Consumer Affairs

Primo Water North America alerted consumers Friday that one of its self-service water refill vending machines was found to have "total coliform." The affected machine has been shut down.

The $21.5 million budget does not include a property tax hike, but does have some increases to sewer fees.

Emmaus residents could see an increase in their property taxes in 2025. Emmaus Borough Council is set to discuss the proposal at its next meeting on Monday, Dec. 16.

Shannon Torres, a customer service representative with the U.S. Postal Service, shared tips and tricks to make sure gifts arrive on time and intact.

Less than 50 people qualify under the program's current criteria, according to Allentown officials.

More shoppers are using ‘buy now, pay later’ plans heading into Black Friday and the holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. Experts say the short-term loans can lead consumers to overextend themselves and warn that those who use credit cards for the service face higher interest expenses.

FirstEnergy sought to raise local customers' electric bills by more than 9%, but the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission blocked the higher rate.

The precautionary measure across Pennsylvania comes at no cost to farmers. While the virus hasn't been reported in commonwealth cattle, other states have seen a marked uptick in cases.

Crayola celebrated its 10th annual "64 Seconds of Color Shopping Spree," pairing three local children with Marines to spring the store and collect as much merchandise as they could carry, with the company providing matching contributions to local Toys for Tots programs.

For the sixth year, Lehigh Valley Health Network is sponsoring free two-hour parking in the Main Street and South Bethlehem areas for Saturday parking during the holiday season, starting Nov. 30.

Bethlehem’s Pembroke Choice project is giving residents “the opportunity to plan what the next generation of their neighborhood looks like,” Mayor J. William Reynolds said Saturday.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Pennsylvania rose about 14 cents this week, from $3.261 to $3.405.

Mega Millions is making changes to its lottery game starting as soon as its April 8 drawing. Changes include an increase in the ticket price and retiring add-on features, and replacing them with new features that Mega Millions says will benefit players.

Crayola began its annual million crayon giveaway on Monday, where visitors can assemble a free 32-count box of their favorite colors — including, for the first time, eight colors discontinued over the last three decades.

On Wednesday in Heidelberg Township, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity continued her cross-state tour of informing residents about Money Match, a program that returns unclaimed money and property that belongs to them.

YWCA-Bethlehem will hold its annual Pop-up Prom Shop this Saturday.

Said LANTA planning and scheduling manager A.J. Jordan, “LANTA Planning Department is consistently working to make sure changes impact riders as little as possible."

Things are looking up for the southern end of Lehigh County, officials agreed Thursday at an annual municipal update event at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

No seat belts are needed to attend the auto show, the largest display of new SUVs, pickups, and cars from Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, plus Honda, Toyota, Nissan Ford, and Dodge.

Officials from the Transportation Security Administration visited Lehigh Valley International Airport Tuesday with a collection of simulated bombs in tow.

Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley hosted a town hall to detail how federal budget cuts could impact Medicaid care in Lehigh County on Tuesday.

William Donner, an anthropology professor at Kutztown University, led a presentation over the weekend on the history of what was once known as the country's oldest folk festival. He lectured at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum.