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.

Team Pennsylvania on National Agriculture Day released “The Pennsylvania Agriculture Economic Analysis 2025.” The report takes a deep data dive into the commonwealth’s agriculture sector from 2012-2022.

'A Community Conversation: The Road Ahead' will feature several guests discussing Lehigh Valley traffic and transportation issues. It will be held Thursday, April 3, at the Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

On Wednesday in Heidelberg Township, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity continued her cross-state tour of informing residents about Money Match, a program that returns unclaimed money and property that belongs to them.

A Republican candidate who had filed a nomination petition withdrew that petition this week amid a challenge. That means the primary ballot for Allentown mayor will include two Democrats and no Republicans.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday approved its staff review of the proposed Executive Education Academy Charter School multi-sport stadium project. It now goes to the Allentown Planning Commission.

Jason Krasley, 48, was released Thursday on unsecured $100,000 bail in each case, which means he did not have to post any money, court records show.

Johansy Suarez-Rivas was pronounced dead at a St. Luke's Hospital in 2021 from fentanyl toxicity. Both parents have now plead guilty to charges associated with the case, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced Thursday.

The airport authority's board of governors will vote next month on whether to consider new rules for companies competing to work on the authority's construction projects.

United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley is teaming up with local organizations to help raise funds for those displaced by the Hotel Lafayette fire.

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture on Wednesday held virtual town hall focused on the current freeze on U.S. Department of Agriculture grants earmarked for farmers implementing climate-smart production practices.

The board on Wednesday voted to correct the one-character mistake and schedule the amended bill for a second reading and vote at its next meeting April 9.

Schweyer, chairman of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee, said the department handles many important functions for public K-12 schools and higher education institutions.