Lehigh County News

Voters are increasingly breaking with the Republican and Democratic parties. One national poll found a record 45% of Americans consider themselves politically independent.

Democratic voters in Pennsylvania's 16th and 18th Senate districts may have contested races this spring. Meanwhile, Republican Zach Mako is seeking re-election in Pennsylvania's 183rd House District.

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.

The special election will be held Tuesday, Feb. 24, in the 22nd House District, which covers parts of East Allentown, Center City and a part of Salisbury Township. The debate was broadcast live on PBS39 and streamed here at LehighValleyNews.com.

Joining host Tom Shortell on this week's Political Pulse, Ryan Crosswell said his campaign is focused on two priorities: lowering costs for families and defending democratic institutions.

The early LIHEAP crisis numbers already represent a notable share of last winter’s total in the Lehigh Valley, according to data provided by the Department of Human Services.

An extreme cold warning, combined with a wind advisory also in effect, could mean wind chills as low as 20 degrees below zero for the region this weekend.

Appearing on this week's Lehigh Valley Political Pulse with host Tom Shortell, Pinsley framed his campaign around what he described as “bread and butter issues,” arguing that rising costs remain the central concern for voters, and that corporate power is to blame.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2026-27 budget proposal falls back on familiar proposals to regulate skill games and legalize marijuana, two flashpoints that fueled a months-long budget impasse last year.

"The IronPigs will be concluding our naming rights partnership with Coca-Cola in September of 2027, as at that time our current agreement will come to its successful completion,” IronPigs President Kurt Landes said at a joint news conference Tuesday.

A teenager from Lower Macungie Township was killed in a single-vehicle crash late Monday, authorities say.

Three flights departing from Lehigh Valley International Airport on Monday have already been canceled. Officials are urging travelers to check their airline's website.

The appointment of 13 members allows Lehigh County for the first time to adjudicate the terms of any complaints made under its recently passed bill establishing non-discrimination requirements.

Billed as one of the country's largest antique and classic car shows, the festival is in its 61st season and will take place on Aug. 2-4 starting at 6 a.m. each day until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Upper Macungie Board of Supervisors on Thursday awarded $38.5 million worth of bids to build the new community center. The total estimated cost is about $46 million.

The Lehigh County coroner says the average age of people dying from suicide is getting older. He says his office is tracking the data in an effort to provide more outreach efforts.

As part of a series of grants amounting to $30 million, the Lehigh Valley will see nearly $740,000 in funding for "Green Light-Go" improvement projects in Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

Many local police departments are participating in National Night Out, a nationwide initiative to bring cops and residents together.

Billed as one of the country's largest antique and classic car shows, the Das Awkscht Fescht is in its 61st season and will take place on Aug. 2-4 starting at 6 a.m. each day.

Kumari Ghafoor-Davis has served as an adjunct professor of sociology and social work for more than two decades.

Upper Macungie Township Police Sgt. Dathan Schlegel gave out 2,106 traffic citations in 2023, according to the Lehigh Valley DUI Highway Safety Taskforce.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is ramping up political spending in the region in its bid to help GOP challenger Ryan Mackenzie defeat U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley.