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.

Roughly 50 people gathered in Hackett Park as bagpipes played and the Brown and Lynch Honor Guard performed a rifle salute at an Easton celebration that paid respect to all who have served in the nation’s armed forces.

More than half of the $18B coming to the state will go toward fixing roads and bridges.

School districts will establish their own policies in January.

The money will be used in part for neighborhood improvement projects and job training.

The governor said he will turn over masking decisions to local school officials on Jan. 17.

Some insects like mosquitos are thriving later in the season as temperatures reach well into the 70s.

The low-impact sport is a cross between tennis, ping pong and badminton.

The race for county executive in Northampton County has been controversial from the start.

Labor shortages are happening across the country and the problem is hitting home in the Lehigh Valley.

Downtown Easton stands to lose hundreds of parking spots as the result of a proposed new housing development off the square. City officials are asking: is the parking necessary?

A delta variant COVID-19 outbreak at the Northampton County Prison is raising questions about vaccine mandates.

As of Sept. 17, nearly half the holding areas in the Northampton County Prison were in quarantine due to what officials are calling a “delta outbreak.” Cases have jumped this month from almost none at the end of August to now more than 30 among inmates and employees.