Lehigh County News

National politics often makes headlines, but former Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez says municipal government impacts its residents more. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell dives into what goes on inside local government with Donchez.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center from Feb. 14-16 held its annual Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch. The long-term research project focuses on monitoring winter bird populations.

Increased stress due to everyday life, like politics or the economy, coupled with habitual, risky behaviors distracting the driver from the road, can create a slippery slope, ripe for crashes, experts said. Plus, those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

Organizations such as colleges, local governments and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding under Congress's Community Project Funding program. The Lehigh Valley has secured tens of millions in funding through federal discretionary spending in recent years.

The Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital on Monday received a check in the amount of $114,676 from Spirit Halloween, a national costume retailer, for its Child Life Program. The amount increased the retailer's donation to the program over $1 million since 2012.

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 attorney general will stop at a teamsters' hall.

Lehigh County's election drop boxes were the focus of a case that could have reverberated throughout the state, and may have had ramifications over how the rest of Pennsylvania handles election drop boxes. This is a deeper look at what happened in the courtroom during that hearing.

The 77-year-old motorist received two citations and will not face serious criminal charges in the death of teacher's aide Angela Yowakim, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said.

"Called to Serve" is a book featuring hometown heroes from the Lehigh Valley recognizing their sacrifices for the communities they served.

Pennsylvania's high court says officials aren't allowed to count votes from mail-in or absentee ballots that lack accurate, handwritten dates on their return envelopes.

The Downtown Bethlehem Association has changed the design of Christmas City Village’s huts, and added more vendors.

Casa Guadalupe will get $311,000 to use towards developing a new technology, science and arts education center in the residential building next door, which the organization recently purchased.

St. Luke's University Health Network released the findings of its triennial community health needs assessment. Police, public health officials, and school representative were all in attendance.

State Senator Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) has helped bring a $100,000 grant to the Lehigh County Historical Society in an effort to support historic property renovations and new programming.

At a Wednesday night meeting, Lehigh County commissioners heard a proposal to alter the county's current commissioner districts in order to account for a growth in population throughout the county.

Giana Jarrah wins StartUP Lehigh Valley's grand prize with her women's health brand With Meraki Co.

Democrat Mark Pinsley and Republican Jarrett Coleman traded verbal jabs during Thursday's half-hour debate hosted by Business Matters.