East Penn News

Lower Macungie Township in a busy meeting granted approval to the Raising Cane's fast food restaurant, a mixed use apartment and office complex, and additional street lights in addition to the massive Lehigh Valley Town Center project.

The 58.8-acre Lehigh Valley Town Center project was granted unanimous approval by Lower Macungie Township commissioners, with developers saying they expect construction to begin on the TopGolf portion in 2024.

The classic & antique car festival is expected to bring thousands of visitors and hundreds of cars to the park, dating back to the early 1900s.

The Lower Macungie Township Historical Society is set to raise money for and produce a historical docudrama film focused on the 1799 Fries Rebellion, which led to a federal crackdown in the Macungie area during the John Adams administration.

Emmaus grad and Lehigh County Democratic Committee senior advisor Aidan Levinson is set to join the new Commission on Next Generation Engagement, established by Governor Josh Shapiro in June to advise the administration

The proposed Raising Cane's location in Lower Macungie Township is finally on the way to the Board of Commissioners as new strip mall plans were introduced and procedural changes occurred due to a board shakeup.

Ryan Mackenzie, the longtime Lehigh County state representative, will need to emerge from a crowded Republican field to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, the three-term incumbent.

The Lower Macungie commissioners chose to table a conditional use decision for the proposed Lehigh Valley Town Center Project, set to be constructed by Jaindl Land Company.

The public conditional use hearing, which would give official approval for the Lehigh Valley Town Center project, is set for Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Cable and internet provider Comcast is set to bring XFinity and other services to the Borough of Emmaus after a franchise agreement was signed by borough council.

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.

The new plan, presented to Lower Macungie Planning Commission on Tuesday, now consists of 13 homes in Cherry Ridge Estates, instead of the original 20.

Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong, with less than a year left in his term, emphasized the need for nonpartisan cooperation, funding and "not being a lame duck" toward the end of his service during a visit to Emmaus Borough Council. He also brought a funding announcement.

The borough heard from five passionate applicants, some brand new to politics — and rejected them all in favor of an eight-year council veteran. Still, they encouraged the other applicants to run for election and even offered to help with paperwork.

The money, administered by the National Park Service, along with $1,850,000 already committed by Lehigh County, will be used to replace the Cast House roof. Other work will focus on water infiltration of the furnace and rehabilitation of related buildings.