Northampton County News

State Rep. Joe Emrick won Pennsylvania's 137th House District in his battle against Democratic challenger Anna Thomas.

Republican state Rep. Zachary Mako was well on the way to defeating Democrat Joseph Lenzi to win a fifth term representing the 183rd House District.

The Gap Fire, which erupted Saturday near Route 248 in Lehigh Township, has drawn hundreds of firefighters over four days. Crews have gotten the upper hand and are now searching for and extinguishing hotspots, officials said.

Nazareth Borough Council chose to table a potential ban on backyard chickens, ducks, and other fowl so their legal committee could review the matter, after dozens of chicken supporters spoke out during their Nov. 4, 2024 meeting.

Around 10 p.m. Sunday, the evening operation was passed off to DCNR State Wildland Crews, the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. said on social media. A planned backburn was underway to stop the spread of a fire burning since Saturday.

The fire began early Saturday afternoon near Route 248 in Lehigh Township in Northampton County and burned through the night. Numerous aircraft and heavy equipment joined Sunday to help fight the fire, which was not yet been significantly contained. No injuries were reported.

The race to represent northern Northampton County in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives pits a newcomer to politics against an incumbent Republican seeking her third term in Harrisburg.

A $37.2 million bond is required to fund the ongoing construction of the new school and an administration building at Route 329 and Seemsville Road.

Two Lehigh Valley area houses of worship have been selected to receive state funding meant to bolster their security as announced by state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton/Lehigh.

Lehigh Valley space enthusiasts connect with experts at the second annual Space Fest, held at Lafayette College

The tax and spending plan drew praise from Republicans for lowering taxes and funding border security, but Democrats condemned it for slashing Medicaid coverage and raising the deficit.

Easton officials announced Thursday that the city will begin leasing public parking from the county lot and the Social Security building lot to address access to public parking.

In a move that Santander Bank said aligns with the financial institution's digital shift nationwide, seven Lehigh Valley branches will be sold to Community Bank. Branches will remain open and employees will be offered continued employment during the transition, which is expected to complete by the end of the year,

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

Pennsylvania's 137th District is among the most competitive state House races in the commonwealth. It's based in the swing suburbs of Northampton County.

The city is the third major city in the Lehigh Valley to become certified through Bird Town Pennsylvania, an annual designation focused on community-based conservation.

Sigal Museum held a screening of Mariska Hargitay's movie about her famous mother for staff and volunteers on Tuesday. Hargitay filmed at the museum while tracing her family tree for the film.

Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

The bill would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, beginning in 2026.

Xylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.

The funding comes from the commonwealth’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Known as "tranq" on the streets, an animal tranquilizer named xylazine infiltrated drug supplies throughout Pennsylvania since 2019. Its presence in the Lehigh Valley has grown, with deadly consequences.