Jason Addy
Allentown Area reporterI cover Allentown and have worked for news outlets in Pennsylvania, Chicago and Minneapolis since graduating from Penn State. It’s great to be much closer to home — I was born and raised in Lehighton — and I’m excited to help share Allentown’s stories. If you've got an idea, I want to hear it. You can reach me any time at jasona@lehighvalleynews.com.
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Nadeem Shahzad said Mayor Matt Tuerk forced him to step down in mid-August after he didn’t fire another employee. Tuerk fired that employee Nov. 20 "based on his belief that she was a troublemaker,” according to Shahzad.
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A developer is going back to the drawing board after the Allentown Zoning Hearing Board was reluctant Monday to approve its plans for a 445-unit self-storage facility.
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A mostly vacant warehouse in East Allentown could be converted into 36 apartments.
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City Council members this month unanimously approved a new quarter-century lease — at $1 a year — for the museum in the Little Lehigh Parkway.
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An expansion of the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program “delivers the largest targeted tax cut for Pennsylvania seniors in nearly two decades,” according to the Department of Revenue.
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Jim Martin, who has served as Lehigh County district attorney for a quarter-century, played a major role in the launch of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center.
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The county’s legal department urged commissioners to wait until their next meeting to ensure any changes to the bill could be properly advertised, as required by Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act.
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Mayor Matt Tuerk’s firing of a human-resources employee who filed complaints against the city was “an act of revenge,” Councilman Ed Zucal said. On Tuesday, Tuerk made his first public comments regarding the matter.
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Karen Ocasio, who worked in the human resources department, repeatedly called for an investigation after detailing what she said were her experiences of racism and discrimination while working for the city. One council member labeled her firing "an act of revenge" and "blatant retaliation and retribution” by Mayor Matt Tuerk.
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The Lehigh County Authority is raising its water fees in 2024, but Allentown residents will also have to pay more for sewer services.
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Johansy Suarez-Rivas died from fentanyl toxicity April 5, 2024, hours after his parents used heroin, authorities said.
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Officials may have identified the cause of a fire Friday afternoon in South Bethlehem at Five10 Flats. It reached a fourth alarm as black smoke billowed into the sky and flames jumped from the roof of the structure.
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Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk urged protesters to “make sure everyone hears you in Allentown” before they started walking toward the office U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie shares with Sen. David McCormick on Hamilton Street.
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Five candidates on stage spoke of the city’s need for more affordable housing and public safety improvements but tried to differentiate their plans. Two women running for council were not allowed to participate.
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A 33-year-old woman testified for several hours Tuesday about her interactions with Evan Weaver and Jason Krasley, who worked together on the Allentown Police Department’s Vice and Intelligence Unit from 2011 to 2015.
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Allentown officials in February passed a “Welcoming City” measure that codified the city's long-term practice of not using city resources to enforce federal immigration laws.
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Politicians seeking five offices have agreed to participate in a “Candidates’ Night” event from 5-9 p.m. at St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 417 N. 7th St.
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Allentown City Council looks poised to move about $2.25 million in unspent federal funding to other accounts.
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The Allentown Parking Authority’s board of directors on Wednesday unanimously chose the museum’s relocation bid as its preferred project to reshape the property at the northwest corner of Tenth and Hamilton streets.
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Allentown officials handed out five Love Your Block grants on Thursday before announcing the Porch Makeover Program to spur community engagement.
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LaTarsha Brown reported finding a noose Jan. 10 on her desk in the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development. She's charged with making false reports and tampering with or fabricating evidence.
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The two-term councilman made that pledge during Thursday night’s Allentown mayoral primary debate with incumbent Matt Tuerk at Miller Symphony Hall.