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 rise in rental prices is exceeding the rise in the rate of inflation, according to an expert.

The Catholic Charities soup kitchen in Allentown feeds up to 200 people each day.

Companies are offering bonuses and advertising $25- to $30-an-hour jobs on highway billboards.

The clubs also plan to expand their Wi-Fi with the help of their donor.

After a 2-year break, the Red Cross is asking for volunteers and fire fighters to step up and help.

The organization parted ways with its social club to ensure it would get all the funding it could.

The Futuros Empresarios program encourages students to aim for high power jobs.

Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church has been overwhelmed with the response since Russia's invasion.

A billboard company, Adams Outdoor, is using the sunflower as a symbol for peace.

Amy Cozze has left the Northampton County elections department and is now working for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)

The authority plans to expand but that can't happen just yet.

The good news is that the number of bridges that are classified in poor condition has been going down, an expert says.