Lehigh County News

The Annual Pennsylvania Wild Turkey Sighting Survey, which began Tuesday, aims to track population trends across the state for a bird that once almost went extinct in the U.S.

The gunman showed up uninvited at a gathering outside a borough home late on the Fourth of July, borough police said. He fled after shooting three people as well as apparently accidentally shooting himself in the leg, the police chief said. The 18-year-old is being charged with several assault and weapons crimes.

There are 51 stops on this year’s trail. In its eighth year, the trail is focused on celebrating local creameries across the state while driving business during the summer months.

Legislators worked to establish penalties for xylazine use and trafficking in an attempt to lessen its presence in Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply. Some say doing so made way for a new, unclassified veterinary tranquilizer to take its place — medetomidine.

The tax and spending plan drew praise from Republicans for lowering taxes and funding border security, but Democrats condemned it for slashing Medicaid coverage and raising the deficit.

In a move that Santander Bank said aligns with the financial institution's digital shift nationwide, seven Lehigh Valley branches will be sold to Community Bank. Branches will remain open and employees will be offered continued employment during the transition, which is expected to complete by the end of the year,

South Whitehall Township's board of commissioners voted Wednesday to purchase upgraded radios for first responders in the township through a five-year payment plan provided by Lehigh County.

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

Allentown's Redevelopment Authority is applying for up to $2.5 million that could be used to rehab 10 single-family homes for low-income residents.

Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

Allentown Art Museum hosted a reception for its new immersive and interactive exhibition ‘Restoring Petals,’ which reflects on the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and honors those who died.

North Whitehall Township's Klusaritz Family Farm was recognized at the Pennsylvania Farm Show as one of six farms across the state that had been in the same family for more than 100 years.

Lauren and Juan Vargas, the owners of Nowhere Coffee Co., played host to President Biden as he swept through Emmaus to visit with local business owners Friday.

The troop from New Tripoli has set a goal of selling 6,000 boxes, with plans to use that money to fund a two-week trip to Europe next year.

South Whitehall Planning Commission on Thursday reviewed a sketch plan for a housing development 81 South Cedar Crest Blvd. The proposed development would be adjacent to Cedar Creek Park.

Police declined to provide any additional information, but the rumor mill has the president stopping in at least one local business on his visit to the Lehigh Valley on Friday. East Penn and several other school districts plan to dismiss students early.

South Whitehall Township Vacancy Board appointed Public Safety Commission member Chris Peischl to a vacant seat on the Board of Commissioners. Peischl ran for the board in the 2023 election.

Lehigh County announced a new service that allows 911 operators to request live video communication from callers

President Joe Biden will make his second presidential visit to the Allentown area on Friday. The planned trip comes a week after he launched his re-election campaign by calling out former President Donald Trump as a threat to American democracy.

A severe rainstorm is expected to cause flooding that may impact roadways throughout the Lehigh Valley.

The funding for four projects came from the Growing Greener and Act 167 grant programs, both through the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Five farms in Lehigh and Northampton counties were the latest to be included in the commonwealth’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.