Lehigh County News

Increased stress due to everyday life, like politics or the economy, coupled with habitual, risky behaviors distracting the driver from the road, can create a slippery slope, ripe for crashes, experts said. Plus, those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

Organizations such as colleges, local governments and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding under Congress's Community Project Funding program. The Lehigh Valley has secured tens of millions in funding through federal discretionary spending in recent years.

The Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital on Monday received a check in the amount of $114,676 from Spirit Halloween, a national costume retailer, for its Child Life Program. The amount increased the retailer's donation to the program over $1 million since 2012.

Aleah Nothstein, of Boot Scootin' with Aleah, teaches line dancing in New Tripoli and Bethlehem with her beau, DJ Mullet.

An influx of residents and warehouses have made highways in Lehigh and Northampton counties more crowded. An analysis by LehighValleyNews.com finds some stretches of road have experienced increases of 40% to 50% in traffic volume, with Route 33 overtaking Interstate 78 as the region's second-busiest highway.

A recent bald eagle rehabilitation and release is a bright spot amid a dangerous time for bald eagles in the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the commonwealth. Bird flu continues to threaten wild bird populations, causing more than a dozen bald eagles to be euthanized across Pennsylvania.

A five-part series this week will explore traffic and transportation issues in the Lehigh Valley. Increasing traffic volume, dangerous driving and insufficient infrastructure are among the topics examined.

Justin Simmons, the former Republican state representative, was among three people who filed nomination papers last week to seek the party's nomination in the May 20 primary election.

The first-of-its-kind report, “Wildlife Corridors: How reconnecting habitats is protecting Pennsylvania’s native species," highlights 10 innovative wildlife corridor projects around the state.

The Lehigh Valley's only Muffler Man, located in Coopersburg, only continues to gain attraction as the years go by. This time, Giant Chip has secured a spot among the state's top "quirkiest" roadside attractions, alongside only one other Muffler Man in the state to make the list.

No one matched all five Powerball numbers, plus the red Powerball, on Monday night's drawing, but one Lehigh Valley resident matched four out of five white balls to win $200,000. It was among three winning tickets sold in Pennsylvania for the Dec. 15 drawing.

The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority will reduce services starting Jan. 26, and is proposing its first base cash fare increase in 17 years. A public meeting on the new fare structure is set for next month in Bethlehem.

Vice President JD Vance visited Uline Shipping Supplies in the Alburtis area and made a surprise stop at the Allentown Rescue Mission in his first trip to the Lehigh Valley since becoming President Trump's second-in-command.

In addition to advancing the sewage plan, committee members also discussed the ongoing trail gap inventory and analysis, as well as voted in next year's chair and vice chair.

A pre-hospital blood program cooperative between Allentown and Miller-Keystone Blood Center equips EMS to give blood — whole blood or components like red cells and plasma — to severely bleeding patients at the scene or in the ambulance.

The $39.95 promotional pricing reinforces "the company’s commitment to providing safe, reliable and affordable transportation for its passengers," Trans-Bridge said.

“Every time someone makes the intentional decision to get behind the wheel intoxicated, they endanger every person they encounter on the roadway,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “I have seen far too many tragedies caused by completely avoidable vehicle crashes rooted to DUI.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro has swung his support to firefighter union leader Bob Brooks ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District has five Democrats competing for the chance to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.

Vice President JD Vance will swing through the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday as the Republican Party courts voters ahead of the midterm election. The Lehigh Valley and the surrounding area are ripe with swing voters who could flip control of the U.S. House in next year's election.

The latest update from Lehigh Valley Breathes compares local air monitoring data to existing regulatory standards in the United States, as well as the air quality guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.

The fire broke out Saturday night at the Fairmont Place Apartments on Maryland Circle in Whitehall Township. The emergency shelter is at Whitehall High School, 3800 Mechanicsville Road.

Groundbreaking for a 72-unit apartment expansion was held at Fellowship Community senior independent living in Whitehall Township on Friday.