Northampton County News

Sammy Sasso, a former Nazareth Area High School state wrestling champion, is charged with possessing unlicensed guns and a controlled substance after police said they stopped the car he was driving because of an expired registration.

Drake Bell, best known for his starring roles on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” with Amanda Bynes from 1999-02, and “Drake & Josh” from 2004-07, will perform at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at Gin Mill and Grille, at 1750 Main St., Northampton.

Check out a roundup of activities, places, and times to see the fireworks as the Lehigh Valley celebrates Independence Day.

Turkish candy company Kervan celebrated a groundbreaking for a new warehouse, manufacturing, and office space off Commerce Park Drive at the border of Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth townships.

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.

Northampton County Council voted Thursday to take out a $35 million loan to replace the parking garage at the county courthouse. More than a third of the money is earmarked for other projects.

Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana is making a move to codify pro-immigrant policies just after Allentown's council passed a similar measure days ago.

Last year, Northampton County prosecutors argued that Phillipsburg resident Tahir Sutton was released from prison by mistake and should be locked up again. On Wednesday, a county judge ruled that Sutton must report to prison in early April unless an appeals court intercedes.

Just shy of 90 awardees from 45 counties were selected for the commonwealth’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program. Find out what got funded in the Lehigh Valley.

Palmer Township zoning officials continued their hearing on the former Crayola building at 2025 Edgewood Ave., though due to testimony from experts, the hearing will go on to March at least.

Applications are open for the 2025 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program. Grants are earmarked for conservation efforts in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

A recycling facility at 799 Smith Lane in Northampton Borough caught fire Tuesday morning. The fight to extinguish it could stretch into Wednesday, officials said.

Republicans balked at Gov. Josh Shapiro's $51.4 billion budget proposal Tuesday, saying the spending patterns did not align with Pennsylvania's financial realities. Lawmakers will debate the plan and determine its outcome.

According to a release issued by ICE, Luis Gualdron-Gualdron, “a citizen and national of Venezuela who previously entered the United States without inspection,” was arrested on Jan. 31 without incident near the prison shortly after an immigration detainer was not honored.

The Wilson Area School Board approved the appointment of Amy Austin as the new assistant superintendent. She had been the district's director of curriculum and instruction since 2023 and is a former principal.

Residents can comment on a draft of the 2025-2029 Pennsylvania Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP, through March 3. There's a public input form, as well as scheduled webinars.

Three former Public Utility Commission chairmen say PPL is changing its tune on utility-owned generation. They say the Allentown-based utility company unnecessarily wants consumers to fund its power generation venture and profits.