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.

Cetronia Volunteer Fire Company will hold an open house from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is looking to review zoning ordinances in Slatington and Washington Townships. A public hearing is set to take place Sept. 9.

A self-storage project was advanced, and two others projects were tabled by the Whitehall Township Planning Commission.

Upper Macungie Planning Commission on Wednesday reviewed a preliminary/final plan for Sunset Orchards, a proposed housing development near the intersection of Shantz and Ruppsville roads.

Macungie is just one in a list of examples where the demand for homes in the Lehigh Valley has continued to surge. We put the 'hottest zip code' against other areas to see how they match up.

Parkland School Board on Tuesday hired Renee Mosser to fill the position of Director of Visual and Performing Arts for the district. She steps in following the resignation of Frank Anonia.

A Pride flag was vandalized after being stolen from the front porch of a rabbi's Lehigh Valley home. The recovered flag, in tatters, is flying once again. "What they did to the flag has an added measure of hostility and danger associated with it," the rabbi said.

South Whitehall Township is seeking comments on a draft for its "South Whitehall Landscapes" plan, which is set to be the township’s guide to landscape preservation, including preserving open space, historic spaces, and agricultural and natural resources.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh, Monday night in his bid to defeat U.S Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District.

Council members are set to reconsider a $1.15 million contract just two weeks after they voted to table it until at least October.

The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said Julian Diaz, 18, was burned by a bonfire that was ignited by an accelerant. Diaz died Sunday from his injuries, and state police are investigating.

The free exhibit, “America’s Beautiful,” at Lehigh Gap Nature Center runs from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29. It includes 50 watercolor paintings of Smokey Bear.