EASTON, Pa. — The year 2025 has come to an end, and what a year it’s been for Easton.
With local game show enthusiasts winning incredible prizes and the city and a local congregation getting closer to burying the hatchet to the defeat of a proposed million-square-foot warehouse, it’s been rather busy.
So why don’t we take a quick trip down through some of Easton’s most notable stories of 2025?
'Fortune' fanatic's lifetime opportunity
Starting off, West Ward resident Rickhaslo Brown got the chance of a lifetime when he got a chance to appear on his favorite game show, "Wheel of Fortune."
While just being on the show was more than enough for Brown, he walked away with $60,000, a cruise and the opportunity to celebrate the victory with friends and family at Rivals Sports Bar and Restaurant.
Rock Church, city agree on Hooper House
Things started off a bit contentious this year between the city and the Rock Church over the taking of the historic Hooper House, continuing a four-decade dispute between the pair over the blighted property.
But after months of negotiation and careful planning, the year rounded out with the city and church reaching an agreement in which the city will keep the Hooper House, while the Rock Church will maintain the adjoining Timothy House for traveling priests and parishioners.
"Now the real win-win for the city with this is the money used to acquire the Hooper House will be held basically in an escrow, for lack of a better term,” assistant city solicitor Jeremy Clark said in December meeting.
"And that money will be used to rehabilitate the Timothy House, which is in need of a lot of exterior renovations to bring it up to the standard of the surrounding properties, which have come a long way in the last 20 or 30 years.”
Easton Planners shoot down mega-warehouse
While the odds appeared to be stacked against those in opposition to the contentious Easton Commerce Park warehouse in Wilson, that didn’t stop a passionate group of Eastonians from fighting the development.
Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse came into being this year to fight Scannell Properties over concerns related to health and environmental impacts, even if only a sliver of the total parcel fell in the city’s limits.
Over the course of a year and countless hours of volunteers investigating and researching the subject, Easton’s Planning Commission ultimately sided with Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse, rejecting the plan and commending the group for their diligent work and participation in local government.
EASD's multi-million-dollar high school
Over in Easton Area School District, the hot topic of 2025 was the proposed new high school, and, of course, the multimillion-dollar price tag affixed to it.
A presentation to Easton Area School Board by Alloy 5 in January showcased a 450,000- to 480,000-square-foot lot featuring a new building that would accommodate about 3,020 students and cost $290 million to $320 million.
Board members and the public expressed concern over the potential for tax increases to cover the cost, as well as the potential the new high school might have to be moved in the future.
As the year went on, discussions on the project continued, but concerns over the price remain a hot-button issue, especially with the costs of tariffs applied to construction materials.
In October, the board opted to approve a resolution to tap its general fund, capital reserves or existing bond funds to pay for expenditures linked to projects such as the high school, with an agreement to reimburse the fund within 18 months.
Express-Times ceases print publication
Stop the presses: After 170 years, the Express-Times newspaper officially ended its print publication in 2025.
The Express-Times did not respond for comment on the matter, but statements attributed the decision to rising costs, decreasing circulation. and reduced demand for print.
Subscriptions dropped 20.4% year-over-year at the time of the announcement.
While some may view the news as a death knell to the industry as a whole, the Express-Times will maintain its digital platform, LehighValleyLive.com.
The shuttering of local papers has had a significant impact on many communities across the country, but Brian Creech, chairman of Lehigh University’s Journalism Department, said he sees some hope in the Lehigh Valley.
Creech pointed out the wealth of media in the area —including Lehigh Valley Public Media (which includes LehighValleyNews.com, PBS39 and WLVR-FM).
Also, The Morning Call newspaper, WFMZ-TV, Lehigh Valley Press and niche publications such as Lehigh Valley Style and Lehigh Valley Business.
"I think the existence of all the outlets here means there is a healthy enough economy for all these organizations," Creech said.
ICE in Easton
Northampton County Prison became a hotbed of political fighting as Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted the location for immigrant arrests.
U. S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie accused county officials of not cooperating with the federal agency, with County Executive Lamont McClure countered that the legislator did not grasp the complexity of the situation as a whole.
As the country became more and more divided over the matter of immigration enforcement, witnessing instances in the Lehigh Valley truly struck a chord with politicians and civilians alike, spurring demonstrations across the region.
Welcoming City ordinance just isn't enough
Exiting Easton Councilwoman Taiba Sultana started the year aiming to bring a Welcoming City ordinance to the city, leading to months of discussion, revision and, eventually, a switch to a simple update to an existing resolution.
And while some applauded the final passage of said resolution, others viewed it as a token gesture that would inevitably fail to protect any immigrant in danger.
The question remains, what will Easton do if ICE continues to be an issue for city citizens in 2026?
Charlie Kirk comment controversy at EASD
An Easton Area School District school nurse supervisor saw plenty of public pressure to be fired for her controversial social media posts regarding the death of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk.
Parents and residents were quick to criticize Kelly Keegan over the commentary, lining up in droves to call for her termination.
It was part of a trend seen across the country as droves of supporters aimed to get people fired for their thoughts on Kirk.
Enci "Aubrey" Wu
The story of missing Palmer Township teen Enci “Aubrey” Wu inspired countless people across the Lehigh Valley to investigate the disappearance — with authorities later deeming Wu a runaway.
But with baseless accusations and questionable conduct from Wu’s stepfather, the story quickly became even bigger, with the stepfather facing charges linked to his conduct.
Fast forward to April, and Wu was found safe in Georgia, with officials in the state working toward transporting her to Northampton County.
...And something silly to round out the year
Last, but certainly not least for 2025, there is a little bit of uplifting news: As it turns out, the Larry Holmes Drive Wawa isn’t the worst Sheetz in Pennsylvania!
Yes, it’s true. As it turns out, the mix-up was just a simple mistake in a news release.
But we just couldn’t resist an opportunity to talk about the greatest rivalry in the world of convenience stores.
