The End: A Bookstore will host an evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Heather Ann Thompson on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Muhlenberg College’s Trexler Library. Thompson will be in conversation with Jess Denke to discuss her new book, Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage.
Become a partner or contact usOn this special series of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we sat down with candidates running for U.S. House in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District ahead of the May 19, 2026 primary.
To keep this fair and useful, every candidate was asked the same core questions. Mark Pinsley is not included because he dropped out. We also reached out multiple times to Congressman Ryan McKenzie’s office and did not receive a response.
In this episode, we speak with Lewis Shupe of Allentown.
Campaign: https://realchange.us/
Why he is running and his first term goal
Shupe says a key goal is to harness the power of registered voters to help compose and promote legislative initiatives led by citizens.
Day to day financial stress
Shupe points to food insecurity and says demand at food banks is rising, including among working people. He argues wages and cost of living are pushing more households toward needing help with basics.
Healthcare and ACA premium tax credits
Asked about extending the ACA premium tax credits and making them permanent, Shupe focuses on restoring Medicare cuts he says were made in a major federal bill, and he says he would go further by supporting Medicare for All.
Immigration enforcement, legal pathways, and work authorization
Shupe argues that people already in the country should have a legal pathway to citizenship and says families should not be separated. He also claims recent border politics are being misrepresented and frames the issue as needing less drama and more workable solutions.
Warehouses and data centers
Shupe responds to the region becoming “the land of warehouses” and data centers by describing tradeoffs. He says there are pluses and minuses to data centers and references a proposed facility in the western part of the region. His emphasis is on weighing local impacts rather than treating these projects as automatically good.
Homelessness
Asked what the federal government can do about local homelessness, Shupe connects the issue to limited income and the gap between assistance and real costs. He references his own experience going on Social Security due to health issues and says that being on a limited income is not enough.
Third place in the Lehigh Valley
When asked where he likes to spend time outside of work and home, Shupe points to Make Lehigh Valley! a “workshop for people who love to tinker.” Their members include engineers, woodworkers, programmers, artists, amateur radio enthusiasts, radio-controlled airplane flyers, and more. Check out their website https://makelehighvalley.com/
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Become a partner or contact usOn this episode of Off the Record with the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we’re highlighting The Chopper Foundation and the work they’re doing to help families access lifesaving veterinary care when money is tight, so people do not have to surrender a pet or make an impossible decision.
We’re joined by Sharon, Moreen, and Dr. Lee for a conversation about how The Chopper Foundation started, what the need looks like in real life, and how community partnerships make it possible to keep pets healthy and at home.
Sharon shares what she saw again and again when dogs were relinquished: lack of funds for care, or behavioral issues, often after a dog had already been rehomed. She talks about how the unexpected loss of Chopper became the turning point, and how she decided to turn that loss into action that helps other families keep their pets.
The episode also digs into what support can look like beyond emergency vet bills, including food distribution. The foundation has worked with community partners to provide large food donations and run what they call a “chow line,” with past stops in Reading, Allentown, and Bethlehem, and a goal of expanding to Easton. The point is simple: help families who are stretched thin so they do not have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets.
Looking ahead to 2026, The Chopper Foundation shares plans for a low-cost vaccination clinic and ways local sponsors can help make basic care more accessible, including a “sponsor one shot” approach.
For more information and ways to support:
https://www.thechopperfoundation.org/
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Allentown has another reason to brag about its wrestling roots.
Ian Riccaboni, the Lehigh Valley voice fans know from Ring of Honor and AEW broadcasts, has been named Fightful’s Announcer of the Year. The honor was revealed during Fightful’s live awards show, recognizing Riccaboni’s work over the past year in a field that included top names from WWE, AEW, and beyond.
Become a partner or contact usOn this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we sit down with photographer and storyteller Alison Conklin, the publisher of Bonus Days Magazine, to talk about what it means to keep creating, even in the middle of the hardest seasons of life.
