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

A new way to get a mortgage expands options for younger home buyers

Former U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey hailed the move as a way to make homeownership easier for first-time buyers.

The symbols of bitcoin and the stablecoin Tether (USDT) are displayed at a cryptocurrency store in Hong Kong on July 29, 2025.

Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley (L) and Pennridge School Board Director Bradley Merkl-Gump are running in the 2026 Democratic primary for the 16th State Senate District. (Contributed photo, Mark Pinsley and Bradley Merkl-Gump.)

Election 2026: Meet the 2 Democrats running to face Sen. Jarrett Coleman in November

Pen Argyl Area High School held its prom Friday, April 24, 2026, at Woodstone Country Club in Danielsville. Students and their guests arrive at the high school ahead of the big night. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)

Lehigh Valley proms: All our photos from last weekend

Lehigh Valley food safety inspection reports

Lehigh Valley food safety report: Mouse droppings and gnawed food on grocery shelves; moldy cheese; dirty equipment

Runners participate in the St. Luke’s Half Marathon on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Allentown. More than 2,500 people registered for the 42nd running of the 13.1-mile race, the region’s longest-running long-distance race. The event also included a 5K race and Youth Run. (Sharon Merkel/Special to The Morning Call)

St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5K 2026 | PHOTOS

Latest Headlines

Legendary Lehigh Valley softball coach is honored with field dedication

35 minutes ago
Vehicle hits Lehigh Valley assisted living facility, forcing some evacuations over gas leak concerns

16 hours ago
Lehigh County is planning to open a new Child Advocacy Center

48 minutes ago
After dealing with warehouse vacancies, Lehigh Valley landlords are finding tenants

1 day ago
DC gala shooting suspect aired grievances against Trump in writings to family

18 hours ago
Long awaited Lehigh County bridge project set to begin

19 hours ago
With Election Day approaching, Lehigh County is close to hiring a new elections chief

2 days ago
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Vehicle hits Lehigh Valley assisted living facility, forcing some evacuations over gas leak concerns
Vehicle hits Lehigh Valley assisted living facility, forcing some evacuations over gas leak concerns
Southern Lehigh High School Prom | PHOTOS
Southern Lehigh High School Prom | PHOTOS
Shots fired as gunman charges toward ballroom at White House correspondents’ dinner. Trump unharmed
Shots fired as gunman charges toward ballroom at White House correspondents’ dinner. Trump unharmed
After dealing with warehouse vacancies, Lehigh Valley landlords are finding tenants
After dealing with warehouse vacancies, Lehigh Valley landlords are finding tenants
Pen Argyl Area High School Prom | PHOTOS
Pen Argyl Area High School Prom | PHOTOS
St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5K 2026 | PHOTOS
St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5K 2026 | PHOTOS
Girls basketball: Ed Ohlson vacates Parkland girls basketball coaching position after eight seasons and 149 wins
Girls basketball: Ed Ohlson vacates Parkland girls basketball coaching position after eight seasons and 149 wins
Long awaited Lehigh County bridge project set to begin
Long awaited Lehigh County bridge project set to begin
Allentown woman, 73, dies days after Route 222 crash
Allentown woman, 73, dies days after Route 222 crash
Retail Watch: Yemeni-inspired coffee, treats coming to new Bethlehem cafe
Retail Watch: Yemeni-inspired coffee, treats coming to new Bethlehem cafe

Local News

People and local dignitaries gather Sunday, April 26, 2026, during the 35th annual Lehigh Valley Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony in the Bethlehem Rose Garden. The ceremony remembered one of the area’s bloodiest workplace tragedies, when when two gunmen walked into the First National Bank of Bath and shot five people June 6, 1986, killing three immediately, and a fourth who died years later. Three names will be added this year to the Lehigh Valley Workers’ Memorial list, which includes roughly 4,400 workplace facilities since before the Civil War. Added this year are April Lubenetski, 51, who died May 19, 2025, after suffering from occupational cancer as a result of her employment as an Emmaus and Lehigh Township volunteer firefighter; Steven Gill, 36, who died May 21, 2025, when he was hit by an excavator in Weisenberg Township; and James Akins, 57, who died July 29, 2025, after suffering a medical event while installing solar panels on a roof in Allen Township.(April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

35th annual Lehigh Valley Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony | PHOTOS

35th annual Lehigh Valley Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony

Sports

Northampton’s Josephine Siegfried reacts after a hitting a double against Liberty on Friday, March 27, 2026, during a girls softball game in Bethlehem. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Lehigh Valley softball’s elite 8: Top teams eye league tournament spots; Salisbury standout is player of the week

A lot can change in the last full week of the regular season, but by this point, some outstanding teams have emerged. Here's a look at them in the Elite 8 rankings.

