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.

An attendance policy for Easton City Council's Code of Conduct led to a heated discussion among members Wednesday night, raising concerns over accountability, privacy, and potential legal issues.

LehighValleyNews.com has embarked on a project aimed at traffic in the Lehigh Valley — how it's grown and how it's affected our quality of life. And we want to hear from you.

Palmer Township's Board of Supervisors approved preliminary plans for a new Shammy Shine, set to be built next to an existing location on Kingston Road.

On Monday, Greater Shiloh Church's MLK Day speakers celebrated King's legacy, and explored what lessons his life offers in the face of a second Trump presidency.

Stop the Wood Ave Warehouse is on a mission to fight the development of the Easton Commerce Park warehouse proposed at the old Pfizer Pigments plant site, near the borders of Wilson Borough, Easton and Palmer Township.

Tensions are rising as the City of Easton and the Rock Church of Easton move closer to a legal battle over possession of the historic Hooper House property.

Easton's Planning Commission reviewed the city's comprehensive plan Wednesday, celebrating successes while acknowledging a wealth of work to attain their goals by 2040.

Rickhaslo "Ricky" Brown and his wife, Heather, celebrated his big win on "Wheel of Fortune" Wednesday at Rivals Sports Bar and Restaurant.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reached a non-binding agreement with Coherent Corp. that could lead to the creation of 320 jobs at its Palmer Township facility. The agreement is intended to boost production of silicon carbide substrates, a specialized crystal used to create semiconductor wafers.

A Northampton County Judge sentenced William Strunk Tuesday to 20-40 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder.

Easton's Historic District Commission voted against a proposal to demolish and reconstruct the McDonald's at 300 Larry Holmes Drive, citing issues with the appearance, layout and signs for the property.

Rickhaslo Brown, a West Ward resident of Easton, recently saw a dream come true when he got to appear on an episode of his favorite game show, "Wheel of Fortune."