Making predictions is a tough task.
That’s certainly true when it comes to news.
No matter what reporters or editors think is going to happen, news has a way of providing surprises. A breaking crime story, an unexpected election result, a global pandemic — wrenches are constantly thrown into the mix.
That makes trying to predict the big news stories in a given year seem like an impossible task. Despite that, we’re doing it anyway.
Putting our heads together and making our best educated guesses, here’s what we think will make headlines in 2026.
Big birthday bash
The United States will have a big birthday in 2026, and Berks County plans to celebrate.
The 250th anniversary of the country’s founding will be celebrated on July 4. This milestone marks two-and-a-half centuries since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Major celebrations will take place throughout the year nationwide, including in Berks.
The county was awarded a $20,000 grant in October from a state commission dedicated to planning and developing the commemoration of the anniversary.
Organizers in Berks said the funds will be used to help the Reading Symphony Orchestra present its “Star Spangled Spectacular” during a special event scheduled for July 4. While the specifics are still being planned, organizers say the day will be filled with music, fun and fireworks.
“We are excited to contribute to Pennsylvania’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — and to engage our neighbors in meaningful ways that reflect our shared values while pointing toward a hopeful future,” Berks Commissioner Christian Leinbach said when the county received the grant.
Leinbach said the grant, along with contributions from the local business community, will allow officials to organize something special.
There are also a number of initiatives being launched by the state that will make their way to Berks.
The first was the unveiling of the county’s America250PA Liberty Bell in November at FirstEnergy Stadium. The sculpture, part of the Bells Across PA initiative, was designed by Kutztown High School art teacher Benjamin Hoffman.
The bell features an eight-pointed star, a Maltese Cross, a six-pointed rosette, a keystone and the phrase “Everyone Goes Home” written in Pennsylvania Dutch.
— Karen Shuey
Warehouses, data centers
Warehouse developers have continued their push to build large-scale warehouses and industrial centers in rural locations throughout Berks.
Their efforts have been welcomed by some officials in the county’s more remote areas. They see warehouses as a viable method of generating tax revenue amid rising municipal and school district costs.
Many residents living near the proposed developments are fighting plans that would place massive structures close to their properties. They claim such buildings aren’t suitable near neighborhoods and may force families to contend with truck traffic, noise and light pollution and decreased property values, among other issues.
Plans for warehouses near more populated areas and large residential developments face the fiercest resistance, with resident groups in many cases claiming political and legal victories over developers.
In Cumru Township, Mark Ferrero and Tonya Liepins won seats on the board of commissioners in November on an anti-warehouse platform, beating out former commissioners David Batdorf and William Miller, who had supported warehouse development as a method of generating revenue for a township facing increasing expenses.
They join commissioners Andy Donnell and Greg Miller on a board that has been formulating a development plan that looks to patch budget shortfalls and earn new tax revenue through economic development such as restaurants, stores and recreation, instead of warehouses.
Shifting sentiments among residents and officials in Cumru, along with prolonged legal challenges, likely contributed to developers’ decision in September to withdraw plans for a 739,000-square-foot warehouse along Route 10 and Freemansville Road.
Developers have abandoned plans for a 739,000-square-foot warehouse along Route 10 and Freemansville Road in Cumru Township. (BILL UHRICH-READING EAGLE)
Residents voting against warehouses may face increased taxes as municipalities look to fill budget holes — with staffing and other expenses rising and no increase in assessed real estate value. Cumru officials in December approved a $200 annual increase to the township’s tax rate.
Officials noted that the property owner is in talks to develop an AI data center on the same plot, illustrating a shift in demand.
Plans for a data center on 350 acres at Route 724 and Cedar Hill Road in Robeson Township have also been floated and have met resistance from some residents.
Townships like Robeson and Cumru are among the first in the county to draft new zoning rules regulating data center development.
In Maxatawny Township, several plans for warehouses remain in limbo as they make their way through their latest round of conditional use hearings after previous versions were shot down by township officials and residents’ legal challenges.
Construction is underway on a 930,000-square-foot warehouse at Schaeffer Road and Route 222 in Maidencreek Township. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The Maxatawny plans still on the table include a 1 million-square-foot warehouse and a 658,000-square-foot warehouse north of Route 222 near Long Lane and Hottenstein roads, and another two warehouses, 1 million square feet and 270,000 square feet, at 310 Hilltop Road.
