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.

Stoneback Rose was born in Easton. She has worked in marketing for the last dozen years, organizing community events on the side.

Before ESPN, before social media, before the 24-hour news cycle, Muhammad Ali paid a surprise visit to Easton on Jan. 23, 1973, to appease a young, up-and-coming fighter named Larry Holmes.

Rep. Robert Freeman, Pennsylvania's longest serving House member, has quietly changed Pennsylvania's planning laws.

Initial vaccine doses for people 6 months and older and booster shots for people 5 years and older now will be available at all Lehigh Valley Physician Group primary care practices.

Northampton County Council held a regularly scheduled meeting Thursday, but a clerical error meant they couldn't take any official action.

Ken Greene and Frank Pintabone are current Easton planning commission members looking for a seat on Easton's city council.

The Greater Easton Development Partnership and the Wilson LINCS Family Center received $1.1 million in state funding.

Vegetables, baked goods and local distilleries are participating in 2023's winter market season.

Chris Heagele, Easton city controller, said he will run for re-election and pledged to bring fiscal responsibility to the city.

Easton council met to pass 2023 budge amendments and discussed the 'A' S&P Global rating

Ken Kraft represented District 1 on the council from 2011 to 2018, and is running to do so once again.

Easton’s first city council meeting of 2023 will address this year's budget.