Lehigh County News

City officials are planning a significant overhaul in downtown Allentown, with pedestrians and cyclists to be prioritized in the project.

Improvements at aging Steckel Elementary School and Whitehall-Coplay Middle School will begin with window replacements.

Upper Macungie supervisors soon may vote to adopt a new law meant to address resident complaints of loud noise. The draft of the new law would significantly reduce the maximum allowed noise levels in both the residential and industrial sections of the township.

Four farms in Lehigh and Northampton counties were the latest to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

South Whitehall next year will start a pilot Hometown Heroes Banner Program, displaying banners with local veterans’ photos.

Allegations include Vice detectives having relationships with prostitutes, stealing money during searches and interfering with local and federal investigations.

South Whitehall Board of Commissioners on Wednesday reviewed potential rule changes to township parks to try to stop what the township called "unsafe and unnecessary" behaviors.

Lehigh Valley's Darian Cruz lost his Olympic bronze medal bout to India's Aman Sehrawat, 13-5, on Friday evening at the Paris Olympics. Cruz, the Bethlehem Catholic and Lehigh University champion, was representing Puerto Rico in honor of his grandparents who are native to the US territory.

The South Whitehall Planning Commission on Thursday reviewed a sketch plan for the Parkland High School expansion — the next step in the long process before construction.

Township officials want local and nearby residents to help shape an upcoming "Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space" plan through a public survey.

Twelve billboards have been posted in and around the city, several at high-traffic areas like Route 22, Interstate 78 and the turnpike. They’re part of a campaign from More Perfect Union.

The funding — totaling $3.4 million across 23 counties — is part of the Fresh Food Financing Initiative. It follows the cancellation of $13 million in contracted funding through the USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance program.

Cuts to Medicaid reimbursements could harm Lehigh County residents and create a budget gap, a new report from the county controller's office found.

Two area community colleges are expanding their dual enrollment programming, which enables high school students to better prepare for college and careers. The Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded $14 million in Dual Credit Innovation Grants to 15 public institutions of higher education to increase their programming.

Lehigh County's board of commissioners voted narrowly Wednesday to grant a LERTA tax break for a property in Emmaus set to become 144 apartments.

Republicans Roger MacLean and Mike Welsh contend they're each the best person to end their party's 20-year losing streak in the Lehigh County executive race. The winner of the May primary will take on Democrat Josh Siegel in the November race.

PennEnvironment's State of Renewable Energy 2025 ranks every state for the production of wind energy, solar power, energy storage and other metrics over the last decade, tracking growth.

Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong joins Tom Shortell on this week's episode of Political Pulse to explain how county government fills vital social service roles and what duties come with the county executive role.

Gemma, a fisher, has died, zoo officials announced Monday. She was an animal ambassador at the zoo for more than a decade.

Registered voters have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, to request a mail-in ballot for the May 20 primary election. In Lehigh and Northampton counties, the primary will be limited exclusively to registered Democrats and Republicans.

With passengers at Lehigh Valley International Airport and at other local airports, the compliance rate for REAL ID "has been extremely high," officials said. But for those without it, the phased enforcement "won't last forever."

State Sen. Lisa Boscola and and state Sen. Nick Miller, both Democrats, voted in favor of legislation that would prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, also supported it.