Lehigh County News

National issues are seeping into local races, turning elections into proxy partisan fights over race and gender.

Local elections rarely get the same level of participation as presidential races, but the outcomes often have greater impacts on voters' quality of life.

Like all the other major cities in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown is a patchwork of neighborhoods, some with good tree cover and some without any. Officials plan to use a mapping tool as a starting point to make planting trees city-wide more equitable.

Former journalist Ann Wlazelek pays tribute to her mother in a new book.

Debates in the South Whitehall commissioners race have taken place on the candidate's Facebook pages. The posts have primarily debated candidate Ben Long's positions and campaign style.

Concerts on the Grange is a two-day music festival that continues at 5:30 p.m. today, May 13, with tribute acts portraying The Doors and The Grateful Dead. Tickets, at $22 and $34, remain available on the SteelStacks website.

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

The U.S. Department of Commerce has opened applications for the first round of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program. Rep. Susan Wild, author of the program, said the Lehigh Valley is the perfect candidate for the funding.

The mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton will participate in group bike rides for Lehigh Valley Bike to Work Week.

In its third year, Spring on the Farm is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The free event includes a seedling sale, as well as other local vendors.

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.

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg and mental health experts advocated for an increased investment in school-based health clinics at a news conference at Hays Elementary School in Allentown on Friday.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Digital News Content Producer's Stephanie Sigafoos and Makenzie Christman.