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. -
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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Allentown City Council members are developing a plan to spend the money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Lehigh Valley planners held a public meeting Thursday at Allentown’s Bucky Boyle Park, where residents raised some safety concerns about the project.
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The Lehigh Valley STEAM Academy Charter School is seeking approval to open at an office building on South 12th Street that’s zoned for industrial uses.
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Developer Nat Hyman said he expects the Allentown Zoning Hearing Board to reject his newest proposal, and he’s prepared to fight that decision in court.
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Developer Nat Hyman has said the former industrial building was “beyond blighted,” but it could see residents move in next year.
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The May 16 Democratic primary will almost certainly determine who wins seats on the Allentown City Council starting next year. Each of the seven candidates filed to appear only on Democratic ballots.
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Council members approved a package of changes to Allentown’s parking ordinances Wednesday but didn’t vote on a proposal to allow parking in some alleys.
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A proposal to establish a one-year pilot program for EMTs and mental health specialists to respond to some 911 calls could be on November ballots if the Allentown City Council doesn't approve it.
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Blackstone Structures is seeking to make room for new apartment buildings in Allentown. But its request to demolish a building as part of the project was denied Monday by the city's Historical Architectural Review Board.
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Proposed shipping routes showed Norfolk Southern trains carrying LNG directly through several Lehigh Valley municipalities on their way to southern New Jersey.
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Mayor Matt Tuerk said he will appoint Yamilett Gomez to fill a vacancy on the Allentown Parking Authority’s board of directors.
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Several council members on Wednesday signaled their opposition to letting residents park in Allentown alleys.
