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.

Crayola celebrated its 10th annual "64 Seconds of Color Shopping Spree," pairing three local children with Marines to spring the store and collect as much merchandise as they could carry, with the company providing matching contributions to local Toys for Tots programs.

Easton Area School District officially canceled its Thanksgiving eve bonfire following a meeting with police and fire officials, who voiced concerns for the safety of people and property.

Frank Pintabone's 12th annual turkey giveaway has been set to take place at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 23 at Second and Northampton Streets, with the councilman and volunteers doling out over 300 birds for those in need.

Larken Associates has announced the construction of Trailside Village, a 420 luxury unit apartment complex which will be situated along Sullivan Trail in Forks Township.

Easton City Council tabled a bill which would pool police fuel savings stemming from their switch to hybrids for a senior property tax rebate, with several members citing that they would like to see the results of a financial study for the city before committing to the legislation.

A decision on a preliminary land development plan for a new Rutter's gas station and convenience store in Palmer Township was tabled on Nov. 12, 2024, due to requests from the township for more details on the project.

Lewis Black, who is known for his angry-face comedic style and also is an author, playwright, social critic and actor, will bring his Goodbye Yeller Brick Road tour to the venue at 8 p.m. Oct. 10.

Participants in this year's D&L RaceFest, the largest yet, took to Lehigh Valley streets and trails Sunday. The day's top prizes both went to Easton residents.

After a polling place in South Bethlehem saw a six-hour wait to vote on Tuesday, Northampton County officials blame an unexpected jump in student turnout compared with 2020.

Easton's planning commission has granted conditional final approval to Jacob's Knoll, a 110-unit rental development set to be constructed along the South Side's East Grant Street.

Easton Outdoor Company hosted the launch of the Elevate program, which aims to help outdoor activity-oriented businesses connect and thrive, on Monday, Oct. 29.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, greeted voters at one Lehigh Valley polling place on Election Day. Johnson said his visit signified how critically important the Lehigh Valley's 7th Congressional District is to the balance of power in the U.S. House.