Business News

“It’s really kind of this multifaceted device that is a toy — but it’s also more of a therapeutic tool, device or aid,” Lehigh Valley native Howard Romans said.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Father and son Tom and Michael Meischeid have taken control of Bar-Don Lanes, a Palmer Township bowling alley that has been operating since 1958.

The 75,000-square-foot St. Luke’s Sportsplex features more than two dozen indoor courts and almost the same number outside.

The flagship store for Dave Phillips Music & Sound will close in the coming days, owner Joe DiMarco wrote on Facebook. On Wednesday, customers who flooded the store lamented the loss.

The longtime flower wholesaler and plant and garden center is closing Dec. 30 after more than 60 years in business in the Lehigh Valley.

The ski slopes just southeast of Lehigh County announced it would shut down at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, awaiting colder weather to make snow

A popular cocktail bar and restaurant is closed on Bethlehem's Southside, but the owner says she hopes to reopen early next year.

Lehigh Valley Health Network plans to merge with Jefferson Health, but deals like this are nothing new to the Philadelphia-based system. For nearly a decade, Jefferson has been combining forces with hospitals in two states.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Township commissioners on Monday approved a resolution requesting a grant of $154,402.17 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program for the Ironton Rail Trail Paving and Gates Project.

The former Whitehall Township Police Department station has been vacant for three years and costing the township money as it seeks a buyer.

Victaulic, the pipe-joining manufacturer based in Forks Township, will undertake a $100 million expansion project in Tioga County, Pa., that will create at least 214 new, full-time jobs and retain 1,611 more across the state, it was announced Tuesday.

Al Granger bought an abandoned Lehigh Valley farm in the 1980s and turned it into a luxurious inn and spa. He was known for his vision and innovation — and for being ultra-tough on those he employed.

The hearing later this month in Bethlehem is the first step in the 5-year license renewal for Wind Creek Bethlehem. The initial public hearing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board had been set for June 26 but had to be postponed because of severe storms and power outages.

Owowcow Creamery announced it secured two brag-worthy titles: third-best ice cream shop in the U.S. and first place on the East Coast. The creamery has two locations in the Lehigh Valley.

About 120 workers at the distribution center in Palmer Township are represented by the United Auto Workers union. Leaders say the proposed deal increases wages 33% over the next five years.

Teamsters Local 773 approved a new contract that awarded employees raises, more sick days and better contributions toward their health care costs, said union President Dennis Hower.

The first annual KidsPeace Dodgeball Tournament was held Thursday. It raised money for the Orefield-based nonprofit, which provides behavioral and mental health services to children.

Allentown City Council agreed to raise parking fines next month if the parking authority's board agreed to those initiatives.

Easton City Council approved a resolution that would allow the city to take the historic Hooper House by eminent domain, but officials would prefer not to fall back on that option, hoping discussions with owner Rock Church may be successful.

The “Easton Commerce Park" proposal for a 1,006,880-square-foot warehouse at the old Pfizer Pigments property off Wood Avenue drew concerns from members of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.