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.

United Natural Foods Inc. operates a distribution center in the North Valley Trade Center in the Schnecksville section of North Whitehall Township. The company says 716 jobs will be affected.

Speeding was so rampant on Center Valley Parkway in Upper Saucon Township that LehighValleyNews.com recorded someone going 95 mph near Promenade Saucon Valley.

South Whitehall Township's board of commissioners are moving ahead with plans for a ballot question that could create a 0.1% income tax to fund open space preservation.

North Whitehall Township’s Board of Supervisors denied land development approval Monday for a broadly opposed 501,000-square-foot warehouse planned for the corner of Route 309 and Orefield Road.

The debut of the $48.5 million Lifestyle Community Center in Upper Macungie Township took another step closer on Thursday afternoon at a walking news conference. The first of 18 heavy timber trusses, imported from Austria, was installed this month on 188,000-square-foot, multi-functional indoor facility.

Gary J. Moyer, 73, of South Whitehall Township, was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of North 38th Street after suffering gunshot injuries, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said Thursday.

South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners may approve placing a referendum on the November ballot regarding funding to preserve open space.

With the increase, the average taxpayer would see his or her annual property tax bill increase about $13.99 a month, or $168 total from the year before.

Dorney Park opens for its 141st season on Friday. Here's a look at the entertainment offerings for the season.

Said Township Police Chief Frank Lombardo, “The decisions that I make, while for the organization, will always be guided by my time on the street, which brought every type of experience a police officer could have.”

Unless Francis Anonia and Lehigh County prosecutors can reach a plea deal in the coming weeks, Anonia's trial for allegedly recording an underage student without his consent will begin in September.

Leaders of Parkland Cares cut the ribbon Thursday on the nonprofit's new food pantry in North Whitehall Township.