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.

Two proposed school district land development projects were among projects advanced by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon.

To arrive at emergency scenes faster and well-staffed, Upper Macungie Fire & Rescue in Lehigh County has launched a staffing incentive program that will pay "qualified and trained" volunteers to cover 12-hour shifts.

Commissioners voted to award a contract to Construction Masters Services LLC, of Berks County, whose $534,859 bid was the lowest of three firms that submitted proposals.

Parkland Area School Board reviewed the district's capital action plan Tuesday, and even though 2026 projects are limited at the moment, the potential for more spending and a potential tax increase to accommodate it, remain.

The state-of-the-art St. Luke's SportsPlex, which offers everything from pickleball memberships to sports performance training, will soon offer something specifically for the 21-and-over crowd: beer.

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend waiving the land development approval process for a proposed new barn at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

The Parkland School District's board approved a comprehensive plan Tuesday, laying out the district's priorities for the next three years.

New South Whitehall Township Chief of Police Frank J.C. Lombardo, a former captain with the South Brunswick, New Jersey, Township Police Department, possesses decades of experience in law enforcement.

The South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Wednesday are expected to appoint former South Brunswick (N.J.) Township Police Capt. Frank J.C. Lombardo as chief of police. Lombardo would fill the vacancy created when Chief Glen Dorney resigned in March.

A pair of river otters at the Lehigh Valley Zoo offered their predictions for the winner of Super Bowl LIX during the zoo's annual Otter Bowl. Eagles fans may not like it, depending on their perspective.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom plans to soon hire 2,000 seasonal workers for the summer 2025 season. The park will hold a virtual hiring event Feb. 15-22 to fill a variety of roles.

At a North Whitehall Township Board of Supervisors meeting, residents showed up to voice concerns around the planned Nexus 78 project, and asked why they weren't being told more about it.