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.

Rasheed Quayle Tisdale faced a preliminary hearing Thursday on one count each of homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide in the death of Legious Minder, 46.

Easton City Council introduced an ordinance to amend its ARPA budget on April 9. It will see half a million dollars go toward repairs on the Ferry Street sanitary line.

Kay Haring will read from her children's book, "Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing," at the Sigal Museum on Saturday, April 12.

Swan Lake, written 150 years ago by Russian composer Tchaikovsky and one of the most popular ballets of all time, will return to the theater at 2 p.m. Oct. 26. And Let’s Sing Taylor — A Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift, which calls itself “the ultimate tribute to the music of Taylor Swift,” will perform at the center at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20. And it will include a tribute to an even more recent hitmaker — Olivia Rodrigo.

Palmer Township's board of supervisors and planning commission approved plans for two new car washes in the area during their Monday and Tuesday meetings this week.

Palmer Supervisors voted to request a Post Traffic Impact Study from developers behind the massive Easton Commerce Park warehouse project, which is anticipated to cause significant traffic issues in and around the area.

Easton Public Market is welcoming a slew of new vendors as they fight to win USA Today's 10BEST Award for Best Public Market, an honor they earned in 2023.

For the sixth year, Nurture Nature Center will hold the Youth Climate Summit of the Lehigh Valley. The free event aims to engage middle and high school students in climate change issues, as well as seek solutions.

Candidates for Lower Saucon Township Council and Stockertown Borough Council will remain in their races after Northampton County Judge Craig Dally dismissed or overruled efforts to kick them off the ballot for technical grounds.

Fiddler is among 50 finalists in the national dance fellowship that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

Crayola began its annual million crayon giveaway on Monday, where visitors can assemble a free 32-count box of their favorite colors — including, for the first time, eight colors discontinued over the last three decades.

Easton Area School District is on the cusp of launching a new program to bring credit-deficit students up to date, and ultimately prevent dropouts.