Good morning, Reading.

On Thursday night, Reading’s Colombian community gathered at Centro Hispano to pray for people affected by the earthquake in Colombia — organizers collected donations that will be shipped on Sunday via Philadelphia, New York and by sea.

Nearly 100-year-old Edward Conrad and fellow WWII veterans were honored at a VJ Day event held Aug.

15 at the McGlinn Conference Center near Alvernia University (sponsored by the Battle of the Bulge Association) as younger locals gathered to preserve their stories.

Schuylkill River Greenways named longtime journalist Jason Brudereck as its new communications director to lead media relations and marketing efforts along the Schuylkill River trail in Pottstown.

He replaces Rosemary Keane, who shifted to the Pottstown Regional Public Library in June.

On Wednesday, about 800 students and families gathered on the 600 block of Penn Street for Reading's fifth annual Back-to-School Giveaway—hosted by Mayor Eddie Moran and state Rep. Manny Guzman—to receive school supplies, haircuts, and free books; more than 45 community partners provided services to ease back-to-school costs.

Animal Rescue League of Berks County announced board leadership changes with Eden Bucher elected president, plus new officers Weslie Liana, Stephanie Ziegler, Susan Gerhart, and board members Lorin Basden Arnold and Kyle Giles.

The moves strengthen ARL’s mission to protect animals (and improve local animal care).

Lang Restaurant, a long-known Vietnamese eatery that has served families for 41 years, will close on Aug.

30 as the family no longer has enough staff to run it. The restaurant has been a place for community gatherings and cherished family memories.

Santander U.S., with roots in Berks County, has finished a $12.3 billion deal to buy Webster Bank in Connecticut to boost its U.S. reach.

The purchase makes Webster’s Stamford office a key hub — strengthening customer access across the region.

Pulitzer on the Road will visit Reading’s library and other cities from October through May 2028.

The exhibit shows Pulitzer Prize winners (including writer Barbara Kingsolver) and helps visitors learn about a century of notable journalism and art.

Governor Mifflin School District earned the Great Pennsylvania Schools designation during its August board meeting as the 2026-2027 school year began (meeting strict criteria for academics, community ties, and fiscal health as set by the PA School Board Association).

Strong storms on Thursday evening left 1,726 customers without power in Berks (outages affected areas including Bernville, Exeter, Greenwich, Penn, Pike, Robeson and Ruscombmanor townships).

FirstEnergy was assessing outages while PPL said service in Wyomissing would be restored by 3:30 a.m. Friday.

Boyertown's football team posted its first winning season since 2013, snapped a long drought against Perkiomen Valley, and earned a playoff spot.

Head coach Jami Sands said the team plans to build on this success (their season opens Aug. 28) while adjusting to key player losses (including graduating starters).