Lehigh County News

The Parkland School District budget that was voted on and approved Tuesday night includes a 2.5% property tax increase. The tax hike is district's highest in the past seven years, but is still the lowest millage rate in Lehigh County.

A new ArtsQuest festival that will bring three days of family-friendly music, games, food and amusements to Upper Macungie Township, announced in February as a paid-ticket event, now will be free, organizers announced.

The Borough of Emmaus has chosen to take the steps to treat its own water supply after spending over a year seeking a solution to the municipality's PFAS contamination issue

Since it's not a presidential or midterm election, the 2023 municipal primary election may have snuck up on folks. If that surprises you, here are some other things you may not know about how our local elections are run.

Gavin Holihan, the uncontested candidate for Lehigh County district attorney, has been endorsed by incumbent Republican Jim Martin and Democratic County Executive Phil Armstrong, among others.

Three candidates for the local office said they focused on juggling campaign tasks around full-time jobs in the lead-up to the primary election. All were driven by a desire to educate voters and help people understand county government and its services.

They have been working without a contract since last summer and say they are overworked and short-staffed.

National issues are seeping into local races, turning elections into proxy partisan fights over race and gender.

Local elections rarely get the same level of participation as presidential races, but the outcomes often have greater impacts on voters' quality of life.

Like all the other major cities in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown is a patchwork of neighborhoods, some with good tree cover and some without any. Officials plan to use a mapping tool as a starting point to make planting trees city-wide more equitable.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Parkland reporter Olivia Marble and Allentown reporter Jason Addy.

Only 12 community colleges in Pennsylvania were awarded a total of $33 million in grants to go toward upgrades. Two schools in the Lehigh Valley were on the receiving end of that.

Warehouse construction and approvals have slowed down considerably over the last several months in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Is it a temporary lull, or a new reality?

Attendees at the Great Allentown Fair were entertained by two trampoline artists who performed high-flying acrobatics outside the Agri-Plex complex on Thursday.

A winning Powerball ticket has gone unclaimed in Lehigh County for nearly a year. Pennsylvania Lottery is trying to seek the winner before the prize — $150,000 — expires.

Upper Macungie Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday unanimously approved a revised plan for a warehouse at Nestle Way and Schantz Road.

Many municipalities were caught off guard by the explosion in warehouse development. Through experience and experimentation by local governments like Lower Macungie Township, a playbook of sorts has formed to help manage development. (Fourth of 5 parts)

Elected officials are taking steps to adjust development laws that some see as unfair, but they face an uphill battle. (Fourth of 5 parts)

King’s Real Estate Management & Development Company is in the process of building King’s Route 309 Business Park, a commercial development on 12 acres at Schneck Road and Route 309.

The River Crossing YMCA in the Lehigh Valley is enrolling people for free programs this fall. The programs include health and wellness classes for veterans, those needing mental health assistance, those struggling with diabetes, and 7th grade students.

A 32-year-old Allentown man died Tuesday at a local hospital shortly after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the Lehigh County Jail. The coroner on Wednesday ruled his death a suicide.

Relief was denied to a couple seeking to overcome a violation for a recreation complex built without a permit in Lower Macungie.