Lehigh County News

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The authority was first established in 1986, but it had been defunct for about a decade until recently. The Iron Works Project in Catasauqua is its first order of business.

The Lehigh County Conservation District and Dieruff High School are partnering to transform a vacant courtyard at the school into an urban garden.

A local amputee support group continues to connect those who have lost a limb and raise money for other amputees. The Lehigh Valley Amputee Support Group held its 17th Annual Golf Tournament Friday.

The juvenile charged appeared Thursday in juvenile court and admitted to the allegations involving the tampering of food products with sewing needles at the Lower Macungie Township Giant supermarket

The Burn Prevention Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network educate parents about burn and fire risks to their children. What was once a packet of information will now be a video will be shown to those with newborns.

A team of students from Bangor Area High School placed ninth in this year's statewide Envirothon competition, essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science. The team placed first for the wildlife station.

The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.

In a map released Thursday, nearly the entire state of Pennsylvania was designated as “abnormally dry” by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The status is a precursor to drought and is likely to worsen over the next couple of weeks.

Upper Macungie Township is asking for community feedback during its review of the township's zoning ordinance and SALDO.

A regionwide wastewater plan and a hazard mitigation plan both advanced with staff review approvals by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night.

The Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program awarded grants to 12 organizations and municipalities this year.

A new study released by the nonprofit group TRIP found that about a third of the Lehigh Valley's local roads are in poor condition. About 26% of Pennsylvania's local roads earned the same rating.

Christopher Fitzgerald was a former Lehigh County corrections officer and is the son of former Allentown Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald. He was the first Temple University officer killed in the line of duty.

School directors unanimously approved the $78.9 million budget at their Monday meeting.

The federal tax and spending bill, dubbed by President Donald Trump as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” includes eliminating electric vehicle tax credits after this year. Advocates called on senators to put them back.

In addition to the Kline’s Island Sewer System, or KISS, regional wastewater plan, committee members advanced the Lehigh Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan to the full commission.

If later approved by state lawmakers, the minimum wage in Bethlehem in particular would jump to $11 and would be increased incrementally each year thereafter as part of State House Bill 1150, officials said Tuesday.

Police said Amir Sims-Watson, 17, opened fire on a group of pedestrians in Allentown before robbing a woman at gunpoint at Trexler Middle School. Two other teens are charged in the shooting.

With the Lehigh Valley under an extreme heat warning through Wednesday, area doctors are urging residents to keep hydrated and stay cool.

School directors voted 5-4 to remove Emily Gehman as school board president. School director Stephen Maund was subsequently elected to serve out the rest of Gehman's leadership term, which ends in December.

The U.S. Senate could vote on the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act this week. If passed, millions of Americans would lose access to Medicaid and SNAP benefits in order to fund border security and tax cuts to wealthy Americans.