East Penn News

Over $10 million in renovation work at the Borough of Emmaus municipal building and central fire and EMS station offices is nearing completion after interiors of the buildings were gutted and redesigned.

A disaster action team was called after the blaze that broke out around 3:15 a.m. Saturday. Displaced residents were being asked to seek care and other resources by the Red Cross at a temporary care center established at nearby Emmaus High School.

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.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with Julian Abraham and Jay Bradley.

A survey undertaken by the Borough of Emmaus resulted in residents not wishing to implement a costly quiet zone for nighttime trains.

Sets of two courts will go up at Furnace Dam Park and Emmaus Community Park, in part due to funding received from the Chestnut Ridge at Rodale development.

Developer Luke Jaindl of the Jaindl Land Co. discussed the vision for the proposed Lehigh Valley Town Center project, currently on its way to a conditional use hearing in Lower Macungie Township.

Cold Nose Lodge, which opened in October 2008, is expanding its location in Alburtis. They'll hold a groundbreaking party on June 26 at the facility.

The Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission recommended approval for the nearly 59-acre Lehigh Valley Town Center project, including its TopGolf component. Township commissioners could give the green light at their July meeting.

A proposed 25,800-square-foot childcare center in Salisbury Township would be named in memory of Monsignor John P. Murphy, long-time cleric in Allentown who died in 2023 at age 86.

The East Penn School District's board voted Monday to create a three-year LERTA property tax incentive for an 8.5 acre brownfield in Emmaus. The lot is set to become 144 apartments.

Lehigh Valley Salsa Social meets monthly in the Lehigh Valley to practice salsa and bachata. The dances are making a comeback among younger people thanks to TikTok and artists like Bad Bunny.

President Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, which are set to take effect on March 12, will have an impact on Lehigh Valley breweries — and likely consumers, too.

Emmaus Borough Council awarded the contracts earlier this week. The project focuses on two of the borough’s wells, including one that’s been offline since PFAS contamination was discovered.

Attendees will receive a piece of artwork during the benefit, which takes place Friday at the JuxtaHub.

Lisa VanArsdale, a local podcaster and comedian, will perform her one-woman show on Sunday, Feb. 23.

A draft version of East Penn School District's budget for the 2025-2026 school year includes a 0.84-mill tax hike. The district has raised property taxes nine times in the past 10 years.

Restaurants will offer “an irresistible variety of soups" during the Emmaus Soup Crawl, scheduled to run from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Ron W. Beitler is seeking reelection to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, he announced in a news release Tuesday.

Joshua and Tracy Dechant were charged Sunday with two felony counts each, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said in a release.

Emmaus is one step closer to remediating two of its PFAS-contaminated wells. PFAS are also called "forever chemicals" because they are slow to breakdown in the environment and are linked to a variety of health issues.