Northampton County News

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.

The Catasauqua School Board voted to continue the football team's annual Thanksgiving Day game against Northampton. The rivalry on the gridiron is 101 years old.

Parker Flamisch, a 2023 district graduate, will fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former school Director Kim Bretzik. He will finish out Bretzik's term, which ends in December.

The school district wants the Lower Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors to rezone a piece of land at the corner of Hecktown and Country Club roads for school use.

Northampton Area Public Library was slated to get $270,000 from Northampton Area School District for the upcoming fiscal year. But some school directors want to keep the money in NASD.

Follow the journey of an adolescent boy living with PANDAS, a rare condition that causes sudden, severe psychiatric symptoms after a strep infection. He and his family navigate the challenges of this condition and find hope through treatment in the Lehigh Valley.

Catasauqua Area School District is recommending the 101-year-old tradition be canceled because of safety concerns. Northampton Area's football players are stronger than the Rough Riders, Catasauqua Area's football coach said.

The projects were among 81 community projects across Pennsylvania for which Gov. Josh Shapiro announced grants through the Main Street Matters program.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, provided the last needed signature to force a vote on a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. Unless a last-minute agreement is reached, millions of Americans would see their health care premiums double in the new year.

The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority will reduce services starting Jan. 26, and is proposing its first base cash fare increase in 17 years. A public meeting on the new fare structure is set for next month in Bethlehem.

The state Game Commission is coordinating a response, which includes "safe removal, testing and disposal" of the impacted birds.

Vice President JD Vance visited Uline Shipping Supplies in the Alburtis area and made a surprise stop at the Allentown Rescue Mission in his first trip to the Lehigh Valley since becoming President Trump's second-in-command.

In addition to advancing the sewage plan, committee members also discussed the ongoing trail gap inventory and analysis, as well as voted in next year's chair and vice chair.

Forks Township Police Chief Michael Friel announced his retirement from the force in a Facebook post Sunday — several days after township supervisors considered a separation agreement with the 23-year department veteran.

The $39.95 promotional pricing reinforces "the company’s commitment to providing safe, reliable and affordable transportation for its passengers," Trans-Bridge said.

“Every time someone makes the intentional decision to get behind the wheel intoxicated, they endanger every person they encounter on the roadway,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “I have seen far too many tragedies caused by completely avoidable vehicle crashes rooted to DUI.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro has swung his support to firefighter union leader Bob Brooks ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District has five Democrats competing for the chance to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.

Vice President JD Vance will swing through the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday as the Republican Party courts voters ahead of the midterm election. The Lehigh Valley and the surrounding area are ripe with swing voters who could flip control of the U.S. House in next year's election.

The latest update from Lehigh Valley Breathes compares local air monitoring data to existing regulatory standards in the United States, as well as the air quality guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.

A crop farm in Northampton County was included in the latest round of Pennsylvania's Farmland Preservation Program. Twenty-seven other farms across the state also were preserved.