MONROE UNFILTERED: THE DAILY BUZZ | August 12
The Mill That Fed an Army, A New Health Center Comes to Monroe, and a Sentence in Middle Smithfield
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
DAILY WEATHER
As the Beatles (specifically George Harrison) sang, “Here Comes the Sun.” Today is a nice reprieve after yesterday's storms: mostly sunny, with a high near 84°F and a low around 66°F, and just a 15% chance of rain (mostly in the afternoon) with a light breeze.
A fun detail: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr provided backing vocals and instrumentation on the song, while John Lennon did not appear on the recording because he was recovering from a car accident at the time.
Looking ahead: Thursday holds a similar pattern, partly cloudy with a high near 85°F and a 24% chance of rain. Friday cools slightly, with a high near 84°F and just a 14% chance of rain. The weekend looks great so far if you have outdoor plans. Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high near 81°F but only a 4% chance of rain.
DID YA KNOW?: THE CREEKS THAT RAN THIS COUNTY
The creeks and waterways of Monroe County are some of the most beautiful scenery that makes us a tourist destination today. But long before the Poconos were a getaway, those same waterways, particularly the Brodhead and McMichael creeks, were industrial infrastructure.
Mills dotted the landscape throughout the county. Stroudsburg had several, including a flour mill built by county namesake Daniel Stroud along Pocono Creek in 1822-23, and later mills along McMichael Creek. William Wallace built a sawmill on McMichael Creek in 1865, while the Kitson Woolen Mill was also turning out textiles nearby. Up around Analomink, Stokes' Mill ground grain along with another operation near the old Sebring's Power House. Smaller sawmills and gristmills could be found in Barrett, Paradise, Price, Pocono, and Smithfield Townships. Basically, if a creek had enough current, somebody built a wheel on it.
Almost none of it is left; most of these mills are gone entirely or reduced to a foundation stone somewhere off a hiking trail. But one of these mills, which played an important role in the Revolutionary War, survives today.
Jacob Brinker's mill in Sciota was built in 1730 and was originally a log structure. Then in 1779, General John Sullivan marched roughly 4,000 Continental troops through on their way to “punish” Iroquois forces allied with the British, and Brinker's mill got drafted as the expedition's supply depot. It supplied roughly 4,000 hungry soldiers leaving a miller who probably didn't sleep for a week.
In 1800, the new owner Fenner (the first name is variously cited as Barrett, Barnet, or Bernhardt) tore down the original log structure and built the stone mill that still stands on Business Route 209 today. In between, John George Keller owned the mill and gave his name to the village of Kellersville down the road.
Hamilton Township just spent approximately $1.25 million to repair and restore the mill. The township has owned it since 1974 and it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
KEEP THE WHEEL TURNING
Those old mills couldn't run without a steady current, and neither can we. If you'd rather have Monroe Unfiltered land straight in your inbox instead of hoping Facebook's algorithm remembers you exist, subscribe free at monroeunfiltered.substack.com. And if you know a neighbor still fishing for local news out of a comments section, send them our way too.
THE DAILY RUNDOWN
A Sentence in the Yard Case. Michael Noel Yard, 36, of East Stroudsburg, was sentenced Monday to 5.5 to 15 years in state prison on a first-degree felony count of aggravated assault in connection with the 2021 death of his three-month-old son, Armani Midnight Yard, in Middle Smithfield Township. A jury acquitted Yard of criminal homicide in May but found him guilty of aggravated assault. Monroe County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Harlacher Sibum handed down a sentence at the upper end of the aggravated range, citing several aggravating circumstances, and gave Yard credit for 1,566 days already served. District Attorney Mike Mancuso said the conviction is considered a crime of violence, meaning any future parole decision will require a majority vote of the full state parole board.
MONROE MARKET MOVERS
The Wright Center Comes to Monroe. The Wright Center for Community Health has been designated a full Federally Qualified Health Center by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The designation opens the door to new federal operational grants and support, and the Scranton-based nonprofit, which served more than 39,000 patients across Northeastern Pennsylvania this past year, says it's planning to establish its first community health center in Monroe County. Rep. Rob Bresnahan was thanked at the announcement for his role in securing the designation. No timeline or site location has been announced yet; we'll follow up when one is.
SILVER LININGS
A Boost for Day Street. The Day Street Community Center in East Stroudsburg received a $50,000 grant from Lowe's for major renovations, WNEP reports. The center offers art, sports, and other programs for all ages in the neighborhood — good news for a local staple that could use the facelift.