Lehigh County News

A crowd gathered — and cheered — as Luani the otter at Lehigh Valley Zoo made his Super Bowl LVII pick during the 12th annual Otter Bowl a day before the big game between the Eagles and Chiefs.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said police recovered a semiautomatic handgun from the man, as well as shell casings believed to have been fired from the weapon. No officers were hurt, but a projectile nicked an officer's bulletproof vest, Martin said.

Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio said the official pronouncement will be completed by the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Police are stepping up DUI enforcement for Super Bowl weekend. Each year, there’s a spike in the number of car crashes immediately following the Super Bowl than what is typical for a Sunday night.

Some spoke about the need for recovery houses, and others spoke about the potential harm it could bring to the children.

Monkey Knife Fight 2023, described as “the hardest charity ride you'll ever love to hate” is happening on April Fools' Day, and that is no joke.

Parents aren't the only ones frustrated. One bus driver says students acting out causes drivers to quit, creating high turnover rates. A number of school districts are negotiating new bus driver contracts.

Students gathered to cheer for the Emmaus High School graduate who joined the Eagles at the start of the season. The team is in Arizona getting ready to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

Michelle Graupner, a South Whitehall Township Democrat, hopes to become Lehigh County's second clerk of judicial records.

St. Luke's University Health Network opened 6 pediatric specialty labs across the Lehigh Valley. The labs are designed to make children and their caregivers feel more at ease when receiving services.

Erik McGaughey, the new CEO of Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley, says a dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteers are making a difference in ways that go far beyond perceptions of what the nonprofit is and what it provides.

Contrasting points of view are at issue with the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's decision to relocate its headquarters.

Planners recommended approval to the preliminary/final plan for a self-storage facility on Walbert Avenue.

The Board of Commissioners adopted the plan four years after its creation began.

A motorcade of 40 dirt bikes and ATVs ignored traffic laws and endangered others last year. They also delayed an injured Allentown detective from getting medical treatment. Only one driver, a Pen Argyl man, has been identified and charged.

The Upper Macungie Planning Commission reviewed a revised conceptual design for the proposed residential development Sunset Orchards.

Allentown City Council unanimously voted on Wednesday night to approve Mayor Matt Tuerk’s ordinance to appropriate $10,000 for an analysis of the embattled parking authority.

Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, invited the state Senate’s top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee for a visit Tuesday of the Allentown School District’s oldest school buildings.

Allentown City Planning Commission on Tuesday gave preliminary final approval for a proposed five-story, 140-room boutique hotel, with ground-bar and restaurant at 949 Hamilton St.

Mayor Matt Tuerk is asking city council to approve a $10,000 study of the Allentown Parking Authority's management and structure. It comes in the wake of dozens of complaints from residents alleging overbearing and predatory enforcement practices.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Capehart denied the appeal of Patrick Palmer, who argued election staff should accept his paperwork because he paid a filing fee on time.

Upper Macungie planners will discuss the Sunset Orchards residential development at a meeting Wednesday.