Lehigh County News

National issues are seeping into local races, turning elections into proxy partisan fights over race and gender.

Local elections rarely get the same level of participation as presidential races, but the outcomes often have greater impacts on voters' quality of life.

Like all the other major cities in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown is a patchwork of neighborhoods, some with good tree cover and some without any. Officials plan to use a mapping tool as a starting point to make planting trees city-wide more equitable.

Former journalist Ann Wlazelek pays tribute to her mother in a new book.

Debates in the South Whitehall commissioners race have taken place on the candidate's Facebook pages. The posts have primarily debated candidate Ben Long's positions and campaign style.

Concerts on the Grange is a two-day music festival that continues at 5:30 p.m. today, May 13, with tribute acts portraying The Doors and The Grateful Dead. Tickets, at $22 and $34, remain available on the SteelStacks website.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has opened applications for the first round of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program. Rep. Susan Wild, author of the program, said the Lehigh Valley is the perfect candidate for the funding.

The mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton will participate in group bike rides for Lehigh Valley Bike to Work Week.

In its third year, Spring on the Farm is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The free event includes a seedling sale, as well as other local vendors.

Democrat Ana Tiburcio and Republican Robert E. Smith Jr. are vying to serve out the remainder of state Rep. Josh Siegel’s term representing the district.

The project, known as The Shoppes at Hamilton, would include 318 apartments, a 160-room hotel and roughly 20,000 square feet of retail space.

Voters will chose between Democrat Ana Tiburcio and Republican Robert E. Smith Jr. in Tuesday's special election for Pennsylvania's 22nd House District.

The winter storm that prompted dire forecasts and a statewide disaster declaration largely fizzled in the Lehigh Valley, leaving the area with only moderate to light snowfall by Monday morning.

With control of the state House in the balance, Pennsylvania Democratic leaders selected Ana Tiburcio as the party's nominee in the 22nd House District special election. Some prominent Lehigh County Democratic leaders have criticized her as unprepared following her performance at a debate this month.

Allentown Fire Department was dispatched about 10:35 a.m. Sunday to the 200 block of North 17th Street for reports of a house fire, with the possibility of entrapment, a fire department release said.

Police Chief Charles Roca said he will welcome Sgt. Evan Weaver back to full duty on the city's police force.

Fiesta on Hamilton will return to take over Hamilton Street from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 17, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce announced.

County Executive Josh Siegel is looking to add several positions to his executive team by cutting unfilled jobs at the county’s nursing home and jail, a proposal Commissioner Ron Beitler slammed in a news release Thursday.

Bob Brooks joined host Tom Shortell on this week's Political Pulse to discuss his decision to enter the race, his background in organized labor and his views on the direction of the Democratic Party and Congress.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman said the volume of errors makes him uncomfortable with BusPatrol cameras on school buses without changes to how the system operates.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced the decision Wednesday after an investigation by Allentown Police Department and Lehigh County Homicide Task Force.