Some developers targeting the county’s more remote areas have had success in realizing their plans, with construction starting on several warehouses of about 1 million square feet or more.
In November, ground was broken on the first phase of the 5 million-square-foot Gateway Industrial Center on the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Grace Mine in New Morgan. That southern Berks borough is among the least populated areas in the county, being home to about 54 residents, according to the 2020 census.
The project’s first phase involves construction of two warehouses — one totaling 925,000 square feet and the other 292,000 square feet — that are slated to be finished in late 2026.
Construction also started this past summer on a 930,000-square-foot warehouse at Schaeffer Road and Route 222 in Maidencreek Township. Those plans faced significant resistance from residents in months of hearings before the plans’ eventual approval.
In South Heidelberg Township, plans for another 1.3 million-square feet of warehouse space on Krick Lane are making their way through the approval process, having received preliminary approval in December. The vote on final approval will likely take place in the spring, township officials said.
Those warehouses would border another 409,000-square-foot facility on Krick Lane that was granted final approval in December 2024.
— Keith Dmochowski
National elections in spotlight
While it may not have quite the same panache as a presidential election year, 2026 will nonetheless have voters heading to the polls to make choices in very consequential races.
Voters across the country will take part in midterm elections, with U.S. House and Senate races that will determine which party controls those bodies. The midterms typically see the party not in the White House do well, and experts are anticipating success for Democrats in 2026.
Just how big that “blue wave” is, and what it means for national politics, will be a big question answered. And races in Pennsylvania will have a big say.
Midterm elections this year will feature U.S. House and Senate races. In state-level races, House members and half of the state Senate will be on the ballot. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
According to the latest Franklin & Marshall College poll released in October, Democrats have an early edge over Republicans in federal races heading into 2026. The poll found that 45% of registered voters in Pennsylvania would vote for a Democratic candidate running for a seat in the U.S. House compared with 40% who would vote Republican. But a significant slice — 15% — said they were still undecided.
In state-level races, House members and half of the state Senate will be on the ballot. With both bodies closely split between Democrats and Republicans, the results of the midterms will have a big impact on which party holds sway in Harrisburg.
— Karen Shuey
A look at the roads
With several multiyear highway projects expected to start in 2027 or 2028 in Berks, the next 12 months won’t be very dynamic in terms of road construction.
“It’s a little like the calm before the storm,” said Alan Piper, county transportation planner.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is tentatively scheduled this year to begin the reconstruction of two bridges carrying Route 23 (Main Street) and Twin Valley Road over the main line turnpike in Caernarvon Township. Wider bridges will be built to allow for future widening of the main line to three lanes in each direction east of the Morgantown interchange.
Ongoing projects include the construction of a roundabout on Route 222 at Long Lane Road in Maxatawny Township and safety upgrades to Route 61 in Hamburg and Tilden Township and Interstate 78 from Hamburg to the Lehigh County line.
Construction has begun on the roundabout at Route 222 and Long Lane in Maxatawny Township. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The multiphase Route 61 project started in March 2024 and focuses on reconstruction and widening, with significant safety upgrades including new retaining walls, culvert rehabilitation, curve realignments and intersection improvements, especially the Interstate 78 interchange. A big piece of that — widening of the I-78 arch bridge over the Schuylkill River — should be done in the fall.
PennDOT will open bids early in the year for a new truck weigh station on I-78 in Upper Tulpehocken Township.
Work on replacing the I-78 Lenhartsville Bridge over Maiden Creek in Greenwich Township will continue for at least two more years.
Unheralded bridge projects — smaller spans, mostly — complete the road construction picture in 2026. Among the most significant, PennDOT is rebuilding the Alleghenyville Road bridge over Interstate 176 in Robeson Township and replacing the Route 645 bridge over Swatara Creek.
Major projects in store for 2027 include the next phase of Route 222 widening — between Route 662 and the Kutztown Bypass — and intersection improvements on Route 12 (Pricetown Road) in Alsace Township. Route 12 projects include a roundabout at Elizabeth Avenue.
— Steven Henshaw