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 memory care facility that serves residents living with Alzheimer's disease held a St. Patrick's Day celebration with a therapy dog, cuddly goats and bagpipers from Bethlehem.

Queso at Casa and Casa 401 owner Andrea Rincon is set to open Crepes at Casa in the Easton Public Market this spring, offering up intriguing takes on the French dish.

A police officer discharged his firearm in an armed confrontation with the victim, who shot himself during the encounter Saturday night in Wind Gap, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Celtic Thunder, known for its eclectic, theatrical show, backed by the Celtic Thunder Band, will bring a brand-new show, "An Intimate Evening with Celtic Thunder," to Easton's State Theatre. The group will perform at Saturday, Sept. 13.

PennDOT has plans to improve the pavement and add truck climbing lanes in both Lehigh and Northampton counties. But the future of a controversial interchange in Lehigh County has grown more clouded.

Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone is organizing a community meeting at Pioneer Park on Saturday, March 15, to discuss tactics to improve safety.

A working industrial fire was dispatched around 6:42 a.m. in the area of South 24th Street and Washington Boulevard in Wilson Borough, at the old Dixie Cup plant that has plans to be converted into apartments.

A proposed ordinance to essentially decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Easton failed to pass at Wednesday's meeting, with the discussion prompting impassioned debates on the topic.

John Gehrmann, 44, was charged with three third-degree misdemeanor counts of harassment, with a criminal complaint stating he was involved in the continued harassment of person he suspected of playing a part in his stepdaughter’s disappearance.

Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. championed the city's successes in 2024 while looking ahead to the challenges of 2025 during his State of the City address held Wednesday.

Tuesday was the deadline for candidates in scores of political races to file their nominating petitions in hopes of getting on 2025 election ballots. Here's a look at how some of the races are shaping up.

Enci “Aubrey” Wu was last seen on Jan. 11 in the vicinity of MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, where she was seeking transportation and/or funds from strangers in order to leave Lehigh County, according to the release.