Lehigh County News

Candidates discussed the ethical use of AI in classrooms, how to keep school property taxes low and the district's upcoming plans for transitioning to a full-day kindergarten program.

State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2026 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.

Candidates for Southern Lehigh School Board participated in a forum Tuesday at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. There are seven candidates on the ballot, vying for four seats.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners discussed several aspects of the temporary Water Street closure during a workshop session on Monday night.

Some are former residents of the camp along Jordan Creek that officials shut down hours before the shelter’s early opening last week, but many are from outside city limits, a YMCA official said.

Statewide truck parking options will expand for the first time in decades, transportation officials announced Monday, with 18 new parking spaces in the Lehigh Valley by the end of 2026.

Grelvis Estevez Cabrera, of Bethlehem, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for the June 1, 2024, killing of 25-year-old Angel Martinez-Velez.

The club’s youth, known as the Space Cadets, participated in NASA’s VIRTEX program—Virtual Field Trips to Extreme Environments—which connects students nationwide with NASA scientists through hands-on STEM learning.

The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and ArtsQuest will work together to bring a DUI Awareness Campaign to this year’s Oktoberfest at SteelStacks.

The 2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions event, will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4 at Lehigh Country Club. The 54-hole tournament will feature a field of 78 PGA TOUR Champions players.

At the latest hearing for the proposed facility, both witnesses spoke about the need for recovery houses. "There's as much effort being made to get the drugs out there as to keep them also on the down-low, very silenced, so no one really can tell. And they're attacking our young population.” Julissa Pena, a witness for the applicant said.

The grant will cover pre-construction and land development expenses in Upper Saucon Township. The new YMCA has been on the drawing board for years. Officials hope to open in in 2025.

After waiting to decide on how to fill a vacant seat, Allentown City Council has named a local business owner to fill state Rep. Josh Siegel's seat.

The board may have violated transparency laws because key discussions about filling a vacancy did not happen in public, according to Melissa Melewsky, in-house counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

A local group will hold a free training for people interested in securing funds needed to start a business.

The Parkland School Board voted 7-1 to appoint a longtime former board member to fill the vacant seat.

Lehigh Valley Health Network announced Wednesday that they have acquired Venel Institute Medical Education and Research Center in Bethlehem. This will expand LVHN's educational reach.

Gavin P. Holihan will join the Lehigh County District Attorney's office as First Assistant DA this month.

Districts across the Lehigh Valley continue to feel the pandemic pinch over products like chicken patties and chips — and they're not expecting a change anytime soon.

Andre Williams owns AW Selvedge and DKShin, denim companies. He is based in the Lehigh Valley. He’s using the skills he honed on the field to dress people. And he said making a sale gives him the feeling of a win.

Pat Browne, Lehigh County's former state senator, created legislation that generated over $1 billion for the Lehigh Valley over 28 years in Harrisburg.

Three South Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board members cannot attend meetings in the coming months, so the board appointed a hearing officer. It will allow the board to legally meet a required quorum.