Lehigh County News

Lehigh County Courthouse is expected to reopen a week after fire sprinklers damaged the building's electrical system Tuesday night.

The South Whitehall Board of Commissioners is seeking applications to fill a vacant seat. The current commissioners will conduct public interviews with applicants at a special meeting on Dec. 28, then vote to appoint one of them.

The Upper Macungie Planning Commission reviewed a sketch plan for renovations and expansions to Trexler Travel Center on 5829 Tilghman St.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

The new position will appear on the ballot in 2025. The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas had one of the higher caseloads for counties of its size.

Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

KidsPeace, which provides behavioral and mental health services to children, collected about 1,400 toys for its 12th annual Angel Tree holiday gift drive.

All but one township zoning amendment application were reviewed without issue by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon.

If ultimately completed, the combined health care system would operate 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient sites, with more than 62,000 employees, according to LVHN and Jefferson Health.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce celebrated local businesses and chamber president Tony Iannelli at its annual meeting.

ALDI opened its newest location at 3235 Hamilton Blvd. in South Whitehall Township Thursday.

St. Luke’s University Health Network begins construction on a new Women & Babies Tower that will bring more resources to families in Allentown. The hope is to serve 3,000 families a year.

Cetronia Ambulance Corps is on the receiving end of $300,000 from the state. The money was used to purchase brand new defibrillators.

Community forum for Upper Saucon Township seeks long needed third communal space

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission projects the population in the Lehigh Valley will grow by 100,000 by 2050.

After a tense commissioners meeting, Lehigh Valley will provide a $200,000 line in next year's budget to try to prevent homelessness.

Eco-friendly LED lights and 15-foot star will be light up at Bethlehem Payrow Plaza thanks to $50,000 grant.

Seeing Eye puppies are bred to be guide dogs for their blind future handler, and in order to do their jobs, they need to be exposed to as many different environments as possible — including the inside of an ambulance.

Lehigh Valley Health Network is holding a series of influenza vaccine clinics as cases rise across the country. Doctors said this year is expected to be a more severe flu season.

Allentown's police chief, Charles Roca, is looking to grow the number of officers patrolling city streets, add new vehicles to the city's fleet and is investigating the possibility of installing gunshot detection equipment in neighborhoods across the city.

Lehigh Valley Health Network received new spinal surgery device with a $1million grant. The O-Arm device scans a patient's spine.