Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How Bethlehem helped put one of Dolly Parton’s first guitars in hand

Be sure to catch Cards and Collectibles Festival on the Bethlehem Patch calendar

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Good day Bethlehem! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Bethlehem helped put one of Dolly Parton's first guitars in hand
  • New Spanish-language radio option now reaching listeners in Bethlehem
  • How Bethlehem's manufacturers are using AI without replacing local workers

Also on today's calendar: Cards and Collectibles Festival and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: A passing afternoon shower, with a high of 84 and low of 56 degrees.
  • Saturday: Partly sunny and not as warm, temps: high: 72, low: 48.
  • Sunday: Chance of a little p.m. rain, with a high of 60 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. 'That little bitty baby Martin guitar': Dolly Parton's surprising tie to the Lehigh Valley (wfmz.com) — Bethlehem music lovers just hosted Nashville artist Richie Owens at Godfrey Daniels, where he shared how his cousin Dolly Parton's early career was shaped by a Nazareth-made Martin guitar. The story highlights the Lehigh Valley's deep musical roots and Martin Guitar's role in gifting Dolly a cherished instrument, later lovingly replaced and commemorated with a custom model.
   

2. New Spanish radio station launches in the Lehigh Valley (wfmz.com) — Spanish-speaking listeners in Bethlehem now have a new option with La Kalle 106.5 FM, a Dominican-focused station launched by VP Broadcasting. The station will mix music, news, culture, and community information, aiming to feel familiar and connected for local Dominican and broader Latino audiences across Bethlehem, Allentown, Easton, and surrounding neighborhoods.
   

3. Leader of iconic Lehigh Valley company reveals how it uses AI and maintains its workforce (mcall.com) — Bethlehem hosted regional manufacturers and business leaders at SteelStacks for the Lehigh Valley Manufacturing Forum, where Martin Guitar CEO Thomas Ripsam explained how the Nazareth company blends AI, robotics, and craftsmanship without cutting jobs. Local officials and executives discussed workforce retention, sustainable materials, and keeping institutional knowledge in the Lehigh Valley's factories as the industry modernizes.
   

4. Man sentenced to prison after teen dies from fentanyl overdose: DA (lehighvalleylive.com) — A 23-year-old Bethlehem man has been sentenced to 4½ to 10½ years in prison plus lengthy probation after a 16-year-old died from fentanyl toxicity in his Allentown apartment. Investigators say they recovered fentanyl pills, large quantities of marijuana, cash, and several firearms, including a ghost gun, underscoring ongoing regional concerns about opioids and illegal weapons.
   

5. Congressman Mackenzie Announces Over $20 Million Returned to Constituents Through Federal Casework (house.gov) — From his Bethlehem-based office, Congressman Ryan Mackenzie says his team has helped return $20.7 million to residents across the Lehigh Valley and Poconos by untangling IRS refunds, Social Security issues, veterans' benefits, and more. His staff reports handling over 11,000 constituent service cases and securing substantial federal funding for local health care, first responders, infrastructure, and other community priorities.
   

📸 Around Bethlehem

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Bethlehem

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📣 Bethlehem Shout Outs!

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Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Bethlehem PatchAM possible:

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Community Voices Clinic Expands to Marvine Elementary School —Steven Infanti Read on Patch
  • Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol Celebrates Grand Opening of Journeys Expanding Support for Children and —Tiffany Sondergaard Read on Patch
  • Need someone to clean out my garage.
    I'd like to point and remove. Some items are useful. But I no longer need. TIA. (Nextdoor West Bethlehem)
  • Allied Personnel Services posted a job opening for Production Staging Technician in Bethlehem. Apply here.
  • Saucon Valley Country Club posted a job opening for Dishwasher in Bethlehem. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Bethlehem here.

Ok Bethlehem! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig?" — Because he was such a boar! (Thank you Theresa H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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