East Penn News

President Joe Biden spent 4.5 hours in the Lehigh Valley on Friday, touring small businesses and promoting his economic initiatives. He visited Main Street in Emmaus and met with Allentown firefighters at the Allentown Fire Training Academy.

President Joe Biden is expected to talk about small businesses and the economy during a visit to the Lehigh Valley today. Here's a roundup of the details.

Expect delays on Route 22, Interstate 78 and several other routes as President Joe Biden makes his second visit to the Lehigh Valley as president. He's expected to go to several local businesses in the afternoon.

Police declined to provide any additional information, but the rumor mill has the president stopping in at least one local business on his visit to the Lehigh Valley on Friday. East Penn and several other school districts plan to dismiss students early.

Author Brad Meltzer came to Allentown to promote the newest iteration of the now 10-year-old Ordinary People Change the World series of children's books.

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.

As 2023 draws to a close, lehighvalleynews.com offers a retrospective of a variety of stories about people, places and things that make the Lehigh Valley special.

The borough has not raised taxes since 2014, but borough officials say running pre-coronavirus pandemic revenues against post-pandemic expenses and trends is no longer sustainable.

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

It's a Festivus for felines! Emmaus cat boutique Purr Haus hosted a Festivus celebration on Saturday, Dec. 23 to collect contributions for local rescue Ruff Life, with a them of everyone's favorite fake holiday.

Some residents are concerned about traffic and how tractor trailers could affect their quality of life.

Could be time for a new career.

Mackenzie, who has served in the House since 2012, is all but assured another 2-year term.

The donation by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is part of $133.5M she's giving to the national nonprofit.

Individual school districts must now decide if their students will mask or not.

Most utilities will be raising electricity prices in December, according to the Pa. Public Utility Commission.

School districts will establish their own policies in January.

The governor said he will turn over masking decisions to local school officials on Jan. 17.

Some insects like mosquitos are thriving later in the season as temperatures reach well into the 70s.

More than a month into the school year, Pennsylvania’s mask mandate for schools is still in place while schools and parents have adopted routines for keeping kids safe while remaining in the classroom.

Local pharmaceutical company Sharp, announced this week that it will hire hundreds of new workers as it prepares a $42 million expansion project here in the Lehigh Valley.