
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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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.
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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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Several top Allentown police officials have declined to answer whether they are following the department’s use-of-force policy.
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The Allentown Police Department said it expects to get $1.5 million by next year to fund its purchase of new technology to solve crimes. Some residents are urging city officials to invest in prevention measures, too.
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For the third time this month, developer Nat Hyman has earned zoning officials’ blessing to expand an apartment complex.
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Allentown’s police chief wants to move all city officers into one facility, while the fire department is looking to replace a station that’s “falling apart.”
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Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk sent an email Thursday morning to hundreds of city employees, denying the letter’s allegations that his administration “ignores” racism and discrimination.
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A spokesperson for Mayor Matt Tuerk said some of the local NAACP branch's leaders — who are named at the top of the letter — only learned about it Wednesday after it was distributed.
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Allentown police shot and killed 27-year-old Dominick Hogans on Monday. It was the third time police opened fire in the city this year.
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Officers shot and killed a 27-year-old Allentown man after he shot at them early Monday morning, according to Assistant Chief Michael Becker.
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City Center has been working for months to get all the approvals it needs to put up a digital marquee sign at its proposed 1,800-person music venue.
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A developer is set to get $2 million of Allentown's pandemic-relief money to support an affordable housing project in the city.
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Two council members called their salaries "embarrassing" as they approved ballot questions that could more than double their pay.
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The virtual town hall will be streamed on Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday. Lehigh Valley Stands Up is planning to host an in-person watch party.