• Ephrata Mayor opposes new legislation limiting emergency homeless shelter: At the May 5, Ephrata Borough Council meeting, Ephrata Mayor Ralph Mowen refused to sign an ordinance amendment that restricts emergency homeless shelters in the borough. The council adopted the amendment on April 17, by a 7-0 vote. The amendment not only forced winter homeless shelters to obtain council approval to operate but also blocks shelters from opening in residential zoning districts. Homeless shelters in the area are sponsored by churches. With most of them being in residential areas the measure largely eliminates a church’s use as a shelter unless it is willing to shoulder the cost of going before the borough Zoning Hearing Board to request a variance. When the amendment was passed by Borough Council, Mowen expressed that he would not sign it. At the May 5, meeting, he made good on that promise. (Source: LNP)
• Grocery store owner John Herr to have park pavilion named after him: Millersville’s Freedom Memorial Park Pavilion A will be named in honor of John “Jack” Herr Jr., longtime owner of John Herr’s Village Market in Millersville. The plaque unveiling ceremony is set for 11 a.m Monday, May 25, Memorial Day, at Pavilion A in the park, located on Shertzer Lane in Millersville. The news release from the historical society expressed that, ‘The plaque highlights many of his personal and community service attributes, including his extraordinary work with organizations, above-board generosity as an entrepreneur, support of all things Millersville, and friend to all.” Millersville area organizations, including the Millersville Area Historical Society, the Millersville Lions Club, the Millersville Woman’s Club, the Penn Manor Alumni Association, the Conestoga Area Historical Society and VFW Post 7294 provided funding for the plaque. (Source: LNP)
• F&M urges students to donate not throw away usable items during move out: Residents in the neighborhoods surrounded Franklin and Marshal college (F&M) expressed their concerns for useable items being thrown out by students. It seems that students are not getting the memo on donating items despite the college having been collecting donations for decades. According to Nicholas Auwaerter, director of F&M’s Center for Sustainable Environment, a program dedicated to reusing and recycling students’ unwanted items launched last year. This years Bins were placed April 15 ahead of a May 4 move-out date, said Auwaerter, and volunteers regularly collected items, which were sorted for donation. Despite bins being placed in each on-campus location, F&M’s neighbors said they noticed many usable items being discarded near the college’s three affiliated off-campus locations. Auwaerter explained the college placed 18 bins in the College Row apartments, while James Street Housing organized its own system for collecting donations. The organization is still figuring out what to do with donations, last year it worked with Church world services to give some items to Community Aide thrift, but funding cuts have limited staff. (Source: LNP)
• After five-year absence Olde York Street Fair returns: To restore a mothers day tradition The Olde York Street Fair returned to Continental Square in downtown York after a five-year absence. First held in 1977, the fair saw dozens of nonprofit groups serve as vendors, and hundreds of York residents returned. The fair features more than 60 food vendors and crafters, along with a Kids Block, which featured a bounce house and a petting zoo. Half of the proceeds from the block will support local children’s organizations and half of the proceeds from the fair will go to a York nonprofit voted on by attendees. (Source: Fox 43)
• Nation/world: Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ukraine and Gaza (Source: Fox 43) U.S. stocks rise (Source: AP News) Top-ranking Democrats requesting information from Pepsi (Source: NBC News) Trump set to visit Saudi Arabia (Source: BBC News)
