Lehigh County News

The South Whitehall Planning Commission recommended final approval for Phase 1B of Ridge Farms.

Upper Macungie planners recommended preliminary approval to a plan for 132 residential apartment units and a daycare facility. It would be located at 8739 Hamilton Blvd.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) reached an affiliation agreement. The two have worked together before, but the healthcare providers say this will ensure patients get the care they need closest to home.

South Whitehall Police Chief Glen Dorney requested the purchase of four new Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. But commissioners had questions about the long term benefits of the new model.

Lehigh Valley Breathes, a Valley-wide effort, aims to measure air quality. From the collected data, officials said they will make recommendations for improvements.

Lower Macungie Township is getting $250,240 for traffic signal improvements by PennDOT's Green Light-Go program — part of a series of upgrades on major roads in the Wescosville area.

A new Wawa may come to 1810 PA Route 309 in South Whitehall. The plan first came before the township in 2021, but the developer needed to revise its design.

Up to $1 million in PennDOT funds are headed to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission for a study of Route 22. The highway is among the most traveled in the region, hosting nearly 110,000 vehicles per day according to the LVPC

Released Tuesday, results from Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion’s National Surveys on Energy and the Environment show Americans want to prevent future global warming, and also believe adaptation to climate change will require major lifestyle changes.

Members of United Auto Workers Local 667 have voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike against Mack Truck Lehigh Valley if a new contract is not reached by Oct. 1.

Microplastic contaminants have been found in 53 waterways in Pennsylvania, including in the Lehigh River, according to clean water advocacy group PennEnvironment.

WLVR’s Tyler Pratt recently spoke with Norberto, who is now home. He said the conditions and isolation at the jail in lockdown were dramatically worse than any of his previous experiences.

The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners Cedarbrook Committee was approving contracts for the long-term care facility when it was interrupted by a barrage of profane language - set to the song “Let It Go” from the Disney movie “Frozen.”

Concerned residents held a vigil outside the Lehigh County Jail in Allentown over the weekend with signs and candles to remember an inmate and correctional officer who recently died from COVID-19 and to raise awareness of what they say are dangerous conditions inside.

Lehigh Valley community members say the situation inside the Lehigh County Jail is bleak. Activists say COVID-19 conditions are causing harm to inmates and employees. And they plan to make their voices heard this weekend.

Timothy Benyo, chief clerk for Lehigh County’s Voter Registration and Elections says November’s election was accurate, and things went mostly smoothly, all things considered.

State courts told correctional institutions last year to reduce the number of inmates to help fight the spread of COVID-19 inside.

At a public forum with several Lehigh County Commissioners on Jan. 28, they called their working conditions “life-threatening.”

Lehigh County’s fiscal watchdog is advocating for bail reform.

A corrections officer at the Lehigh County jail died this week after testing positive for the virus in December. He was the first county employee to die from COVID-related complications.

The recent death of a 54-year-old inmate is raising questions about the Lehigh County Jail's ability to protect more than 1,000 staff and inmates.

Lehigh County will now officially recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday for workers. But the move to give employees the day off to honor African American independence from slavery was met with some opposition