Northampton County News

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has become a day of service each year, as people come together to take action and make their communities better. Here are volunteer opportunities and events taking place in the Lehigh Valley.

The 71-year-old victim was found unresponsive in his garage on Dec. 25, two days after a winter storm knocked out power to thousands in the region.

Jeffrey Young, former chair and a longtime mentor of Brett's, will continue on the board as member.

Districts across the Lehigh Valley continue to feel the pandemic pinch over products like chicken patties and chips — and they're not expecting a change anytime soon.

Incumbent Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and Easton City Council member Peter Melan said they both plan to run for the office in 2023.

The Nazareth Pickleball Factory would be open 365 days a year and provide for drop-in visits or monthly or annual memberships. It's led by three Nazareth-area investors who hope to open in February 2023.

Additional grants Easton received for 2023 will see Easton with the adjusted 2023 budget in January.

The site was once a fine men's clothing store and today holds a concert venue and dance club. But 1-6 Centre Square will take on an entirely new profile with a 49-room hotel that has space for two restaurants.

Music and tradition are both important parts of the holiday season, and both were back Tuesday as C.F. Martin & Co. resumed its Holiday Open House for the first time in three years.

This week, the LehighValleyNews.com digital desk handpicked three events for you to enjoy, including a holiday pop-up at the Promenade Shops, Live Advent Calendar and Christmas in Nazareth.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is starting a new office to help train county election workers, Pa. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. It also plans to update its guidance for logic and accuracy testing that could have caught issues with the Northampton County voting machines.

Only some of the newest Northampton County elected officials are actually new to county government. The new slate of county elected leaders will take office Jan. 2.

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.