County News

Northampton Area School Board directors twice failed to fill a vacancy. They have asked Northampton County Court to fill it for them, instead.

Essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science, the annual Envirothon combines classroom learning and outdoor activities to engage students in the environment. The state competition was held Wednesday at Camp Mt. Luther in Mifflinburg.

County Executive Lamont McClure said the closings mark the end of a significant chapter in the county’s COVID-19 response. More than 3.5 million cases and 50,000 deaths in Pennsylvania have been attributed to COVID since 2020.

State revenue generated by Wind Creek Bethlehem and Mount Airy Casino will help Bangor renovate a fire hall, Lower Nazareth Township purchase a new police vehicle and improve seating at a Freemansburg amphitheater.

The Diocese of Allentown announced several moves among priests in its 78 parishes — part of an annual process led by an advisory board of priests and approved by Bishop Alfred Schlert.

Inspired by battery fires in the Lehigh Valley and across the state, the bill would put the onus on manufacturers to provide safe recycling options for lithium ion batteries, as well as launch an education campaign for residents.

Rose Josephine Hnath, 78, was found dead in her North Whitehall Township home in January 1989. She had been repeatedly stabbed and beaten, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild said plans to consolidate the Lehigh Valley's mail processing center appear to have been pushed back. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy backed off a controversial cost-savings effort after receiving pushback from a bipartisan contingent of the U.S. Senate.

In the April update for Lehigh Valley Breathes, a regionwide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing, officials explained new EPA soot standards and how they could impact the project.

The Democratic-controlled House passed legislation that would let counties get a head start counting mail-in ballots. But Senate Republicans are unlikely to pass it without an unlikely compromise on voter ID provisions.

"PBS NewsHour" filmed a segment of “America at a Crossroads" at the PBS39 studios in Bethlehem. Former longtime PBS anchor Judy Woodruff fronts the series.

Northampton County Council introduced a measure Thursday night that its author said would make rules for contractors less discriminatory, and lead to more bids for county contracts.

The severe storms and flash flooding of July 16 overwhelmed parts of the Slate Belt, Forks and Palmer townships and led seven Northampton County municipalities to declare disasters of their own.

Area residents have filed suit regarding the most recent ordinance, while another local borough is keeping watch on the situation. A public hearing is set for Aug. 30 at 9 a.m.

State law gives Northampton County Republicans a little over a week to find a candidate willing to take on Democrat Stephen Baratta in a high-profile race for district attorney.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has unveiled plans to allocate expired restaurant licenses, marking the 12th auction since Act 39's implementation in August 2016.

Musikfest is “the tip of the spear” for Lehigh Valley’s tourism industry, drawing more than 1 million people to the region, ArtsQuest CEO Kassie Hilgert said.

For those who lost power in their homes due to the tornado that raced through Allentown on Monday, the first thought would be to call PPL. Think again.

Conditional-use approval is being requested for a 116-unit, age-restricted special care residential community on Rural Road in Whitehall Township. The 55-and-over community would consist of single-family attached and detached dwellings.

The former Dixie Cup plant in Wilson Borough is on track to become a new mixed-use development, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said Thursday. The county may help fund the project.

The update on the damage from the severe flash flooding that struck on July 16 has seen more municipal and residential damage costs.

Northampton County Council unanimously approved new ethics rules Thursday night limiting when county officials and employees can accept gifts.