Northampton County News

As 2023 draws to a close, lehighvalleynews.com offers a retrospective of a variety of stories about people, places and things that make the Lehigh Valley special.

Northampton Area Board of Education said it would have been on the hook for about $9.5 million if construction contracts were cancelled for a new elementary school.

Chances are, you'll still be able to find a tree, it just might take a little extra work — and you might want to get it soon. Roger from Unangst Tree Farms explains the ins and outs of why this problem, a decade in the making, is now causing tree farms and stands to sell-out when it's barely December.

The Upper Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors Wednesday voted against rezoning land for a new industrial park next to Nazareth Area Intermediate School. Representatives for the developer said they may try again in the future.

Three Republican school board members are now part of the panel governing Nazareth schools, including two endorsed by the Moms for Liberty Northampton County chapter.

A state mandate requiring schools to identify sexual content in books could cost Lehigh Valley school districts significant time, money and resources.

Jeff Dailey was a 2004 graduate of Notre Dame High School and held its all-time scoring record for almost 20 years. He died in a fire in 2007 while attending East Stroudsburg University. On Friday night, hundreds turned out to pay homage to his legacy and family.

On display are Baez's guitars, artwork, personal letters and other items on loan from the singer.

Most unofficial election results remain the same in Northampton County, but one school board race has shifted after nearly all emergency ballots were counted Thursday.

While moderate Republicans and Democrats prevailed in most races, two Moms for Liberty candidates won seats on the Nazareth Area school board in Northampton County.

The new unit will allow law enforcement from municipal, state and county agencies to pool resources for particularly complex cases.

Northampton County Council held a regularly scheduled meeting Thursday, but a clerical error meant they couldn't take any official action.

In December, a local council adopted a measure modifying zoning rules, the first step to expanding Bethlehem Landfill. Now, a group of township residents is appealing the measure.

Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck is running for a second term in office. This will be his first race defending the seat as an incumbent.

She served as deputy director of administration and the county's chief information officer.

A rockslide shut down Route 611 north of Portland, Pa., in early December. Last week, PennDOT said the road isn't expected to reopen for another 7 months. On the heels of pandemic losses, many merchants said they don't know if they can withstand this hit.

Our Lady of Good Counsel and Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishes will merge and keep those churches open. However, the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul in Portland will be closing, the Diocese of Allentown announced.

Alivia Giles, a Hellertown resident, competed against her family and friends in rabbit showing at the 2023 Pennsylvania Farm Show is Harrisburg.

Ken Kraft represented District 1 on the council from 2011 to 2018, and is running to do so once again.

David Collins will take on the new job next month, overseeing plans to keep the jail safe and secure.

The busy road has been closed since early December, when heavy rain washed out a roadside rock facing and sent boulders onto the blacktop. A protracted closure is expected.

The former judge is running in May's Democratic primary, hoping to unseat incumbent Terry Houck.