Lehigh County News

South Whitehall Township commissioners on Wednesday launched an executive search for a new chief for the South Whitehall Township Police Department.

Upper Macungie planners reviewed plans for two warehouse expansions Wednesday night before the plans end up in the hands of the Board of Supervisors.

Plans for a Taco Bell with a dual drive-thru in Whitehall Township were approved by the township's planning commission on Wednesday night.

EPA officials last week announced the first-ever national drinking water standard regulating per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are widespread, long-lasting in the environment and have been linked to long-term health issues.

More than 22 million American households use the Affordable Connectivity Act to pay for high-speed internet. But with funding running dry and Congress gridlocked, U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and other Democrats are considering an esoteric rule to force a vote.

Jorge Suarez-Santiago, 34, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Jayleen Rivas-Rodriguez, 35, of Allentown, have had warrants issued for their arrest, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said.

For every Republican voting by mail this April, there are 2.75 Democrats voting by mail, according to state data. Political observers believe it could give Democrats an advantage heading into the November election should the pattern hold.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for Iron Menace, the Northeast's first-ever "dive" roller coaster that features a 95-degree, 152-foot drop.

Construction of a new Taco Bell was approved by the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday night. The board also approved a zoning variance request, a zoning exemption, and tabled a discussion until May.

Skill games — those machines that look like slot machines in convenience stores and taverns across Pennsylvania — are a potential public safety threat because they deal in cash in places that generally have little or no security procedures in place, according to the state district attorneys association.

Allentown declared a snow emergency ahead of Sunday's major winter storm. Enforcement efforts in the city will begin Saturday morning.

Residents of South Whitehall Township voiced their opposition to a proposed 5-million-square-foot data center near Parkland High School.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has used county office space but hasn't paid rent in three years despite a 2022 memorandum of understanding, county officials said. Said Controller Mark Pinsley: "We're going to deport ICE."

Several celebrations and church services in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. have been postponed due to weather. Check back for updates.

A community meeting on the city's Urban Forestry Master Plan is slated for Feb. 2 in chambers of City Council. Residents are invited to shared feedback there, as well as through a survey.

A county judge heard arguments Friday for and against releasing the two pages from a sealed grand jury presentment that deals with the drug-charge allegations against Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi, of Bethlehem.

The funding, through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Recreation and Conservation’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program, is aimed at protecting national resources and expanding outdoor access.

Lehigh County prosecutors tried to avoid the standard procedures for criminal court by bypassing defendants' preliminary hearings. Instead, Lehigh County Judge Thomas Caffrey ruled the cases should proceed Friday morning as scheduled.

A Lehigh County judge threw out a lawsuit accusing B. Braun of emitting dangerous amounts of ethylene oxide, ruling it did not meet the legal requirements for a class action.

Buglio said the decision is driven by what investigators are increasingly encountering during death investigations, particularly in private residences.

Lower Macungie Township's planning commission voted Tuesday to recommend approving a 55,000-square-foot light manufacturing facility near Schoeneck and Alburtis roads.

The 15,100-square-foot facility would be constructed in consolidated lots at 1415 and 1425 Lehigh St.