Northampton County News

Thirteen speakers urged a packed house of Lehigh Valley Democrats in Bethlehem on Monday night to go to the mat for their candidates in state and federal races this November.

The Lehigh Valley has been reshaped by a massive wave of development, both in industrial and residential, that has swept over the region the last three decades. While the development boom may be slowing, the impacts to the region’s economy and the environment are clear. (First of 5 parts)

The court is optimized to offer a brief but effective workout experience if needed. Users can exercise for 45 seconds, follow that with 15 seconds of rest and be through each zone around the seven-minute mark.

The Easton-based attorney is accused of threatening an investigator in his driveway, then emailing threats saying if anyone showed up at his house again "they will not live (to) tell about it.”

The Philadelphia Eagles announced a trade with the Washington Commanders that will bring wide receiver Jahan Dotson to Philadelphia. Dotson is a 2018 Nazareth Area High School graduate who played his college ball at Penn State. He joins fellow local star and PSU alum Saquon Barkley with the Birds.

The crashes were unrelated and both occurred Thursday, according to the coroner's office. Killed were a 17-year-old from Hellertown and a 34-year-old from Forks Township.

New Nazareth Superintendent Isabel Resende will receive a prorated $205,000 salary for the 2024-2025 school year. She has worked for the district for 16 years.

The Nazareth Area School Board voted to promote Assistant Superintendent Isabel Resende to the district's top spot Tuesday evening. Resende will take over after the district approved a separation agreement with Superintendent Richard Kaskey Tuesday.

Joe Kovacs, the 2-time world champion from Bethlehem Catholic High School and Penn State, competed in his third Olympic Games as a member of Team USA in Paris.

Joe Kovacs, a Nazareth-area native and Bethlehem Catholic grad, is competing in his third Olympic Games as a member of Team USA. The shot put finals are Saturday afternoon.

The Saucon Valley School District authorized use of its facilities to the After School Satan Club. Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty said the law prohibits the district from discriminating against religious groups wishing to use space.

City of Bethlehem Police will be making upgrades to their camera surveillance system throughout the city using a state grant from American Rescue Plan funds

“It’s clear that our safety culture and our investments in safety were not enough to prevent this accident," CEO Alan Shaw said. "We’re going to learn from it. We’re going to improve. And we’re going to make Norfolk Southern a safer railroad.”

A 28-year-old man is charged with multiple drug crimes after a raid Friday by the Northampton County Drug Task Force. Authorities say they also recovered a stolen firearm.

Browsing an online auction, a Roseto man came across items being stored at an Easton warehouse that were part of a cache of architectural salvage. The lot contained signs from the Hotel Easton, which opened in the 1920s.

The council signed off on a new incentive to develop "deteriorated" parts of South Side Bethlehem, plus a raise for shift supervisors at the Juvenile Justice Center.

As the region diversifies, relations across racial groups are seen as a key element of quality of life. A new survey finds overall ratings as mostly positive, but different age groups rate the state of race relations differently.

WLVR's Brad Klein interviews Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, about life in the Lehigh Valley and a newly-released quality of life survey.

Members of the council's Finance Committee criticized County Executive Lamont McClure's handling of the studies they requested last year. He threatened to walk out.

The Lehigh Valley is a desirable place to live. But as more move to the region, the volume of affordable housing is shrinking. A quality-of-life survey shows it's a major concern of those who live here.

Animal shelters are becoming more of a community affair, according to Sarah Wees, the new executive director of the Center for Animal Health and Welfare in Easton.

WLVR’s Brad Klein spoke with Jim Deegan, Executive Editor of LehighValleyNews.com, about the release of the news organization’s first Lehigh Valley Quality of Life Survey.