Lehigh County News

A new study from the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute of the area's local courts found a link between time spent in jail awaiting trial and harsher prison sentences.

Amid the joy and festivities, environmental advocates are urging residents to keep sustainability in mind during what can be a time of year when trash and waste spikes.

The Pub on Main in Macungie, which closed in 2022 citing staffing issues, has been sold to a new owner that hopes to return a new bar and restaurant to the space.

The City of Bethlehem and the Celtic Cultural Alliance will hold a joint news conference on Monday, Dec. 18 to impart details of their new partnership for the Parade of Shamrocks in March.

State environmental officials on Thursday evening hosted the last of five public engagement sessions, as they work to create a Priority Climate Action Plan, or PCAP, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission statewide and mitigate further effects of climate change.

The Upper Macungie Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday approved plans for a 60-foot tall, 326,859 square-foot building expansion to Americold Logistics’ cold storage warehouse at 7150 Ambassador Drive.

The new official map marks recently acquired land, while setting priorities for future desired open space.

A Tuesday evening webinar cosponsored by the Bethlehem Area Public Library and Bethlehem Food Co-Op focused on how residents can meaningfully participate in the city’s efforts to fight climate change.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its plant hardiness map, showing a warmer Lehigh Valley. The region has moved into a warmer zone from the one where it was placed more than a decade ago. Experts say it has consequences for plant seasons and species.

Upper Macungie's Board of Supervisors adopted the 2024 budget on Thursday. The property tax millage rate will stay at 0.64, but the refuse and recycling fee will increase by $30.

Many interchanges on Route 22 and Route 309 are badly outdated, leaving drivers to navigate increasingly unsafe roads. PennDOT has plans to address several of them, including trouble spots in Fullerton and Center Valley.

About 150 people are expected to gather at Covered Bridge Park in South Whitehall Township early Sunday morning for the Lehigh Valley groundhog lodge's annual celebration.

For the first time ever, Pennsylvania will return unclaimed property automatically, without requiring forms or other red tape. 8,000 Pennsylvanians will receive letters this week, with checks following in 45 days.

The Trump administration directive, rescinded Wednesday, could have put tens of millions of dollars at risk across the Lehigh Valley, speakers said Friday outside the Lehigh County Government Center.

Democrat Geoff Brace, who represents the county’s 4th District, announced his plans to seek another term.

Led by Executive Producer Brittany Sweeney, the one-hour special focuses on homelessness in the Lehigh Valley, the work around it and the search for solutions.

The victim in Tuesday's crash on Route 100 was identified Thursday as Krishan Kumar of Upper Macungie. He was a passenger in a car that collided with a tractor trailer in the area of Route 100 and Schaefer Run Road.

The results of the 2023 citywide greenhouse gas inventory are in. The project was part of Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program.

Lehigh Valley lawmakers have continued to raise concerns about traffic safety in the area. On Tuesday, Sen. Jarrett Coleman announced that PennDOT would designate Route 22 a safety corridor, which should be a step toward traffic safety, a PennDOT representative said.

Brenda Rodriguez, 51, of Palmerton is charged with criminal solicitation/criminal homicide and conspiracy-aggravated assault in the shooting death of her husband, Hector Manuel Garcia Gomez, 46, of Palmerton on Dec. 7.

Continued economic growth for the Lehigh Valley was predicted during at “Sizing Up 2025: Lehigh Valley Economic Outlook” at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks on Tuesday. The event, presented by Truist and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, featured speakers who shared a positive economic picture of the Lehigh Valley and the nation.

Nassim Younes suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident Jan. 4, 2002, according to the coroner, who ruled his death an accident.