
Olivia Marble
Parkland area reporterI am the Parkland area reporter for LehighValleyNews.com, covering a broad range of stories. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, so the Lehigh Valley is new to me — I am always looking for restaurant recommendations! I graduated in 2022 from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in journalism. I interned at two NPR member stations during college: GBH in Boston and New England Public Media in Springfield, Mass., and decided I wanted to dedicate my career to public media. In my free time, I love to read, bake and listen to way too many podcasts. Contact me at OliviaM@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8184.
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North Whitehall Board of Supervisors on Monday hired engineering consultant Gilmore & Associates to create an Open Space Action Plan for the township.
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Upper Macungie Board of Supervisors on Thursday awarded $38.5 million worth of bids to build the new community center. The total estimated cost is about $46 million.
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Many local police departments are participating in National Night Out, a nationwide initiative to bring cops and residents together.
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Upper Macungie Township Police Sgt. Dathan Schlegel gave out 2,106 traffic citations in 2023, according to the Lehigh Valley DUI Highway Safety Taskforce.
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An estimated $450,000 is needed for the next step in the process of studying passenger rail. While Lehigh County officials say they will pay half, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said he thinks other local agencies should foot the bill.
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PennDOT plans to build a bridge that would bring Route 309 over Center Valley Parkway and West Saucon Valley Road. The department is currently seeking public comment.
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North Whitehall Planning Commission considered a plan to build a three-story, 40-unit apartment building at 3948 Portland St., the site of a former Lehigh Portland Cement Company building.
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Upper Macungie supervisors recently waived a requirement to build a sidewalk along Hamilton Boulevard — even though the township's Vision Zero plan indicated there should be a sidewalk built in that area.
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The Upper Macungie Planning Commission last week unanimously recommended final approval for a plan to expand XPO Logistics, a freight transportation company.
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South Whitehall Township plans to put a referendum to create an open space tax on the May 20 primary in 2025.
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Upper Macungie supervisor and former township staffer Kathy Rader had her final meeting with the board Thursday. Rader first joined the board in 2006, and she worked for the township from 1985 to 2016.
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Upper Macungie's Board of Supervisors adopted the 2024 budget on Thursday. The property tax millage rate will stay at 0.64, but the refuse and recycling fee will increase by $30.
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South Whitehall Township residents will not have to pay more in township taxes next year, but the waste collection fee will soon increase.
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The North Whitehall Township Board of Supervisors approved the implementation of a four-day work week for municipal staff after a ten-month trial period.
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Vice President of the board David Kennedy announced his resignation at Wednesday’s meeting. He said he is moving out of the township to be closer to his grandson.
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The Parkland School Board has officially entered its post-election era, but the directors still have one more two-year seat left to fill.
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The township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to approve the final 2024 budget, which keeps the property tax rate at 0.6 mils. The budget accounts for three new staff positions, large building projects and increased funds to the township’s volunteer fire companies.
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The North Whitehall Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to table, or delay the vote on, the preliminary plan for 55-plus residential community Strawberry Acres.
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South Whitehall Township will host its first Municipal Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will have light refreshments, including coffee, hot chocolate and cookies. There will also be giveaways of informational packets and flyers.
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Fighting AIDS Continuously Together, or FACT, is hosting its 35th annual Snow Ball on Sunday to raise money to help people in the Greater Lehigh Valley with HIV and AIDS.