East Penn News

Lehigh Valley firefighters warn staffing shortages are worsening as call volumes rise, leaving departments below national standards and increasing risks for crews and residents.

A school district email said that at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, "during an administrative search of a student's belongings, school officials discovered a loaded firearm inside a student's school bag."

The project, known as The Shoppes at Hamilton, would include 318 apartments, a 160-room hotel and roughly 20,000 square feet of retail space.

Democrat Geoffrey Whitcomb intends to campaign for the Lehigh County-based district that Republican Gary Day currently represents. The seat heavily favors Republicans.

After searching for the right space for around nine months, Maria and Alison Corradini officially opened Alchemize Pilates Community in Emmaus on Jan. 3. As the two push to build a community through their Pilates studio, almost 100 members registered before the business wrapped up its first week.

Lower Macungie Township's planning commission voted Tuesday to recommend approving a 55,000-square-foot light manufacturing facility near Schoeneck and Alburtis roads.

Juxtahub has tapped Ryan Hill, who previously served as its chief programming officer since April, to serve as its executive director. Hill will participate in the arts center and gallery's JuxTuesday on Jan. 13.

The school district alerted the community about three hours after an incident involving pepper spray occurred in the upstairs cafeteria of Emmaus High School on Wednesday afternoon. Legislation that went into effect this month requires districts to alert parents, guardians and teachers of school weapon incidents.

The Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary still is closed to the public after an April bridge collapse. Officials said a new, permanent bridge is slated to be installed in spring.

After customers speculated its permanent closure online, Casa Catrina shared an announcement on social media thanking patrons for their continued support over the past six years. This month, the Mexican restaurant posted on its doors a notice of a temporary closure.

Cable and internet provider Comcast is set to bring XFinity and other services to the Borough of Emmaus after a franchise agreement was signed by borough council.

New restaurant owners Megan and Robert Sell, alongside teenage sons Lucas and Axel, recently reopened Mad Dogs Hot Dogs to ensure the popular community stop was not lost after closure

Council members and residents voiced worry over density and flooding concerns, eventually rejecting the proposed change to allow the 22 townhouse units.

3M Co. has committed up to $10.3 billion, payable over 13 years, for remediation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

Zoners approved variances for lighting and signage as the Raising Cane's project heads again to the township's planning commission in July.

Over $10 million in renovation work at the Borough of Emmaus municipal building and central fire and EMS station offices is nearing completion after interiors of the buildings were gutted and redesigned.

A disaster action team was called after the blaze that broke out around 3:15 a.m. Saturday. Displaced residents were being asked to seek care and other resources by the Red Cross at a temporary care center established at nearby Emmaus High School.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with Julian Abraham and Jay Bradley.

A survey undertaken by the Borough of Emmaus resulted in residents not wishing to implement a costly quiet zone for nighttime trains.

Sets of two courts will go up at Furnace Dam Park and Emmaus Community Park, in part due to funding received from the Chestnut Ridge at Rodale development.

Developer Luke Jaindl of the Jaindl Land Co. discussed the vision for the proposed Lehigh Valley Town Center project, currently on its way to a conditional use hearing in Lower Macungie Township.