Northampton County News

Based on themes of home in the Lehigh Valley and executed via improvisation on the piano, former Nazareth native Dominic Billett's new record “Truer is the Valley, the River, the Pale Sky" paints a thoughtful, vivid picture perfect for walks throughout the region.

At its Nov. 11 meeting, Northampton Area school directors considered five partial renovation options for Moore Elementary.

Northampton Area school directors approved the second round of financing for the East Allen Elementary School and education center project at their meeting last week.

Bethlehem Area school directors approved the purchase agreement for 315 Columbia St. in South Bethlehem at their Monday meeting. The space would serve as a satellite campus for the Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech School.

A partnership between Second Harvest Food Bank and the GIANT Company will make sure a thousand families have a Thanksgiving dinner.

Northampton Area School Board approved Kovalchik's retirement at Monday's school board meeting. It will be effective July 1.

Addison Agen, who finished second to Chloe Kohanski on the show's 13th season, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at the center at 30 E. Belvidere St., Nazareth.

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.

Members of Northampton County Council's government committee suggested changes to the county home rule charter, including a commission that could rewrite it altogether.

The county's Livable Landscapes program's priorities include land conservation, ecological restoration, education and outreach, municipal park development and rehabilitation and regional trails.

Voter turnout was about 23.74% among Democrats and Republicans in Northampton County — only slightly better than Lehigh County’s 22.5% voter turnout rate.

Eighty volunteers helped lay 30,000 square feet of sod at the home of retired Marine Corps veteran Daniel Lasko, who lost his left leg in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2004.

ArtsQuest announced a grand re-opening of the first floor of its ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem will be held 5:30 p.m. Monday. The organization also announced a "generous gift" from Crayola for its planned ArtsQuest Cultural Center, which is slated to replace the Banana Factory in Bethlehem.

A list of events and services to commemorate Memorial Day in the Lehigh Valley.

Northampton County Council voted to eliminate 20 frontline jobs at the county's juvenile detention and treatment center, and create 13 new supervisor positions. A union for the detention center's workers argued the change is illegal.

Lehigh Valley Health Network honored trauma survivors and their families on National Trauma Survivors Day. One man shared his story of survival and how he copes with lingering effects.

Unofficial results in Lehigh and Northampton counties suggest voters rallied around candidates for Northampton County Council and Lehigh County district attorney, among others.

The changes, introduced at a county council committee meeting Wednesday, would eliminate some youth care worker positions at the county's juvenile justice center, and create new assistant supervisor roles.

The first stage of the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Analysis project will be completed by October, it was revealed on Wednesday during a Lehigh Valley Transportation Study committee virtual public meeting.

Six candidates were poised to move on to the general election for the Bangor Area School Board, eliminating half of the incumbents in the race.