Parkland News

The Parkland School District budget that was voted on and approved Tuesday night includes a 2.5% property tax increase. The tax hike is district's highest in the past seven years, but is still the lowest millage rate in Lehigh County.

National issues are seeping into local races, turning elections into proxy partisan fights over race and gender.

Former journalist Ann Wlazelek pays tribute to her mother in a new book.

Debates in the South Whitehall commissioners race have taken place on the candidate's Facebook pages. The posts have primarily debated candidate Ben Long's positions and campaign style.

Candidates have formed two groups: one made up of mostly incumbents, and the other made up of Republican challengers. Transparency, spending and projected overcrowding in the district's middle and high schools have become key issues in the race.

The budget includes a 2.5% increase to the millage rate, the biggest increase in seven years. The district would still have the lowest millage rate in Lehigh County.

The project promises to connect counties, offer a trail through nature and speed things up for emergency responders — using old railroads.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is opening to the public on Friday, May 12, with a preview day for season pass-holders on May 7.

The Upper Macungie Board of Supervisors hosted a badge pinning ceremony for two new township police officers.

The plan proposes five four-story apartment buildings with 310 units at the northeast corner of Crackersport Road and the northeast extension of I-476.

Many local police departments are participating in National Night Out, a nationwide initiative to bring cops and residents together.

Upper Macungie Township Police Sgt. Dathan Schlegel gave out 2,106 traffic citations in 2023, according to the Lehigh Valley DUI Highway Safety Taskforce.

North Whitehall Planning Commission considered a plan to build a three-story, 40-unit apartment building at 3948 Portland St., the site of a former Lehigh Portland Cement Company building.

Upper Macungie supervisors recently waived a requirement to build a sidewalk along Hamilton Boulevard — even though the township's Vision Zero plan indicated there should be a sidewalk built in that area.

The Upper Macungie Planning Commission last week unanimously recommended final approval for a plan to expand XPO Logistics, a freight transportation company.

South Whitehall Township plans to put a referendum to create an open space tax on the May 20 primary in 2025.

South Whitehall Township commissioners discussed new rules for Covered Bridge Park following reports of “unsafe and unnecessary practices” in the park.

Lehigh Carbon Community College might end its intercollegiate athletics program as soon as this year if it can't find an athletic trainer before the 2024-25 academic year begins. That could change, but nothing is official yet.

Parkland School District is set to receive a large boost in funding in Pennsylvania’s new budget — $2.4 million to be exact.

The Wicked Chef, a fast-casual restaurant serving sandwiches, salads and sides, reopened July 2 after closing due to the pandemic.

Covered Bridge Park visitors have been grilling along the banks of and inside of Jordan Creek, taking township picnic tables into the creek and placing tables and chairs in it — all actions that have contributed to an increase in police presence.

North Whitehall Township now is projected to have a $1.6 million surplus by the end of the year, which would bring its total cash reserves to about $16 million.