Death Knell for Bristol Rite Aid Begins to Toll

State Representative Kristin Marcell (R-Bucks) announced that she will  run for re-election in 2026, pledging to continue her record of independent, common sense  service to the people of the 178th District. 

“Working together with legislators, community leaders, and residents, we are finding common  sense, common ground solutions to the challenges Pennsylvania faces while still holding strong  to the shared principles of our community,” said Marcell. “That is the kind of record people want  in today’s divided government, and the kind of service I will continue to provide if re-elected.” 

Marcell has made common sense and the ability to bring differing sides together a hallmark of  her time in Harrisburg, which is how she was able to pass legislation into law in a divided  government, and bring Pennsylvania’s protracted FY2025-26 budget stalemate to a positive end. 

“From the beginning of last year’s budget process, I made it clear that we needed to come  together to focus state spending on priorities like education and job creation, oppose ideological  policies that would increase energy costs for residents, and protect our state’s Rainy Day Fund,”  Marcell explained. “By joining with like-minded legislators from both sides of the aisle,  rejecting extreme partisan politics, and sticking to the core goals of our community, that is  exactly where we ended up.” 

Marcell’s commitment to putting solutions above partisanship has resulted in the passage of  several pieces of her legislation through divided government. Her initiatives to improve patient  safety and care in nursing homes; to educate the public about the dangers of human use of  xylazine; and, to address “porch piracy” have all become law.  

Marcell pledged to once again follow the philosophy that has served our community so well: do  what’s right for the people she serves.  

“I will continue to fight for responsible, bipartisan government that focuses on the priorities of  Bucks County. I know those priorities – spending tax dollars responsibly, improving our  education system, keeping our communities safe, and sparking the job growth that helps families  reach economic security – because I have listened to the people I represent,” said Marcell. 

Along with working for legislation that helps our state, Marcell has also built a strong record of  delivering for our local communities and residents. She has helped secure millions of dollars in grant funding for projects that benefit Bucks County, and delivered strong constituent services  that have helped thousands of residents address their issues with state government. 

Marcell was born and raised in Bucks County and graduated from local public schools. She holds  a Master’s degree in public policy from the George Washington University and a Bachelor of  Arts in Policial Science from the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to being elected to the  State House, Marcell spent more than two decades in the private sector, helping provide strategic  and communications counsel to businesses in numerous fields.  

Marcell and her husband, Steve, are the proud parents of two children and reside in Wrightstown with their dog, Lilo.

The 178th District includes the townships of Northampton, Upper Southampton, Warwick and Wrightstown.

The date and time is set for the 2026 St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrating Irish culture in Levittown scheduled to take place Saturday March 14 beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The parade kicks on from Conwell Egan Catholic High School and ends at New Falls Road in Levittown.

The 2026 Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee has selected Jeff Sproehnle as Grand Marshal for this years parade. Sproehnle is a  39-year veteran of the Middletown Township Police Department. Prior to his retirement in 2011, he rose to the rank of Detective and managed many notable cases serving residents of Middletown Township and Bucks County.

Credit: Submitted

A long-time member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), Sproehnle served as Division 1 President for eight years, stepping down in 2025. He has been instrumental in supporting fundraising efforts such as the Hibernian Hunger Project and initiatives benefiting veterans in need.

A report from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star published under creative commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.  and written by Whitney Downard 

The Shapiro administration stepped up its opposition to two proposed immigrant detention centers in Berks and Schuylkill counties Thursday, issuing administrative orders claiming that housing anyone at either location would violate state water regulations.

Five administrative orders sent through the state Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday assert that water and sewage cannot be supplied to the two warehouses, meaning the buildings can’t be occupied until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security finds a way to comply.

“Based on what the department has learned about DHS’s plans to convert two commercial warehouses into detention centers for 9,000 people, there are serious concerns about the environmental impacts of these actions. The conversion of warehouses to detention facilities risks harming the communities in and around Tremont and Upper Bern townships, overwhelming their sewage facilities and exceeding the available drinking water supply,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley in a release.

ICE purchased the buildings in January with plans to open as early as November 30, 2026 — but the state said the federal agency hasn’t yet filed any permits to “significantly modify” existing water and wastewater infrastructure.

“Doubling the populations of these areas could drain drinking water sources and lead to polluted waterways from overwhelmed sewage facilities leaking raw waste into our streets and rivers. Just like anyone else, DHS needs to demonstrate its facilities comply with environmental standards,” Shirley added.

DEP: Water, sewage systems can’t handle the additional capacity

Last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro vowed to fight the facilities, located in Upper Bern Township in Berks County and Tremont Township in Schuylkill County. Initial plans from Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicate that the two warehouses will house 1,500 and 7,500 immigrants, respectively.

But the water and sewage systems in each location can’t accommodate those populations, the Shapiro administration claims.

In Upper Bern, the warehouse water system is designed for roughly 350 employees each using 35 gallons of water a day, for a maximum of 12,240 gallons per day.

Prisons and detention center water systems “should be designed” to provide two gallons of water per minute with a peak daily demand of 120 gallons per day per person, according to the state administrative orders.

In Upper Bern, this would require up to 180,000 gallons of water per day and produce between 112,500 and 225,000 gallons of sewage per day — more than maximum monthly flow under the entire township’s 2024 wastewater treatment plan, an amount that “will overwhelm” existing infrastructure.

The state said it has issued five emergency permits to the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority, which oversees Tremont’s water and sewage systems, since December 2025 to allow “bulk hauling of drinking water … created by the emergency drought conditions” in the area.

ICE’s detention plans would require up to 900,000 gallons of water per day, “or 90% of all available stored water in the Tremont Water System,” which would prevent it “from serving its current customers and providing water for fire protection.”

The state concludes that DHS must outline its plans to provide drinking water and sewage service within 20 days, noting that hauling water, tapping into wells or installing storage tanks also require permits. Last week, Shapiro warned that trucking in supplies could wear down local roads, many of which have only two lanes.

Orders to locals in Upper Bern, Tremont and the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority say that townships would need to redesign their sewage treatment plants and the authority cannot provide sewage service with portable toilets without permitting.