MONROE UNFILTERED: THE DAILY BUZZ | Sept. 25
More Violence Hits Main Street
Friday, September 25, 2026
WEEKEND WEATHER
Remember that nor'easter we said would stay out at sea? It's drifting closer. The National Weather Service now sees the storm's track trending west, closer to the coast, and that means a wetter, windier weekend for us than we told you Thursday. The Jersey Shore (the original one in New Jersey) still takes the real beating, with coastal flooding and pounding surf. Here, it's more raw and gusty than dangerous.
Today is the keeper: increasing clouds, a high in the low to mid 70s, and almost no chance of rain. Tonight drops into the low to mid 50s.
Saturday turns raw. Expect a north wind gusting up to 30 mph, a high in the mid to upper 60s, and a decent chance of showers. So if you are heading to Pickle Me Poconos, bring your umbrella! But Sunday is the soggiest day of the weekend, with rain likely and a high only in the 60s. In other words, it's a fireplace kind of weekend. Conveniently, that's this week's Five Best of Monroe.
Monday stays cloudy, with a high in the mid-60s to around 70. The sun finally comes back on Tuesday.
Get the Buzz in your inbox before the rain gets to you. Subscribe free at monroeunfiltered.substack.com.
THREE LOCAL MEN CHARGED IN MAIN STREET STABBING
Police need your help identifying a fourth man after a stabbing on Main Street in downtown Stroudsburg Wednesday night (Sept. 23). Three local men, from Tannersville, Tobyhanna, and East Stroudsburg, are already charged.
Stroud Area Regional Police were called to the 600 block of Main Street around 10 p.m. for a fight involving several people, with early reports that at least one of them had a knife. Officers found Jonatan Regalado Gonzalez, 40, of East Stroudsburg, bleeding heavily from multiple knife wounds to his left arm and back. He was taken to a hospital, and FOX56 reports he was treated and released.
According to police, surveillance video shows Gonzalez and Christopher Cucinello, 36, of Tobyhanna, trading punches on the sidewalk and throwing outdoor chairs. When a woman tried to break it up, Gonzalez struck her in the face. That's when Brendan Wells, 32, of Tannersville, walked up, pulled a knife from his pocket, and stabbed Gonzalez in the back. The fight kept going after that, with Cucinello and a fourth man fighting Gonzalez.
Officers stopped Wells and Cucinello near Main and North 6th streets. Police say Wells was carrying an orange spring-assisted knife, suspected methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
Wells is charged with attempted criminal homicide and related offenses. Cucinello and Gonzalez are each charged with simple assault and related offenses. All three are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Police are asking for help identifying the fourth man, described as a white male in an all-black T-shirt and dark pants. If you recognize him, submit a tip to Stroud Area Regional Police through the department's CrimeWatch page. You can stay anonymous.
For context, the 600 block sits inside the stretch of Main Street, Fifth to Ninth, that was under Mayor Ellen Currie's 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew after the Aug. 29 street takeover. That curfew ended at 5 a.m. Sept. 4. We'll follow the case.
THE DAILY RUNDOWN
Grab a Paintbrush Today. The Day Street Community Center in East Stroudsburg is holding a volunteer workday today (Friday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and you don't have to be a pro to help. Lowe's Red Vest associates will be there, and drop-in volunteers can pitch in on painting, drywall patching, taping, and floor prep. Tools and supplies are provided; just wear clothes you don't mind getting paint on.
The center is $14K short of its $110K renovation goal, even with the $50K Lowe's grant we told you about in August. The work covers new flooring, lighting, and paint throughout, plus a new sports surface and acoustic panels in the gym, the only indoor facility in the Stroud Region park system. Naming rights are up for grabs, too: $10K for the gym, $5K for the community room and foyer, and $2.5K for the classroom. Can't make it today? Call 570-426-1512 to donate labor, materials, or cash. The center is at 15 Day St., East Stroudsburg.
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: COZY PUBS WITH A FIREPLACE
With a raw, rainy weekend on tap, here are five Monroe County spots where you can wait out the nor'easter next to a real fireplace, ranked by Google rating (as of Thursday), with review count breaking ties. One tip: we can't promise every fire will be lit on any given night, so if a seat by the hearth is the whole point, call ahead.
Stone Bar Inn: Best Overall (4.6 ★, 975 reviews). Open since 1936, the Stone Bar pairs steak and seafood with old-school Tiffany lamps and a stone fireplace in a lodge-like setting. The restaurant itself pitches "a relaxing evening by the fireplace." It's a special-occasion spot, and it's priced like one.
