Health & Wellness News

Jillian Mercado, a model and advocate who has spastic muscular dystrophy, urged those with challenges to continue fighting for equality at an event at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation on Wednesday night.

Planned for completion in Fall 2026, Lehigh Valley Health Network, now part of Jefferson Health, says the new facility will just about double the size of the existing emergency room at its 2545 Schoenersville Road hospital campus.

The Giant Company has made a $50,000 donation to the River Crossing YMCA to buy nearly 13,000 gallons of milk for its preschool students.

Project drawings also show a footbridge over the nearby mill race — a channel once used to move water to the Heller-Wagner Grist Mill about a half-mile north of the park.

The debut of the $48.5 million Lifestyle Community Center in Upper Macungie Township took another step closer on Thursday afternoon at a walking news conference. The first of 18 heavy timber trusses, imported from Austria, was installed this month on 188,000-square-foot, multi-functional indoor facility.

The hourlong program will be broadcast at 6 p.m. It takes a deeper look at the 2025 Pennsylvania Health Survey by the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion — and how Pennsylvanians view key public health issues, such as vaccinations.

The anonymous questionnaire focuses on opioids and illicit substances. Officials say it builds on the Allentown Health Bureau’s other work to address the ongoing opioid crisis.

Sixty-eight state parks across Pennsylvania now offer free menstrual products. It's part of a broader initiative to make public spaces across the commonwealth more accessible and supportive for all.

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.

Top-prize-winning projects include plans for an outdoor classroom at Trexler Middle School, several garden spaces and a free bike tune-up day.

Data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows firefighters face a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer and a 39% increase of dying from it. A two-minute test could be just what it takes for firefighters to get ahead of the disease.

A couple dozen riders assembled at Bethlehem City Hall on Thursday ahead of a six-mile group ride for the occasion — one with a goal of changing public outlook toward choosing a bike to commute.

The center uses harm reduction, social activities, and job services to help people get back on their feet after addiction.

The hazmat crew got the call at 10:17 a.m., deploying to a private structure on the block just east of the Hyatt Place hotel at the corner of Guetter and North streets.

Said Edward Boscola, Bethlehem water and sewer resources director: “It’s important for everybody to know that the lead levels in the city’s drinking water system are very low."

The health network recognized Bill and Denise Spence for their philanthropy, inspired by their daughter's pregnancy experience. Bill Spence is retired CEO of PPL Corp.

The eighth annual Bob Price Memorial Turkey Drive was held at Coca-Cola Park on Friday. More than 2,000 turkeys were donated by area businesses and residents to help feed those in need in the Lehigh Valley.

Organic whole and baby carrots linked to Grimmway Farms, including several brands available in stores throughout the Lehigh Valley, have been recalled due to concerns of E. coli.

LIHEAP, PPL's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, returns in time for cold weather electric bills. Other programs are also available to help with costs.

Showstoppers Boxing Club teaches youth how to box and stay out of trouble. That’s why Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley has uplifted the boxing club as an anti-violence initiative.

That endowment will help improve parks across the city by providing long-term funding for the Parknership’s work.

Inversion is a natural phenomenon that causes bottom water to flow up to the top surface and surface water to drop to the bottom. It's causing some households' drinking water to smell and taste different.

Lower Saucon Township Council on Wednesday accepted a $125,000 state grant to cover some cost for a new restroom at the Reading Drive head along the Saucon Rail Trail.

The partnership will center around a farm in Lower Macungie Twp., where according to the Rodale Institute, modern organic farming was invented.