Lehigh County News

North Whitehall planners discussed proposed housing development Greenleaf Fields at Parkland at their meeting Tuesday.

Students, parents and area residents responded to a pledge by some Republican candidates to out transgender students and censor "woke" curriculum in the Southern Lehigh School District.

Rodale Institute's board of directors announced Jeff Tkach, 43, of Lower Macungie Township, will serve as the nonprofit's new CEO. He'll take the helm of the Kutztown-based organic farming research and education organization starting April 21.

The new "Flicks and Floats" events will open the pool up at night for family-friendly films, alongside the slate of concerts that will be held through the Borough.

PennDOT is tackling 37 major projects worth more than $700 million in Berks, Carborn, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Schuylkill counties this year.

The Lehigh Valley Zoo has three new African penguins, bringing its total colony to 14. As part of a species survival plan, zoo officials hope the birds will pair off a reproduce to bolster the endangered species.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) held a news conference at Cedarbrook Senior Care & Rehabilitation on Friday to officially announce $525,000 in federal funding he secured for the nursing home's $67 million expansion project.

An investigation has not revealed any sexual contact had occurred between Eric Gratz and the victim. Gratz has served as borough manager since August 2021.

Three people were shot and killed in a span of seven hours between Thursday night and early Friday in Allentown. The mayor called gun violence "a toxin" in the city and pushed legislators to help get guns off the street.

A judge ruled Allentown City Councilwoman Candida Affa turned in enough signatures to make the Democratic ballot. Tina Jo Koren, a Republican candidate for Whitehall Township mayor, fought off an challenge to her statement of financial interests.

It’s been a year since Allentown schools were open. When the pandemic hit, the Allentown School District sent more than 17,000 students home to grapple with learning virtually.

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.