Easton News

Broadway's "Rock of Ages" Band features the musician case of the Broadway show playing what it calls playing "the greatest rock hits from the glam metal bands of the '80s."

The United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, in coordination with Greater Easton Development Partnership, has established the fund to help victims of Friday's devastating fire at the Hotel Hampton building, 462 Northampton St. Also, a Red Cross emergency shelter operation has been relocated.

One firefighter suffered serious injuries when he fell off a ladder escaping the fire. Several others received minor injuries. Authorities said the coroner was on scene Saturday "out of an abundance of caution" because they did not have an accurate count of people living in the Hotel Hampton building.

In December alone, there were 676 eviction filings and defaults in Lehigh County — the highest monthly total since August 2023.

In counties such as Lehigh, eviction filings have reached their highest point in years, even as rental vacancy rates have fluctuated. That apparent contradiction — rising vacancy estimates alongside persistent eviction volume — is part of a broader housing dynamic playing out across the region.

Xiaomin Fei, 34, on Thursday entered the plea in the June 3 shooting deaths of Robert and Gretchen Ackerman, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen G. Baratta announced.

Officials signed off on plans that call for 73 condominiums — 15 one-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units and 22 three-bedroom units — and about 2,500 square feet of commercial space.

Jack Bennett grew up in the family hardware business and went on to lead it for nearly 25 years. He was one of Easton's most prominent business leaders in the 1970s and '80s. He died Jan. 29 at age 98. Friends say he left an impression on the Downtown business community that still can be felt today.

Affected customers are being asked to enroll in interest-free payment plans so the city can recover more than $35,000 in unpaid bills, its finance director said Wednesday.

Lawmakers voted 46-1 on Senate Bill 1014, bipartisan legislation that would require public schools to adopt "bell-to-bell" policies restricting student use of smartphones and other internet-connected devices throughout the entire school day.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory starting Monday night into Tuesday morning for the Lehigh Valley region. Hazardous conditions could affect the Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning commutes, according to the advisory.

Student performers took the stage at the Lehigh Valley Mall on Saturday and Sunday during the Lehigh Valley Music Teachers Association's 41st annual Playathon.

The Black History Month celebration at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown will feature music, an awards ceremony, a fashion show and free samples of African and Caribbean eats.

Lehigh University Professor Scott Gordon will give a presentation at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Sigal Museum in Easton. It will focus on a 1780 register of enslaved people in Northampton County.

Strut your stuff on the runway at the People’s Ball, a fashion exhibit and runway competition happening at the Banana Factory in May.

The Downtown Bethlehem Association is hosting a St. Patrick's Day-themed cocktail trail on Saturday, March 11.

If you're heading out the door a little early on Tuesday to find some donut deals, you’re likely to head to some familiar spots. Here's where fastnachts are likely to be flying off the shelves.

A 28-year-old man is charged with multiple drug crimes after a raid Friday by the Northampton County Drug Task Force. Authorities say they also recovered a stolen firearm.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, spoke about her experience with mental health issues and lauded U.S. Sen. John Fetterman for having the courage to publicly seek help.

Browsing an online auction, a Roseto man came across items being stored at an Easton warehouse that were part of a cache of architectural salvage. The lot contained signs from the Hotel Easton, which opened in the 1920s.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. kicked off his campaign for a record seventh term in office Thursday night.

Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites is hosting an art show on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Luckenbach Mill.