Robert Kopecek, Longtime President of NCC, Dies

President of Northampton Community College for 26 years, Kopecek led while campus, enrollment and community outreach expanded.

  Robert Kopecek, who led Northampton Community College for 26 years while it significantly expanded course offerings and more than tripled the size of its student enrollment, died at his home in North Carolina on Thursday, the school announced. A news release on the college Website said Kopecek is “remembered as a visionary and hard-driving leader, determined throughout his presidency to expand access to education, to foster economic development, and to make Northampton a world-class community college.” Kopecek took over from the college’s founding president, Richard C. Richardson, in 1977 and remained in that role until his retirement in 2003. He was replaced by Arthur L. Scott, who retired a year ago. While Kopecek was president at …

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Learn About Careers in the Hospitality Industry

Fowler Family SouthSide Center to host a forum about careers and career training for restaurants, hotels and casinos.

  Northampton Community College will hold its second annual Hospitality Career Forum on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Fowler Family SouthSide Center, Room 605, 511 E. Third St., Bethlehem.  The program is open to current and prospective students. Recent graduates will share their knowledge and professional experiences from the hospitality industry. These graduates include: NCC's hospitality program includes culinary arts, hotel/restaurant management, resort management, casino operations, and dining room operations. For more information, call 610-332-8660. 

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PA Superior Court to Convene in Bethlehem

Pennsylvania appeals court will hold a special session at Northampton Community College on Tuesday and Wednesday.

  The Superior Court of Pennsylvania will hold a special session of its argument court in Northampton Community College’s Lipkin Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 26 and 27, the court announced today. This will be the first time in the history of the state appeals court that it will hold session in Bethlehem and one of the few times in its more than 100-year history that a session will be held outside of a courtroom, said Superior Court Judge Jack A. Panella. Panella is based in Bethlehem and sought special permission to hold this session, which will include argument from 45 cases, most of which have litigants from Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties, the judge said. Both sessions will begin at 9 a.m. and are open to the public. …

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Crime News

Pedestrian Hit by NCC Student's Car, Police Say

18-year-old driver told Bethlehem Township police she thought only the victim's purse had hit her side-view mirror.

  A Northampton Community College student is facing charges as a result of a November vehicle accident in which she struck a pedestrian – a fellow student – on a college crosswalk, according to court papers. Lindsey Janae Kizer, 18, of 4459 Oakwood Lane in Lower Nazareth Township was charged with accidents involving death or personal injury, failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk, failing to render aid and failing to immediately notify police of an accident. The victim was not seriously hurt, suffering a sprained ankle when the car hit her left leg. Kizer was arraigned Thursday before District Judge Joseph Barner, Lower Nazareth Township, and released on $2,000 unsecured bail. The pedestrian was crossing Green Pond…

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Beloved Philanthropist Linny Fowler Dead at 73

Linny Fowler died Monday at the age of 73, according to reports.

Philanthropist Linny Fowler died Monday of natural causes, according to a report in The Morning Call. She was 73. UPS heiress Fowler was known locally for giving generously to the arts and to the poor. Several buildings in the Lehigh Valley are named in her honor, including the Fowler Family South Side Center of Northampton Community College in Bethlehem. She also was a major benefactor of ArtsQuest. NCC spokesman Heidi Butler said, "As the news traveled across campus this afternoon, there was shock and sadness, followed by spontaneous sharing of memories, not only of how generous Linny was, but also of how down-to-earth she was and about the personal interest she took in students and the encouragement she gave them. She was beloved." …

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Roll the Dice at Casino Career Open House Jan. 29

Learn about casino careers at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem on Jan. 29

Northampton Community College will hold an information session for its Casino Training Program on Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fowler Family Southside Center, Room 605 in Bethlehem. The interactive session will provide the information you need to launch a successful career in one of the fastest growing industries in Pennsylvania. Read more: Learn about the industry and NCC’s program from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and then interact with instructors and current students in the mock casino over blackjack, craps and baccarat. Several table games dealer training sessions are available, including day, afternoon and evening programs for both incoming students and experienced dealers. A casino surveillance program and casino floor …

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Free Program: Is Your Kid Ready for Kindergarten?

Northampton Community College will hold a free program on kindergarten readiness Tuesday, Jan. 29

Northampton Community College's Reibman Hall and Hannig Family Children's Centers will host "Kindergarten Readiness: Tips to Help Your Child Succeed" on Tuesday, January 29, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The program will be led by Denise Continenza of the Penn State Cooperative Extension. The program will be held in College Center 117 at NCC's Main Campus in Bethlehem Township, and will be livestreamed to the Monroe Campus in Video Conference Room 141. The interactive workshop will feature a question-and-answer session with a panel of early childhood experts, including an experienced kindergarten parent, a kindergarten teacher, a pediatrician, and a family educator. The panel will help parents and grandparents learn how to prepare children for …

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Crime News

NCC Student Accused of Selling Pot from Dorm Room

Police find marijuana, paraphernalia in Northampton Community College dorm room. Student admits he had 10 to 15 regular customers buying drugs from him.

  A Northampton Community College student from York County, Pennsylvania, has been evicted from the college’s residence hall and suspended from classes and all campus activity after he admitted to selling marijuana -- for 10 to 15 regular customers -- out of his room. During an early-morning search of 20-year-old Andrew J. Arnold’s dorm room, court records say, Bethlehem Township police found more than 100 grams of suspected marijuana, four marijuana-smoking devices, sandwich baggies used to package marijuana, $176 and a small scale. Arnold, who hails from Felton Borough, was arraigned this morning before District Judge Joseph Barner of Lower Nazareth Township and charged with one count each of possession with intent to deliver a …

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NCC Offers Ice Fishing Class for Children

Children in grades 6 through 10 are eligible to participate in Northampton Community College ice fishing class.

  Children in grades 6 through 10 can learn about and experience ice fishing at classes offered by Northampton Community College and taught by professional fisherman and guide Joe Pacholec.  The classes will be held on Saturdays, Jan. 12, Jan. 26 and Feb. 9, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. An NCC van will take students from Hartzell Hall at the Main Campus to Lake Wallenpaupack.  The instructor will dig the holes and teach safety and tips. The fee is $129. Children should bring lunch and a snack. A hot dog and bottled water will be provided. Registration is limited to 6 children. To register your children for this new course, call 1-877-543-0998 or go to Northampton.edu/lifelearn.   

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NCC Class Registration Open Friday

Northampton Community College will have its only open office hours of winter break from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday to accommodate students who want to register for class in person.

  The enrollment offices at Northampton Community College will be open from 10:00am - 2:00pm Friday, to accommodate students who would like to register and purchase books for spring semester courses. These will be the only hours available for in-person registration and bookstore purchases during the College’s winter break. Students will also be able to meet with financial aid staff, take placement tests, buy their books, and obtain student IDs.  Online registration (via MyNCC) for current students continues through the winter break period, and until the day prior to the start of the semester. The spring semester begins Monday, January 14.

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