig | For lehighvalleylive.comIt was fitting that two Pennsylvania field hockey powers – two programs that captured state titles last year – couldn’t be separated by 60 minutes In the waning seconds of the first overtime period Villa Maria Malvern’s Caitlin Connell seized her chance to upend the defending Class 3A champion Connell registered both of her team’s goals as District 1 winner Villa Maria defeated Emmaus 2-1 in overtime during the PIAA Class 3A semifinals at Exeter Township High School “Heartbreaker,” Green Hornets coach Sue Butz-Stavin said forced the first penalty corner of the 7-on-7 extra period Villa Maria cleared the danger and moments later Connell forced a corner on the other end of the field Emmaus junior goalie Aiko Price saved the Hurricanes’ initial shot after the insert Villa Maria sophomore Jack Shaw collected the ball and sent it back to Connell whose reverse hit found the cage with 17.3 seconds remaining on the clock a University of Virginia recruit with more than 100 career goals said the score reminded her of the OT winner she had last year to defeat Radnor in the District 1 Class 2A final “It kind of just brought back a bunch of very exciting memories,” said Connell which was appearing in the state semifinals for the 15th straight season took the lead with 21.9 seconds remaining in the first quarter Sophomore Madison Lenig sent the ball spinning past Villa Maria goalie Catie Connolly Villa Maria leveled the score with 10:34 left in the second quarter as Shaw penetrated the Emmaus defense before feeding Connell The junior unleashed a low blast for the equalizer “We didn’t let it get us on our heels,” Connell said of Emmaus’ first-period score “We tried to stay with our front foot forward I say it all the time: pressure is a privilege we had the mindset of a 0-0 game and just kept going forward.” Emmaus generated six corners in the third quarter and nearly regain the lead twice senior Emmy Horner sent an attempt off the side of the cage that fooled the Emmaus fans in the stands a shot by Horner may have had the goalie beat but a referee’s whistle halted the play for a corner the first of which was saved by Connolly (her eighth of the evening) Too often Emmaus’ corners didn’t result in dangerous shots “I don’t think we put enough pressure on Villa Maria’s keeper but they have some dynamic players,” Butz-Stavin said “Our defense played absolutely phenomenal,” Connell said 1-ranked team in the nation that captured a Pa Emmaus won its 36th straight District 11 title this fall. The Hornets will graduate their two co-captains: Autum Kernechel, an Ohio State recruit and the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference MVP, and Horner Butz-Stavin hopes her bevy of returning talent can learn from the examples the two seniors set “It’s always tough when you end here,” she said great senior leadership from our co-captains and great team unity.” Initial One-Year Exclusivity Period Will Be Extended to Three Years if Endari is Approved for Marketing TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: EMMA), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company and leader in the treatment of sickle cell disease announced today that its Endari® (L-glutamine oral powder) has been afforded market exclusivity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the National Uniform Procurement Agency 014/24 COMPLIMENTARY PHARMA TENDER January 09 extends to all KSA government institutions including hospitals under the Ministry of Health and King Faisal Specialty Hospitals and Research Centers "We are honored and pleased that NUPCO has selected Endari as the exclusive L-glutamine prescription therapy to treat sickle cell disease in the large addressable market of affected patients in KSA's healthcare system," commented Willis Lee Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus "While the exclusivity period will be for an initial period of one we are informed that it will be extended for an additional two years if our pending marketing registration for Endari is approved in the KSA," added Charles W Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer For more information, please see full Prescribing Information of Endari® at: www.ENDARIrx.com/PI Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 2020.2Source: Committee on Addressing Sickle Cell Disease – A Strategic Plan and Blueprint for Action -- National Academy of Sciences Press including statements regarding the possibility of marketing approval for Endari in the KSA 2023 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30 Company Contact: Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. Investor Relations (310) 214-0065 [email protected] 1/15Emmaus girls lacrosse hosts Nazareth on April 8, 2025.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Desmond Boyle | For lehighvalleylive.comOur high school sports photos Check them out by clicking anywhere in the collage to open the photo gallery Don’t forget to share the gallery with friends and family These photos are available for purchase in a variety of sizes and finishes – click the blue “GET PHOTO” link below any photo to see available options and make a purchase Lehighvalleylive.com subscribers can also get free print-quality digital downloads of any image Note: We are trying to make these galleries available as quickly as possible you are likely seeing an early version and more images will be added later Please return and refresh the page to see additions Mobile users: For the best experience downloading high-resolution images (free and available to subscribers only) or making photo purchases visit this page from a desktop or laptop computer The lehighvalleylive.com high school sports newsletter is appearing in mailboxes weekly. Sign up now Follow us on social: Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Instagram The EHS History Day Club is proud to announce that sixteen of its members participated in the Regional History Day competition at Muhlenberg College on March 1 nine members have advanced to the Pennsylvania state competition which will be held at Scranton University in mid-April Congratulations to our EHS students on their academic achievements Regional History Day projects and participants:  Thank you for your support of the History Day program 2025 FREDDY Awards participating high school | Watch the Freddy Awards Thursday