Northampton County News

Longtime borough resident Jennifer O’Neill has purchased the building at 2 N. Main St. and is transforming the space into Circle Cafe on Main, a café inspired by European coffeehouses that aims to foster community connection.

The Nazareth branch of the River Crossing YMCA announced a $9 million renovation project that will begin in April 2026. The project is $1.5 million short of its goal.

The Walking Purchase, a 1737 land grab perpetrated by William Penn's sons, shaped the Lehigh Valley as residents know it today. But, the land wasn’t actually purchased, as the name might suggest — it was swindled from the Lenni-Lenape.

This is the 28th year for the health system's free influenza vaccine campaign. A separate clinic will be held and hosted next week by the Lehigh County Coroner's Office & Forensic Center.

The former Nazareth Area and Ohio State University wrestling star enrolled in an ARD program. Charges of unlicensed gun possession and drug possession are likely to be dismissed upon completion of the program.

After a round of public interviews Monday, school directors chose David Gogel, 74, to fill a vacancy. He previously served on the school board for 20 years.

Trapt, with supporting acts Never Ready, William H. Taft and Honky Tonk Medics, will perform tonight at the Gin Mill & Grill,1750 Main St., Northampton. General admission standing tickets, at $20 each, can be found at Ticketweb.com.

Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley received a $35,000 donation from The Giant Company.

Brian McCulloch resigned from his seat representing Region 3. He also is suing the school board for an alleged Sunshine Act violation.

Brandon Gehris was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash at 11:05 p.m. Tuesday at South Cedar Crest Boulevard and Fish Hatchery Road, the coroner's office said.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

“We used to be able to get turnout gear in what, eight weeks? Now it’s taking eight months,” Fire Capt. Scott Krycia said. “It’s just across the board with everything that we use for firefighting now.”

Canine experts emphasize how dangerous and, in some cases, deadly, human foods can be to dogs.

The 4th annual Winter Village in Easton brought in over 56,000 visitors from over 20 states.

“I know a lot of people are dealing with inflation still, yet forever, it seems like,” Lower Saucon councilwoman Sandra Yerger said. “It seems like it might help them out a little bit.”

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

All but one township zoning amendment application were reviewed without issue by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon.

If ultimately completed, the combined health care system would operate 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient sites, with more than 62,000 employees, according to LVHN and Jefferson Health.

Driven by $8.1 billion in manufacturing, the Lehigh Valley's Gross Domestic Product grew to a record $50.2 billion in 2022. The region's economy now ranks above Vermont and Wyoming.