Lehigh County News

The Lehigh Valley Zoo’s barnyard birds, waterfowl and penguins are off exhibit. A recent suspected bird flu outbreak in wild geese is to blame.

The weeklong 109th PA Farm Show is well underway. More than a half-dozen Lehigh County 4-H’ers already have competed in various categories, from swine and sheep to breeding and market beef.

The money, administered by the National Park Service, along with $1,850,000 already committed by Lehigh County, will be used to replace the Cast House roof. Other work will focus on water infiltration of the furnace and rehabilitation of related buildings.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is collecting public input about listing the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. Officials estimate the eastern migratory population has declined by approximately 80%.

Unforeseen issues and obstacles have pushed the timeline for Lehigh Valley Breathes back. The regional air monitoring project aims to measure fine particle pollution.

Easton's Nurture Nature Center is searching for stargazers to join in the Hubble Night Sky Observing Challenge, where participants look out for some of the spectacles the legendary telescope has photographed.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and 433 other members of the U.S. House took the oath of office Friday afternoon following a dramatic roll call vote that awarded U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson the speaker's gavel.

A man was carjacked at gunpoint Thursday after arranging a deal on Facebook Marketplace to sell shoes to two men, according to court documents.

St. Luke's University Health Network and Grand View Health have confirmed a partnership which was first introduced in the summer of 2024.

Ryan Mackenzie is scheduled to take the oath of office Friday to become the Lehigh Valley's next representative in the U.S. House. But those plans may be put on hold if the chamber can't rally around a speaker.

The results of the 2023 citywide greenhouse gas inventory are in. The project was part of Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program.

Lehigh Valley lawmakers have continued to raise concerns about traffic safety in the area. On Tuesday, Sen. Jarrett Coleman announced that PennDOT would designate Route 22 a safety corridor, which should be a step toward traffic safety, a PennDOT representative said.

Brenda Rodriguez, 51, of Palmerton is charged with criminal solicitation/criminal homicide and conspiracy-aggravated assault in the shooting death of her husband, Hector Manuel Garcia Gomez, 46, of Palmerton on Dec. 7.

Continued economic growth for the Lehigh Valley was predicted during at “Sizing Up 2025: Lehigh Valley Economic Outlook” at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks on Tuesday. The event, presented by Truist and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, featured speakers who shared a positive economic picture of the Lehigh Valley and the nation.

Nassim Younes suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident Jan. 4, 2002, according to the coroner, who ruled his death an accident.

Authorities applied for the warrant after the employee declined to provide a voluntary DNA sample Jan. 14 during an interview with an FBI agent, according to court documents.

PPL Electric Utilities' President Christine Martin says Pennsylvania needs to allow changes in the energy sector or risk widening the gap between between supply and demand for consumers.

Applications are open for the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program. Funding supports projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats.

A farm in Lehigh County has tested positive for HPIA, according to a news release Monday from the state Department of Agriculture. A response team is in place and the farm has been quarantined, officials said.

Joshua and Tracy Dechant were charged Sunday with two felony counts each, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said in a release.

State officials announced the theme for this year’s annual tick-themed art contest, “Protect. Check. Remove.” Last year, there were no winners in the Lehigh Valley.

Emmaus is one step closer to remediating two of its PFAS-contaminated wells. PFAS are also called "forever chemicals" because they are slow to breakdown in the environment and are linked to a variety of health issues.