Easton News

A new citizen-led nonprofit has officially launched in Easton, bringing together residents and community advocates concerned about rapid downtown development, preservation standards and public access to planning decisions.

A rainy Memorial Day weekend forecast is forcing some schedule changes across the Lehigh Valley, but several of the region’s biggest annual events say they’re moving forward — rain or shine.

Straight No Chaser will perform at the theater at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 5. And the stage play "Waitress" at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16.

Planning and Codes Director Dwayne Tillman said records dating to a 1977 certificate of occupancy consistently identified the Hotel Hampton property as a hotel and not a rooming or boarding house.

A Northampton County Councilwoman last week accused former county Executive Lamont McClure of trying to pressure her to vote for a 20-year special taxing district that could have sent $26 million in public funding to a project to turn the former Dixie Cup factory into housing.

The developer behind the Dixie Cup project was seeking a 20-year agreement that could have generated about $26 million.

Former residents and several people close to the fire department described years of deteriorating conditions and limited enforcement inside the Hotel Hampton, including blocked or missing exits, rodent infestations, malfunctioning or ignored smoke alarms and more.

The iconic Dixie Cup structure is set to be restored as part of Skyline Investment Group’s plans to turn the long-vacant industrial site into more than 400 apartments.

Bob Brooks, a Democratic candidate running for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, has asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed against him by Carol Wiley, his former mother-in-law. She alleges he owes her more than $162,000 from a lawsuit she filed in 2018.

The Hotel Hampton boarding house had not undergone fire inspections since at least 2017, despite a history of code violations, fire alarm problems and prior safety concerns, according to a newly completed federal investigation.

A retired Easton teacher is aiming to bring South Side Easton a new community library focused on helping the young and old throughout the neighborhood.

Scannell Properties engaged in a rebuttal to address questions about the Easton Commerce Park project from Easton's Planning Commission Wednesday,

John Derwin Bradley of Schnecksville was sentenced Thursday for the 2023 murder of a North Catasauqua mother and daughter and the aggravated assault of a juvenile who was seriously injured in a car crash after Bradley fled the scene with her in the vehicle.

Developers behind a 73-unit condo in Easton secured a land development plan approval on Wednesday, though not without plenty of discussion about parking.

The council on Tuesday heard from officials and experts about Pittsburgh's dark sky efforts, aimed at tamping down on light pollution and saving money.

Police say evidence of a shooting was at 11th and Church Streets, and three teenage males wearing dark clothing and black masks fled from the location.

Senate Bill 980, introduced Wednesday, would phase out the manufacture, sale and use of firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, beginning in 2026.

Charles Bellis III owned Easton Beverage and joined the Palmer Township board of supervisors for a six-year term in 2024. The township announced his passing on Monday afternoon.

First responders came together in Easton Thursday for the first Easton Emergency Management Task Force meeting, aiming to strengthen bonds with first responders and community organizations that play pivotal roles during disasters.

Easton may soon opt to ban the sale of all animals in pet shops, in a move aiming to protect vulnerable creatures who often suffer from the retail trade.

Fisk Camera Shop at 2115 Birch St. in Wilson opened in the mid-1920s and has been stewarded by three generations of the Fisk family. Its run ends this Friday.

Safety officials with PPL presented about a dozen demonstrations of electrical hazards to more than 100 firefighters in Williams Township. The event was designed to educate first responders about potential electrical mishaps at the scenes of emergencies.