East Penn News

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at a Wawa DriveThru in Lower Macungie Township on Thursday morning. The drive-thru is the second such Wawa store in the nation, the other located in Lower Bucks County.

The annual winter arts festival will include a photo contest, vendors, and food trucks. Organizers are still seeking artists and vendors to take part.

The Brookside Meadows apartments land development plans were rejected in a 2-1 vote citing stormwater and traffic concerns

The Lehigh Valley Town Center's Topgolf got final land development approval during Lower Macungie Township meeting Thursday.

The popular bookstore Let's Play Books is reaching out to the community to hear what shape they think their store should take, following the success of their new location

The development on North Krocks Road prompted the LVPC to recommend intersection changes to accomodate increased pedestrian traffic and safety

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.

Lauren and Juan Vargas, the owners of Nowhere Coffee Co., played host to President Biden as he swept through Emmaus to visit with local business owners Friday.

PPL Electric Utilities and Met-Ed, which serve the Lehigh Valley, said high winds were bringing down poles and wires. The biggest trouble spots appeared to be in Lower Macungie Township, the Bath area, and the Slate Belt.

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.

The school district alerted the community about three hours after an incident involving pepper spray occurred in the upstairs cafeteria of Emmaus High School on Wednesday afternoon. Legislation that went into effect this month requires districts to alert parents, guardians and teachers of school weapon incidents.

The Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary still is closed to the public after an April bridge collapse. Officials said a new, permanent bridge is slated to be installed in spring.

After customers speculated its permanent closure online, Casa Catrina shared an announcement on social media thanking patrons for their continued support over the past six years. This month, the Mexican restaurant posted on its doors a notice of a temporary closure.

Dan Kelly, who has fronted the band Fortunate Youth since its 2009 start, will perform a solo acoustic show at 6:30 p.m. March 19 at Rising River Brewing, 1955 Willow Lane.

Vice President JD Vance visited Uline Shipping Supplies in the Alburtis area and made a surprise stop at the Allentown Rescue Mission in his first trip to the Lehigh Valley since becoming President Trump's second-in-command.

Vice President JD Vance will swing through the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday as the Republican Party courts voters ahead of the midterm election. The Lehigh Valley and the surrounding area are ripe with swing voters who could flip control of the U.S. House in next year's election.

After setting aside a realignment plan in fall 2025, East Penn School District now is exploring a $142 million redistricting project that would see hundreds of students moved to different schools, and building renovations.

The family of Renna Marra, who has Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, is raising funds for a trained guide dog to help Renna with tasks as mobility assistance, behavioral calming and social communication.

Macungie residents, including a long-serving corporal of the police department, packed a borough council meeting Wednesday morning to protest a revised police internal affairs policy.

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.