Year In Review 2024: Top Stories In The Doylestown Area

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Wandering bears, a cockfighting ring and big changes at the administrative helm of the Central Bucks School District led the news in 2024 in the Doylestown area.

The year also brought big changes to the retail landscape with the opening of a new Target store in Doylestown Borough, the arrival of Barnes & Noble at the Barn Plaza in Doylestown Township and the debut of duckpin bowling in downtown Doylestown.

These were some of the top stories making news in Lower Bucks County this past year:

Central Bucks Selects New Superintendent

In May, the Central Bucks School Board announced that it had found the school district's next administrative leader - Dr. Steven Yanni, a Central Bucks School District resident. “The board is very excited and pleased to introduce Dr. Yanni to our community," said Karen Smith, the president of the Central Bucks School Board. "We believe his substantial experience as a superintendent will be invaluable to us in Central Bucks and look forward to his leadership as we continue to work to create a bright future for all our students."

Dr. Steven Yanni, new Superintendent of the Central Bucks School District.

Cockfighting Ring Broken Up In Plumstead

In February, the Plumstead Township Police Department broke up an active cockfight at a township property and arrested a man on felony animal cruelty charges. Police received an anonymous tip and arrived to find two roosters fighting in a ring built inside a two-car garage. When police arrived, a crowd of about 25 people fled the scene.

Several of the roosters rescued from a cockfighting ring in Plumstead.

Bear Killed On Route 611 Bypass In Doylestown

A bear that had been roaming around Doylestown for several weeks in May was struck and
killed by a vehicle on the Route 611 Bypass. Social media reports were filled with reports of the bear lying along side of the highway on northbound Route 611 near the State Street exit. In the weeks leading up to its tragic end, the bear had captivated the area with residents capturing photos of it wandering through their backyards and posting them to social media.

Doylestown's First Roundabouts Completed

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced in August that construction had been substantially completed approximately 19 months ahead of schedule on a $3.9 million project to build two roundabouts at the intersection of Easton Road and New Britain Road/Sauerman Road in Doylestown Township. The project began in October 2023 to construct two adjacent single-lane roundabouts at the bifurcated intersection of Easton Road and New Britain Road/Sauerman Road. The roundabouts - a first in Central Bucks County - include new drainage and sidewalks, ADA-compliant crossings, bicycle facilities, lighting, and full-depth pavement reconstruction.

PennDOT Photo Showing One of the Completed Roundabouts.

Duckpin Bowling, Mini Golf Comes To Doylestown

Duckpin Bowling and an indoor mini golf course joined the lineup in 2024 at Doylestown’s hottest new indoor entertainment center. The newly rebranded Main Street Sport and Social opened just in time for the holiday season on the second and third floors of the MainStreet Marketplace (next to the Doylestown Bookshop on South Main Street). Will Wister, the man behind Main Swing Golf, a state-of-the-art four-bay golf simulator that opened a year ago, expanded his indoor golf experience to include a four-lane Duckpin Bowling Alley - a first in Bucks County - and a 9-hole indoor mini golf course.

In late 2024, Will Wister introduced his newly rebranded Main Street Sport and Social with the addition of Duckpin Bowling and Miniature Golf at the MainStreet Marketplace.