Lehigh County News

Council members are set to reconsider a $1.15 million contract just two weeks after they voted to table it until at least October.

The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said Julian Diaz, 18, was burned by a bonfire that was ignited by an accelerant. Diaz died Sunday from his injuries, and state police are investigating.

The free exhibit, “America’s Beautiful,” at Lehigh Gap Nature Center runs from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29. It includes 50 watercolor paintings of Smokey Bear.

More than eight months after announcing a $600 million price tag over the next decade to upgrade aging water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, the Lehigh County Authority is reaching out to major industrial users.

Interest rates are dropping, but what does that mean for home buyers in the Lehigh Valley?

A slightly smaller-than-expected award of state funding forced a developer to downsize its plans for an affordable housing complex in downtown Allentown.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Allentown reporter Jason Addy and reporter Phil Gianficaro.

Wednesday marked the end of the first round of a three-year initiative called TOWERS, or Tackling Obstacles for Women’s Engagement and Retention in STEM, at Cedar Crest. Through the program, incoming freshmen are paired with mentors to complete science projects, gaining confidence and community along the way.

Lehigh County Judge Michele Varricchio ruled on Aug. 8 that Core5 Industrial Partners’ warehouse plan at 7503 Kernsville Road was rejected with a quorum, meaning the supervisors’ denial will stand for now.

Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt, which features haunted mazes, elaborate scare zones and more, will return, the park announced.

Sponge, whose biggest hit, “Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain),” hit No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock charts in 1994, will perform at The Gin Mill and Grill in Northampton. Sponge will top a five-act show at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13 in what the venue calls a "customer appreciation pre-Xmas bash."

If JOSHWAY meets its shoe drive goal, it will receive a $10,000 donation to fund its work supporting Lehigh Valley youth-focused nonprofit organizations.

Authorities charged the Fountain Hill teen with three counts of aggravated assault, four counts of recklessly endangering others and a single count of carrying a firearm without a license.

The Annual Pennsylvania Wild Turkey Sighting Survey, which began Tuesday, aims to track population trends across the state for a bird that once almost went extinct in the U.S.

The gunman showed up uninvited at a gathering outside a borough home late on the Fourth of July, borough police said. He fled after shooting three people as well as apparently accidentally shooting himself in the leg, the police chief said. The 18-year-old is being charged with several assault and weapons crimes.

There are 51 stops on this year’s trail. In its eighth year, the trail is focused on celebrating local creameries across the state while driving business during the summer months.

Legislators worked to establish penalties for xylazine use and trafficking in an attempt to lessen its presence in Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply. Some say doing so made way for a new, unclassified veterinary tranquilizer to take its place — medetomidine.

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.