Basics:
E-mail: Josh.Popichak@patch.com
Phone: 610-216-6043
Unlike many younger (and older) editors, I never went to J-school (that's "journalism school" for those of you who don't use the new media lingo). Most journalism schools are part of medium or large universities, and as a graduate of a large high school I wanted to downsize my education when I went away to college. That was one of the reasons I chose to attend Bates, a liberal arts college in Maine rooted in the traditions of egalitarianism. As a "Batesie" I majored in history and became the features editor for our school newspaper, The Student, before graduating and leaving the beautiful state of Maine behind in 1999. I returned to Pennsylvania and spent several eye-opening years exploring other fields and potential career paths, before feeling called to write and edit again. That was in 2005, when I joined the team at the Saucon News and began to cover Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township as full-time reporter.
On a personal level, I have always been a bit of a newshound and I think that's because I'm constantly trying to understand how the events of today are shaped and influenced by our shared history. I like to think that I have a curious mind, which is a trait I believe every journalist should have.
Right now I'm looking forward to learning a lot more about the Saucon Valley, including more about its history, its present, and its future, and I sincerely hope you'll join me on this journey!
The upscale Pacifico restaurant at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township is involved in a rent dispute with the lifestyle center.
The HBBRP committee will present their first 'Golden Broom' award on Black Friday, Nov. 29, to a Hellertown business owner who demonstrates pride in keeping a well-maintained and welcoming façade and store entrance.
A New Hope woman was cited for allegedly driving too fast for conditions after police said she slid into a crosswalk button post while trying to enter the Creekside Marketplace shopping center parking lot Oct. 7.
An informational meeting about the Saucon Valley School District's PowerTeaching initiative is planned for Monday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the high school Audion.
Free flu shots for senior citizens will be available at the upcoming 21st annual Lehigh County Senior Center Health Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Betty M. (Schaible) Whitman died Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013. She was a member of Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church, Tinicum Township.
![Betty M. (Schaible) Whitman, 81, of Richlandtown [Obituary]](https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/86761/2013/10/raw/7fc9e10841d8eccc69ed83a0dbc41765.jpg)
A Nazareth area woman was cited for 'Driving Vehicle at Safe Speed' after allegedly causing a rear-end accident on I-78 eastbound near mile marker 71 in Lower Saucon Township.
Maintenance forces will be performing drainage work along I-78 East between the Lehigh County line and Exit 67 (Route 412) in Lower Saucon Township from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday.
A Lower Milford Township man was recently charged with theft and committed to Lehigh County Prison for allegedly shoplifting clothes from the Brooks Brothers store in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township last month.
The highlight of the week ahead in Saucon Valley will be a special Spirit Weekend that begins Friday and will culminate with both the Spirit and 4-County Fireman's parades in Hellertown Sunday afternoon.
The Kiwanis Club of Southern Lehigh will sponsor its annual Haunted Hayride in Upper Saucon Township Community Park this weekend. A Southern Lehigh School Board meeting will be held at the high school Monday at 7:30 p.m.
A man who was allegedly angry that his girlfriend's security deposit wasn't returned when he requested it hit her landlord in the face before fleeing with her, according to police.
A Lower Saucon Township man gave officers a false name following a traffic stop in July because he thought he was wanted on warrants, but that wasn't the case, township police said in a news release.
Lee Weidner of Hellertown says the preservation of the borough's Tumminello tract as open space represents a win for nature-lovers.
![Tenacious Volunteers Deserve Credit for Hellertown Tract's Preservation [Letter]](https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/86761/2013/10/raw/e937b43fa2f6abc9478eb444161bc37e.jpg)
There’s a whole day dedicated to Christopher Columbus, the man who sailed the ocean blue in 1492.
Columbus Day is Monday, Oct. 14.
Columbus Day is Monday, Oct. 14.
There’s a whole day dedicated to Christopher Columbus, the man who sailed the ocean blue in 1492.
Stories about a petition to change the day and time of Hellertown's Trick-or-Treat and an alleged fight on a school bus were among the most-read on Hellertown-Lower Saucon Patch this week.
Stories about the Saucon Rail Trail's nomination for a sustainability award and the arrest of an Upper Saucon Township woman on drug-related charges topped the local headlines this week.
