Easton News

A new citizen-led nonprofit has officially launched in Easton, bringing together residents and community advocates concerned about rapid downtown development, preservation standards and public access to planning decisions.

A rainy Memorial Day weekend forecast is forcing some schedule changes across the Lehigh Valley, but several of the region’s biggest annual events say they’re moving forward — rain or shine.

Straight No Chaser will perform at the theater at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 5. And the stage play "Waitress" at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16.

Planning and Codes Director Dwayne Tillman said records dating to a 1977 certificate of occupancy consistently identified the Hotel Hampton property as a hotel and not a rooming or boarding house.

A Northampton County Councilwoman last week accused former county Executive Lamont McClure of trying to pressure her to vote for a 20-year special taxing district that could have sent $26 million in public funding to a project to turn the former Dixie Cup factory into housing.

The developer behind the Dixie Cup project was seeking a 20-year agreement that could have generated about $26 million.

Former residents and several people close to the fire department described years of deteriorating conditions and limited enforcement inside the Hotel Hampton, including blocked or missing exits, rodent infestations, malfunctioning or ignored smoke alarms and more.

The iconic Dixie Cup structure is set to be restored as part of Skyline Investment Group’s plans to turn the long-vacant industrial site into more than 400 apartments.

Bob Brooks, a Democratic candidate running for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, has asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed against him by Carol Wiley, his former mother-in-law. She alleges he owes her more than $162,000 from a lawsuit she filed in 2018.

The Hotel Hampton boarding house had not undergone fire inspections since at least 2017, despite a history of code violations, fire alarm problems and prior safety concerns, according to a newly completed federal investigation.

The life of the late and longtime Easton supervisor and civic leader John L. Sproat Jr. was celebrated in Centre Square on Wednesday.

The Easton Area High School student is under a doctor's care, officials said. Whooping cough, or pertussis, spreads easily from person to person and outbreaks can occur in schools, child care centers and hospitals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Easton Area School District passed a measure to explore options for a new or revitalized high school during Tuesday's meeting.

The Sigal Museum and the Asante Gallery are among venues holding events during Black History Month.

The long dormant Dixie Cup factory may soon be repurposed into an apartment and retail space, as a new developer moves further along in the process than ever before.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

An Easton citizen provided a letter of thanks for support from an Israel government official during Wednesday's city council meeting, provoking some strong and otherwise awkward reactions from council.

Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana, no stranger to controversy over the past year, has announced a run for the Pa. House's 136th District.

State Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, announced Monday he will seek re-election to a 20th term.

The Easton-based artist will show her work and participate in a discussion at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown on Saturday, Jan. 27.

Registration is open for the Nurture Nature Center's Youth Climate Summit of the Lehigh Valley, a free event April 19 and 20. The summit aims to engage middle and high school students in climate change issues, as well as seek solutions.

Moustache, an adventurous cat with a distinct marking befitting his namesake who galivanted throughout Easton on a surprise vacation adventure before being rescued this summer, has passed away at the age of six, his owner confirmed via a Facebook post.