Lehigh County News

Sarah A. Rice, 39, and Greg A. Johnson, 42, both of Bethlehem, died from wounds to the head, Coroner Daniel Buglio ruled after autopsies Monday.

The Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary still is closed to the public after an April bridge collapse. Officials said a new, permanent bridge is slated to be installed in spring.

Bethlehem police said the couple had three children. The man and the woman were both found suffering from gunshot wounds in the basement of a home in the 200 block of 10th Avenue.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, hailed President Donald Trump's order to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power and extradite him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.

Julian Guridy will face Bob Smith in the race to fill former state Rep. Josh Siegel's term.

Democrat Julian Guridy, an aide to state Sen. Nick Miller, is viewed as the favorite to land the party's nomination for the upcoming 22nd House District special election. Allentown Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach, precinct committee person Erlinda Aguilar and Lewis Shupe are also seeking the nomination.

One of Bethlehem's previous ESG application process in 2024 came on behalf of 12 area organizations, such as New Bethany, Third Street Alliance, VETBEDS and Valley Youth House.

Lehigh Valley municipalities will get nearly $3.5 million in combined funding from the Green Light-Go and Multimodal Transportation Fund programs to upgrade traffic signals and improve transportation safety.

Locally, housing costs still remain lower than national averages, but data from real estate marketplaces compared with U.S. Census data in Lehigh and Northampton counties show housing affordability still is a struggle.

Garcia's work with the anti-violence nonprofit organization is fueled by her son's murder in 2012. Her goal is to keep his memory alive and reduce shootings in Allentown moving forward.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure says he'll run for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District seat in 2026, seeking to bring the seat back under Democratic control.

The hourlong program focuses on how the Trump administration's new efforts to crack down on immigration are affecting the Lehigh Valley.

Mark Pinsley also plans to publish a series of “plain-language reports” about how billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to cut the federal government will affect local municipalities, services and programs.

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission reviewed updated plans Tuesday for a 110-home subdivision along Rising Sun Road.

The East Penn School District's board voted Monday to create a three-year LERTA property tax incentive for an 8.5 acre brownfield in Emmaus. The lot is set to become 144 apartments.

The Whitehall-Coplay School Board on Monday accepted a letter of retirement from Director of Athletics Bob Hartman. Hartman has served in that role for 23 years. His retirement is effective in August.

Projects in Lehigh and Northampton counties were approved to get state funding by the Commonwealth Financing Authority on Monday, Feb. 24. Funding for the roadway upgrades in Northampton County alone amounted to more than $1.5 million, with a project in Lehigh County bumping that total to more than $2 million.

The U.S. Government's Medicare telehealth funding deadline is March 31. While many express concerns about its future, a local expert at St. Luke's University Health Network believes the program will be extended.

The federally funded Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley served about 10,000 people last year across its five locations across the region.

Flu rates are up nationally and especially in Pennsylvania. Lehigh and Northampton counties are among the Top Ten counties with influenza cases for this year's respiratory virus season, which runs through September.

Emmaus Borough Council awarded the contracts earlier this week. The project focuses on two of the borough’s wells, including one that’s been offline since PFAS contamination was discovered.

Tracy Dechant, 42, the twins' mother, and Joshua Dechant, 36, their stepfather, were arrested Jan. 26, days after emaciated 15-year-old twin boys were found in their Lower Macungie Township home.