Business News

Musikfest is “the tip of the spear” for Lehigh Valley’s tourism industry, drawing more than 1 million people to the region, ArtsQuest CEO Kassie Hilgert said.

Exchange 32 earned approval for its plans to keep parking two dozen tractor-trailers outside a vacant office building on South 12th Street.

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.

HangDog Outdoor Adventure opened its doors Friday, offering visitors plenty of adrenaline-rush inducing options throughout its massive 115-element obstacle center.

Dorney Park will soon build a new steel dive roller coaster at its park called Iron Menace, paying homage to the Lehigh Valley's industrial heritage.

The resort in Pocono Township, Monroe County, underwent a $125 million renovation and expansion — its biggest improvement project since opening 18 years ago.

A new Sheetz at 2901 Lehigh St. is set to open on Saturday, Aug. 12. On the following Monday, Aug. 14, the store will host a grand opening event where customers can get free coffee and have a chance to win prizes.

The final plan for Timberidge Luxury Apartments on Levans Road was approved by North Whitehall's Board of Supervisors Monday.

National Health Centers Week raises awareness about federally qualified community health centers. Those in the Lehigh Valley are marking the occasion with events.

Restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory has posted job listings for a restaurant and kitchen managers at its first Lehigh Valley location on the official website.

The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the sale of PPL Tower in Allentown to Wilkes-Barre-based D&D Realty Group. The sale comes more than four months after PPL Corp. announced that its subsidiary, PPL Electric Utilities, had reached a tentative $9 million agreement to sell the building to D&D Realty Group.

For decades, the land that is now Green Knight Industrial Park in Wind Gap, Plainfield Twp. and Bushkill Twp. contained a pile of 2,000,000 tires. On Thursday, officials cut the ribbon on the park's first completed building, a 50,000-square-foot warehouse.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission issued 19 recommendations for PPL Electric to improve upon, including fixing its poor customer service and restoring power to customers faster following an outage.

The $208 million will also produce 295 new union jobs, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s announcement said, though it’s unclear what cut of the funding the Macungie facility is getting or the number of new jobs expected locally.

Northampton County officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a new maintenance building for groundskeepers, replacing a more-than-century-old wooden barn the Parks Department currently uses.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, is looking to force his predecessor, now Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, to release tax returns about Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone. Browne, who crafted the NIZ, has worked to keep the information confidential for five years.

With other communities around the state adopting bans on plastic bags, Lower Saucon could be on its way to something similar. if approved, it would involve a transition process to show shoppers the bigger picture and give time for businesses to properly offload plastic bags on hand.

A $6.4 million mansion called Ravenwood Manor caught fire just a day after being sold. Three years later, the owners have donated it to the local government, reportedly as a sign of gratitude for local emergency responders.

Major renovations at Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab, agricultural conservation and bridge maintenance are the major expenditures in Lehigh County’s five-year Capital Plan.

USA Today nominated Hotel Bethlehem for its sixth consecutive run at the Best Historic Hotel in America title — something the luxury landmark has brought home the past three years in a row. Now it's time for the community to pitch in for the win.

Freezin' with Aubrie has targeted Butterscotch Krimpets — yes, like those of Tastykake snack cakes fame — to bring an exclusive snack to Dorney Park.

Jose Rivera is the new community engagement coordinator at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, connecting families with food, education and other resources.