Lehigh County News

With rising rents and limited inventory, the Lehigh Valley housing crunch is making it harder for many people to find affordable apartments or even think about buying a home.

Jessica Ortiz and Paulette Hunter filed an objection to the petition state Rep. Ana Tiburcio's campaign submitted last week in her bid for a full term representing Pennsylvania's 22nd House District.

The full story, to publish Wednesday, will explore why newly available apartments are attracting large numbers of applicants and what that reveals about the balance between housing supply and demand.

PPL Electric said it expects electric demand on its system could triple over the next decade. That growth is being driven largely by expansion of advanced manufacturing, new data centers and other large industrial electricity users.

Thirteen of the Lehigh Valley's seats in the General Assembly look like they'll have a contested November election. State Senate races in Lehigh and Northampton counties will have contested primaries, as well.

“Political affiliation has become a barrier,” Ron Beitler said on this week's "Political Pulse." “It’s become a barrier when you’re talking to someone one-on-one. It’s become a barrier particularly on social media.”

Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine have filed petitions for the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. The winner is expected to take on Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie in the November election.

Gas prices are rising across the country as global tensions push oil markets higher and lawmakers raise concerns about possible price gouging.

Municipalities should work to plan for data centers that can cover millions of square feet and reshape local economies, according to regional officials.

Appearing this week on Lehigh Valley Political Pulse with host Tom Shortell, Carol Obando-Derstine framed her resume as a contrast with other Democratic primary contenders.

The 2024 Lehigh Valley Flower and Garden Show returned on Friday, with vendors, flower displays, educational speakers, baby goat snuggling and, for the first time, a butterfly exhibit from Folk’s Butterfly Farm.

Upper Macungie Township plans to build a 10 foot wide, 5 kilometer-long macadam pathway along the edge of Grange Park, called the Grange Park Loop Trail.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey got a mention during President Biden's State of the Union address but U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, did not. Politics reporter Tom Shortell provides a post-mortem on the SOTU.

The proposed Mill Creek Pointe apartments in Lower Macungie would put 180 units across 30 six-unit structures and a community center across the street from the school. But it's facing strong opposition.

An Intro to Fly Fishing class and a Birding Adventure at Trexler Nature Preserve are some of the new recreation programs coming to North Whitehall Township.

Advocates and officials across Pennsylvania have signaled their support the new standards for fine particle pollution, also called soot or PM 2.5. However, federal officials don’t anticipate communities will meet the standard for almost a decade.

Lehigh Valley Breathes aims to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing. Here's the February update.

The National Transportation Safety Board says an eastbound train hit a stopped train on the tracks and derailed onto westbound tracks, where a westbound train collided with the wreckage. Photos from the scene in Lower Saucon Township showed multiple rail cars off the tracks.

The Lowhill Township Board of Supervisors on Friday approved a bid for Grace Industries to fix Narris Road for almost $532,000 after a section of it collapsed into a tributary to the Jordan Creek.

With spring still weeks away, state forest officials are gearing up for this year’s spongy moth hatch. Here's what Lehigh Valley residents need to know.

Last month, U.S. Rep. Susan Wild introduced legislation that would codify access to IVF treatments across the country. Following a controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling, the bill finds itself at the center of debate in the nation's capital.

A half-dozen city leaders and environmental advocates highlighted the economic, environmental and public health benefits the implementation of clean truck standards could reap across the Valley.