209 US-209 Business, Stroudsburg, PA 18360
The PourHouse: Best Neighborhood Hangout (4.4 ★, 1,280 reviews). A country-cabin bar and grill in Mountainhome with pub grub, cocktails, live music, and a big stone fireplace at the far end of the room. The most laid-back fire on the list.
1014 PA-390, Mountainhome, PA 18342
The Frogtown Chophouse: Best Date Night by the Fire (4.4 ★, 1,263 reviews). A returning favorite from our steakhouse and burger lists, back this time for the stone fireplace that anchors its cozy dining room at Woodfield Manor. The hand-cut steaks don't hurt, either.
472 Red Rock Rd, Cresco, PA 18326
Murph's Hideaway: Best Mountain Hideaway (4.3 ★, 689 reviews). A Pocono Lake pub where reviewers call out the "warming fireplace," a traditional bar and music area, and wings done right. Just the spot to thaw out after a gray day up the mountain.
710 PA-940, Pocono Lake, PA 18347
Alaska Pete's: Best Roadhouse (4.1 ★, 3,405 reviews). Another returning favorite. The oversized flagstone fireplace is the draw inside this mountain-style roadhouse, along with American comfort food and a full bar. And yes, you still MUST get dessert (anything made by Silva is a must-have…tell her Ed & James sent you).
151 Seven Bridge Rd, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
Editor's Pick: Skytop Lodge. Not a pub, but too good to leave off, so it gets a bonus spot. Skytop has two fireplaces worth the drive. The first greets you in the main lobby, where guests grab a drink by the fire as soon as they walk in. It is a great experience. The second is in the Library Lounge, where you can settle into a chair by the fire, surrounded by bookshelves and historic photos, with a craft cocktail in hand. Get the whiskey sour (made with real egg whites…trust me). And this weekend you have the perfect excuse to go: Skytop's Fall Festival is Sunday.
1 Skytop Dr, Skytop, PA 18357
GET OUT: THE WEEKEND ITINERARY
Thank you to the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau for sourcing our weekend lineups. Their events calendar did the legwork so you don't have to. Here are our picks:
Skytop's Fall Festival at Skytop Lodge. A free community festival with a full day of live entertainment, food vendors, a marketplace of local artisans on the South Lawn, inflatables and face painting for the kids, a tie-dye station, and campfires. Sun. 9/27, noon to 5 p.m., free. Sunday is the wettest day of the weekend, so keep an eye on the forecast. The lobby fireplace is right there if the weather turns.
Pickle Me Poconos in downtown East Stroudsburg. The seventh annual festival brings about 170 vendors, more than a dozen of them pickle specialists, plus pickleball, a pickle toss, and a 21-and-over beer garden. Live music runs all afternoon: SteelCreek (12:15 p.m.), 1970s AM Radio Show (1:45 p.m.), Totally Taboo (3:15 p.m.), and Joey Lannigan & the Spirits (4:45 p.m.). Monroe County Transportation Authority runs a free shuttle from Lot 23 at East Stroudsburg University, and proceeds benefit Family Promise and Camp Papillon. Sat. 9/26, noon to 6 p.m., Crystal Street, free. Organizers say it's rain or brine.
Sarah Street Grill Oktoberfest, 550 Quaker Alley, Stroudsburg. The second annual Oktoberfest brings beer pong, a stein-holding contest, a pretzel toss, trivia, a costume contest, two food trucks, and a special menu from Chef Rob. Music from Erin McClelland (1:15 p.m.), Coderob (2:45 p.m.), and Ryan Zimmerman (4:15 p.m.), then the Pocono Duo on the inside stage at 6:30 p.m. Sun. 9/27, free admission.
The Curse of Camelback at Camelback Mountain Adventures, Tannersville. Camelbeach's Halloween attraction drops you into a make-believe post-apocalyptic outbreak, complete with fog-filled attractions, "chemical spills," and a trip up the Sunbowl lift. Thursdays and Sundays, 6 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. to midnight, now through Nov. 8. Tickets online.
Ben Bankas at Sherman Theater. A comedian from Toronto, now based in Austin, who has performed with Andrew Schulz and Joe List. Fri. 9/25, 8 p.m.
Foreign Journey at Sherman Theater. A tribute band playing the greatest hits of both Foreigner and Journey. Sat. 9/26, 8 p.m.
In the Heights at Notre Dame High School, East Stroudsburg. SVPA and Rebel Stages close out their revival of the Tony-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda musical this weekend. Fri. 9/25 and Sat. 9/26 at 7:30 p.m., and Sun. 9/27 at 3 p.m.
Have a great weekend, Monroe County, and stay dry.