Lehigh County News

Tourism is an integral part of the Lehigh Valley’s economic engine, officials said Thursday, accounting for millions of visitors each year and equating to billions in economic impact.

North Whitehall supervisors will host a conditional use hearing on Wednesday, June 5, for a revised plan of the controversial Rising Sun subdivision.

The state Department of Environmental Protection announced $980,000 in grants to promote environmental education and stewardship across the state. Two Lehigh Valley programs received pieces of funding.

The Allentown Parknership made its debut Wednesday at Arts Park. The new nonprofit was funded by a $500,000 gift from the Harry C. Trexler Trust.

State revenue generated by Wind Creek Bethlehem and Mount Airy Casino will help Bangor renovate a fire hall, Lower Nazareth Township purchase a new police vehicle and improve seating at a Freemansburg amphitheater.

In 90 seconds, flames will burn straight through an aircraft, members of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority (LNAA) Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Division said Tuesday as they hosted a Live Fire Mobile Simulator and training exercise at Lehigh Valley International Airport.

A proposal to develop the old Dixie Cup factory in Wilson Borough into 405 apartments advanced after review by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee.

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., predicted Lehigh Valley congressional candidate Ryan Mackenzie would carry Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District as part of a wider Republican sweep of Congress and the White House in November.

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Republican congressional candidate Ryan Mackenzie will visit the Cetronia Ambulance Corps in South Whitehall Township on Tuesday.

The Diocese of Allentown announced several moves among priests in its 78 parishes — part of an annual process led by an advisory board of priests and approved by Bishop Alfred Schlert.

Maria Montero, an Easton resident, is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, the incumbent Democrat, in the Lehigh Valley's 2024 congressional race.

A wound care clinic, independent of the area hospitals, is now open in Salisbury Township. The office is staffed with physical therapists to treat a wide range of injuries.

Bill Bachenberg is accused in a $10 million lawsuit of hiring a cybersecurity company to analyze voting machines in Fulton County for voting irregularities but than stiffing it when it found no evidence of voter fraud.

Upper Macungie Police Department has a new K-9 named Nyala. She was introduced at the Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday.

Route 309's improvement plan will be displayed at the South Whitehall Township Municipal Building on Tuesday.

Called “Lehigh Valley Breathes,” the more than $100,000 project includes installing 40 PurpleAir monitors throughout the region. Officials plan to collect data for a year.

The rehab program, if completed succesfully by the accused person, could result in their charges being reduced or dropped before they even make it to court.

The center's annual Bake Oven Knob Autumn Hawk Watch begins in just over two weeks. Officials are hosting an informational Zoom session at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 to share the history of the count and volunteer opportunities, as well as how to count migrating raptors and some tips for identification.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Extending from Allentown to north of Coplay, the gap, made up of two main sections delineated by the Lehigh River, is expected to be closed in a little over a decade, officials said.

The major expansion at Lehigh Valley International Airport will allow more passengers to move more quickly through TSA security clearances. VIPs such as Gov. Josh Shapiro, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild were on hand to celebrate the project's completion.

The proposed 866,000-square-foot warehouse project in Bethlehem Township and Freemansburg is inconsistent with FutureLV, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission determined on Thursday night.