Lehigh County News

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.

Former journalist Ann Wlazelek pays tribute to her mother in a new book.

Debates in the South Whitehall commissioners race have taken place on the candidate's Facebook pages. The posts have primarily debated candidate Ben Long's positions and campaign style.

Concerts on the Grange is a two-day music festival that continues at 5:30 p.m. today, May 13, with tribute acts portraying The Doors and The Grateful Dead. Tickets, at $22 and $34, remain available on the SteelStacks website.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has opened applications for the first round of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program. Rep. Susan Wild, author of the program, said the Lehigh Valley is the perfect candidate for the funding.

The mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton will participate in group bike rides for Lehigh Valley Bike to Work Week.

On July 1, the YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon counties will merge with the Greater Valley YMCA in Pen Argyl to form the River Crossing YMCA.

Teamsters Local 773 approved a new contract that awarded employees raises, more sick days and better contributions toward their health care costs, said union President Dennis Hower.

Jill Biden, Susan Wild and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will look to connect with Latino voters in Allentown as the PA-7 congressional race heats up.

The first annual KidsPeace Dodgeball Tournament was held Thursday. It raised money for the Orefield-based nonprofit, which provides behavioral and mental health services to children.

All but one member of the joint Technical and Coordinating Committee of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study voted to approve.

Downed trees and power outages were the result of a powerful storm that pounded the Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night.

Allentown City Council members are preparing for potential litigation against the mayor for putting "roadblocks" in the way of an investigation into allegations of workplace discrimination and racism.

South Whitehall Township will hold its first Summer Movie Series event from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday in the township municipal building’s grass circle, 4444 Walbert Ave. It will also hold an information and feedback session about its Transportation PLAN.

A severe thunderstorm brought wind gusts approaching 60 mph, heavy rain and hail to Lehigh and Northampton counties early Wednesday night. Utility companies reported thousands in the dark.

A statistic from the National Council on Aging that shows about one in 10 Americans over the age of 60 have experienced some form of elder abuse.

Farmers Kenneth and Heather Skorinko are planning to open a craft distillery with a tasting room. They would build a 2,400 square foot pole barn at 1990 Neffs Laurys Road in North Whitehall to house it.

A proposed skyscraper on 9th Street in Allentown called Peregrine Tower has garnered local and feasibility concern for its height and impact on the neighborhood.