Business News

City planners meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at Bethlehem Town Hall, 10 E. Church St. The proposal for the former Wells Fargo is listed fourth on an agenda of five items.

Lehigh Valley residents attended a state Public Utility Commission hearing on Tuesday to oppose a proposed rate increase by PPL Electric Utilities. It would be the first rate increase in almost a decade.

Testimony began Monday in hearings that could decide what sort of businesses are allowed at homes throughout North Whitehall Township — and whether one resident’s long-running car repair business can keep operating.

The developer behind a proposed 37-story skyscraper in Allentown asked planning officials for another delay.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners approved a $36.7 million budget for 2026 Monday. Several residents attended the meeting to oppose the real estate tax increase, the first in the township since 2019.

The Allentown Parking Authority, state Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, and the City of Allentown have opened a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the 100 block of North Seventh Street.

Northampton County Council passed its $503 million budget for 2026 Thursday night, keeping taxes stable for the eighth year in a row.

General real estate taxes will stay flat in South Whitehall Township next year, its fire tax will rise 0.28 of a mill and residents will see a new 0.1% income tax to fund open space preservation.

The Lehigh Valley is projected to have significant increases in employment and population up to 2050.

After more than a year of meetings, plan review and expert testimony, Easton Planning Commission on Wednesday denied an application for a million-square-foot warehouse at 1525 Wood Ave.

WLVR’s occasional “Pivoting in Pandemic” series shares stories of how some local businesses have survived the challenges of COVID-19.

The new executive director of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Dawn Godshall, speaks with WLVR’s Brad Klein.

Sophisticated gadgets like special laptops and tablets are being developed to assist people who are blind, but the equipment can cost thousands of dollars.

Local pharmaceutical company Sharp, announced this week that it will hire hundreds of new workers as it prepares a $42 million expansion project here in the Lehigh Valley.

Pennsylvania is preparing to ease COVID restrictions this weekend. Bars and restaurants can serve alcohol without food, lift curfews and increase capacity. But the move comes as COVID cases are on the rise and service employees may not be vaccinated yet.

Pennsylvania State Rep. Lisa Boscola wants to give tax relief to struggling restaurants and bars so that they can stay in business during the pandemic.

A new snapshot of Allentown’s manufacturing sector finds that - even in 2020 - there’s some reason for hope.

President Donald Trump signed the latest federal stimulus bill yesterday, but federal unemployment benefits may still be delayed for recipients. In the interim, WLVR’s Brittany Sweeney has more on other Pennsylvania resources for people struggling to make ends meet.

On January 1, a CDC moratorium on evictions will expire. The deadline is creating significant uncertainty for families in the Lehigh Valley, and the organizations getting ready to assist them.

Hidden beneath the open space, jewel lakes and dense forests is the silent frustration in households across the region that are struggling to keep pace with the modern world.

Governor Tom Wolf is calling on Congress to pass a pandemic relief package. He and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy met Monday calling the situation in their states, “dire.”

If you’re planning on going skiing in the region this season, don’t forget your car. You may need it for more than you think. WLVR’s Haley O’Brien visited a resort in Berks County that’s making some changes.