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                Stephanie Kasulka/LehighValleyNews.comWith SNAP benefits delayed in November and the holidays approaching, Lehigh Valley residents can help or get help. Here's where to find food pantries, volunteer opportunities, and donation info.
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                Micaela Hood/LehighValleyNews.comU.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, has organized a food drive while pinning the ongoing government shutdown on Senate Democrats. SNAP benefits that help feed millions of low-income Americans are hours away from expiring.
 
Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute now offers treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib) with a new system that uses pulsed electrical fields to target problematic heart muscle cells instead of extreme heat or cold.
        
        
    Health & Wellness News
    
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                        The machine is available 24/7 and is located outside the Lehigh Conference of Churches at 457 W. Allen St. in Allentown.
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                        Community Bike Works received more than $600,000 from the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study to fund its bicycle safety and repair program for students in the Lehigh Valley.
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                        In an email, Allentown School District said mold spores were found in several elementary school classrooms. Remedial action has been taken, the district said in a release, and the classrooms will be tested ahead of the first day of school.
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                        Allentown received $1.5 million in grants from the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study to address transportation safety and carbon emissions in the city.
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                        Two baby kangaroos from a Central Pennsylvania farm entertained residents at Fellowship Community retirement community in Whitehall Township on Friday.
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                        Administrators of the Northampton County-owned Gracedale nursing home shared a new strategic plan Thursday. One key priority: recruiting new nurses and nurse aides to fill hundreds of open positions.
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                        Six entrepreneurs pitched their projects to judges during StartUp Lehigh Valley event at Musikfest Cafe on Tuesday night.
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                        Community members gathered at Penn Pump Park in Palmer Township Tuesday morning to celebrate the recent ADA accessibility improvements funding via county grant programs.
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                        Between delayed state funding and federal cuts, Second Harvest Food Bank does not have enough food to meet demand, its leaders say.
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                        “A Community Conversation: Navigating Menopause” will be broadcast on PBS39 and streaming at PBS39.org. Topics of discussion include misunderstood myths, gaps in medical training, the toll on workplace performance, and the often-silent struggle women face.
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                        Juggling family, business and a new yoga career, Coopersburg's Roey Ebert gets creative with her usual grace
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                        Allentown police can hand out tickets to anyone caught swimming in natural waterways in the city, Mayor Matt Tuerk said, urging residents not to let a $100 fine “ruin your summer.”
 
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                        Bethlehem Health Bureau now has a mobile health clinic. The bus will bring healthcare to city residents closer to where they live.
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                        Youth bicyclists and their mentors traveled from across the country to learn and extend their network at the 2024 National Youth Bike Summit at Muhlenberg College this weekend.
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                        Temperatures could reach the low 90s on Monday, with widespread highs in the 90s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
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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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                        Senate Republicans blocked a vote on a bill that would guarantee access to assisted reproductive technology. The effort came a day after Democrats blocked a Republican effort to penalize states that attempt to ban invitro fertilization treatments.
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                        Allentown police Sgt. Chris Hendricks has worked for years to equip Allentown police vehicles with defibrillators. That work changed his life when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest June 10 during a chase.
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                        A bill aimed at saving local pharmacies with pharmacy benefit manager, or PBMs, reform was touted in Allentown this week. Pennsylvania State Representative Josh Siegel, who represents Lehigh County, joined State Representative Jessica Benham, who represents Allegheny County, at Allentown Pharmacy.
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                        A new report release by the American Heart Association shows the U.S. on trend to have a cardiovascular disease crisis within 30 years. A public poll shows people feel eating healthy is the way to avoid the crisis, but price points and access limit that ability.
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                        Northampton County is mailing out drug disposal pouches to residents. The effort is part of the Fake is Real campaign to fight the opioid epidemic.
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                        In his State of the County address Tuesday, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure offered a 'test' for residents to evaluate his government. His conclusion: "It may be as strong as it's ever been."
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                        Bethlehem native Julianna Rodrigues, who has a form of muscular dystrophy, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Collaborative at Moravian University, on Tuesday morning.
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                        More than two dozen state legislators, including one from the Lehigh Valley, have co-sponsored HB2238, which would eliminate the use of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in household products.