Lehigh County News

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend waiving the land development approval process for a proposed new barn at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Impaired driving is among the most persistent threats to road safety in the Lehigh Valley, according to two of the region's chief prosecutors. Lehigh County recorded about 1,750 impaired-driving cases in 2024, up almost 42% over the past five years.

Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.

Lehigh County Judge Melissa Pavlack on Monday ruled that Whitehall Township Commissioner Thomas Slonaker did not file a statement of financial interest with the township prior to the March 11 filing deadline, rendering his ballot for treasurer/tax collector invalid.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Environment Committee on Tuesday reviewed plans to update sewage infrastructure in two municipalities.

National politics often makes headlines, but former Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez says municipal government impacts its residents more. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell dives into what goes on inside local government with Donchez.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center from Feb. 14-16 held its annual Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch. The long-term research project focuses on monitoring winter bird populations.

Increased stress due to everyday life, like politics or the economy, coupled with habitual, risky behaviors distracting the driver from the road, can create a slippery slope, ripe for crashes, experts said. Plus, those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

Organizations such as colleges, local governments and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding under Congress's Community Project Funding program. The Lehigh Valley has secured tens of millions in funding through federal discretionary spending in recent years.

The Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital on Monday received a check in the amount of $114,676 from Spirit Halloween, a national costume retailer, for its Child Life Program. The amount increased the retailer's donation to the program over $1 million since 2012.

Salisbury Township native Tim Mayza has overcome injury and being released to earning a spot on the New York Yankees' World Series roster.

The Minnesota governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate met with voters at El Tipico Restaurant in Allentown. It's his second visit to the region in five weeks and comes just 11 days before Election Day.

A warehouse developer sidestepped Lowhill Township and went directly to the DEP to have the agency force the township to amend its sewage facilities plan.

Hundreds were evacuated but no serious injuries were reported in the fire at Independence Square Apartments, 1 Maryland Circle, near the Lehigh Valley Mall.

PennEnvironment's 2024 “Renewables on the Rise” report ranks every state for the production of wind energy, solar power, energy storage and other metrics over the last decade, tracking growth.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump will rally supporters Tuesday at the PPL Center in Allentown. It's his second campaign visit to the Lehigh Valley this year.

After a bit of back-and-forth, Lehigh County's 2025 budget is now final. If it's followed to the letter, the County will spend $554 million next year.

Two Allentown officers alleged they faced retaliation after trying to report their colleagues to superiors.

The inaugural Lehigh Valley Nonprofit Impact Conference at Wind Creek Event Center on Wednesday attracted 300 participants designed to bring nonprofit and community leaders together.

Covering 187 acres in Salisbury and Upper Saucon townships, the sanctuary has seven different trails, and is the conservancy’s ninth nature preserve in the Lehigh Valley.

Bethany Church, citing membership declines following a change of pastors and the COVID-19 pandemic, is opting to sell one of its locations to the hospital network.

The plan, estimated to cost more than $300 million over the next decade, seeks to overhaul and upgrade aging water and wastewater infrastructure across more than a dozen Lehigh County municipalities.