Lehigh County News

On this week's episode of Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick dissect the Democratic sweep in elections across the country and the Lehigh Valley last week.

Four surplus male bison from the Lehigh Valley Zoo will be donated to the Wildlife Restoration Foundation for transfer to a member of the InterTribal Buffalo Council in New York. The recent loss of the dominant male bison at the zoo necessitated the transfer.

Specifics for the plan are still under wraps as Upper Macungie Township is processing the application. The proposal would develop the data center at the former Air Products headquarters on Hamilton Boulevard.

Community Bank announced in June it would assume seven Santander Bank branches in the Lehigh Valley by the end of 2025. In November, the company announced that acquisition is now complete.

For the second year, the nonprofit water and wastewater utility has launched a public outreach campaign about lead pipes. Under a new EPA rule, utilities have until 2037 to remove all lead service lines from its system.

The Allentown EAC on Monday approved two letters to City Council with recommendations for the citywide parks plan, as well as the city's first Climate Action Plan, respectively.

Despite concerns over potential safety issues regarding tractor-trailer traffic near the proposed Fullerton Terminals distribution center, the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners approved the plan by a 4-3 vote on Monday.

Ti'Shaun Singleton was pronounced dead early Saturday evening, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office. The coroner ruled homicide as the manner of death.

Gov. Josh Shapiro says Pennsylvania's utility companies have stepped up to shelter low-income households this winter. The customers are usually covered by LIHEAP, but the federal assistance program has experienced delays due to the federal government shutdown.

LehighValleyNews.com, lehighvalleylive.com and The Morning Call have filed a joint motion seeking the release of sealed court records connected to a grand jury drug case investigation. The documents have been sealed for two months even though an order sealing at least one of them expired more than a month ago.

For the second time this week, a motorcyclist has died after colliding with a deer in Lehigh County, state police say.

Three proposed warehouse projects are on hold in Lowhill Township, the board of supervisors said at a meeting on Tuesday night. Two of the projects are in litigation; the third will be discussed at a hearing before the supervisors in November.

The regional wastewater plan is still underway in Lehigh County, as the sewer authority deals with aging infrastructure. Five open houses have been scheduled to collect residents' feedback.

As special operations team coordinator for Lehigh County, Kevin Krotzer served as the lead instructor Tuesday for “Water Rescue for the First Responder,” an awareness-level program developed and certified through the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Mayor Matt Tuerk said he is preparing the city's 2025 budget without any hike in property taxes. Tuerk is expected to present his 2025 budget Oct. 10.

State police said it happened early Tuesday on Mountain Road in Washington Township, Lehigh County. The victim was a 64-year-old man who was operating a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission hosted a community forum on discrimination and other issues at the Allentown Public Library on Monday night.

A doggy day care in Alburtis made a donation to the ambulance corps to ensure the area's furry friends are okay in the face of a fire.

The state Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in Bethlehem to take public testimony about Keystone Cement Co.’s hazardous waste permit renewal application.

The American Association of University Professors is looking into allegations that Maura Finkelstein, a professor at Muhlenberg College, was terminated based on her views regarding Zionism and Palestine.

Earlier this month, the group announced its sixth Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Award, this one for construction-rehabilitation at the former Laros Silk Mill, now known as Laros Lofts, along the eastern end of Broad Street.

One of the Zoo's longest-tenured residents, the 20-year-old, 2,000-pound bison died Friday.