On July 11, 2019 in Pottstown…

Bertie's Inn Hosts 31st Annual Belt Sander Races, Aiming to Raise Over $15,000 for Local Charity

Bertie's Inn in Exeter Township, Pennsylvania is hosting its 31st annual belt sander races, a popular local event. The races, which returned last year under new management, managed to raise over $12,500 for charity in 2022.

This year, the funds raised will go to local non-profit organization Mary's Shelter, which provides services for youth and maternity programs.

The owner of Bertie's Inn, Patty Miravich, stated that their fundraising goal for this year is to surpass $15,000. Alex Alfieri, a board member for Mary's Shelter, expressed appreciation for the selection, noting the uniqueness and charitable focus of the event.

BINGO NIGHT - Friday, July 21

B-I-N-G-O.... at the Pottstown Regional Public Library here at Hobart's Run, at the corner of High and Washington Streets!

Come play bingo at the library!

On Friday, July 21 we are going to be playing bingo after hours. Doors will open at 6pm and the first round will begin at 6:30pm.

We will have 10 rounds of play, a grand prize for each round, and we will also have a 50/50 Raffle!

Refreshments will be available to purchase at the event.

Support the array of programs offered at this neighborhood gem while winning prizes and making friends in the community.

When: Friday, July 21, 2023 | Doors open at 6:00 PM | First Game at 6:30 PM

Where: Pottstown Regional Area Library - 500 E High St, Pottstown, PA 19464

$5.00 Entry | $5.00 Per Bingo Card

Register Here

Aqua OM Paddle hosts mini-camp with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Aqua OM Paddle hosts an awesome mini-camp with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County. These young men spent the day on the lake learning all about SUP!

This was everyone’s first time on a stand up paddle board. By the end of the day they were pros and even took a SUP Yoga class.

Days like this make it all worth it♥️

Montgomery County Courthouse Temporarily Closed Due to Water Pipe Damage

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - A malfunctioning water pipe has led to the temporary closure of the Montgomery County Courthouse on Friday.

A representative from the Montgomery County Office of Communications has indicated that the pipe damage negatively impacted the building's HVAC system, leading to widespread condensation within the courthouse. The decision to close the building was made prioritizing safety.

Despite the courthouse closure, the county's government center continued its operations on Friday.

All court hearings will be postponed and rescheduled for later dates.

UPS Prepares for Potential Strike by Training Nonunion Workers Amid Stalled Negotiations

After negotiations between UPS and the union representing 340,000 of its workers ended without a resolution, UPS is preparing nonunion employees to fill in, anticipating a strike.

The union has threatened to strike if an agreement is not reached by the end of July. Despite this, UPS said that current operations will not be impacted.

If a strike does occur, it could disrupt the U.S. economy significantly, as UPS delivers approximately 25 million packages daily, accounting for a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume.

U.S. Department of Education to Forgive $39 Billion in Student Debt, Benefiting Over 800,000 Borrowers

The U.S. Department of Education has announced a plan to erase $39 billion in student debt by modifying a specification in an existing program. This decision, declared on Friday, will assist over 804,000 borrowers. The move is part of the Biden administration's strategy to explore other options following the Supreme Court's rejection of a $400 billion student loan forgiveness proposal in June.

The revised plan considers more payments towards a forgiveness program that comes into play when borrowers have made payments equivalent to 20 or 25 years.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona noted that many borrowers have been let down by a flawed system that did not accurately track their progress towards loan forgiveness.

Starting from Friday, the Department of Education will contact eligible borrowers and will maintain this process monthly until the next year. Eligible borrowers would have made a total of 240 to 300 monthly payments, and debt relief will begin within a month following the dispatch of email notifications.

After the Supreme Court ruling, President Joe Biden announced his intention to seek another widespread debt forgiveness plan, using a different legal argument than the one turned down by the conservative majority of the court.

Federal Reserve's 2% Inflation Target Sparks Concerns Over Potential Job Market Impact

Inflation is rapidly declining, but the Federal Reserve aims for a 2% rate. This goal has sparked concerns among some economists who fear it could negatively impact the job market. The Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its battle against skyrocketing prices, and this might be when its interest-rate increases begin to inflict economic damage.

Data released this week demonstrated a rise in inflation by 3% in June, a decrease from 4% in the previous month, and significantly lower than the highest rates in four decades, experienced in mid-2022.

In 2012, under Ben Bernanke's leadership, the Fed aligned itself with other major central banks globally by setting a clear target to maintain inflation around 2%.

To meet this objective, the Fed has significantly raised borrowing costs over the past 16 months to prevent the cost of food, gas, and housing from surging.

Economists are concerned that the Fed, in an attempt to shave a final percentage point off the inflation rate, may end up damaging the job market.

When interest rates rise, spending decreases, which could lead businesses to reduce profits and potentially lay off workers to cut costs.

In 2023, this has not yet happened - with rising job numbers over the past six months and unemployment staying below 4%, despite rapid inflation cooling.

Now, the Fed faces two choices:

1. Continue tightening, suppress inflation, but potentially risk job losses for hundreds of thousands or even millions of Americans.

2. Decide that 3% inflation is "sufficient," avoid further interest rate hikes, and risk a potential price surge in a few months.

However, policymakers seem to favor the first option, while traders predict one more rate increase and no monetary policy loosening until May 2024, according to CME Group's Fedwatch tool.

Nevertheless, several Wall Street leaders, like BlackRock bond expert Rick Rieder, suggest that the Fed should choose the second option. They propose celebrating the reduction of inflation to 3% and removing further rate hikes to avoid damaging the job market.

Rieder, BlackRock's CIO for fixed income, questions the obsession with the 2% target, adding that it doesn't make sense to jeopardize millions of jobs just to lower inflation from 2.7% to 2%.

Should job losses begin to occur in America, the stringent 2% target will likely face increased scrutiny.

Cones & Crawlers

Coventry Parlor at Laurel Locks

Come enjoy a nice summer night eating ice cream and talking about Jeeps! This is a Jeep meet up for the community! All are welcome to come and meet new friends with old Jeeps or new Jeeps!

Cones & Crawlers Event

Hosted by HARDLINE 4X4

Sunday, July 16, 2023 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Coventry Parlor at Laurel Locks, 653 Laurelwood Road, Pottstown PA 19465

Upcoming Local Events

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

• Jimmy Shubert returns to SoulJoel's Inside SunnyBrook - July 15th at 7:00 PM

• Cones & Crawlers Event - July 16th - 5-8 PM

• Build Community Partnerships for More Exposure - July 18th - 4-5pm eastern, via zoom

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

Got an upcoming event you want us to share?

Click Here to Let us Know About Your Upcoming Event

PHILLIES

In a rematch of the previous year's National League Championship Series, the San Diego Padres overpowered the Philadelphia Phillies with an 8-3 victory. The Friday night game saw home runs from Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Gary Sánchez, alongside a six-inning nine-strikeout performance from Yu Darvish, bolstering the Padres' winning streak to six out of seven games.

The Phillies, who narrowly missed out on the National League wild-card spot, started on the back foot with Cristopher Sánchez yielding to an early home run by Gary Sánchez and a two-run shot by Tatis in the third inning. A brief respite came in the form of Alec Bohm's RBI double in the fourth, but Machado's solo homer in the sixth off reliever Jeff Hoffman pushed the Padres further ahead.

Despite a ninth-inning rally, the Phillies couldn't overcome the Padres' momentum. Soto extended the Padres' lead with a two-run homer in the ninth, and although the Phillies managed to score two runs and load the bases, relief pitcher Josh Hader closed the game for his 22nd save in 25 attempts.

Johan Rojas Promoted to Philadelphia Phillies, Marking his Major League Debut

The Philadelphia Phillies have promoted center fielder Johan Rojas, from the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils. The 22-year-old Rojas, known for his speed and defense, has had an impressive season, leading the Eastern League in hits and runs. Rojas is filling in for Cristian Pache, who has been placed on a 10-day injury list. Rojas is the first player this season to transition directly from Reading to the major leagues. Additionally, infielder Drew Ellis was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, taking over from the injured Josh Harrison.

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