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.

LehighValleyNews.com hosted a roundtable discussion on traffic and traffic safety in the Lehigh Valley. It's part of The Road Ahead project.

Federal agents were at Northampton County Prison on Friday morning to apprehend an inmate upon his release. The man was alleged to be in the country illegally. The level of cooperation between ICE agents and the county has come under attack by U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.

Citing its lease ending, south Bethlehem paint-your-own pottery shop will reopen in the lifestyle center where it first opened 15 years ago.

Phil Armstrong highlighted a long list of accomplishments and laid out a few more plans for his last year in office Thursday night.

Lehigh County relies on hundreds of millions in state and federal funding to provide services to residents. The fate of that funding is unclear as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk target federal funding.

Lehigh Valley Zoo has announced a $10 million renovation project to be completed by summer 2027.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, has four office locations, including two in Lehigh County. Bilingual services are available in the new Center City Allentown location that opened this week.

The Emerson Village land development project at Rural Road received preliminary final approval by the Whitehall Township Planning Commission on Wednesday night. The plan calls for construction of 116 townhomes and single-unit homes on 35 acres.

There have been dozens of claims brought against B. Braun alleging the ethylene oxide emissions from company facilities contributed to cancer cases in nearby residents and employees.

Readers have expressed interest in light rail or a more robust public transit system, but even improved options have failed to match the convenience they seek.

Central Moravian Church is one of three Historic Bethlehem structures on a new 90-minute World Heritage Tour visitors finally can enter. The Saturdays-only tour starts this weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind watch for winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph possible for the Lehigh Valley and portions of central, northern and northwest New Jersey and east central and southeast Pennsylvania.