‘Trying to make the city better’: Lehigh County DA tackles K2 problem in Allentown. Not everyone agrees with his approach

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan says he's trying to solve Allentown's K2 problem by putting users in jail, where they can get treatment. Critics say that violates their rights and unfairly targets people struggling with addition.

K2 is photographed Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan’s office. Dozens of people in Allentown have overdosed on K2, which is made to mimic THC, the main high-inducing chemical in marijuana. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)

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Northeastern Pennsylvania is a hotbed for data center development. This one, owned by Amazon Web Services, is under construction next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Columbia County. (Ted Shaffrey/The Associated Press)

What do the Lehigh Valley’s legislative candidates think about data centers? We asked them

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht passes for 267 yards and one touchdown against Michigan, but he also commits three turnovers. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)

Penn State’s Rocco Becht shoulders blame for 21-18 loss to Michigan [opinion]

The Restored Farmhouse, photographed on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, held a grand opening Sept. 25 after a summer soft opening in Lehigh Township. It is a self-serve shop located on Spruce Drive in Lehigh Township. The shop offers antiques, produce, artificial flowers and decorations. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)

Retail Watch: New self-serve shop to offer pumpkins, antiques and more in the Lehigh Valley

A voting area is seen Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, during the Lehigh County voter registration office’s first open house, at the government center in Allentown. The open house gave the public a look at where mail-in ballots are opened, processed and counted and the tabulation equipment used during elections, and learn more about how the equipment operates and how the election process comes together. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Election 2026: What referendums are on the ballot in the Lehigh Valley, and why do they matter?

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Sports

Parkland head coach Tim Moncman and the Parkland Trojans are 4-1 at the midway point in the season. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Parkland football pounds Allentown Central Catholic for 7th straight win

Sophomore Tycen Norman ran for 159 yards and 4 TDs to pace Parkland to a mercy-rule win over Allentown Central Catholic.

Things to Do

Children watch North American otters on Saturday, Oct, 26, 2024, during the Boo at the Zoo event at Lehigh Valley Zoo in North Whitehall Township. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Things to do this weekend in Lehigh Valley: Boo at the Zoo, farm tours, Barktoberfest and a running festival

This weekend's best bets include fun for the entire family — even the four-legged kind.

Data center

Slate Belt Holdings, a partnership between Talen Energy and River Pointe Logistics, included this map as part of its preliminary land development plan submitted to Upper Mount Bethel Township on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. This is an alternate layout design for the proposed hyperscale data center campus that includes fewer, smaller buildings. (Slate Belt Holdings)

Here’s how a Lehigh Valley town could get $50 million if it approves updated data center plans

New plans submitted in Upper Mount Bethel detail what developers want in a deal that would give the township $50 million for approving data center plans.

Opinion

Supporters of Yemen’s Houthi rebels raise their rifles during a rally in support of the group Sept. 18, 2026, in Sanaa, Yemen. (Osamah Abdulrahman/AP Photo)

Letters to the Editor: Pay attention to what matters, Lehigh Valley — not manufactured outrage

Letter to the Editor: Democracy requires citizens willing to pay attention before the consequences arrive...

Local News

Police respond to an incident Friday afternoon, Oct. 16, 2026, at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill. (Rich Rolen/Special to The Morning Call)

St. Luke’s Hospital lockdown lifted after patient with remote control prompts large police response [Updated]

The incident, described by authorities as a "hostage situation/barricaded suspect," began shortly before 5 p.m....

Crime and Public Safety

In this image from video provided by WJET, bystanders gather outside the scene of a shooting in Erie, Pa., on Friday evening, Oct. 9, 2026. (Matt Barnum/WJET via AP)

Police: Erie man who killed his family had a history of controlling behavior

A man who gunned down seven family members and a family friend in Erie last...

Best Reviews

Stay warm in style with these men’s leather gloves

With winter upon us, that means a wardrobe change with the sudden chill in the...

Business

Meta updates data scraping policy following criticism

Content creators demand clearer protections against AI overreach

Pennsylvania News

Pennsylvania high school football scores from Friday, Oct. 16

PIAA football scores from across the state.

National News

Pakistan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is rescued from her truck after a bomb explosion in Karachi, Pakistan on Thursday, Oct 18, 2007. Two explosions went off near the vehicle carrying former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto, killing or wounding dozens of people. Party workers and police said Bhutto was unhurt. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Today in History: October 18, Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto survives bombing

Two bombs exploded near a motorcade carrying former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi...

Allentown

Allentown School District works to restore technology services after 3 days of outages

The Allentown School District said a data center power fluctuation disrupted email, student logins, network...

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