POTTSVILLE — The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce has announced that nominations are open now for the 2026 Chamber Awards Gala.

The annual gala, according to a chamber press release, “celebrates the outstanding businesses, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurs and professionals who make Schuylkill County a stronger place to live, work and do business. This is your opportunity to recognize those who go above and beyond in our community.”

The event is set for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Mountain Valley Golf Course site, 1021 Brockton Mountain Drive, Barnesville.

A highlight will involve recognizing our and “revealing this year’s winners live …” according to the chamber’s Olivia Erickson (oerickson@schuylkillchamber.com) who forwarded the release.

She also emphasized nominations are open now for participants to suggest “a deserving individual or organization.” Nominations are due by Aug. 14.

Award categories include Business Woman of the Year, Business Man of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Young Professional of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year and For-Profit of the Year.

To make a nomination, complete the online nomination form or mail the nomination to Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, 1 Progress Circle, Suite 201, Pottsville, PA 17901. Nominations may also be dropped off at the chamber office during normal business hours. For those who prefer paper, printable nomination forms are also available.

Prior to submitting a nomination, the chamber stressed people should review the award criteria and then complete the nomination. Email Erickson for more information or go to schuylkillchamber.com.

Explore Schuylkill boosts visitations to the county

POTTSVILLE — Explore Schuylkill, formerly the Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau, is a 501 (c)6 organization whose mission is “to increase the number of visitors to Schuylkill County, assist in enhancing the image of Schuylkill County and support the development of new tourist attractions in Schuylkill County,” according to online information at https://www.schuylkill.org/about-us.

Funding for the bureau is “almost exclusively by the county’s room tax.”

Its address is 103 E. Union St. (rear). It can be reached by calling 570-622-7700 or emailing to info@schuylkill.org, according to the website.

For more about Explore Schuylkill membership, go online to https://www.schuylkill.org/become-a-member-explore-schuylkill-county/membership-explore-schuylkill-county.

Historical society site eyes firefighting history

SHENANDOAH — The Schuylkill Historical Fire Society Museum and headquarters, 105 S. Jardin St., has a collection of historical firefighting equipment and artifacts known throughout the commonwealth.

It has visitation hours by appointment. To make an appointment, or for more information, call Kurt Tadich at 717-440-1964, email to tadichk@gmail.com or see any of the SHFS officers. More information also is available online at http://www.theshfs.org.

The society is “dedicated to the preservation of historical fire apparatus and memorabilia” and its collection includes fire engines, steamers, helmets, artifacts and uniforms housed in the museum.

The society also has a division at the museum’s lower level where an abundance of parts are available.

Women in Business event at PSU Schuylkill

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — According to a Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce flyer, the Schuylkill Women in Business Luncheon, sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network, will be held 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at Penn State Schuylkill Conference Services, 200 University Drive, Schuylkill Haven.

The event contact is Olivia Erickson, who can be reached via email to oerickson@schuylkillchamber.com. To reach the chamber, Union Station 1 Progress Circle, Pottsville PA 17901, call 570-622-1942 or email to memberservices@schuylkillchamber.com.

MAEA’s offerings touch numerous areas

POTTSVILLE — The Pottsville-based Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association offers myriad training and other sessions for regional employers, including (details at MAEA website):

■ National Policies and Practices Survey Report available for purchase, Pottsville.

■ Consulting: Improve efficiency, reduce waste, achieve results via MAEA’s process improvement consulting services.

■ Manufacturing and Plant roundtable, private tour for MAEA members at PFNonwovens, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 10 at Humboldt Industrial Park, Hazleton; registration required.

■ MAEA Electrical Fundamentals Training, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 24 at CAN BE Innovation Center, 103 Rotary Drive, West Hazleton; registration required.

■ MAEA Fall Golf Tournament 2026, Sept. 11, four-person scramble with 1 p.m shotgun start; registration 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Mountain Valley Golf Course, Barnesville. Sponsorships available with request deadline Aug. 31 for sign confirmation.

Those interested may register for these programs or get more information, including fees plus other MAEA offerings, by calling 570-622-0992 or going online to www.nepamaea.com.

MAEA’s main office is at 250 One Norwegian Plaza, Pottsville, PA 17901. It also has a Hazleton area site at the CANBE Innovation Center, 103 Rotary Drive, West Hazleton, PA 18202.

MAEA contacts include: Darlene J. Robbins, MAEA president, drobbins@nepamaea.com; Eileen Kuperavage, director of employer engagement, ekuperavage@nepamaea.com; Nichole Jenan, finance and assistant, njenan@nepamaea.com; Faith Colahan, administrative assistant, fcolahan@nepamaea.com; Courtney Fasnacht, Manufacturers and Employers Council, cfasnacht@nepamaec.com.

Hamburg readies for ‘Taste of Hamburger’

HAMBURG — The Our Town Foundation’s annual Taste of Hamburger Festival has been set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 5, rain or shine, in downtown Hamburg.

The event, according to an early release, will include more than 80 burger/food vendors, a hamburger eating contest, four stages of non-stop entertainment, beer/wine gardens open until 7 p.m., best burger contests, a dine-and-dash race, artisans and crafters as well as children’s activities.

The foundation also has sent out a call for vendors to “join the flavor explosion” at the festival.

Admission is free and all are welcome. For more information, call 610-562-3106, go online to tasteofhamburger.com or email to tasteofhamburger@gmail.com.

Expressions still a North Main fixture

SHENANDOAH — Expressions, the thrift/variety store at 114 N. Main St. run by Pottsville-based Avenues, a Schuylkill United Way agency formerly known as United Cerebral Palsy, is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

To reach Expressions, which offers in-store shopping, call 570-462-6252 or email shenexpr@avenuesofpa.org. For more about Avenues, go online to www.avenuesofpa.org or go to its Facebook page.