Business News

Lehigh Valley International Airport saw its highest passenger traffic for May since 2004, with more than 85,000 passengers through the gates, a release said Monday.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's LGBTQ Business Council on Tuesday held an event at the Mediterranean Grill in Bethlehem to teach people how to make workplaces and businesses more inclusive.

Home sale prices in Lehigh and Northampton counties neared all-time highs last month, with an average of $333,275 — up 5.8 percent from May 2023, according to the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors.

The Lehigh Valley ranks as the eighth-highest industrial market in the U.S., it was disclosed at a Lehigh Valley Planning Commission roundtable meeting on Friday.

County Manager Lamont McClure said in a statement that the union had approved the new agreement that came after a negotiation session Monday.

A continuance was granted for the sixth time this year to Paxos Group real estate company for a hearing before the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board on charges it has violated a zoning ordinance prohibiting the renting or leasing of condominiums as apartments on Arey Lane.

Lowhill Township lost an appeal to a deemed approval for a warehouse plan on Betz Court. But about a week earlier, the state DEP preliminarily denied a permit for that same warehouse plan.

Rob Vaughn joined Channel 69 in 1987 and has anchored thousands of Lehigh Valley news programs. He announced his retirement to viewers in the 5 p.m. news broadcast Friday.

South Whitehall Planning Commission recommended final approval for Phase 1C of Ridge Farms, a development that would include housing, shops and outdoor eateries.

The huge project came before the township again, this time for updates related to road usage.

The debate over whether Lehigh County Commissioners can approve the formation of a Tourism Improvement District to help struggling hotels in the Lehigh Valley boils down to whether or not it would be violating state law.

The U.S. Mint has ended production of the penny, a change made to save money and in recognition of the growing irrelevance of the 1-cent coin. The last pennies were struck Wednesday at the mint in Philadelphia, where the country’s smallest denomination coins have been produced since 1793.

Specifics for the plan are still under wraps as Upper Macungie Township is processing the application. The proposal would develop the data center at the former Air Products headquarters on Hamilton Boulevard.

Community Bank announced in June it would assume seven Santander Bank branches in the Lehigh Valley by the end of 2025. In November, the company announced that acquisition is now complete.

Despite concerns over potential safety issues regarding tractor-trailer traffic near the proposed Fullerton Terminals distribution center, the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners approved the plan by a 4-3 vote on Monday.

Gov. Josh Shapiro says Pennsylvania's utility companies have stepped up to shelter low-income households this winter. The customers are usually covered by LIHEAP, but the federal assistance program has experienced delays due to the federal government shutdown.

Employees at two union Starbucks stores are set to strike this week after months of what they say are unfair labor practices and low pay.

Ready for a retro racing game with a touch of local flair? Lightly-Salted Productions soon will release Route 22 Rampage, an Atari 2600 game set right in the Lehigh Valley.

Members of Northampton County Council voted 5-4 Thursday to reject tax increment financing for the former Dixie Cup plant in Wilson Borough. A developer has plans to turn the 640,000-square-foot building into more than 400 apartments.

Another energized, entertaining and successful annual meeting and awards show of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce had ended.

The new 68,000-square-foot store and on-site fuel station at 3300 Lehigh St. will open at 8 a.m. Nov. 21 and afterward operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, the chain said in a release.

Easton Planning Commission heard testimony from those in opposition to the Easton Commerce Park project Wednesday, with experts raising questions about the developer's submitted plans and studies.