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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A landscape architecture firm is working on a 15-year master plan for Allentown's parks and open spaces. -
Four people were victims of homicides in Allentown last year; 19 people were killed in homicides in 2023, according to data from the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.
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Only a few residents showed up Monday at a virtual meeting about how city officials will look to use federal funding on housing through 2029.
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Allentown City Council's Dec. 18 approval of the 2025 budget ensures the city will not have to return any of its $57 million ARPA grant.
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A man was carjacked at gunpoint Thursday after arranging a deal on Facebook Marketplace to sell shoes to two men, according to court documents.
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Daniel Leibensperger, 34, of Emmaus, was charged Dec. 19, the day after after his girlfriend was stabbed, authorities said Tuesday in a news release. Leibensperger's body was found Dec. 26 in Allentown's Jordan Creek.
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Allentown Parking Authority is set to buy the police substation at Tenth and Hamilton streets and sell it as part of a package deal to a developer.
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Jenna Fliszar, who owns Fliszar Law Office on Hamilton Boulevard, said her work in criminal defense, municipal law and child advocacy means she would bring “a balanced perspective to the bench.”
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Flames trapped a woman in the basement of her home, according to charges filed against Santos Mota-Ramirez. Police say he set the fire after trying to fatally stab another woman. The blaze affected seven row homes Thursday night and displaced 30 people.
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The grant will pay for new speed humps and high-visibility crosswalks, repainted roads, and other “traffic-calming” methods, according to officials.
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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.
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The Lehigh County Authority is raising its water fees in 2024, but Allentown residents will also have to pay more for sewer services.
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Mayor Matt Tuerk must convince at least one of four Allentown City Council members who voted Wednesday against his latest 2% tax-increase proposal to change their minds.
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Council members Ed Zucal and Ce-Ce Gerlach led an unsuccessful push Wednesday night to override Mayor Matt Tuerk’s veto.
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Allentown Planning Director Jennifer Gomez said her staff had “concerns” about Ideal Concepts’ plans to build more than a quarter-million square feet of office space.
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The interactive map is meant to “foster transparency and provide residents with a clear understanding of the proposed 2% tax increase,” Allentown communications manager Genesis Ortega said.
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Allentown zoning officials saw no issues Monday night with Blackstone Structures’ request to convert a former commercial building that once was the home of Gen. Harry Trexler into housing and retail space.
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Joshua Steven Gonzalez, 39, of South Whitehall Township, is accused of possessing child pornography after a detective allegedly traced videos to his computer.
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Some council members support Mayor Tuerk's latest proposal to raise taxes by 2%, but some members appear ready to override his veto.
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Controller Mark Pinsley claimed County Executive Phil Armstrong is retaliating against his office for highlighting parents’ claims they were falsely accused of child abuse.
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Council members removed Mayor Matt Tuerk’s request for a 6.9% tax increase before passing the 2024 budget Saturday.
