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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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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Tuesday, May 20, is Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania. Several high-profile local races are on the ballot in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Check out our procrastinator's guide and Q&A.
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Organizers cited uncertainty surrounding federal and cultural heritage funding as among the reasons for cancelling the international gathering, which was scheduled for early June at Moravian University in Bethlehem.
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Miller-Keystone Blood Center requires about 350 blood donations every day to meet the needs of regional hospitals. Sunday's big winter storm forced the cancellation of multiple blood drives.
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The Lehigh County Coroner's Office said the 27-year-old died Saturday night at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest — hours after being shot during a standoff with Pennsylvania State Police in a North Whitehall Township driveway.
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Sal Panto Sr. was the father of Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and longtime proprietor of Sal's Meat Market on College Hill.
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La última misa en Our Lady of Good Counsel en Bangor será el 7 de febrero debido a la baja asistencia y a costosas reparaciones.
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The final Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Bangor will be held Saturday, Feb. 7. Declining attendance and the need for costly repairs factored into the decision, church leaders said.
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Víctima 'se aferró a la vida' en atropello mortal en Allentown con conductor de Amazon, dice policíaLa víctima, Rigoberto Hernandez Arias, murió el 21 de noviembre tras ser atropellado en Allentown. Un repartidor de Amazon, Troy Johnson, de 30 años, está detenido en Lehigh County con una fianza de $500,000.
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The victim, 29-year-old Rigiberto Hernandez Arias of Allentown, died Nov. 21 after being run over near Emaus Avenue and South Fourth Street in Allentown. An Amazon delivery driver, 30-year-old Troy Johnson, is in Lehigh County Jail on $500,000 bail.
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Bethlehem police said the couple had three children. The man and the woman were both found suffering from gunshot wounds in the basement of a home in the 200 block of 10th Avenue.
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Police were called Friday night to a residence in the 200 block of 10th Avenue in Bethlehem. There they found a 39-year-old woman dead and a 42-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.
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The 39-year-old victim was riding a bicycle Wednesday afternoon on MacArthur Road when he was involved in a collision with a vehicle, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.
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The crash occurred about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday in Whitehall Township, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office. Township police and county officials are investigating.
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Of the thousands of stories covered and told in 2025, our staff picked some of their favorites. They included a bald eagle looking for love in the Hellertown area and an $11 million "sky dome" planned for Easton.