Lehigh County News

Sketch plans for an athletic complex for Allentown Central Catholic High School were reviewed by the Whitehall Township Planning Commission on Wednesday night.

Applications are open for the second Good Farmer Award U.S. Officials are looking for farmers with less than 10 years of experience who exemplify sustainable farming practices while contributing to community and environmental health.

Lehigh County executive candidates Josh Siegel and Roger MacLean met in a debate Wednesday night hosted by Lehigh Valley Public Media in Bethlehem. Siegel argued the next executive needs to have big plans for the office, where MacLean positioned himself as offering more stability.

Plans for a 190,400-square-foot distribution facility along Main Street received unanimous conditional final approval from the Whitehall Township Planning Commission on Wednesday night.

Republican Roger MacLean and Democrat Josh Siegel are vying for a four-year term as Lehigh County executive. The winner in the Nov. 4 election will succeed Democrat Phil Armstrong, who cannot run again because of term limits.

Authorities allege Adam Makowka, 28, of South Whitehall Township, fatally shot Jereka Battle in her Allentown apartment in July.

A crop farm in Lehigh County was included in the latest round of Pennsylvania's Farmland Preservation Program. Twenty-three other farms across the state were also preserved.

Operations at Lehigh Valley International Airport have not suffered from the government shutdown to date, according to Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority officials. However, an increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick during the last shutdown spurred a deal in 2019.

In its 10th year, and led by the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, the conference theme was “Back to Basics,” and drew a sold-out crowd with about 180 people, including professionals and volunteers.

School Director Emily Gehman said Southern Lehigh has a pattern of pay disparities between female employees and their male colleagues.

In the wake of an antisemitic group spreading hateful flyers across the area, Rep. Susan Wild and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley are making it clear that hate has no place in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Valley Zoo officials this week publicly announced the birth of a bison calf, adding to the population boom of new animals at the zoo this year.

A survey undertaken by the Borough of Emmaus resulted in residents not wishing to implement a costly quiet zone for nighttime trains.

The Southern Lehigh Public Library Board of Directors voted to create a fact-finding committee related to the Lower Saucon Township proposal to join their library over continuing their partnership with the Hellertown Area Library

Catasauqua, East Allen Township, Hanover Township, North Catasauqua and Northampton Borough have spent years crafting a joint development plan on how to best steer development within their borders. Allen Township, though, isn't participating.

Building projects that would address overcrowding in the Parkland School District will cost between $169 million and $391 million, according to a presentation at the school board meeting this week.

There is $1.5 million in funds to be distributed to those in need by Community Action Lehigh Valley.

The water main broke late Tuesday and service has been restored to residents. Officials say the thoroughfare will reopen later today.

Paraprofessionals can get certified for free while continuing to work in their schools.

The Parkland School Board renewed a sports medicine and school health needs agreement with St. Luke's after state Sen. Jarrett Coleman urged them not to. He suggested the health network should find better ways to spend the money.

Making healthy choices easier and more accessible is the goal of a new project in Allentown. The city has teamed up with Lehigh Valley Health Network and a company called Blue Zones to improve the well-being of those who live there.

The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas has appointed Curtis Dietrich to the Lowhill Township supervisors after ruling last week that he was unlawfully holding the position.