Lehigh County News

South Whitehall Township recently launched Transportation PLAN, a comprehensive transportation planning initiative.

A Lehigh Valley resident was recognized as a “Volunteer of the Year” for 2023 by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, a statewide nonprofit that focuses on litter cleanups and community improvements.

Tuesday served as a preview of the political campaigns to come as candidates filed paperwork to appear on the April primary ballot. Voters will decide races for president, Congress and the General Assembly among others this year.

Whitehall Township commissioners selected new member Rob Piligian after several votes during a meeting Monday night, just shy of the deadline to do so.

A change.org petition opposing the new mascot chosen by the Whitehall-Coplay School District has attracted more than 1,200 signatures. The mascot, named Big Z, is so named in honor of the school name Zephyr, which was also a train that once ran through Whitehall Township.

Candidates for president, Congress, the General Assembly and Pennsylvania's row offices must file their petitions with the state by Tuesday. Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley could be a critical swing region at both the national and state levels.

One area of potential concern at the Allentown State Hospital had been the presence of dioxins in the soil. Dioxins are a group of toxic chemical compounds that take a long time to break down in the environment, and can cause health problems in people.

With an inconclusive prediction, Sunday's Super Bowl is up in the air — according to the Lehigh Valley Zoo's otters. The zoo in Lehigh County hosted its Otter Bowl XIII, which drew hundreds of spectators Saturday.

It’s a special year for cicadas, insects known for their high-pitched mating songs. Two adjacent broods are expected to co-emerge for the first time in 221 years. Here's the next time they emerge in the Valley.

Allen Issa, a former congressional aide and Penn State Law student, endorsed Maria Montero for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District race.

The yet-to-be-named calf was born Aug. 4 and is the tenth oryx calf born at the zoo since 2014.

John Kalynych, 50, was Lehigh County's former director of emergency management. He served with several volunteer fire departments in the Lehigh Valley and was known for his training and expertise.

A meeting to hear Lehigh Valley residents' concerns about broadband internet access will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Fowler Center at Northampton County Community College in Bethlehem.The meeting is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority which is developing plans to minimize the digital divide, supplying broadband service to unserved and underserved areas,

The airport will get $940,000 from the state to update facilities in the Multimodal Transportation Center and airport terminal.

Allentown has a new training center for firefighters and its first-ever emergency operations center. The building was dedicated to Christopher Kiskeravage, the department’s retired assistant chief for training and South Whitehall’s fire commissioner.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said Dominick Hogans ran from police and then shot at them July 24, 2023. Officers were within their rights when they returned fire, fatally shooting him nine times, Martin said.

Conservative voters walked away impressed with Vivek Ramaswamy's performance in Wednesday's Republican presidential debate, but most still pined for former President Donald Trump.

A Lehigh County report found "systemic overdiagnosis" of medical child abuse, formerly known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. People came to the Lehigh County Commissioners meeting and said LVHN has falsely accused many of the disorder.

Valley Youth House's Camp Fowler may soon operate year-round with a new recreation center. North Whitehall planners reviewed a sketch plan for the building Tuesday.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's comprehensive planning committee approved a review of a planned welcome center on DeSales University's campus Tuesday afternoon.

Officials from the Borough of Macungie reviewed a presentation from the Lower Macungie Fire Department about what fire coverage would look like under the nearby company in response to concerns about their current coverage.

Alburtis residents have faced excess truck traffic and property damage after nearby warehouses were built. A new road extension may alleviate some of the issues.