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.

You can learn about the legend of Krampus, a German folklore creature who steals misbehaved children at Christmas, at Angel's House of Design this weekend in Easton.

Planning Commissioner Frank Graziano III has announced a run for Easton City Council District 1, a seat currently held by Roger Ruggles.

Rasheed Quayle Tisdale was arrested Tuesday by Easton police with the Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Fugitive Task Force and SWAT Team, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta said in a release.

A proposal to construct a more-than-270,00-square-foot warehouse in Williams Township will advance to a review by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night.

A zoning hearing concerning a 43-unit apartment in Easton's downtown district was tabled after an attorney argued the advertisement for the project lack sufficient details, though issues with parking may cause even more issues in the future.

Hundreds of employees participated in the United Way $100k challenge, which awarded grants to 20 nonprofits at a celebration at Crayola's headquarters on Monday.

Easton has confirmed their agreement with Comcast, which will eventually lead to a third option for internet and cable access for residents of the city.

Easton City Council members Frank Pintabone and Crystal Rose will host a community Q&A session with the developers behind the controversial new Easton Commerce Park warehouse project on Thursday, Dec. 19.

The Wilson Area School Board will vote Monday on appointing Harrison Bailey III as the district's new superintendent. Bailey has been principal of Liberty High School in Bethlehem for 12 years.

Marblehead Chowder House on William Penn Highway in Palmer Township has been in operation since 1996. The ownership says the business has changed with the times and owes its success to loyal customers and staff.

Wilson Area School District's second annual Family Computer Science Night welcomed hundreds of students to learn all about computers, AI, robots, and the future careers they could have in the field on Thursday evening.

Easton's 2025 budget was approved, amounting to just under $71 million with no property tax increase, during the city's Dec. 11, 2024 council meeting.