
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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Impaired driving is among the most persistent threats to road safety in the Lehigh Valley, according to two of the region's chief prosecutors. Lehigh County recorded about 1,750 impaired-driving cases in 2024, up almost 42% over the past five years.
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Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.
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LaTarsha Brown reported finding a noose at her desk on the third floor of City Hall in January. She was charged Monday with making a false report.
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Officials held a grand opening for 1528 West Apartments on Friday, which is World Down Syndrome Day. Ten of its 49 apartments are reserved for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Council members are considering a new set of rules and "guide rails" after a series of contentious meetings in recent years.
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A Black employee reported finding a noose at her desk in City Hall on Jan. 10. Two months later, a city spokesperson confirmed the incident is still under investigation by police.
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City Council President Daryl Hendricks called the Scottish Rite Cathedral "an integral part of the community."
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Ruffian Tittmann will start her job as executive director of the Allentown Parknership at the end of March.
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Several planning commission members questioned the use of a gate to regulate traffic and suggested developer Manny Makhoul instead extend Turner Street across his property.
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Plans call for buildings of 50-plus feet, but they won’t seem that tall to neighbors, according to the developer.
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Lehigh County relies on hundreds of millions in state and federal funding to provide services to residents. The fate of that funding is unclear as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk target federal funding.
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Allentown City Council allocated $300,000 for the first investigation; but no hard figures have been presented about the total cost of the contract for Duane Morris LLC.
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Cristian Pungo said he’s ready to jump in and help the city address some difficult challenges, including its lack of affordable housing and infrastructure that needs investment.
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The survey of about 2,300 properties will give Allentown officials "a better understanding" of the city's historic assets, according to a consultant leading the effort.
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Luis Acevedo is centering his third campaign for Allentown City Council around transparency and integrity.
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The city was ordered to stop all work supported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant after President Donald Trump moved to freeze federal funding.
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Alberto Jose Rios-Santiago, 26, was arrested Thursday in Florida and is awaiting extradition, authorities said.
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The Literacy Center CEO Jen Doyle is set to deliver its first State of the Organization address online Thursday night.
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Construction is projected to start early next year and take about 18 months, according to a City Center executive.
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Allentown officers responded to BKK Lounge more than two dozen times since July 2023, according to Police Chief Charles Roca. But police did not pass along any complaints about the business to officials in charge of nuisance abatement.
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Pedro Junior Paulino, 35, was charged alongside David Isaiah Rivera, 26, with homicide and attempted homicide after four people were shot Feb. 2 outside BKK Lounge in Allentown.
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Restaurants will offer “an irresistible variety of soups" during the Emmaus Soup Crawl, scheduled to run from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.