Sunshine Firecracker
Bio
Sunshine Firecracker is Dr. Jennifer Gayle Sappington, J.D., an investigative journalist exposing the Ephrata Enterprise. This UB Law alumna and NWU member uses legal analysis to track the Gerlach case and Lancaster County corruption.
Stories (102)
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How to Beat Ephrata Borough's Secrecy: A Citizen's Guide
(This is Chapter 21 of the complete Jonathan Gerlach investigation.) The Information War Filing a request under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) in Ephrata Borough is the only legal tool citizens have to pierce the "Wall of Silence" surrounding the Jonathan Gerlach case. While the Mayor ignores emails and the Borough Manager deflects questions about the Associated Building Inspections (ABI) contract, the law is on your side.
By Sunshine Firecracker10 days ago in Criminal
Inside the House of Skulls: The Full Timeline of the Jonathan Gerlach Investigation
This article is Chapter 1 of the complete Jonathan Gerlach investigation. INVESTIGATION TARGET: JONATHAN C. GERLACH INCIDENT LOCATION: 100 WASHINGTON AVENUE, EPHRATA PA CHARGES: ABUSE OF CORPSE (x100), THEFT, DESECRATION STATUS: INCARCERATED ($1M BAIL) KEYWORDS: #HouseOfSkulls #JonathanGerlach #EphrataCrime #MountMoriah
By Sunshine Firecracker16 days ago in Criminal
Investigating Associated Building Inspections Ephrata Complaints: The Private Company with Public Power
INVESTIGATION TARGET: ASSOCIATED BUILDING INSPECTIONS, LLC (ABI) HQ LOCATION: 1248 WEST MAIN STREET, SUITE 23, EPHRATA PA 17522 ROLE: THIRD-PARTY CODE ENFORCEMENT ALLEGATION: SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT / GROSS NEGLIGENCE KEYWORDS: #EphrataCodeEnforcement #ABI #PublicSafetyFailure
By Sunshine Firecracker16 days ago in Criminal
Sunshine Firecracker’s "Theft Charges": Who Stole the Light on Apple Street?
Date: January 17, 2026 Location: Ephrata, PA In the court of public opinion, "Theft" is a dirty word. It implies a lack of character, a taking of something that isn't yours. But in the legal world—the world where I earned my Juris Doctor—theft is a statute with specific elements. It is a puzzle that must be proven.
By Sunshine Firecracker17 days ago in The Swamp
The Sunshine Firecracker of Lancaster County: Day 1,043
Date: January 16, 2026 Location: Ephrata, PA To the outside observer, a legal battle is merely a stack of paper: motions, pleadings, and dockets. But to understand Day 1,043 of the injustice in Ephrata—roughly three years since the lights went out at 1368 Apple Street—one must look past the paperwork and examine the physiology of a siege.
By Sunshine Firecracker17 days ago in The Swamp
Ephrata Mayor Ralph Mowen & The 'House of Skulls': The Man Who Was Actually in Charge
The Great Escape Timing is everything. On Monday, January 5, 2026, Ralph Mowen walked out of Ephrata Borough Hall for the last time. After 30 years as Mayor, he was given a hero’s farewell. There were handshakes, a commemorative plaque, and speeches about his "legacy of service." He was the friendly grandfather of the Borough, the man who handed out candy at the Fair and cut the ribbons at the Rec Center. He got to retire on his own terms, with his reputation sparkling clean.
By Sunshine Firecracker17 days ago in Criminal
The Mayor’s Silence: Thomas Reinhold, Jonathan Gerlach, and Ephrata's 'House of Skulls'
The Promotion to Failure Thomas G. Reinhold isn’t a newcomer to Ephrata’s power structure; he is its architect. After spending over a decade (2012–2025) as Council President—rubber-stamping police budgets and prioritizing quick, unanimous meetings over deep scrutiny—Reinhold finally ascended to the Mayor’s office in January 2026.
By Sunshine Firecracker17 days ago in Criminal
The $23,000-a-Day Question: Ephrata spends $8.5 million a year for police. What are we actually buying?
The Invoice Arrives Every year, Ephrata property owners receive a tax bill. A massive chunk of that bill goes to one place: The Police Department. We are told this is the price of safety. We are told that we have a "Gold Standard" department that warrants premium funding.
By Sunshine Firecracker17 days ago in Criminal
One Mile Away: Why the Yeadon Police Department had to drive an hour to do Ephrata’s Job
The Commute to Justice On the morning of January 7, 2026, a convoy of unmarked police vehicles merged onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike. They were driving West, away from Philadelphia. They were detectives from the Yeadon Police Department (Delaware County).
By Sunshine Firecracker18 days ago in Criminal
The "Revitalization" Lie: How Ephrata’s Obsession with 'Curb Appeal' Hid a House of Horrors
The Brand vs. The Bodies If you walk down Main Street today, you will see the banners. You will see the matching flower pots. You will see the "Welcome to Ephrata" signs designed to project an image of quaint, small-town prosperity.
By Sunshine Firecracker18 days ago in Criminal
