Lehigh County News

Officials from Lehigh and Northampton counties are slated to gather at 11 a.m. Aug. 2 at 100 W. Lehigh St. in Bethlehem for a news conference focused on the new project, “Lehigh Valley Breathes.”

Ryan Mackenzie, the longtime Lehigh County state representative, will need to emerge from a crowded Republican field to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, the three-term incumbent.

Upper Macungie Township has filed an application with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission for a zoning ordinance amendment for minimum lot requirements for distillery, microbrewery and winery use.

North Whitehall may get a new Wawa in Schnecksville. It would be part of the proposed King’s Route 309 Business Park.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday reviewed plans for proposed warehouses — in Bethlehem Township and Freemansburg Borough and another in Allen Township.

Nearly 70 years after the late Ernest Kotsch Sr. purchased a grocery store at Third and Union streets in Whitehall Township, Kotsch's Market on MacArthur Road is closing its doors. An auction to sell the contents was held on Monday.

Dorney Park traffic caused major delays on Hamilton Boulevard Saturday. A Dorney representative said the executive team is working with South Whitehall Township staff to address the issue.

The PACT Act makes it easier for veterans and their survivors to qualify for benefits if they served in the Middle East, Afghanistan or Vietnam. But to make the most of their benefits, they'll need to submit paperwork to the Department of Veterans Affairs by Aug. 9.

The late Russell Gackenbach, of Allentown, took the first photos of the atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.

The Lehigh Valley's first Disability Pride Lehigh Valley festival was held Saturday at the Penn State — Lehigh Valley campus. The free, all-ages event was a celebration of the region’s disability community through art, music and community resources.

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.

Amidst high temperatures and even higher heat indexes, it is important to know how to cool down and relieve heat stress. However, the Lehigh Valley is underprepared for these extreme temperatures, says an expert.

A statewide drought watch is still in effect, even amid rounds of severe rainstorms and flash flooding.

Dorney Park on Friday posted on its website and social media a "sneak peek of new things" coming in 2024. But the teaser reveals little except for a puzzling Aug. 10 date.

The Allentown School District Foundation awarded 77 scholarships to students graduating from Allentown high schools this year, totaling more than $65,000.