The Morning Call

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)

Members of Maryland motorcycle club stole bikes from dealerships in Lehigh, other Pa. counties, AG says

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

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 basketball team: Championships and great players were spread out

Latest Headlines

Lehigh County fire company to hold fundraiser for Berks fire company after death of chief, assistant chief

4 hours ago
Quakertown cops acted appropriately in clash, Bucks County chiefs say

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

6 hours ago
Things to do in the Lehigh Valley this weekend: Heritage Day, concerts and anniversaries

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

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

2 hours ago
Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz, but Trump says blockade on Iranian ships and ports will stay in force

26 minutes ago
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Local News

Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently bought a warehouse at 3501 Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township to use as a detention site. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

Environmental organizations look to intervene over proposed ICE detention centers in Berks, Schuylkill

Green Amendments For The Generations and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network on Friday filed petitions seeking to intervene in an appeal filed by the federal government.

Sports

Former Southern Lehigh softball coach Brian Neefe sits with family during the field dedication on April 16, 2026. Southern Lehigh names its softball field Thursday, April 17, 2026, in honor of legendary coach Brian Neefe. Neefe retired after the 2023 season after coaching for 52 years. He led the program to 28 Colonial League titles, 9 District XI titles, and an appearance in the state finals. Overall, Neefe had an 847-269 record, the most victories in state history. (Monica Cabrera / The Morning Call)

Southern Lehigh dedicates softball field in honor of coaching legend Brian Neefe

After spending 52 seasons coaching softball at Southern Lehigh, the field where Brian Neefe spent so much time was named in his honor on Thursday

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

(Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)

Crash leads to power outage in Northampton County

Power has been restored to more than 2,000 Met-Ed customers after an outage Thursday evening...

Best Reviews

Safe, secure and fun playpens your child will love

Playpens can keep toys from being scattered by containing everything to a designated play area....

Business

Air Canada will suspend flights to JFK for nearly 5 months as jet fuel costs soar

It's the latest move in an industry struggling with high fuel costs and falling supplies.

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

A crowd spills out of a meeting room at the Thyra Thomson State Office Building.

Wyoming communities want time to consider embracing nuclear energy, as feds rush to expand industry

Some residents express concerns about safety and potential risks.

Allentown

William Oplinger, 2,of Phoenixville, plays in a colorful house Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in the Winter Wonder Lab exhibit at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)

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

The Da Vinci Science Center is celebrating America's return to the moon with a Saturday...

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...

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PROMOTIONS & SPECIALS

Latest Headlines

Most Popular

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

Allentown City Council urges mayor to halt sweep of homeless encampment

Crash leads to power outage in Northampton County

Members of Maryland motorcycle club stole bikes from dealerships in Lehigh, other Pa. counties, AG says

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

Lehigh Valley lawmaker pitches idea to limit data center development

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

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

‘This is awful’: Allentown advocates scramble to help homeless displaced by camp sweep, emergency shelter closure

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