Lehigh County News

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend waiving the land development approval process for a proposed new barn at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Impaired driving is among the most persistent threats to road safety in the Lehigh Valley, according to two of the region's chief prosecutors. Lehigh County recorded about 1,750 impaired-driving cases in 2024, up almost 42% over the past five years.

Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.

Lehigh County Judge Melissa Pavlack on Monday ruled that Whitehall Township Commissioner Thomas Slonaker did not file a statement of financial interest with the township prior to the March 11 filing deadline, rendering his ballot for treasurer/tax collector invalid.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Environment Committee on Tuesday reviewed plans to update sewage infrastructure in two municipalities.

National politics often makes headlines, but former Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez says municipal government impacts its residents more. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell dives into what goes on inside local government with Donchez.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center from Feb. 14-16 held its annual Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch. The long-term research project focuses on monitoring winter bird populations.

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.

Three Lehigh Valley researchers are arguing bird-strike fatalities are much higher than we might think. They recently published a peer-reviewed study showing bird deaths from window strikes are nearly double previous estimates, and likely higher.

"The Play That Goes Wrong," will begin on Wednesday, May 29 through June 16 as part of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University. The season also includes productions of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Winnie the Pooh and Friends," and "The Color Purple."

Lehigh Valley International Airport will offer people with intellectual and developmental disabilities a 'dress rehearsal' of catching a flight, the airport's governing body announced Tuesday.

Pennsylvania State Police say Jared Gerhard, 30, touched a 17-year-old girl inside a Lower Macungie Township Marshall's Friday while she was shopping with her family.

The colleges have formed a partnership to build and bring online a solar facility in western Kentucky. When completed, the facility will offset electricity usage at the institutions, effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation to zero.

The Borough of Macungie 2024 Memorial Day program featured local veterans, emergency workers and elected representatives. It was the first program in five years in the borough.

The Allentown Health Bureau is collecting menstrual products for residents that don't have access or can't afford them. The period poverty initiative is underway during Menstrual Health Awareness Month.

Essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science, the annual Envirothon combines classroom learning and outdoor activities to engage students in the environment. The state competition was held Wednesday at Camp Mt. Luther in Mifflinburg.

As residents and tourists explore the region’s many parks, bike trails and scenic overlooks — May is recognized as National Lyme Disease Awareness Month — health and environmental officials are cautioning visitors to check for ticks after their outdoor adventures.

Lehigh County commissioners reflected on Memorial Day, and voiced hope in seeing more veterans take advantage of property tax exemptions.

With renovations complete at Central Station, the borough is looking to sell and repurpose trailers used during renovations as it plans to redesign Lions Field park.

LCCC graduates must be enrolled full-time, attend classes in person, and maintain a 2.0 GPA for 12 consecutive quarters in order to transfer credits.