Lehigh County News

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.

The Upper Macungie Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to make newly-elected supervisor Jeff Fleischaker the chairman of the board at its meeting Tuesday.

The North Whitehall Board of Supervisors on Tuesday granted approval for a new recreation center at Valley Youth House's Camp Fowler. It will be called the Carter Family Center.

January is National Radon Action Month, and officials from the American Lung Association are offering a limited supply of free radon test kits for commonwealth residents, including those in the the Lehigh Valley.

Gavin Holihan took the oath of office Tuesday morning as Lehigh County's new district attorney. He said he'll divert resources away from penny-ante issues to focus on battling violent crime.

From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 10, college officials are opening up the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, 2400 W. Chew St., for residents and community members to explore.

We asked people across social media channels to weigh in with their Lehigh Valley-centric wishes for 2024. Here's what topped the list.

Dozens of Lehigh Valley projects cashed checks worth nearly $19 million in fiscal year 2023 thanks to support from U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. The Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation brought home $364.5 million in earmarks, which ranked in the top half of U.S. states.

The Winter Light Spectacular features 1.2 million lights in holiday displays, fire pits for s’mores, hot chocolate and live performances by princesses Anna, Elsa, Belle and Cinderella.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

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.