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Jay Bradley/LehighValleyNews.comDespite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. -
Makenzie Christman/LehighValleyNews.comXylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.
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Two votes last week — by Allentown City Council and the U.S. Supreme Court — made it a difficult one for advocates for homeless people in Allentown. -
Pushed by the pandemic, backyard gardens are hotter than ever. One Bethlehem man starts months before the weather is right.
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The Lehigh County funded Mid-Atlantic Rehabilitation Services, or MARS, opened a new substance abuse-related treatment center in Allentown on Friday.The FORT program (Families Obtaining Recovery Together) will join the slate of treatment options offered, making this groundbreaking program available to more Lehigh County residents free of charge.
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For the first time in more than three decades, and at a cost of nearly $500,000, the Boardwalk at the Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary.has been completely restored and made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Lehigh Valley Health Network cut the ribbon on their new Gilbertsville neighborhood hospital. It's the network’s first location in Montgomery County.
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A seizure survivor breaks her self-harm silence to raise awareness, so that others with the condition feel heard.
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Chris Nee’s Comedy to Break the Stigma will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St.
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The second annual Greenway Pride event in Bethlehem drew a warm crowd despite the damp weather. Attendees said the Lehigh Valley needs more events and places that cater to the region's LGBT community.
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Easton police Officer Jeff Crosson was awarded Officer of the Year during a special event by the city's Kiwanis Club.
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A new behavioral health hospital is being built in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Ground was broken Wednesday for Lehigh Valley Health Network’s new facility on the LVHN-Muhlenberg campus.
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The next two Wednesdays in June, Ott will be hosting "Breathe Easy" Lunchtime Plant Therapy workshops at A Little Bit of Local at ArtsWalk, 21 N. Seventh St. in Allentown.
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The third annual Revolutions for Inclusion Bike Ride raises money for the Easter Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Center. A local father's memory lives on through the third annual fundraising event.
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State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, is the architect of a bill that would allocate $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan funding for mental health programs. It passed the House last week and is under state Senate consideration.
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The smoke may be clearing, but anxiety from the eerie event may stick with us. A Lehigh Valley therapist has some ways to get past the uneasy feelings left behind after this week's smoke-filled skies.
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Allentown school board is considering whether Raub Middle School would benefit from a $1.2 million grant where several community groups would work with at-risk middle school students over two years, under a proposed plan.
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The bill, spearheaded by state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, would dedicate American Rescue Plan money to training mental health care providers, creating more suicide prevention programs and supporting specialty courts.
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The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.
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Loneliness, isolation and social disconnect are a public health crisis in the United States. Brittany Sweeney hosts a community conversation to examine the factors that contribute to isolation — and what we can do to avoid it.
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A housing facility for inmates with severe mental illness is now open in Northampton County. The Shiloh Restoration Center will have 8-beds and provide mental and behavioral health support.
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The free classes will take place at Cedar Beach and ArtsWalk parks through June, with the Cedar Beach sessions extending through the summer. The classes are a partnership between the yoga studios and the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
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Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.
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A new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General warns of the harmful effects social media can have on the well-being of kids and teens. A psychologist from the University of Pennsylvania has advice for parents.
