Lehigh County News

Topgolf and the Lehigh Valley Town Center were discussed at Tuesday's Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meeting, seeking waivers and granting a procedural approval.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's comprehensive planning committee on Tuesday reviewed plans for several area projects, including development of the former Allentown State Hospital site.

City council on Wednesday will consider overriding Mayor Matt Tuerk's veto of council’s approved 2024 no-tax-increase budget, which did not include the position. Advocates still hope to find a way to a hire a sustainability manager.

A new ordinance in Lehigh County solidifies an agreement with the state Transportation Department to get formerly incarcerated people official state IDs either right at release or soon after.

Lights in the Parkway will have Move It Mondays, where walkers, bikers and runners will be able to explore the dazzling display for free on select Mondays through December.

Scouting for Food is organized by the Boy Scouts of America Minsi Trails Council, which includes Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Democrat Thomas Johns won a seat on the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners over the incumbents' preferred candidate, Republican Chris Peischl.

The Lehigh Valley saw voter turnout top 30% in Tuesday's municipal election, more than 10 points higher than local races saw a decade ago.

Upper Macungie supervisors will hold a special meeting on Friday, Nov. 17, to discuss a potential agreement for a warehouse plan at 110 PA Route 100.

St. Luke's University Health Network is "very close" to buying three properties near the St. Luke's West End Medical Center. The original plan was to consolidate the three properties into one tract of 1.01 acres and construct a 3,400 square foot commercial building.

Lehigh County Courthouse is expected to reopen a week after fire sprinklers damaged the building's electrical system Tuesday night.

The South Whitehall Board of Commissioners is seeking applications to fill a vacant seat. The current commissioners will conduct public interviews with applicants at a special meeting on Dec. 28, then vote to appoint one of them.

The Upper Macungie Planning Commission reviewed a sketch plan for renovations and expansions to Trexler Travel Center on 5829 Tilghman St.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

The Lehigh County Courthouse will be closed Thursday as officials deal with a small electrical fire that occurred early Wednesday morning.

The new position will appear on the ballot in 2025. The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas had one of the higher caseloads for counties of its size.

Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

KidsPeace, which provides behavioral and mental health services to children, collected about 1,400 toys for its 12th annual Angel Tree holiday gift drive.

All but one township zoning amendment application were reviewed without issue by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon.

If ultimately completed, the combined health care system would operate 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient sites, with more than 62,000 employees, according to LVHN and Jefferson Health.

Driven by $8.1 billion in manufacturing, the Lehigh Valley's Gross Domestic Product grew to a record $50.2 billion in 2022. The region's economy now ranks above Vermont and Wyoming.