Lehigh County News

Under Executive Phil Armstrong's final budget plan, taxes would remain at 3.78 mills, lower than they were 11 years ago. The budget now goes to county commissioners for consideration and deliberation.

The Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley was one of the half-dozen winners of this year’s Environmental Partnership Awards.

The 173rd year of the Allentown Fair kicked off Wednesday night to large crowds enjoying food, live music, and the crowning of the 2025 fair queen.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, a candidate for Congress in the 7th Congressional District, called out former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell at IBEW 375 headquarters in Allentown.

While North Whitehall Township planners took no action on the project, developers offered an update on their active adult residential community plans on Tuesday.

Commonwealth Charter Academy, a large, public, cyber charter school for all school-age children, plans to convert a nearly 47,000-square-foot, one-story building into office space for teachers and staff at 2200 W. Broad St.

Troopers said the incident began around 5:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20 when an undercover member of Troop M’s vice unit saw a vehicle pull into the Knights Inn.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Environment Committee on Tuesday discussed a plan for a septic replacement system at the warehouse, planned for 2951 Betz Court.

Critics of the hiring process argued for a superintendent search instead of a direct appointment. Others said Karen Trinkle had more than proven herself ready to lead, and a search would be lengthy and costly.

This week on Lehigh Valley Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick discuss the political implications of affordable housing.

The seven Democrats running for the Lehigh Valley's congressional district agreed on virtually every issue during a candidate's forum in Allentown on Monday evening. Instead of policy, candidates tried to differentiate themselves through their records and credentials.

Voters are increasingly breaking with the Republican and Democratic parties. One national poll found a record 45% of Americans consider themselves politically independent.

Democratic voters in Pennsylvania's 16th and 18th Senate districts may have contested races this spring. Meanwhile, Republican Zach Mako is seeking re-election in Pennsylvania's 183rd House District.

In his first public performance since the "American Idol" episode with him on it aired, Allentown singer Seth Witcher on Thursday was cagey about his status on the show.

In counties such as Lehigh, eviction filings have reached their highest point in years, even as rental vacancy rates have fluctuated. That apparent contradiction — rising vacancy estimates alongside persistent eviction volume — is part of a broader housing dynamic playing out across the region.

The special election will be held Tuesday, Feb. 24, in the 22nd House District, which covers parts of East Allentown, Center City and a part of Salisbury Township. The debate was broadcast live on PBS39 and streamed here at LehighValleyNews.com.

Joining host Tom Shortell on this week's Political Pulse, Ryan Crosswell said his campaign is focused on two priorities: lowering costs for families and defending democratic institutions.

The early LIHEAP crisis numbers already represent a notable share of last winter’s total in the Lehigh Valley, according to data provided by the Department of Human Services.

An extreme cold warning, combined with a wind advisory also in effect, could mean wind chills as low as 20 degrees below zero for the region this weekend.

Appearing on this week's Lehigh Valley Political Pulse with host Tom Shortell, Pinsley framed his campaign around what he described as “bread and butter issues,” arguing that rising costs remain the central concern for voters, and that corporate power is to blame.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2026-27 budget proposal falls back on familiar proposals to regulate skill games and legalize marijuana, two flashpoints that fueled a months-long budget impasse last year.

"The IronPigs will be concluding our naming rights partnership with Coca-Cola in September of 2027, as at that time our current agreement will come to its successful completion,” IronPigs President Kurt Landes said at a joint news conference Tuesday.