Lehigh County News

Lower Macungie's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to buy 44 acres of farmland on Lower Macungie Rd. Township officials previously approved a 30-building, 180-unit apartment complex on the site.

The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners heard results of a recreation center feasibility study from engineering and architectural firms. The proposed $13 million project would be at Jefferson Street Park.

Multiple sources tell LehighValleyNews.com that Carol Obando-Derstine is expected to launch a campaign for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. The battleground seat is held by freshman U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, will be one of four House members from battleground districts to take questions from a bipartisan audience and CNN anchors.

A five-person panel examined Lehigh Valley programs for people who are incarcerated to access education. They also discussed workforce development opportunities for people after they are released.

The African penguin colony, off exhibit since early January because of bird flu, is back at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

PennDOT officials say complaints about roadside trash peak in early spring when snow melts, revealing months of litter build-up. State officials estimate there are 500 million pieces of rubbish on Pennsylvania roads — about a third of which are cigarette butts.

Lehigh Valley Public Media comprises LehighValleyNews.com, PBS39 and 91.3 WLVR. Debates to be held in advance of the May 20 primary election include Allentown mayor, Bethlehem mayor, Northampton County executive and Lehigh County executive.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport knew a former police officer was the subject of an internal investigation at his former job but hired him anyway, according to details released this week by Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is looking into the matter.

The Downtown Allentown Market "did not meet our long-term expectations," a City Center executive said.

Elijah Patterson, 19, of Allentown, was found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges after a three-day Lehigh County Jury trial in March.

Said Township Police Chief Frank Lombardo, “The decisions that I make, while for the organization, will always be guided by my time on the street, which brought every type of experience a police officer could have.”

Mike Welsh and Roger MacLean are seeking the Republican nomination for Lehigh County executive in the May 20 primary election. They debated Wednesday at the Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

Lehigh County Pension Board voted 4-2 to instruct its investment manager to immediately cease all new investments in Tesla. One county commissioner said Controller Mark Pinsley politicized the issue in an effort to grab headlines.

Even with several days of rain, the Lehigh Valley remains well below average in long term levels of precipitation. Here's how the rest of the month could shape up.

More than 50 local landmarks, restaurants, and shops are featured in a new TV and streaming platform commercial. The ad will air in households in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

Political Pulse host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick dive into the complex relationship between American health care and politics, with specific regard to Pennsylvania and its role as a "purple" state in elections. Insights from a recent Muhlenberg College survey help depict Pennsylvanians' attitudes on the matter.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners will consider a request by Fellowship Community retirement community to complete its proposed expansion in three phases instead of one, as was originally proposed. The change is because of lack of funding.

A resident told police he saw a man fire a gun around 10 a.m. Monday in the 200 block of Spruce Street, where Harrison-Morton Middle School serves hundreds of students.

Pennsylvania voters must be registered and affiliated with a major party by close-of-business Monday to participate in the May 20 municipal primaries.

The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office responded at 3:01 p.m. Sunday to the area of Route 309 and Gun Club Road.

The annual Envirothon is essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science. Two Lehigh Valley teams have advanced to the state competition.