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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The passenger died and the driver was hospitalized after the early-morning crash Sunday at William Penn Highway and Chipman Road in Bethlehem Township. Police said the vehicle left the road and hit trees.
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Nadia and Ethan Brewer, of Kunkletown, are the parents of Owen Eugene Brewer, who was born at midnight at St. Luke's Anderson Campus.
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Lifelong resident Edward Tomcics, 75, died when he was struck by a car outside his home on Water Street on Christmas Night. Neighbors say they've complained about speeding cars for years — and the problems have only gotten worse.
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The 75-year-old victim died after being struck Wednesday night in the 3200 block of Water Street in Whitehall Township, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.
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Fountain Hill police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office charged two men with breaking into the Fountain Hill Pharmacy and opening fire on police, which led to a standoff and lockdown on Christmas Eve.
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It will get warmer and closer to normal as the week progresses, but for now, the National Weather Service recommends folks bundle up as an arctic air mass from Canada and the Great Lakes moves in.
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Two people were wounded in the 300 block of Ridge Avenue. Allentown police were called there as they investigated a separate shooting blocks away in which a 1-year-old and his grandmother were shot to death in their home.
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The fire broke out Thursday morning at a house in Catasauqua. The Lehigh County coroner said Kathryn Kubinsky died from natural causes.
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Marblehead Chowder House on William Penn Highway in Palmer Township has been in operation since 1996. The ownership says the business has changed with the times and owes its success to loyal customers and staff.
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The shooting occurred early Saturday night in a parking lot off the 1100 block of MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, near Jordan Parkway, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.
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The crash happened early Monday in the eastbound lanes, between the Route 145 and Hellertown exits of Interstate 78. The coroner's office identified one of the victims and was working to identify the other.
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The crash happened before dawn Monday in Lower Milford Township. Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio released the victim's identity following an autopsy Tuesday.
