East Penn News

Just five months after officially being in business in their recognizable bright yellow teardrop-shaped trailer, co-owners Melinda Schneck and Josh Elmer are expending Roasties Mobile Cafe into a brick-and-mortar coffee shop. It'll take root where the couple says its heart is: Macungie.

The League of Women Voters of Lehigh County will moderate and run the forums in partnership with Lehigh Valley Public Media. Participating will be school board candidates from Allentown, Parkland, East Penn and Southern Lehigh school districts.

The Coalition of Manufactured Home Communities of Pennsylvania held a get-together Wednesday to discuss the lot rental price jumps throughout the communities, and tell residents how they are combatting it.

Tracy and Joshua Dechant, charged with attempting to starve their teen sons to death, have 60 days to find a defense lawyer, a judge said.

Charles Bierbauer earned degrees in journalism and Russian from Penn State University and worked two decades at CNN, starting just a year after the network's inception. He grew up in Allentown.

Upset residents packed the last Upper Milford Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting to voice concerns against a zoning variance request at the TG Countryside ice cream shop. The applicants have withdrawn their request to turn it into a cigar lounge.

Two grieving mothers honor their sons killed in Lehigh Valley motorcycle crashes, urging drivers to be cautious and look twice for riders as fatalities surge on area roads.

Emmaus Borough Council voted Monday to authorize a $685,000 loan from Lehigh County. The borough will pay the county back at 0% interest over the next five years for radios the county purchased.

East Penn School Board voted Monday to pause work toward realigning grades 5-8. District officials will again study possible alternatives.

Upper Milford Township Zoning Hearing Board met Monday to discuss a variance request to extend the available space at the TG Countryside ice cream shop to become a retail smoke and tobacco store. Residents packed the meeting to speak out against it.

The East Penn area is getting a multitude of Halloween festivals in events in October. New festivals return and set off, while traditional events return.

Macungie is considering swapping out the Macungie Volunteer Fire Department after concerns over response times and other worries. But now a "draft agreement" appears to be in the works.

A revitalization project at the community center and its new board have brought new life, restoration, and new events to the Alburtis area meeting place

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.

The 19th annual Emmaus Arts Commission Student Film Festival has opened registration, giving students throughout the Lehigh Valley opportunities to make something for the big screen with a kickoff event taking place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24 in the Emmaus Community Park's Arts Pavilion.

Lower Macungie Township is getting $250,240 for traffic signal improvements by PennDOT's Green Light-Go program — part of a series of upgrades on major roads in the Wescosville area.

The Berks Fiddle Festival, an annual celebration of folk music, held its 40th anniversary edition at Bear Creek Mountain Resort on Sunday. "It's the music that's in my heart," said one festival-goer.

The Islamic learning center Al-Maqasid plans a two-campus, nine-building complex that will host seminary training, K-12 education, religious services and recreation facilities. It will be years in the making and cost about $100 million, according to organizers.

Various local craftspeople, businesses, food amenities and more will be on display and available for attendees at the annual Emmaus Farewell to Summer festival

Emmaus Borough Hall is returning to 28 S. 4th Street after over $5 million in extensive renovations that began in December 2021, with the first meeting set to take place Tuesday night.

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.

Visitors are being encouraged to bring unopened cat food to donate and to adopt a cat at Purr House on Sunday, Sept. 3.