Easton News

Palmer Township Supervisors narrowly passed a measure which will see supervisors salaries, along with committee members, increased for newly elected and appointed individuals at their Monday meeting.

Plans call for nine 3-story residential buildings and a 5,260-square-foot amenity structure at the old V7 driving range and restaurant. Also proposed: 557 parking spaces and an internal circulation drive with two connections to Hope Road.

Stop Wood Ave. Warehouse Coalition has purchased digital billboard time to fight the development the million-square-foot Easton Commerce Park project.

Easton City Council heard requests for CDBG funds at their Wednesday meeting, but officials are concerned about the Trump administration's goal to cut the program and potentially cripple funding initiatives for those in need.

With support from Unity Bank and organizers Greater Easton Development Partnership and the Easton Tea Dance, Easton will host its first-ever Pride celebration on June 1, 2025.

Councilman Frank Pintabone reintroduced his marijuana decriminalization ordinance at Easton City Council on Wednesday, aiming to turn possession into a summary charge. A vote on the matter is expected in two weeks.

Start Making Sense, a Talking Heads tribute band with singer Jon Braun assuming the role of frontman David Byrne, will perform the first day of Garlic Fest, set for Oct. 4-5 in Downtown Easton.

Palmer Township police officer John Smoke faces up to five years in prison. Authorities accused him of sending the photo to a 16-year-old while he was assigned to Easton Area High School as a resource officer.

Incumbent Easton City Council members Taiba Sultana and Roger Ruggles lost in the Democratic primary, according to unofficial election returns. Susan Hartranft-Bittinger defeated Sultana and Frank Graziano outpaced Ruggles.

Wilson Area School Board unanimously approved its $49 million budget for the 2025-26 school year on Monday night. Included is a 3.5% tax increase.

The SBA is offering low-interest disaster loans to both renters and business owners, while the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has helped facilitate grant programs for renters.

Easton Fire Chief Henry Hennings said the Hotel Hampton blaze exposed critical staffing shortages, delayed response challenges and growing risks in high-occupancy buildings.

KC and the Sunshine Band will bring that music to Easton's State Theatre at perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Tickets, at $90-$110, remain available, though some sections are limited.

Three Dog Night, which had hits such as "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," "Joy to the World" and "Black and White," will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 27, and the stage musical of Charles Dickens’s "A Christmas Carol," will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

With rising rents and limited inventory, the Lehigh Valley housing crunch is making it harder for many people to find affordable apartments or even think about buying a home.

The full story, to publish Wednesday, will explore why newly available apartments are attracting large numbers of applicants and what that reveals about the balance between housing supply and demand.

The My Generation Tour of Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Lovin' Spoonful and The Hollies' Terry Sylvester that stopped Friday, March 13, at Easton's State Theater was a wonderful collection of memories — and an occasional surprise.

The Oak Ridge Boys will stop at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at Easton's State Theatre. Tickets, at $65-$85, remain available at the theatre website and are expected to be available at the door at 453 Northampton St.

Thirteen of the Lehigh Valley's seats in the General Assembly look like they'll have a contested November election. State Senate races in Lehigh and Northampton counties will have contested primaries, as well.

Gary Lewis & The Playboys and The Lovin' Spoonful will perform as part of The My Generation Tour at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at Easton's State Theatre. Joining them will be Terry Sylvester of The Hollies, one of those British groups with which they competed, and which had five Top 10 hits of their own in the 1960s.

"The entire regiment deserves some sort of reconsideration, whether it’s by BusPatrol or by legislative change,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.

A Multi-Agency Resource Center will be open from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Gallery at the State Theatre for victims of the Hampton Hotel fire in Easton.