Northampton County News

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

Halloween festivities begin Oct. 13 with more parades following suit. The earliest trick-or-treat night begins Oct. 18, and most take place on Halloween.

C.F. Martin and Co., the storied Nazareth guitar makers, unveiled a new space where dealers, distributors and artists can design a custom model from start to finish.

Democrat Anna Thomas is taking another shot at incumbent Rep. Joe Emrick for House District 137 in an election that may be decided by how the candidates handle warehouses.

Monarch butterflies are starting to migrate through the Lehigh Valley. An annual tagging program, held at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, helps conservation efforts.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

“We used to be able to get turnout gear in what, eight weeks? Now it’s taking eight months,” Fire Capt. Scott Krycia said. “It’s just across the board with everything that we use for firefighting now.”

Canine experts emphasize how dangerous and, in some cases, deadly, human foods can be to dogs.

The 4th annual Winter Village in Easton brought in over 56,000 visitors from over 20 states.

“I know a lot of people are dealing with inflation still, yet forever, it seems like,” Lower Saucon councilwoman Sandra Yerger said. “It seems like it might help them out a little bit.”

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

All but one township zoning amendment application were reviewed without issue by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon.

If ultimately completed, the combined health care system would operate 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient sites, with more than 62,000 employees, according to LVHN and Jefferson Health.

Driven by $8.1 billion in manufacturing, the Lehigh Valley's Gross Domestic Product grew to a record $50.2 billion in 2022. The region's economy now ranks above Vermont and Wyoming.