Recorded at Dan’s Camera City, this conversation starts with the way Alison sees the world through a lens and how “who you are personally is like your power.” From there, she shares the moment her health story took a sharp turn: “he told me in July that I had six months to live,” and what happened next as she faced the reality of needing a heart transplant.
Alison talks candidly about the waiting, the fear, and the pace of it all, including the shock of how fast things moved once she was listed. But the story doesn’t stop at survival. It turns into purpose and into print.
That’s where Bonus Days Magazine comes in, a print magazine centered on “all transplants and chronic illness,” created to “tell these stories that are not toxic positive.” Alison’s not pretending it’s easy: “not gonna tell you it’s all sunshine and rainbows.” She makes space for nuance too: “two things can be very true at the same time”… and sometimes, “just existing is enough.”
LINKS
Bonus Days Magazine: https://www.bonusdaysmag.com/
Alison Conklin: https://www.alisonconklin.com/
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It’s not every day that a story of hard work and faith comes full circle, but for Richard G., October’s Employee of the Month at the Allentown Rescue Mission’s Clean Team Workforce, that’s exactly what happened.
The East Penn Chamber of Commerce is preparing to welcome the community to one of its most popular fall traditions. The annual Falling for Flavors Tasting Event, presented in partnership with Barry Isett & Associates, will take place on Wednesday, October 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Barry Isett & Associates’ headquarters in Allentown.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Arts + Culture Patron Survey is more than a questionnaire. It’s a region-wide effort to gather real data on how people engage with the arts, what gets in their way, and how we can create more inclusive, accessible cultural experiences.
In this episode of Off the Record, we’re joined by Meg Mikovits, Assistant Director and Research Manager at the Lehigh Valley Arts and Culture Alliance, and Marta Kepka, Director of Arts Marketing at Lafayette College. They share how this free, anonymous survey came together, what kinds of questions it asks, and why it’s so important that both individuals and organizations take part.
We talk about:
Why the arts are essential to economic growth, public health, and social connection
The surprising lack of existing audience data in the region
What organizations can gain from distributing the survey to their audiences
How the results will be shared and used across sectors
Whether you’re a mural lover, a Musikfest regular, a parent with kids in band, or someone who just wants to see more arts opportunities in your neighborhood, your voice matters.
🎭 Take the survey: https://bit.ly/LehighValleyArtsSurvey
🎧 Full episode and more: www.lvwithlove.com
As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate an incredible year for the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast. This year, we reached an extraordinary milestone: 2.7 million hits across all of our episodes, showcasing the power of community storytelling and local connections.
With 47 episodes in 2025, we’ve shared countless stories that celebrate the heart of the Lehigh Valley and beyond. From exclusive celebrity interviews like Tony Danza, to exploring local landmarks such as The Sayre Mansion and The Dery House, to diving into community-focused initiatives like New Bethany Ministries’ Turkey Drive and Festival Unbound, our podcast covered an incredible breadth of topics this year.
Thanks to your support, we connected with people from all walks of life, sharing the stories that make the Lehigh Valley truly special.
Be sure to visit www.lvwithlove.com for updates throughout 2025!
We’re proud of every episode we released this year, but here are a few that truly stood out:
These episodes, among many others, exemplify the diversity and richness of stories we’re privileged to share with our listeners. Your engagement—from sharing episodes to leaving comments—helped make this possible.
We use S3Stat to verify our numbers.
Our achievements this year wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our amazing partners:
Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us bring these stories to life.
For more updates, episodes, and ways to connect with us, visit our website: www.lvwithlove.com.
We’re already planning for an even bigger and better year ahead, and we want YOU to be part of it! Whether you have a story to share, a business to spotlight, or an idea for collaboration, we’d love to hear from you. Fill out this form to get involved: https://forms.gle/3AXv59fdXrVirXke9.
Are you interested in being a guest on our podcast? Share your story with us by filling out our guest form here: https://forms.gle/V6czQLymPp1B31GW8.
Stay tuned for more incredible stories in 2025, and thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to another amazing year of connecting, sharing, and loving the Lehigh Valley!