May 22nd LIVE from the State Theatre in Easton 2025 FREDDY Awards participating high school | Watch the Freddy Awards Thursday, May 22nd LIVE from the State Theatre in Easton, PA on 69 WFMZ-TV, WFMZ.com and WFMZ+ — Leticia Garcia recently had a heating and air conditioning technician at her home to fix her furnace He told her she would pay a lot more money The news made her hot under the collar — not for the furnace repair but for the significant increase Borough Council has proposed on her taxes next year Garcia was among 50 residents in person and more than 50 others online who voiced opinions against a 26% tax increase for 2025 After 3 ½ hours of discussion and public comment much of it dripping with frustration and anger from residents with Councilman Roy Anders the dissenting vote That means a property currently assessed for tax purposes at $100,000 would incur an annual tax increase of $213 “I had no idea" about the tax hike,” Garcia told council council members explained with a slide presentation overall revenue in the borough declined more than $1 million meaning permits are expected to decrease more than $30,000 The borough also will spend $13 million to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with the hope that 50% of the cost will be defrayed by grants the borough announced that the levels of PFAS in its water system exceeded the EPA's Lifetime Health Advisory Level The borough's water supply wells were found to contain PFOS and PFOA, which are part of the PFAS group PFAS are synthetic chemicals that have been linked to health issues including decreased fertility and an increased risk of certain cancers The property tax rate of 10.4455 mills will be distributed among four funds: Borough Manager Shane Pepe said a large number of cuts will follow from the 25.6% increase Former Councilman Christopher DeFrain said the current model of taxing in the borough is unsustainable “I suggest you have to have difficult conversations about this budget and in the long term,” he said before the vote It will affect the quality of life in this borough But this is a reminder our current path is unsustainable Avoiding the discussions now will only make them more difficult in the future.” Resident Tim Riccobon told council he cannot afford the tax increase “A lot of boroughs around us have volunteer fire departments I don’t understand why we have a paid fire department You can’t expect the taxpayers to keep spending more money and more money We think you’re out of control with our money.” Ulrich said the increases are needed for funds the borough must cover “And some of these increases are out of the borough’s control,” he said Councilman Nathan Brown concurred with DeFrain “We can pass this tonight,” Brown told the residents smarter council members to see what the numbers look like for the next three years We need to fix our mistakes and look to next year.” Brown asked residents if they would be OK contracting out the ambulance service or cutting the police force by two to save money Resident Chelsea Kehs took issue with the proposed tax increase and a proposed 21% salary increase for borough manager Pepe A few residents warned council that passing the tax increase may come at a price “I’m of the mind that if this goes through I don’t think any one of you will keep your seat,” one said Said another: “I think you need to find other ways to raise money instead of [increasing taxes by] 26 percent I think you are all committing political suicide.” The 144-unit apartment complex known as the Foundry Flats Emmaus is to be built on a former fuel distribution site at 300 Furnace St the developer of a proposed apartment complex will have to make donations to a local farm incubator – The developer of a proposed apartment complex in Emmaus is looking to take advantage of a tax abatement program but the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners negotiated something in return Wednesday night Westrum Development Company is seeking Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance for the development of a 144-unit apartment complex known as the Foundry Flats Emmaus on a former fuel distribution site at 300 Furnace St The board of commissioners, though, voted Wednesday to amend the proposed bill that would authorize the LERTA to now require the developer to make a monetary donation of $5,000 for each term of the five-year tax abatement. The donations would benefit The Seed Farm program at 5854 Vera Cruz Road in Emmaus Commissioner Jeffrey Dutt said the amendment is very appropriate and provides money to a great organization within the community The Seed Farm is situated on 42 acres of preserved farmland and "provides new farmers with valuable practical experience and skills on our training farm as well as the opportunity to launch sustainable farm businesses." The program is an effort of Second Harvest Food Bank and Community Action Lehigh Valley Several commissioners praised the agreement with the developer and suggested that it should set a precedent for developers looking to do business in the Lehigh County "This is a small LERTA in the grand scheme of things but I do like the idea that any future conversations in which the county is expected to be a partner that there be some kind of community benefit agreement laid out well before it gets to us," Brace said the commissioners held a first reading of the bill which was scheduled for a second reading and adoption Wednesday night the bill reverts to a first reading and will be scheduled for approval next month The property currently generates $9,280 in property taxes from Emmaus Borough, the East Penn School District and Lehigh County, but that is expected to increase to a combined amount of $443,620 annually once the project is complete, the developer's presentation indicated. Lehigh County alone currently receives $1,087 in real estate taxes on the property while the developer estimates that will increase to $50,668 A LERTA allows local taxing authorities to exempt taxation from new construction and improvements for a period of five years In the first year immediately following the improvements the amount falls to 80%; 60% in the third year; 40% in the fourth year and 20% in the fifth year Emmaus Borough Council unanimously approved the five-year LERTA for the property the East Penn School District approved the LERTA in a 5-4 vote