Makenzie Christman
Digital news content producerI'm a Lehigh Valley native whose passion for journalism traces back to my high school newspaper. I previously reported for The Republican Herald in Pottsville and freelanced for SpotlightPA and WPSU through Penn State University's startup, The News Lab. Outside of the office, I'm usually doting on my dog or tasting what the Valley's food landscape has to offer. Contact me at makenziec@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8138.
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Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market. -
Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.
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President Donald Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement and recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have gained national and local attention. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick look into the public's reaction to these raids.
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Xylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.
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Known as "tranq" on the streets, an animal tranquilizer named xylazine infiltrated drug supplies throughout Pennsylvania since 2019. Its presence in the Lehigh Valley has grown, with deadly consequences.
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On Tuesday afternoon, Lehigh Valley International Airport recorded temperatures that tied the record heat set in Allentown over a century ago on June 24.
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About 500 people rallied at two spots Thursday night — outside the Five10 Flats building where ICE agents arrested 17 people the day before, and at Bethlehem City Hall.
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Stahley's, a family restaurant and sports bar established in Allentown in 1968 by Don Stahley, has been for sale for years. For the past two months, the family has begun navigating a change in hands as the restaurant nears being "99.9 percent sold."
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The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shared a news release warning of a recently reported text scam that attempts to "spoof" or mimic the Pennsylvania Courts and/or Unified Judicial System website. The AOPC says anyone who receives the text should not provide payment the text demands or any sensitive information.
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Political Pulse host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick follow up on the last episode about the primary election. This week, the two dive into a primary breakdown of the top races and low voter turnout.
