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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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. -
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 mayor pulled the proposal after council passed a 2026 budget that relies on cash reserves to balance.
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The new facility would add to the recent renaissance for arts in downtown Allentown.
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During Phase II of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's process, planners will look to determine a preferred route and whether to connect the railway system to Philadelphia, New York or Reading.
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El alcalde de Allentown, Matt Tuerk, dijo que podría vetar el presupuesto aprobado por el Concejo, que depende de $1.5 millones de reservas.
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Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said he could veto the council-approved budget, which relies on $1.5 million in spending from cash reserves.
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Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, dined with four Clean Team employees after they served lunch to Allentown Rescue Mission residents and staff.
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Karen Ocasio fue despedida del departamento de recursos humanos de la ciudad en noviembre de 2023. Había pedido reiteradamente investigar denuncias de racismo y discriminación en City Hall.
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Karen Ocasio was fired from the city’s human resources department in November 2023. She had repeatedly called for an investigation into claims of racism and discrimination at City Hall.
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Varias exhibiciones emblemáticas — valoradas en más de 60.000 dólares — no pudieron ser recuperadas y fueron declaradas “pérdidas totales” tras actos de vandalismo ocurridos durante el fin de semana en Lights in the Parkway, según informaron las autoridades.
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Several signature displays — valued at more than $60,000 — were unsalvageable and declared “total losses" after vandals struck over the weekend at Lights in the Parkway, according to officials.
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Allentown recibirá 3 millones de dólares de 3M y empresas derivadas de DuPont tras acuerdos por PFASSegún funcionarios municipales, los fondos se destinarán a una planta de $20 millones para tratar agua de Crystal Spring, una de las cuatro fuentes principales de Allentown.
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The money is earmarked to help pay for a $20 million facility to treat water from Crystal Spring, one of Allentown’s four major water sources, according to city officials.
