The CEO of Discover Lehigh Valley says there are about 5 million hotel or motel stays in our area every year. In about two years, those visitors will have a new option. Ground was broken Thursday on a 145-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the Lehigh Valley International Airport. "This project will not only elevate the service that our travelers and airport customers expect, but it will also support the growing tourism in our region," says Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority Executive Director Tom Stoudt. He says the hotel will is expected to be completed in early 2027. It's being built just off of Airport Road, north of the main terminal.
Northampton County's controller says an audit of $5 million in COVID relief funds to be spent on retention bonuses for Gracedale workers cannot be accounted for. Tara Zrinski says less than half of that $5 million can be confirmed going toward those bonuses. The audit does not allege any specific wrongdoing.
Allentown leaders are looking at spending perhaps up to $65 million to house the city's fire, EMS and health facilities under one roof. A feasibility study given to City Council recommends building the Allentown Life Safety and Wellness Center at Fourth and Turner streets. The 65,000-square-foot complex would replace the EMS headquarters and Central Fire Station, which are housed in a building that fails to meet modern standards. If the project is given the go ahead, construction could take up to four-and-a-half years to complete. Mayor Matt Tuerk says he loves what he saw in the study and said the city is looking into funding.
A man is in custody after Bethlehem police say he assaulted his girlfriend and threatened her with a gun. Authorities said 30-year-old Jose Lopez assaulted and strangled the victim at a home on North New Street yesterday afternoon then chased her outside while holding a rifle. Lopez then reportedly barricaded himself inside the home, leading to a standoff that ended peacefully a few hours later. He faces multiple charges.
Gov. Josh Shapiro brought his mass transit funding sales pitch to the Lehigh Valley Thursday and explained why it matters. "If you can't get where you're going, the economy can't hum along. If you can't get where you're going, your kids won't have as much time with their parents. If you can't get where you're going, you're going to be less productive in your daily lives," the governor says. Shapiro’s proposed budget allocates an additional $292 million in mass transit funding, with $6.5 million for LANTA, which last month said it would cut service by 20% and increase fares by 25% if additional state funding isn’t received.
Accu-Weather's Heather Zehr says it would be a good idea to pay attention to the sky today and really for the next three or four days. "It's definitely a tumultuous afternoon. We're looking for some storms to fire up today," Zehr says. Zehr says there are chances for storms today, tonight, tomorrow and Monday and Tuesday as well. While a chance of thunderstorms isn't in the forecast for Sunday, she says 'some' rain is possible.
Lehigh University and Lafayette College will be getting a new in-conference football rival in the fall of 2026. Villanova University has announced it will begin playing in the Patriot League in 2026 after one final season in the Colonial Athletic Conference. Villanova becomes the third CAA program to jump to the Patriot League. Richmond will begin playing a Patriot League schedule this season, while William & Mary is scheduled to begin league play in 2026.
The Trump Administration is being ordered to restore AmeriCorps funding in Pennsylvania. A federal judge in Maryland issued a temporary court order blocking the termination of AmeriCorps grants yesterday in a lawsuit filed by Governor Josh Shapiro and 25 other states. The governor's office said the federal government revoked more than $6 million owed to the commonwealth, much of which had already been approved for distribution. Following the ruling, Shapiro said he will "continue to take action to ensure no Pennsylvania senior, veteran, or student is harmed by the federal government's decision to go back on its word."
Governor Phil Murphy has announced a $430 million program to provide New Jerseyans with some relief on their energy bills this summer. Under his plan, all New Jersey electric customers will see at least $100 deducted from their energy bills, with some middle- and low-income residents receiving up to $250. New Jersey residents saw their electric bills increase June first. State Senate Republican leaders call the plan a band-aid on the real problem of the rising cost of energy. The New Jersey Utilities Association says it looks forward to working with the governor's office to resolve the issue of energy affordability.