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.

The non-alcoholic cocktail trend has exceeded popularity beyond Dry January. More Lehigh Valley restaurants — and even mobile bartending services — are featuring mocktails on their menus as customers increasingly ask for them.

The release is the first of a long list of fun summer activities planned for young readers at the library.

The Seidl family invited officials and media into their North Law Street home, where Fire Chief Efrain Agosto led a quick safety lesson before a fire drill.

Food flights throughout the area aren't just exclusive to dessert, cocktails, or pasta. Restaurants are cooking up a spin on typical entrees.

Inmates often spent weeks in segregation from others as a result of disciplinary infractions

The Upper Macungie Community Center's proposed renderings are now public, as well as an estimated cost.

Officials gathered at the Lehigh Valley Zoo Thursday evening for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of Rothrock Red Panda Peak. It's the first time the zoo has had red pandas in residence.

A seizure survivor breaks her self-harm silence to raise awareness, so that others with the condition feel heard.

Sixth Street Shelter started providing services to unhoused people in 1984, with Thursday's block party doubling as a celebration of its four decades of work.

The North Whitehall Board of Supervisors hosted a conditional use hearing Wednesday for a revised plan of the Rising Sun subdivision, which would have 110 single-family homes on about 100 acres.

The 2024 Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment is open now until August. It is a biannual survey that evaluates health needs and disparities among LGBTQ people in the state.

Scott Curtis led the FBI's investigation into allegations of corruption against former Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who's serving a 15-year federal prison sentence.