Lehigh County News

Aleah Nothstein, of Boot Scootin' with Aleah, teaches line dancing in New Tripoli and Bethlehem with her beau, DJ Mullet.

An influx of residents and warehouses have made highways in Lehigh and Northampton counties more crowded. An analysis by LehighValleyNews.com finds some stretches of road have experienced increases of 40% to 50% in traffic volume, with Route 33 overtaking Interstate 78 as the region's second-busiest highway.

A recent bald eagle rehabilitation and release is a bright spot amid a dangerous time for bald eagles in the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the commonwealth. Bird flu continues to threaten wild bird populations, causing more than a dozen bald eagles to be euthanized across Pennsylvania.

A five-part series this week will explore traffic and transportation issues in the Lehigh Valley. Increasing traffic volume, dangerous driving and insufficient infrastructure are among the topics examined.

Justin Simmons, the former Republican state representative, was among three people who filed nomination papers last week to seek the party's nomination in the May 20 primary election.

The first-of-its-kind report, “Wildlife Corridors: How reconnecting habitats is protecting Pennsylvania’s native species," highlights 10 innovative wildlife corridor projects around the state.

The Lehigh Valley's only Muffler Man, located in Coopersburg, only continues to gain attraction as the years go by. This time, Giant Chip has secured a spot among the state's top "quirkiest" roadside attractions, alongside only one other Muffler Man in the state to make the list.

Democratic VIPs including U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, DNC Chair Ken Martin and former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild attended the town hall at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Thursday night. The evening came with a rebuke to attendees from the church pastor.

At a virtual town hall Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, said he did not support cuts to Medicare or Social Security, called for peace in Ukraine, and gently pushed back on how the Trump administration handled cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Things are looking up for the southern end of Lehigh County, officials agreed Thursday at an annual municipal update event at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

A local amputee support group continues to connect those who have lost a limb and raise money for other amputees. The Lehigh Valley Amputee Support Group held its 17th Annual Golf Tournament Friday.

The juvenile charged appeared Thursday in juvenile court and admitted to the allegations involving the tampering of food products with sewing needles at the Lower Macungie Township Giant supermarket

The Burn Prevention Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network educate parents about burn and fire risks to their children. What was once a packet of information will now be a video will be shown to those with newborns.

A team of students from Bangor Area High School placed ninth in this year's statewide Envirothon competition, essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science. The team placed first for the wildlife station.

The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.

In a map released Thursday, nearly the entire state of Pennsylvania was designated as “abnormally dry” by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The status is a precursor to drought and is likely to worsen over the next couple of weeks.

Upper Macungie Township is asking for community feedback during its review of the township's zoning ordinance and SALDO.

The mobile stroke unit at Lehigh Valley Health Network is expanding its reach with a new partnership. The specialized ambulance will now assist first responders in part of Berks County with neurological emergencies.

All primary results in Lehigh and Northampton counties are now official after election workers ran audits and validated totals over the past two weeks.

The Emmaus Arts Commission's Paint-A-Hydrant program has now given a new artistic life to nearly 80 hydrants throughout the Borough of Emmaus

The program started with 60 students in 2019, but the numbers have fallen off in the wake of the pandemic.

Nearly three dozen residents attended the May 25 meeting to hear about current grant-funded plans to redo sidewalks in sinking and poor conditions on Lockridge Lane, East Second Street and Roberts Street. The grant-funded project will make the sidewalks ADA compliant.