Lehigh County News

In a move that Santander Bank said aligns with the financial institution's digital shift nationwide, seven Lehigh Valley branches will be sold to Community Bank. Branches will remain open and employees will be offered continued employment during the transition, which is expected to complete by the end of the year,

South Whitehall Township's board of commissioners voted Wednesday to purchase upgraded radios for first responders in the township through a five-year payment plan provided by Lehigh County.

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

Allentown's Redevelopment Authority is applying for up to $2.5 million that could be used to rehab 10 single-family homes for low-income residents.

Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

Newhard Farms Corn Shed opened Tuesday for sweet corn sales. While it opened a few days later than in recent years, there's expected to be a good supply this season.

The bill would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, beginning in 2026.

Xylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.

The funding comes from the commonwealth’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Known as "tranq" on the streets, an animal tranquilizer named xylazine infiltrated drug supplies throughout Pennsylvania since 2019. Its presence in the Lehigh Valley has grown, with deadly consequences.

Marvin Gruber's son and daughter-in-law will attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 7 as guests of U.S Rep. Susan Wild D-Lehigh/Monroe

ArtsQuest, the organization that annually presents Musikfest in Bethlehem, has announced it will offer a music festival and other events in Upper Macungie Township this summer.

Some districts say it's a constant struggle to staff the positions.

The center was the target of attacks on drag shows

A special augmented-reality experience will be featured at many local businesses alongside dozens of artists and vendors. It's been postponed due to the weather.

LVHN will be one of the first hospitals in Pennsylvania to treat prostate cancer with noninvasive robotic technology. The procedure is said to be more accurate and lowers the risk of side effects.

Recent incidents of violence prompted several people to speak out on safety concerns at the Allentown City Council meeting on Wednesday night. They emphasized the need for action and community involvement.

The tripledemic rages on, but there are ways to lower your risk of infection. A health care administrator talks about what the industry and the public learned from the pandemic about preventing illness.

Lehigh County will be funding free walk-in mental health services administered by KidsPeace.

A spokesman for the center said the conservative attacks made them concerned about the safety of kids and parents.

South Whitehall commissioners unanimously appointed Capt. Stephen Brown and Lt. Eric Dotter at their meeting Wednesday.

The City of Allentown appointed both a new director of parks and recreation and director of finance during Wednesday's city council meeting