Lehigh County News

The tax and spending plan drew praise from Republicans for lowering taxes and funding border security, but Democrats condemned it for slashing Medicaid coverage and raising the deficit.

In a move that Santander Bank said aligns with the financial institution's digital shift nationwide, seven Lehigh Valley branches will be sold to Community Bank. Branches will remain open and employees will be offered continued employment during the transition, which is expected to complete by the end of the year,

South Whitehall Township's board of commissioners voted Wednesday to purchase upgraded radios for first responders in the township through a five-year payment plan provided by Lehigh County.

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

Allentown's Redevelopment Authority is applying for up to $2.5 million that could be used to rehab 10 single-family homes for low-income residents.

Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

Newhard Farms Corn Shed opened Tuesday for sweet corn sales. While it opened a few days later than in recent years, there's expected to be a good supply this season.

The bill would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, beginning in 2026.

Xylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.

The funding comes from the commonwealth’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For now, only a small number of Lehigh Valley properties are being spurred by AI, says a local expert.

The county put a freeze on its work-release program over a year ago, but that could be changing.

The good news is that the number of bridges that are classified in poor condition has been going down, an expert says.

Sen. Lisa Boscola condemns the changes, calls process 'back-room assault on the Lehigh Valley."

Inflation has squeezed renters, too, and some landlords are taking advantage, a housing advocate says.

The ACLU filed suit in federal court on behalf of five voters who did not date their ballots.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - COVID-19 cases appear to be dropping in Lehigh Valley jails, but the omicron surge continues to drive new lockdowns for inmates and…

The money will be aimed at hardest-hit communities and distributed over the next two decades.

Bill Bachenberg hosted a rally featuring U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz earlier this week.

A local pet food maker could shorten the supply chain between manufacturer and Fido.

Both the senator and the candidate believe Pennsylvania will play a pivotal role in the 2022 midterm election.

A political scientist suggests the Texas senator may be scouting fertile ground toward a higher office.