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

Proposed Lehigh County budget includes 17% property tax hike, no wealth tax

August 31, 2026 at 6:12 pm

Proposed Lehigh County budget includes 17% property tax hike, no wealth tax

Lehigh County property owners could see a 17% increase in taxes next year under the county's proposed 2027 budget.

Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call)

Allentown City Hall in January 2018. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)

Federal judge dismisses discrimination lawsuit lodged by deputy Allentown clerk

Parkland’s head coach Tim Moncman talks to his players on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, during a football game at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call)

Lehigh Valley high school football rankings: Week 1 EPC games reminded top teams it’s not 2025 anymore

Brü Daddy’s Brewing Co. tea, chocolate, and hazy beers, were available during the seventh annual Brewsgiving Beer Festival on Pottsville’s North Centre Street on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (JOHNATHAN B PAROBY/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)

Downtown Allentown brewpub closes, as McCall Collective set to take over space

Battles are raging across Pennsylvania regarding data centers, especially in the northeast, above, in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County. Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to get bills passed to provide some guidance to the process. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)

Where Lehigh Valley lawmakers stand on data center regulation as Pa. legislature returns for fall

Latest Headlines

Lehigh Valley food safety report: Turkey thawing in the sink, dusty kitchen area, ‘black, mold-like substance’ on ice machine

21 hours ago
Vote for Astound Athlete of the Week: Here are nominees for week of Aug. 31

10 hours ago
Man, 30, with samurai sword tried to enter Poconos church, police say

8 hours ago
Mayor declares curfew following ‘disgraceful’ car takeover in Stroudsburg

15 hours ago
Zoning meeting on Emmaus Avenue data center in Allentown postponed

8 hours ago
Man, 44, killed in Lehigh County motorcycle crash

15 hours ago
Lehigh Valley high school football: Freedom’s win impressive as EPC teams go 10-6 vs. outside foes in Week 1

17 hours ago
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PPL land deal in northeast Pa. paves way for massive data center power plants
PPL land deal in northeast Pa. paves way for massive data center power plants
Man, 44, killed in Lehigh County motorcycle crash
Man, 44, killed in Lehigh County motorcycle crash
Mayor declares curfew following ‘disgraceful’ car takeover in Stroudsburg
Mayor declares curfew following ‘disgraceful’ car takeover in Stroudsburg
Proposed Lehigh County budget includes 17% property tax hike, no wealth tax
Proposed Lehigh County budget includes 17% property tax hike, no wealth tax
Lehigh Valley food safety report: Turkey thawing in the sink, dusty kitchen area, ‘black, mold-like substance’ on ice machine
Lehigh Valley food safety report: Turkey thawing in the sink, dusty kitchen area, ‘black, mold-like substance’ on ice machine
Downtown Allentown brewpub closes, as McCall Collective set to take over space
Downtown Allentown brewpub closes, as McCall Collective set to take over space
Opinion: Bethlehem earned World Heritage status. Now it must bring in tourists … without driving out residents
Opinion: Bethlehem earned World Heritage status. Now it must bring in tourists … without driving out residents
Lehigh Valley high school football rankings: Week 1 EPC games reminded top teams it’s not 2025 anymore
Lehigh Valley high school football rankings: Week 1 EPC games reminded top teams it’s not 2025 anymore
Federal judge dismisses discrimination lawsuit lodged by deputy Allentown clerk
Federal judge dismisses discrimination lawsuit lodged by deputy Allentown clerk
Where Lehigh Valley lawmakers stand on data center regulation as Pa. legislature returns for fall
Where Lehigh Valley lawmakers stand on data center regulation as Pa. legislature returns for fall

Local News

PennDOT's Driver License Center in Exeter Township opened Dec. 1, 2024 at 4365 Perkiomen Ave.

PennDOT driver centers to close for Labor Day holiday

Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services online.

Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryson Stott watches the flight of his home run as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno looks on during the second inning on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Phillies cap 21-win August with 2-1 win over Diamondbacks

Bryson Stott blasts 464-foot homer; Aaron Nola and bullpen shut down D-backs.

Things to Do

People enjoy the food, sights and sounds Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at the Allentown Fair. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call)

Allentown Fair 2026: What you need to know about the concerts, demolition derby, food and more

Heading to the Allentown Fair? Here's everything you need to know.

Lehigh Valley Pride 2026 | PHOTOS

‹Lehigh Valley Pride 2026 at SteelStacks in Bethlehem
Pen Argyl plays Old Forge – Faces in the crowd and Football action | PHOTOS
Parkland at Phillipsburg football | PHOTOS
Faces in the Crowd: Parkland at Phillipsburg football | PHOTOS
First Day of school for most Lehigh Valley students | PHOTOS
CountryFest – the new festival at SteelStacks | PHOTOS
Easton Area High School football practice | PHOTOS

Opinion

Between October 2024 and September 2025, the Pennsylvania Overdose Prevention Project reported 11,425 overdose reversals from naloxone distribution. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)

Opinion: Overdoses are a leading cause of children’s deaths. Pa. schools should have, teach students to use drug to reverse ODs

Opinion: Drug overdoses are now the third-leading cause of pediatric deaths in the United States.

Crime and Public Safety

Police news

1 man killed, another badly hurt in motorcycle collision in Northampton County

One motorcyclist was killed and another seriously injured in a collision Saturday evening in Lower...

Best Reviews

<p>BestReviews illustration</p>

Yes, jorts are back

Thanks to how comfortable (and let's be honest, cute) they are, people just kept hacking...

Business

FILE – Crust-less sandwiches from Smucker’s and Trader Joe’s are displayed on Oct. 15, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)

Judge says Smucker’s lawsuit against Trader Joe’s over frozen PB&J can proceed

The lawsuit is over frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that appear similar to Uncrustables.

Pennsylvania News

A clinical examination room with a brown examination table, orange chair, medical equipment on the wall, and a cabinet holding medical supplies. (Commonwealth Media Services)

Pa. election 2026: Where governor candidates Garrity and Shapiro stand on Medicaid, fraud, and more

Key federal Medicaid changes will roll out next year, meaning Pennsylvania’s governor will play a...

National News

Grey Beard is a fitting trail name for 91-year-old Appalachian Trail hiker Dale Sanders, seen enjoying a rest, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, north of Monson, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail

Sanders first set the record in 2017 at age 82.

Allentown

Jack Trent has been named Allentown School District’s chief financial officer, a position that had been vacant for three years. Trent, who is currently serving as CFO for the Easton Area School District, will have a start date of Aug. 31, 2026 and a starting salary of $200,000. (Melissa Reese/Allentown School District)

Allentown School District to look for new finance chief after appointee declines job

Jack Trent, named in May as the Allentown School District's first permanent chief financial officer...

Bethlehem Area

Bethlehem City Hall at 10 E. Church Street in 2017. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Here’s what we know about plans for a Bethlehem data center

A developer has applied to construct a 65,000-square-foot, two-story data center in Bethlehem, a city...