Things to Do

Southern troops led by Rick Eisenhart, of Hellertown, as Friends of Camp Geiger hold the 8th annual Lehigh Valley Civil War Days at the Whitehall Parkway Recreational Area to commemorate the waning of the Civil War and the 150th anniversary of the battles at Fort Stedman and Appomattox, which took place in spring 1965. -//// MICHAEL KUBEL / The Morning Call —- Sunday June 14, 2015

Things to do in the Lehigh Valley this weekend: Wheels in your neighborhood, an Oscar winner and a trip to wartime history

Here are your best bets for fun this weekend around the Lehigh Valley.

St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5K 2026 | PHOTOS

See photos from the 2026 St. Luke’s Half Marathon, the region's longest-running long-distance race, and 5K in Allentown.
35th annual Lehigh Valley Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony | PHOTOS
Southern Lehigh High School Prom | PHOTOS
Pen Argyl Area High School Prom | PHOTOS
Celebrating Earth Day at Covered Bridge Park | PHOTOS
Enjoying the warm weather at ArtsWalk Pocket Park | PHOTOS
‘Giant Chip’ statue put back together at Lehigh Valley ice cream shop | PHOTOS, VIDEO

Opinion

University of Scranton student Myira Bruno attends the Earth Day Fair with friends held at the University of Scranton's Loyola Science Center in Scranton Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / MEDIANEWSGROUP)

Faith & Values: Earth Day is about environmental protection. Why that’s also a religious concern

There are theological and philosophical bases for caring for the natural world in many religious...

Crime and Public Safety

A Pennsylvania State Police vehicle. (Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

Allentown woman, 73, dies days after Route 222 crash

A 73-year-old Allentown woman has died, four days after she was injured in a car...

Best Reviews

<p>Adobe Stock</p>

Best fish oil supplements to support your heart and brain health

If you want to learn more about the benefits of taking fish oil and what...

Business

The Yemeni-inspired Caffeena Coffee House will open this summer in Bethlehem. (Rendering by Ayman Ebadi)

Retail Watch: Yemeni-inspired coffee, treats coming to new Bethlehem cafe

Cafeena Coffee House will open this summer in Bethlehem as the new company plans to...

Pennsylvania News

The crowd reacts to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro while he speaks at a Centre County Democratic Party event at the Penn Stater hotel, April 11, 2026, in State College, Pa. (Marc Levy/AP)

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tests political muscle in 2026 midterm elections

Josh Shapiro may be heavily favored to win reelection as Pennsylvania governor, but that doesn’t...

National News

People gather Tuesday, April 28, 2015, in Baltimore, in the aftermath of rioting following Monday’s funeral for Freddie Gray, who died in police custody. Gov. Larry Hogan said at a news conference Tuesday that Baltimore will not have a repeat of the riots that happened on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Today in History: April 27, rioting erupts in Baltimore after Freddie Gray’s funeral

Rioters plunged part of Baltimore into chaos, torching a pharmacy, setting police cars ablaze and...

Allentown

Freya de Conde has been named the principal of Allentown’s Union Terrace Elementary School, effective July 1, 2026. (Allentown School District)

Allentown names new principal for Union Terrace Elementary

Freya de Conde, the current assistant principal at Sheridan Elementary School, has been named the...

Bethlehem Area

The Visitor’s Center at the SteelStacks, pictured in 2013. (DENISE SANCHEZ/THE MORNING CALL)

CountryFest, a new free country music festival, coming this summer to SteelStacks

CountryFest, Artsquest's new country music festival, will be held Aug. 21-22 at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.