Northampton County News

Police said Amir Sims-Watson, 17, opened fire on a group of pedestrians in Allentown before robbing a woman at gunpoint at Trexler Middle School. Two other teens are charged in the shooting.

The district will operate four elementary schools in the 2026-27 school year when East Allen Elementary opens. Moore Elementary will be closed, but the district will keep the property for potential use.

Northampton Area School Board voted 5-4 for the spending plan. Some school directors said the tax hike was too high and the district should have cut more expenses.

Nazareth Area School District on Tuesday approved a $117 million budget with a 2.95% tax increase for 2025-26, though not without some opposition.

Sister started colorectal cancer awareness fundraiser last year for her brother, who loved cars and cookies and died too young from the disease.

Governor Josh Shapiro, joined by local and state politicians, spoke out in support of mass transit investments for the betterment of the Commonwealth, at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hecktown Oaks Thursday.

Montgomery County-based Teeze became Roughhouse and hit it big on MTV in the 1980s. Now they're back together and playing their original album tonight at The Gin Mill in Northampton Borough.

Nazareth Area School Board approved a bid for a nearly $500,000 parking lot for Shafer Elementary School to accommodate growth and ease on-street parking.

School directors voted 5-3 for a $140.7 million spending plan that includes a 4% tax hike, which would raise $3.2 million in additional revenue for the district.

School directors voted 5-3 to continue funding the Northampton Area Public Library at its current level.

Touchstone Theatre's Christmas Follies, the Bach Choir and more: The Lehigh Valley offers a variety of concerts that capture the spirit of Christmastime.

PennDOT has announced a successful construction season across District 5, including millions of dollars invested in Lehigh Valley road improvements.

While the program has expanded into the Lehigh Valley over the past few years, and is growing in popularity, officials said demand has also increased this year as federal programs and initiatives were canceled or paused.

After persistently dry, windy weather last year triggered concerns over the longevity of holiday trees, this year’s crop is shaping up well, Lehigh Valley growers said, with many different varieties available.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Caffrey said criminal dockets related to an interstate drug ring should have been unsealed weeks ago. LehighValleyLive.com, LehighValleyNews.com and The Morning Call had petitioned the court to release information pertaining to dozens of criminal defendants.

Commonwealth flags will fly at half-staff in Northampton County through Nov. 29 to honor fallen Northampton Fire Department Captain and retired State Police Trooper Michael Booke, who died this month.

Easton has tabled a vote on an immigration resolution expressing the city's support for undocumented immigrants in order to add additional commentary, spurring another debate during Tuesday's meeting.

Marquis Michael Watkins has been sentenced to life without parole in the shooting death of a Bethlehem woman in 2022, according to the Northampton County District Attorney's Office.

After buying the Lafayette Inn in 2023, Lafayette College failed to pay any hotel tax to Northampton County, an audit found. The college owed the county more than $28,000 in back taxes and fees.

St. Nick is making more than a dozen stops across the region this season, joining communities for a season of cheer. Many events are also collecting food and unwrapped toys to support local families in need.

The survey, part of a project out of Lehigh’s Climate Resilience Center, is open until mid-December. As an incentive, residents who complete the survey will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

The Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides vouchers to low-income seniors and others. Last year in Lehigh and Northampton counties, only 24,063 vouchers out of 52,462 distributed to seniors and WIC recipients were redeemed, according to program figures. That's just over a 45% redemption rate.