Parkland News

A Lehigh County judge heard arguments Monday in a case that will decide whether a 501,000-square-foot warehouse will rise on 71 acres near Route 309 and Orefield Road.

The $68 million, five-building expansion to the existing high school at 2700 N. Cedar Creek Blvd. will be voted on for final approval by the township board of commissioners in January.

The submission proposing the construction of 2.6 million square-feet of data center facilities closely aligns with Air Products' existing plan for warehouses on the 194-acre property.

Specifics for the plan are still under wraps as Upper Macungie Township is processing the application. The proposal would develop the data center at the former Air Products headquarters on Hamilton Boulevard.

Parkland School District officials on Monday presented early estimates for their 2026-27 budget. It includes a $20 million deficit, and could lead to a tax increase next year.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, introduced the bill in 2023 after a student brought a knife to Schnecksville Elementary School. Parents didn't learn of the incident until a week later.

Parkland Superintendent Mark Madson, Assistant Superintendent Michelle Minotti and Chief Financial Officer Leslie Frisbie were awarded five-year extensions on Tuesday, the district said in a news release.

Parkland's school board voted unanimously Tuesday to stop payments to charter schools until a state budget is in place.

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

A Lehigh County detective Monday explained his process for obtaining a cell phone from Francis Anonia, Parkland School District's former performing arts administrator charged with secretly recording a student changing clothes. Anonia's lawyer asked a judge to throw out key evidence in the case.

The Parkland School Board approved Edward “Eddie” Ohlson Jr. as the new varsity boys basketball coach, replacing Andrew “Andy” Stephens, who will become athletic director when Bill Dreisbach retires in September.

Five public schools and two charter schools made the list of the Top 100 high schools in Pennsylvania, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Reports of "a loud, ground-shaking thud" was sent by residents in the area of the Olde Towne community in Upper Macungie Township, but police and other officials could not find anything suspicious or unusual.

A basketball hoop, lines and benches have been restored at the Wood Street Playground in Whitehall Township after a PennDOT plan to expand Route 22 was put on hold.

Valley Youth House's Camp Fowler may soon operate year-round with a new recreation center. North Whitehall planners reviewed a sketch plan for the building Tuesday.

Two trash removal companies, J.P. Mascaro & Sons, and Waste Management, went head-to-head in a friendly sales pitch war during a special hearing Monday night.

Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre owners Matthew McClanahan and Lauren McChesney found a pleasant surprise at their business last week — an adorable little gatecrashing kitten they adopted and named Funnel Cake.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The Parkland School District now has two final options for how it will address projected overcrowding in its schools. A decision could come within the next two months.

$798,869 is set for a Turkey Hill Mini Market in Allentown off of I-78, Exit 57 and $727,420 is designated for a charging station at the Wawa off I-78 Exit 49 A-B

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Dorney Park's upcoming new roller coaster Iron Menace is a multi-million dollar project that officials hope will bring attendance back to pre-pandemic levels.