Easton News

Jack Bennett grew up in the family hardware business and went on to lead it for nearly 25 years. He was one of Easton's most prominent business leaders in the 1970s and '80s. He died Jan. 29 at age 98. Friends say he left an impression on the Downtown business community that still can be felt today.

Affected customers are being asked to enroll in interest-free payment plans so the city can recover more than $35,000 in unpaid bills, its finance director said Wednesday.

Lawmakers voted 46-1 on Senate Bill 1014, bipartisan legislation that would require public schools to adopt "bell-to-bell" policies restricting student use of smartphones and other internet-connected devices throughout the entire school day.

Alton Brown, who started the Food Network’s “Good Eats” show, will perform An Evening of Alton Brown at 7:30 p.m. April 16, the theater announced. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30.

Allentown declared a snow emergency ahead of Sunday's major winter storm. Enforcement efforts in the city will begin Saturday morning.

Sal Panto Sr. was the father of Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and longtime proprietor of Sal's Meat Market on College Hill.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, award-winning composer, lyricist, performer and star of the Broadway show "Hamilton," will present this year’s Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Visiting Lecture on Feb. 12 at the Allan P. Kirby Sports Center.

Easton Zoning Hearing Board 0n Jan. 15 rejected special exception applications for the Easton Commerce Park warehouse project.

Former Forks Township Police Chief Michael Friel announced his retirement in December. Township supervisors approved a separation agreement but refused to disclose it until a Right-to-Know request was filed.

A record number of high schools in the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey will participate in this year's Freddy Awards — the State Theatre's annual recognition of Lehigh Valley high school musical theater.

Brandon Sullivan recently was hired as Easton's first sustainability coordinator. It's the third of the Lehigh Valley's major cities to carve out a position dedicated to mitigating the effects of climate change.

Missing Palmer Township teen Enci "Aubrey" Wu has been found in Georgia, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta announced Tuesday.

Easton's Historic District Commission approved revised plans for the demolition and reconstruction of the McDonald's on Larry Holmes Drive at their Monday meeting.

Despite an initial attempt that was shot down, Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana is pushing for a Welcoming City ordinance, and the community appears to support her idea.

It is the second time the township has been awarded trees through TreePennsylvania’s Bare Root Tree grant program. The statewide nonprofit supports urban and community forestry to increase tree coverage.

The women's boutique is located at 140 C Northampton Street in downtown Easton.

Rasheed Quayle Tisdale faced a preliminary hearing Thursday on one count each of homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide in the death of Legious Minder, 46.

Easton City Council introduced an ordinance to amend its ARPA budget on April 9. It will see half a million dollars go toward repairs on the Ferry Street sanitary line.

Kay Haring will read from her children's book, "Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing," at the Sigal Museum on Saturday, April 12.

Swan Lake, written 150 years ago by Russian composer Tchaikovsky and one of the most popular ballets of all time, will return to the theater at 2 p.m. Oct. 26. And Let’s Sing Taylor — A Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift, which calls itself “the ultimate tribute to the music of Taylor Swift,” will perform at the center at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20. And it will include a tribute to an even more recent hitmaker — Olivia Rodrigo.

Palmer Township's board of supervisors and planning commission approved plans for two new car washes in the area during their Monday and Tuesday meetings this week.

Palmer Supervisors voted to request a Post Traffic Impact Study from developers behind the massive Easton Commerce Park warehouse project, which is anticipated to cause significant traffic issues in and around the area.