East Penn News

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.

Lower Macungie Township gave a first public look at its final 2024 budget, with no tax increases but potential increased charges related to waste management

Mack Trucks threatened to replace any employees who don't return to work if the latest offer wasn't accepted. Points of dispute included job security, labor demands and retirement safety nets.

Two large apartment complexes were moved forward at Tuesday's Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meeting

Topgolf and the Lehigh Valley Town Center were discussed at Tuesday's Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meeting, seeking waivers and granting a procedural approval.

East Penn School Board voted Monday to realign grades K-8 as the decision making process to expand district facilities continues, planning to put grades 5-6 in one building and 7-8 in another once renovations are complete.

Members of United Auto Workers Local 677 at Mack Trucks in the Allentown area have been on strike since Oct. 9. This week they'll vote on what the union negotiating committee has called the company's last, best and final offer.

World War II veteran Bertram "Bert" Winzer from Emmaus was honored by U.S. Rep. Susan Wild on the floor of Congress in advance of Veterans Day. Winzer spent time in his later years appearing at local schools and other organizations to speak about life and time in the service.

While moderate Republicans and Democrats prevailed in most races, two Moms for Liberty candidates won seats on the Nazareth Area school board in Northampton County.

Preliminary results show a Democratic sweep in the hotly contested East Penn School Board race, over Republican challengers by over 1,000 votes each in the hotly contested and controversy laden race

Hilary Unger, owner of Perianth Interior Design, was chosen Designer of the Year for 2025 by the Interior Design Society in the category of Living Spaces Over $100,000.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie helped secure $1.6 million in earmarks toward a new Alburtis Fire Station. The existing structure is too small to serve a modern fire department.

Next month, Wind Creek Event Center owner Jeff Trainer plans to open The Broken Record, a restaurant in Lower Macungie Township that will combine a broad range of food offerings with a music theme — and perhaps more.

At a Lower Macungie Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, officials praised a data center zoning ordinance under consideration in neighboring Upper Macungie.

Three African Servals escaped from Cricket Wildlife Center after a powerful storm last Wednesday damaged their enclosure. After dozens of reported sightings, two of the wild cats are back, leaving one left to capture.

Three Democrats will join the Lower Macungie Township Board of Commissioners in January. The trio appear to have become the first Democrats to be elected to the township governing body in more than a half century.

The show runs at 7 p.m. today, Nov. 7, and at the same time Saturday in Emmaus High School’s auditorium. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

Filmmaker-turned-showrunner Jiah Peck debuts the entire first season of an original comedy series at the Emmaus Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

A Wednesday night storm brought damaging winds to the area, with gusts reaching up to 47 mph. The National Weather Service warned of damage to trees and utilities, and a wildlife center in Berks County suffered just that: A tree fell on an enclosure housing three African servals that have since escaped.

Mackenzie, along with officials from Wildlands Conservancy, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, on Wednesday morning hiked a portion of the property, lauding the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund that helped preserve it.

During a taping of "Business Matters" at WFMZ on Wednesday, Adam and Luke Jaindl, of Jaindl Land Co., gave an update on their project at Lehigh Valley Town Center in Lower Macungie Township.

At a workshop meeting Monday, Lower Macungie officials reviewed plans for a commercial development along Route 100, including the region's first Sprouts Farmers Market.