Lehigh County News

Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong joins Tom Shortell on this week's episode of Political Pulse to explain how county government fills vital social service roles and what duties come with the county executive role.

Gemma, a fisher, has died, zoo officials announced Monday. She was an animal ambassador at the zoo for more than a decade.

Registered voters have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, to request a mail-in ballot for the May 20 primary election. In Lehigh and Northampton counties, the primary will be limited exclusively to registered Democrats and Republicans.

With passengers at Lehigh Valley International Airport and at other local airports, the compliance rate for REAL ID "has been extremely high," officials said. But for those without it, the phased enforcement "won't last forever."

State Sen. Lisa Boscola and and state Sen. Nick Miller, both Democrats, voted in favor of legislation that would prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, also supported it.

Elijah Patterson, 19, of Allentown, was found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges after a three-day Lehigh County Jury trial in March.

Said Township Police Chief Frank Lombardo, “The decisions that I make, while for the organization, will always be guided by my time on the street, which brought every type of experience a police officer could have.”

Mike Welsh and Roger MacLean are seeking the Republican nomination for Lehigh County executive in the May 20 primary election. They debated Wednesday at the Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

Lehigh County Pension Board voted 4-2 to instruct its investment manager to immediately cease all new investments in Tesla. One county commissioner said Controller Mark Pinsley politicized the issue in an effort to grab headlines.

Even with several days of rain, the Lehigh Valley remains well below average in long term levels of precipitation. Here's how the rest of the month could shape up.

Gov. Tom Wolf this week unveiled a plan to provide pardons for people who have been convicted of minor, non-violent marijuana crimes. It could affect thousands in the Lehigh Valley

Residents in affected areas are being asked to voluntarily conserve water.

Lehigh County's balanced $522 million budget won’t raise taxes, but includes 3.5% raise for county employees.

Lehigh County recently received $1 million in state funding to help fight opioid addiction.

Diners, those brightly lit destinations for coffee, conversation and comfort food that won’t break the bank, are expanding their regional reach with two new iterations set to open in the coming weeks.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and PennDOT will study how to make passenger rail a reality in the region.

U.S. families with school children plan to spend an average of $864 on back-to-school items in 2022.

The event will bring LGBTQ+ artists and performers, arts and crafts, yard games, and food and drink to the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley in Allentown.

Best friends behind the PA Rye Co are veterans of the Allentown hospitality scene.

But the land won't be available for two years -- and it's an hour's drive from the city.

The team is asking for $1.5 million for stadium upgrades - one of several American Rescue Plan requests.

“I believe we have overstepped our bounds as a council,” Daryl Hendricks said.