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.

Northampton County Council voted to eliminate 20 frontline jobs at the county's juvenile detention and treatment center, and create 13 new supervisor positions. A union for the detention center's workers argued the change is illegal.

Unofficial results in Lehigh and Northampton counties suggest voters rallied around candidates for Northampton County Council and Lehigh County district attorney, among others.

Rosé on the River is coming back for the fifth year at Easton's Scott Park on June 10. The event benefits the Greater Easton Development Partnership and the programs it helps.

The changes, introduced at a county council committee meeting Wednesday, would eliminate some youth care worker positions at the county's juvenile justice center, and create new assistant supervisor roles.

The first stage of the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Analysis project will be completed by October, it was revealed on Wednesday during a Lehigh Valley Transportation Study committee virtual public meeting.

Tuesday's primary election set up a number of races for the fall general election. Here are capsules from Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Democratic primary candidates for Easton City Council Ken Brown and Frank Pintabone have unofficially locked in their seats as of Tuesday night, though the third open position remains too close to call.

Democratic Easton primary candidate Sal Panto Jr. has unofficially won the race as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

Get ready for a mouthwatering fiesta at the annual Taco Fest in Easton, featuring delicious tacos from local food trucks, and refreshing beverages from breweries and bars.

An Easton man intending to open a high-end smoke shop was granted a continuance after questions arose around zoning issues related to the Northampton Street retail space's proximity to another specialty business.

Phase 1 plans call for improvements to major roads in the township, as well as the addition of detention basin retrofits in various places.

As the campaign for the Easton mayoral primary comes to a close, candidates Sal Panto Jr. and Peter Melan discuss how they spent their funds in the race to City Hall.