Jim Gerlach, President and CEO of Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, Set to Retire by Year's End

The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA), based in Reading, PA, made public on Wednesday the year-end retirement of its president and CEO, Jim Gerlach.

Gerlach assumed his position at GRCA just ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, his first all-staff assembly took place virtually on Zoom.

Gerlach has chosen to fulfill his duties until the end of this year to help accomplish all the objectives detailed in the 2023 strategic plan, and to ensure an orderly handover of leadership to his successor.

During his time in office, Gerlach played an instrumental role in restoring passenger rail to Berks County by his active involvement in both the Schuylkill Passenger Rail Authority and the Franklin Street Working Group.

In the wake of Gerlach's retirement news, GRCA officials are preparing to set up a committee consisting of local business leaders and key figures from the community. This team will take charge of the regional search for Gerlach's successor.

Former Local Olympic Speed Skater Found Guilty of Fraud

Former Olympic speed skater and Wilson High School graduate, Allison Baver, has been found guilty of fraud by a federal jury. Baver was convicted of providing false information to obtain a $10 million small business loan under government pandemic relief funding. She was convicted in a Salt Lake City federal courthouse on counts of making false statements designed to influence a bank, money laundering, and contempt.

Baver had submitted eight fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for her media company, Allison Baver Entertainment LLC, in April 2020. She falsely claimed to Northeast Bank and Meridian Bank that her company had 430 employees with an average monthly payroll of up to $4,770,583. In reality, her company had no employees and no monthly average payroll.

These false statements led Meridian Bank to fund her requested $10 million loan. After securing the funds, Baver transferred $150,000 to actor Elijah Wood’s production company to fund the 2021 film “No Man of God.”

Baver, a former Olympic athlete, was part of the team that won a bronze medal in the 2010 Olympic Games and also competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Besides her athletic career, her website lists her as an actress, model, fashion designer, and motivational speaker.

Sentencing is set for October. The FBI's Salt Lake City Field Office, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the IRS’s Criminal Investigations Unit were involved in the investigation.

UPS and Teamsters Union Contract Negotiations Break Down, Raising Fears of Potential Strike

Contract negotiations between United Parcel Service (UPS) and the Teamsters Union, which represents 340,000 UPS workers, broke down on Wednesday with each party blaming the other for ending the talks. The Teamsters Union had imposed several deadlines for UPS to present its final offer, claiming that the company eventually left the bargaining table with an unacceptable proposal. Meanwhile, UPS insists that it was the union that abandoned the negotiations, despite what the company refers to as a "historic offer."

As the contract expiration date of July 31 is fast approaching, the stalled talks have caused concerns over a potential strike. The Teamsters represent more than half of UPS’s workforce, and if a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout 25 years ago that crippled the company.

UPS is a key component of the U.S. economy, delivering about 6% of the nation’s gross domestic product. A strike could have far-reaching implications, particularly for the supply chain, which is still recovering from pandemic-related disruptions.

There had been progress in recent weeks on a number of issues, such as scrapping the two-tier wage system for weekend drivers and establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a full holiday for the first time. Another tentative agreement reached last month would add air conditioning to UPS's new small delivery vehicles from 2024 onwards. Despite these advances, the negotiations have reached an impasse.

Threads now available to download: Meta’s microblogging alternative to Twitter

Meta has officially launched Threads, its new microblogging social network designed to rival Twitter, as revealed earlier this week. Threads operates under Instagram's branding, enabling users to easily log in and connect with friends.

What is Threads?

Threads, a project Meta has been developing for some time now, enables users to share text, photos, and videos with their followers, similar to Twitter, Mastodon, and Bluesky. The app description explains that Threads is a platform where communities gather to discuss various topics, follow and interact with their favorite creators, or even develop their own follower base to share their thoughts, creativity, and opinions with the world.

Easy Sign-In with Instagram

Threads is integrated with Instagram to simplify the user experience. By using Instagram accounts as the sign-in method for Threads, users with the Instagram app installed can join Threads by simply pressing a button. After confirming, the app gives you the option to import your Instagram bio and profile picture or create a new one for Threads. You can also choose to follow all your Instagram friends automatically or manually select who you will follow. Accounts are public by default but can be set to private.

Threads operates in a familiar way with a homepage timeline, search tab, new post button, notifications, and user profile. Users can customize notifications, block certain words or accounts, and share their profiles.

Threads is currently available only for iOS and Android but offers a basic web interface for sharing posts.

Some Shortcomings

A few drawbacks have been noted during early usage of Threads. For instance, if you don't follow anyone, Threads displays posts from random users, like celebrities and creators. There's no option for a chronologically-ordered timeline. Furthermore, there's currently no Threads app for the iPad. Given that Instagram also lacks an iPad app, expectations for a Threads version for the iPad are low. Threads promises future compatibility with the fediverse, but this feature isn't available yet.

Upcoming Local Events

• Milou Sky + Airspace / Free Outdoor Show at Rivet! July 7th - 6:00 PM

• NIGHTWOLF / Free Outdoor Show at Rivet! July 8th - 6-10 PM

• Warehouse Warriors / Free Outdoor Show at Rivet! July 14th - 6-10PM

• 5th Annual Lew’s Crew Ride for Veteran & First Responder Suicide Awareness - July 15th, 9AM-4PM

• The Alley Arts & Craft July Event - July 30th, 12PM-5PM

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PHILLIES

In a triumphant performance on Wednesday night, Taijuan Walker overcame initial hurdles to achieve his sixth straight win, aiding the Philadelphia Phillies in extending their out-of-town winning streak to 11 games with a solid 8-4 triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays, who currently lead the American League.

This remarkable run marks the third longest out-of-home winning streak in Phillies' history, only outdone by a 13-game streak in 1976 and a 12-game run bridging the 1887 and '88 seasons. On the flip side, Tampa Bay, enduring a season-high of four consecutive losses and 10 losses in the last 16 games, seems to be experiencing a rough patch. After a promising home start of 30-6, the Rays have stumbled, losing six out of 10 games.

Walker, who currently stands at 10-3, conceded four runs and five hits solely within the initial three innings of his seven-inning performance. Despite this challenging start, the right-handed pitcher, who had previously conceded only three runs over 32 innings in his last five starts, bounced back remarkably, claiming eight strikeouts, albeit with five walks. Reflecting on his performance, Walker admitted, "Five walks, something I don't want to do, especially against a team like that, which can score at will." Yet he was able to effectively shut down the opposition in the closing stages of the game.

Philadelphia's offense was a tour de force, with Bryson Stott achieving four hits, while J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm each secured three, contributing to the team's tally of 17 hits. Bryce Harper continued his good form, obtaining two hits for the fifth game in a row.

Trea Turner and Stott's contributions in the fifth, including a leadoff homer and an RBI single respectively, enabled the Phillies to clinch a 5-4 lead. The advantage was then broadened to 6-4 by Nick Castellanos's impressive 437-foot homer. Brandon Marsh added the finishing touches in the seventh with a two-run single to make it 8-4.

On the Rays side, Luke Raley's solo homer in the third gave them a fleeting 4-3 lead, which was soon neutralized by Realmuto's single off Yonny Chirinos (4-4), bringing the score to 3-3. In a rare off-night, Kyle Schwarber failed to achieve a hit in his six attempts.

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