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 Morning Call is seeing another reduction to its newsroom staff.

The Vietnam War along with WWI and WWII are often only learned about in text books. But every man and woman who served has a story to tell.

The noise and danger of fireworks has one Lehigh Valley lawmaker fired up. State Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Northampton) says he wants tougher rules on consumer pyrotechnics.

The Easton Area School District is looking to build its own cyber academy. District staff say the current program isn’t working for many families. And as WLVR’s Tyler Pratt reports, it appears to have cost the district millions of dollars.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Mayors across the Lehigh Valley this week expressed serious concern with how COVID-19 continues to cripple city finances. The virtual…

Every year, 2,000 Pennsylvanians die by suicide. That’s according to the nonprofit Prevent Suicide PA. In Northampton County, training sessions are helping community members learn how to save lives through what’s called the QPR model.

Easton Hospital union employees are worried about their future. Just over two weeks ago St. Luke’s University Health Network announced the purchase of the Easton Hospital in Northampton County, from the Steward Medical Group.

Five YMCA summer camp locations in the Lehigh Valley have opened.

As Easton reopens, there’s a greater emphasis on keeping areas clean. A group of volunteers has routinely swept through the city for the past three years.

Fresh produce, vegan treats and healthy alternatives for those in need. A local non-profit, Animal Defenders - Greater Lehigh Valley, is offering a vegan food bank in Easton.

The Lehigh Valley moved into the yellow phase of reopening - which means child care can resume, customers can return to retail stores and restaurants can serve customers again - with outdoor dining.

Northampton County's Executive has issued an order that prohibits the arrest of undocumented immigrants without a warrant.