Health & Wellness News

Primo Water North America alerted consumers in December that one of its self-service water refill vending machines was found to have "total coliform." The affected machine is now fully operational again.

The churches used unconventional methods to erase $3.5 million in medical debt for total strangers in the area, they announced on Thursday.

Scott Slingerland, executive director of recipient nonprofit Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, said, “It’s cool how everybody’s a piece of the puzzle in terms of supporting the community. We all do totally different things, but it all makes up the whole.”

Lehigh Valley Health Network and the Easton Area Community Center’s St. Anthony’s Youth Center received state grants to support violence prevention and out-of-school programs. The $1.1 million in funding will enhance community efforts to reduce violence and grow youth development initiatives.

U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk.

Ten Lehigh Valley children with disabilities were presented with adaptive bikes or strollers at Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21. Each individually customized adaptive bike costs $3,500 to $4,000 and is not covered by insurance.

Walkiewicz will report to ANCOR with relevant policy happenings out of Harrisburg and help to strengthen the nationwide I/DD-services network, for both at-home and community-based services.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Brittany Sweeney takes her place with reporter Phil Gianficaro and social media specialist Grace Oddo.

Elevate Your Health and Wellness Expo will take place at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Delta by Marriott. The event is free and will benefit KidsPeace.

Unforeseen issues and obstacles have pushed the timeline for Lehigh Valley Breathes back. The regional air monitoring project aims to measure fine particle pollution.

St. Luke's University Health Network and Grand View Health have confirmed a partnership which was first introduced in the summer of 2024.

January is National Radon Action Month. Public health officials are urging residents to stay informed of the risks, test and support legislative efforts to increase testing.

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 fast-growing, Philadelphia-based chain honeygrow opened May 23 in Airport Shopping Center at 1872 Airport Road, Hanover Township, Lehigh County.

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.