Jason Addy
Allentown Area reporterI cover Allentown and have worked for news outlets in Pennsylvania, Chicago and Minneapolis since graduating from Penn State. It’s great to be much closer to home — I was born and raised in Lehighton — and I’m excited to help share Allentown’s stories. If you've got an idea, I want to hear it. You can reach me any time at jasona@lehighvalleynews.com.
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Impaired driving is among the most persistent threats to road safety in the Lehigh Valley, according to two of the region's chief prosecutors. Lehigh County recorded about 1,750 impaired-driving cases in 2024, up almost 42% over the past five years. -
Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.
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LaTarsha Brown reported finding a noose at her desk on the third floor of City Hall in January. She was charged Monday with making a false report.
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Officials held a grand opening for 1528 West Apartments on Friday, which is World Down Syndrome Day. Ten of its 49 apartments are reserved for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Council members are considering a new set of rules and "guide rails" after a series of contentious meetings in recent years.
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A Black employee reported finding a noose at her desk in City Hall on Jan. 10. Two months later, a city spokesperson confirmed the incident is still under investigation by police.
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City Council President Daryl Hendricks called the Scottish Rite Cathedral "an integral part of the community."
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Ruffian Tittmann will start her job as executive director of the Allentown Parknership at the end of March.
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Several planning commission members questioned the use of a gate to regulate traffic and suggested developer Manny Makhoul instead extend Turner Street across his property.
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Plans call for buildings of 50-plus feet, but they won’t seem that tall to neighbors, according to the developer.
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The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board on Monday night backed two projects that would each bring dozens of apartments to the city.
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Ed Zucal told LehighValleyNews.com he will push for a no-confidence vote against Mayor Matt Tuerk at Allentown City Council's Dec. 6 meeting.
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Allentown City Council is set to hold a public hearing Dec. 6 on the new zoning overlay district. Members are likely to approve it at their meeting that starts after the hearing.
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Nadeem Shahzad said Mayor Matt Tuerk forced him to step down in mid-August after he didn’t fire another employee. Tuerk fired that employee Nov. 20 "based on his belief that she was a troublemaker,” according to Shahzad.
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A developer is going back to the drawing board after the Allentown Zoning Hearing Board was reluctant Monday to approve its plans for a 445-unit self-storage facility.
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A mostly vacant warehouse in East Allentown could be converted into 36 apartments.
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City Council members this month unanimously approved a new quarter-century lease — at $1 a year — for the museum in the Little Lehigh Parkway.
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An expansion of the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program “delivers the largest targeted tax cut for Pennsylvania seniors in nearly two decades,” according to the Department of Revenue.
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Jim Martin, who has served as Lehigh County district attorney for a quarter-century, played a major role in the launch of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center.
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The county’s legal department urged commissioners to wait until their next meeting to ensure any changes to the bill could be properly advertised, as required by Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act.
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Mayor Matt Tuerk’s firing of a human-resources employee who filed complaints against the city was “an act of revenge,” Councilman Ed Zucal said. On Tuesday, Tuerk made his first public comments regarding the matter.
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Karen Ocasio, who worked in the human resources department, repeatedly called for an investigation after detailing what she said were her experiences of racism and discrimination while working for the city. One council member labeled her firing "an act of revenge" and "blatant retaliation and retribution” by Mayor Matt Tuerk.
