Morning Call - Lehigh Valley & Allentown PA News, Sports, Weather, Business & Things to Do

The Lehigh Valley keeps being honored on national 10 best lists. Here’s why.

How Main Street Bethlehem and Hotel Bethlehem — and nearly a dozen Lehigh Valley sites — were nominated and in some cases repeatedly won over the years is no simple matter of luck.

Main Street in Bethlehem bustles with people March 9, 2026, after a news conference at Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe in the city unveiling that the area was nominated in USA Today’s 10Best Main Street competition for 2026. It won in 2025. The news conference also promoted the Our Star Shines All Year Round initiative designed to convince travelers to visit Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

The Walnut Square Apartments site Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Allentown. Walnut Square is downtown Allentown’s first new affordable housing development. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)

Affordable apartments in Allentown with ‘really elevated look’ get closer to completion. Take a look inside

Roadside artist Mark Cline pieces the Giant Chip statue back together Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Inside Scoop in Coopersburg. The popular, 25-foot-high statue was toppled by high winds in February. Cline, who built the statue, was on site Thursday to repair it. (Monica Cabrera / The Morning Call)

Popular ‘Giant Chip’ statue put back together outside Lehigh Valley ice cream shop

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-7th District, hosts a news conference Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at his Northampton County office. The session featured a breakdown of first-year accomplishments and remarks from constituents who received assistance from his office on a range of federal issues. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)

Election 2026: How much money the Lehigh Valley candidates for Congress have raised ahead of primary

This screenshot shows a GoFundMe page set up for the family of Garrett Nicholas, a Parkland High School grad and West Chester University student fatally hit by a vehicle. The online fundraiser has raised more than $80,000.

Parkland High School grad, West Chester student fatally hit by vehicle is mourned: ‘He was the brightest light’

Latest Headlines

Four St. Luke’s hospitals named among top 100 on national list

1 hour ago
Gas prices fall 7 cents nationally, even more in Lehigh Valley, AAA survey says

17 hours ago
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley raises record $27 million to help neighbors in need

12 hours ago
Crash leads to power outage in Northampton County

3 hours ago
Nazareth girls track and field athlete and Allen baseball player are Athlete of the Week winners

1 second ago
Da Vinci Science Center gains NASA grant to celebrate moon mission with Lehigh Valley youth

1 day ago
Lehigh County wants to create a joint juvenile detention facility in Berks. But critics are trying to put on the brakes

21 hours ago
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Most Popular

Parkland High School grad, West Chester student fatally hit by vehicle is mourned: ‘He was the brightest light’
Parkland High School grad, West Chester student fatally hit by vehicle is mourned: ‘He was the brightest light’
Lehigh Valley wine bar, grocery store closing. ‘Challenges have become insurmountable,’ owner says
Lehigh Valley wine bar, grocery store closing. ‘Challenges have become insurmountable,’ owner says
Allentown City Council urges mayor to halt sweep of homeless encampment
Allentown City Council urges mayor to halt sweep of homeless encampment
Crash leads to power outage in Northampton County
Crash leads to power outage in Northampton County
Bethlehem’s Main Street is again voted the best in US in nationwide poll
Bethlehem’s Main Street is again voted the best in US in nationwide poll
‘This is awful’: Allentown advocates scramble to help homeless displaced by camp sweep, emergency shelter closure
‘This is awful’: Allentown advocates scramble to help homeless displaced by camp sweep, emergency shelter closure
Lehigh Valley lawmaker pitches idea to limit data center development
Lehigh Valley lawmaker pitches idea to limit data center development
Popular ‘Giant Chip’ statue put back together outside Lehigh Valley ice cream shop
Popular ‘Giant Chip’ statue put back together outside Lehigh Valley ice cream shop
Election 2026: How much money the Lehigh Valley candidates for Congress have raised ahead of primary
Election 2026: How much money the Lehigh Valley candidates for Congress have raised ahead of primary
1 shot near Allentown bar Tuesday night, police say
1 shot near Allentown bar Tuesday night, police say

Local News

The past can show up in the family business. Here’s what strong families do about it. (Illustration by Tom Garrity)

Talking Business with Tom Garrity: When the past shows up in the family business — and what strong families do about it

Past conflicts can show up everywhere in a family business. Here's how to address it.

Sports

Parkland’s Blake Nassry looks to score against Pocono Mountain East’s Christian Varkanis and Dominic McManus on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, during District 11 6A boys basketball semifinals at Easton Area Middle School. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

2025-26 Morning Call all-area boys basketbal team: Championships and great players were spread out

2025-26 Morning Call all-area boys basketball team is filled with players who won championships

Things to Do

Jeff Mucklin of Nurture Nature Center in Easton holds a glass tube of liquid warmed by his hand during a demonstration on energy at an Earth Day celebration Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Fairview Park in Palmer Township. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)

Earth Day 2026: A guide to events and cleanups around the Lehigh Valley

Here's where to find community cleanups and other events in celebration of Earth Day.

Opinion

Students walk on the Kutztown University campus in the fall of 2025. The school is one of the colleges in the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. (Photo courtesy of PSSHE)

Opinion: Pa. system offers affordable college education, brighter future

Opinion: Pa.'s state universities offer an affordable education and can help provide the skilled workers...

Crime and Public Safety

Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta has determined a member of the state police Special Emergency Response Team was justified in fatally shooting a Lower Saucon Township man who fired at police during a standoff. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Pa. state police justified in shooting Lower Saucon man who fired at officers during standoff, DA says

A member of the state police Special Emergency Response Team was justified in fatally shooting...

Best Reviews

<p>BestReviews illustration</p>

Keeping up with the Joneses: How the backyard living room has emerged as the it trend for homeowners

Ready to dive into the backyard living room trend? Check out some of our favorite...

Business

A worker inspects a new aluminum-alloy body Ford F-150 truck.

Ford recalls 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks to fix a gearshift issue

The automaker is aware of two injuries and one accident possibly related to the issue.

Pennsylvania News

A display at the unveiling of the Commonwealth’s Maternal Health Strategic Action Plan. (Commonwealth Media Services)

Inside the Shapiro administration’s ‘absolutely ambitious’ plan to prevent maternal deaths

Pennsylvania had about 129 pregnancy-associated deaths in 2021, which is the most recent available data.

National News

Tyler Robinson appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah.

Man accused of killing Charlie Kirk pushes to ban cameras from court

Robinson, who turned 23 on Thursday, has not yet entered a plea.

Allentown

Residents of the Jordan Creek homeless encampment in Allentown gather their belongings Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, as city officials sweep through the site to clear it out. While many residents were able to grab their belongings, others said they lost a lot because they didn’t have help. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)

Allentown City Council urges mayor to halt sweep of homeless encampment

Allentown City Council unanimously urged city administration to reconsider its decision to forcibly evacuate a...

Bethlehem Area

Main Street in Bethlehem bustles with people on Monday, March 9, 2026. The downtown won USA Today’s 10Best Main Street competition for a second year in a row. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Bethlehem’s Main Street is again voted the best in US in nationwide poll

A panel of USA Today travel experts selected the top 20 finalists. Then it was...