Lehigh County News

Candidates discussed the ethical use of AI in classrooms, how to keep school property taxes low and the district's upcoming plans for transitioning to a full-day kindergarten program.

State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2026 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.

Candidates for Southern Lehigh School Board participated in a forum Tuesday at the Univest Public Media Center organized by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. There are seven candidates on the ballot, vying for four seats.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners discussed several aspects of the temporary Water Street closure during a workshop session on Monday night.

Some are former residents of the camp along Jordan Creek that officials shut down hours before the shelter’s early opening last week, but many are from outside city limits, a YMCA official said.

Statewide truck parking options will expand for the first time in decades, transportation officials announced Monday, with 18 new parking spaces in the Lehigh Valley by the end of 2026.

Grelvis Estevez Cabrera, of Bethlehem, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for the June 1, 2024, killing of 25-year-old Angel Martinez-Velez.

The club’s youth, known as the Space Cadets, participated in NASA’s VIRTEX program—Virtual Field Trips to Extreme Environments—which connects students nationwide with NASA scientists through hands-on STEM learning.

The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and ArtsQuest will work together to bring a DUI Awareness Campaign to this year’s Oktoberfest at SteelStacks.

The 2026 Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions event, will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4 at Lehigh Country Club. The 54-hole tournament will feature a field of 78 PGA TOUR Champions players.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, secured almost $3.7 million in federal funding to support the first phase of a project to redevelop the former Iron Works site in Catasauqua.

Officials and executives at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation's annual meeting Tuesday pulled back the curtains on Eli Lilly's decision to open in the region.

With rising rents and limited inventory, the Lehigh Valley housing crunch is making it harder for many people to find affordable apartments or even think about buying a home.

Jessica Ortiz and Paulette Hunter filed an objection to the petition state Rep. Ana Tiburcio's campaign submitted last week in her bid for a full term representing Pennsylvania's 22nd House District.

The full story, to publish Wednesday, will explore why newly available apartments are attracting large numbers of applicants and what that reveals about the balance between housing supply and demand.

PPL Electric said it expects electric demand on its system could triple over the next decade. That growth is being driven largely by expansion of advanced manufacturing, new data centers and other large industrial electricity users.

Thirteen of the Lehigh Valley's seats in the General Assembly look like they'll have a contested November election. State Senate races in Lehigh and Northampton counties will have contested primaries, as well.

“Political affiliation has become a barrier,” Ron Beitler said on this week's "Political Pulse." “It’s become a barrier when you’re talking to someone one-on-one. It’s become a barrier particularly on social media.”

Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine have filed petitions for the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. The winner is expected to take on Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie in the November election.

Gas prices are rising across the country as global tensions push oil markets higher and lawmakers raise concerns about possible price gouging.

Looking at what has transpired at The Archer since it opened, Live Nation Head of Clubs Programming Molly Warren said, "We had an amazing first year."

Municipalities should work to plan for data centers that can cover millions of square feet and reshape local economies, according to regional officials.