Jim Deegan
Executive editorI’ve lived more than 25 years in the Easton area and worked as a reporter, producer and editor for longer than that. Since 1996, I’ve led news teams and covered virtually every major news story in the Lehigh Valley – and lots of little ones, too. It’s a privilege to work in a newsroom with people who care about our corner of Pennsylvania and share stories that hopefully make an impact. It’s an even greater privilege to have your attention – and earn your trust – as we cover your communities. Contact me at JimD@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8224.
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Three farms in Northampton County and three in Lehigh County are among 35 in the state that are the latest to fall under Pennsylvania's farmland preservation program. -
The property on West Packer Avenue will be rehabbed by the city and operated by the Lehigh Conference of Churches using state funding allocated to help prevent and address homelessness for individuals and families.
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United Natural Foods Inc. operates a distribution center in the North Valley Trade Center in the Schnecksville section of North Whitehall Township. The company says 716 jobs will be affected.
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The toll booths are no longer needed as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission adopts open road tolling, with fares collected electronically via overhead structures between highway interchanges.
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The victim was a Bethlehem Township resident and junior at Freedom High School, according to township Police Chief Gregory Gottschall. Authorities say a criminal investigation is underway.
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Paul Miller’s Law was signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last year. Miller was a Scranton resident and East Stroudsburg University senior who died on Route 33 in Monroe County in 2010 as he headed home from Bethlehem.
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Pennsylvania State Police said a 27-year-old passenger in a speeding Mercedes-Benz died after the vehicle struck another and veered off Route 22 into a tree.
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Palmer Township police officer John Smoke faces up to five years in prison. Authorities accused him of sending the photo to a 16-year-old while he was assigned to Easton Area High School as a resource officer.
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Incumbent Easton City Council members Taiba Sultana and Roger Ruggles lost in the Democratic primary, according to unofficial election returns. Susan Hartranft-Bittinger defeated Sultana and Frank Graziano outpaced Ruggles.
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The Lehigh Valley's public transit system says it will have to cut service by 20 percent and boost fares by 25 percent without additional state funding — something that Gov. Josh Shapiro has called for but that lawmakers will have to approve.
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Bethlehem joins 25 other places in the United States as a World Heritage Site — an effort that has been decades in the making and, advocates hope, bolsters historic preservation and tourism in the Lehigh Valley.
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A compromise has been reached between federal, state and local officials that will allow construction of a temporary, free-standing rockfall barrier where a rockslide occurred on Route 611 in December 2022.
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The teen died three weeks after the incident in Lynn Township, Lehigh County. He was with three other teens in the truck. State police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office are investigating.
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The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory and excessive heat watch for the Lehigh Valley and southeastern Pennsylvania. The heat advisory will be in effect from Sunday into Monday. Then the temperature really turns up, with heat indexes in triple digits.
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The 2024 fundraising efforts comes on the heels of the most successful campaign the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley has ever had. It raised a record-breaking $25 million last year.
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The National Weather Service posted a flood watch starting at 6 a.m. Friday for the Philadelphia region and its suburbs.
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Fireworks traditionally cap off Sunday's daylong celebration of Heritage Day in Easton. They're on again this year, but Wilson Borough Mayor Donald Barrett says borough parks will be closed for viewing the show.
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Al Granger bought an abandoned Lehigh Valley farm in the 1980s and turned it into a luxurious inn and spa. He was known for his vision and innovation — and for being ultra-tough on those he employed.
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The hearing later this month in Bethlehem is the first step in the 5-year license renewal for Wind Creek Bethlehem. The initial public hearing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board had been set for June 26 but had to be postponed because of severe storms and power outages.
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About 120 workers at the distribution center in Palmer Township are represented by the United Auto Workers union. Leaders say the proposed deal increases wages 33% over the next five years.
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The blast furnaces that have become a symbol of Bethlehem's revitalization haven't been illuminated at night for weeks. With thousands set to descend on SteelStacks soon for the Fourth of July and Musikfest, the reasons why remain a mystery.
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The Libre Initiative, a conservative national organization, was founded more than 10 years ago but kicked off its Pennsylvania efforts a few months ago.
