Easton News

A new citizen-led nonprofit has officially launched in Easton, bringing together residents and community advocates concerned about rapid downtown development, preservation standards and public access to planning decisions.

A rainy Memorial Day weekend forecast is forcing some schedule changes across the Lehigh Valley, but several of the region’s biggest annual events say they’re moving forward — rain or shine.

Straight No Chaser will perform at the theater at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 5. And the stage play "Waitress" at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16.

Planning and Codes Director Dwayne Tillman said records dating to a 1977 certificate of occupancy consistently identified the Hotel Hampton property as a hotel and not a rooming or boarding house.

A Northampton County Councilwoman last week accused former county Executive Lamont McClure of trying to pressure her to vote for a 20-year special taxing district that could have sent $26 million in public funding to a project to turn the former Dixie Cup factory into housing.

The developer behind the Dixie Cup project was seeking a 20-year agreement that could have generated about $26 million.

Former residents and several people close to the fire department described years of deteriorating conditions and limited enforcement inside the Hotel Hampton, including blocked or missing exits, rodent infestations, malfunctioning or ignored smoke alarms and more.

The iconic Dixie Cup structure is set to be restored as part of Skyline Investment Group’s plans to turn the long-vacant industrial site into more than 400 apartments.

Bob Brooks, a Democratic candidate running for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, has asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed against him by Carol Wiley, his former mother-in-law. She alleges he owes her more than $162,000 from a lawsuit she filed in 2018.

The Hotel Hampton boarding house had not undergone fire inspections since at least 2017, despite a history of code violations, fire alarm problems and prior safety concerns, according to a newly completed federal investigation.

The State Café and Grill – located at 14-16 S. 5th Street, just around the block from the State Theatre – will reopen on Thursday, Feb. 9.

The South Side Civic Association will hold a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, to gather input on neighborhood needs.

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Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium and thorium in soil and rocks.

Community space, a recreation center and affordable housing are some suggestions for how to redevelop the old Dixie cup building in Wilson Borough, just outside Easton.

A steep rise in egg prices plus butter shortages means some bakeries must adapt.

“It's always remarkable to me to see even a company that we've all grown up with has to constantly change and adapt – not just with regard to sources of energy, but with regard to the process," Casey said.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. says it's unfortunately part of a larger trend that is changing how small businesses operate in neighborhoods. He said the city intends to create a task force to address it.

The Palmer Township supervisors rejected a proposal for a 185,000-square-foot manufacturing center near a housing development in the northern end of the township.

Easton has been struggling with a shortage of school bus drivers for at least the past few years. Students were getting to school late or getting home late, so the district purchased software last year to design bus routes instead of doing them by hand to find efficiencies.

A free dental clinic is being offered in Easton next month. Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley will provide free oral health care services at their Easton location.

Cupcakes with Egyptian cinnamon are just one confection customers might try as Mia & Maddie bakery moves forward with plans to open a shop in Easton.