Easton News

An estimated $450,000 is needed for the next step in the process of studying passenger rail. While Lehigh County officials say they will pay half, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said he thinks other local agencies should foot the bill.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. swore in firefighter Joseph Liecht as lieutenant earlier this week. Liecht led efforts to combat the July 5 fire that routed nearly 20 people in the 1100 block of Lehigh Street.

Easton officials paid respect Saturday to 43 African Americans whose grave sites have been built over. The city expects to honor their memory with a new memorial in the months to come.

College Hill PorchFest, a celebration of music and community across the Easton neighborhood, will return in September, with applications for performers and porches being accepted until July 31.

The Buffalo Soldiers are set to ride from Allentown to Easton's Nesquehoning Street Park in remembrance of the men interred at a forgotten site as part of the "Forgotten Soldiers Ride" on Saturday.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Allentown reporter Jason Addy and Easton reporter Brian Myszkowski.

Weeks after a dam was removed from the Bushkill Creek in Easton as part of a years-long effort to improve stream health, officials continue to restore its banks. A stabilization project will close the bridge for several hours on weekdays over the next couple weeks.

The Northampton County Coroner's Office says the cause and manner of death have yet to be determined. The victim was a 60-year-old man from Easton.

Easton City Council approved a new Project Stabilization Agreement with the Greater Lehigh Valley Building and Construction Trades Council that could lead to more local union workers scoring high-cost government projects.

Tickets for the 50 shows in the new season go on sale to theater members at 10 a.m. Aug. 1 and to the public at 10 a.m. Aug. 8 at www.statetheatre.org, or at the box office at 453 Northampton St., Easton.

Northampton County Council voted to eliminate 20 frontline jobs at the county's juvenile detention and treatment center, and create 13 new supervisor positions. A union for the detention center's workers argued the change is illegal.

Unofficial results in Lehigh and Northampton counties suggest voters rallied around candidates for Northampton County Council and Lehigh County district attorney, among others.

Rosé on the River is coming back for the fifth year at Easton's Scott Park on June 10. The event benefits the Greater Easton Development Partnership and the programs it helps.

The changes, introduced at a county council committee meeting Wednesday, would eliminate some youth care worker positions at the county's juvenile justice center, and create new assistant supervisor roles.

The first stage of the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Analysis project will be completed by October, it was revealed on Wednesday during a Lehigh Valley Transportation Study committee virtual public meeting.

Tuesday's primary election set up a number of races for the fall general election. Here are capsules from Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Democratic primary candidates for Easton City Council Ken Brown and Frank Pintabone have unofficially locked in their seats as of Tuesday night, though the third open position remains too close to call.

Democratic Easton primary candidate Sal Panto Jr. has unofficially won the race as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

Get ready for a mouthwatering fiesta at the annual Taco Fest in Easton, featuring delicious tacos from local food trucks, and refreshing beverages from breweries and bars.

An Easton man intending to open a high-end smoke shop was granted a continuance after questions arose around zoning issues related to the Northampton Street retail space's proximity to another specialty business.

Phase 1 plans call for improvements to major roads in the township, as well as the addition of detention basin retrofits in various places.

As the campaign for the Easton mayoral primary comes to a close, candidates Sal Panto Jr. and Peter Melan discuss how they spent their funds in the race to City Hall.