Lehigh County News

The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the sale of PPL Tower in Allentown to Wilkes-Barre-based D&D Realty Group. The sale comes more than four months after PPL Corp. announced that its subsidiary, PPL Electric Utilities, had reached a tentative $9 million agreement to sell the building to D&D Realty Group.

The start of Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual hawk watch is just over a month out, and preparations are well underway. A tradition in its 64th year, volunteers count birds of prey as they migrate along the raptor "superhighway" in the Lehigh Valley’s backyard.

The plans reward full work weeks and filling in at moments of urgent need at the 911 Center, Jail, and Cedarbrook Senior Home.

The beer was flowing, the staff was polished and prepared, and food and drinks came with just the right cushion between appetizers and entrees at a soft opening event at the brand new Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Whitehall.

The Lehigh Valley's newest entertainment complex will open its doors at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 15.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission issued 19 recommendations for PPL Electric to improve upon, including fixing its poor customer service and restoring power to customers faster following an outage.

The Lehigh County Redevelopment Authority approved a contract between Elias Property Group and Synergy Environmental Group for $67,000 for an environmental study at the former Lehigh Valley Dairy site.

Covered Bridge Park visitors have been grilling along the banks of and inside of Jordan Creek, taking township picnic tables into the creek and placing tables and chairs in it — all actions that have contributed to an increase in police presence.

The $208 million will also produce 295 new union jobs, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s announcement said, though it’s unclear what cut of the funding the Macungie facility is getting or the number of new jobs expected locally.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, is looking to force his predecessor, now Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, to release tax returns about Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone. Browne, who crafted the NIZ, has worked to keep the information confidential for five years.

A local consortium led by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. hoped to secure a $75 million grant to boost local production of semiconductors.

Incumbent Mark Pinsley and challenger Robert Smith face off in the Lehigh County controller race this November. The office is tasked with serving as a fiscal watchdog of the county's half-billion-dollar budget.

Timothy Foley and Anthony Murphy, two Democrats, are challenging two Republican incumbents, John Inglis and Dennis Benner, in the Nov. 7 election. The township hasn't seen a tax increase in three decades.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild has banked more than $1.1 million toward her re-election effort. Meanwhile, three Republicans raised over $302,000 toward their campaigns in the last three months.

The officials announced a statewide drought watch this July. Here are the latest updates for Lehigh, Northampton and more.

Allen Issa, a former congressional aide, is the fourth Republican to enter the race for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Wednesday hosted “WorkshopLV: Environment + Transportation." The almost two hour long meeting focused on brainstorming and prioritizing ways to decarbonize transportation across the region.

The discussion comes after Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley in August released a report that raises concerns about how child abuse accusations are handled in the county.

With just one incumbent seeking re-election, Lehigh County voters are guaranteed to place three newcomers on the Lehigh County Board of Elections this November.

Lehigh County Commissioners' Human Services Commission will discuss the county’s Office of Children and Youth Services (OCYS) at its meeting on Wednesday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a series of in-person and virtual meetings to collect feedback on its new environmental justice policy. The next meeting is Oct. 25.

More than a half-hour of passionate pleas didn't slow down Lehigh County commissioners as they signed off on Heather Reed's promotion to lead the Child and Youth Services department, which is mired in controversy.