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

Severe storms moving across Lehigh Valley; 1,700 power outages reported

August 13, 2025 at 5:23 pm

Hotel Bethlehem named Best Historic Hotel for 5th straight year. See what iconic hotels it beat out for the top honors

Hotel Bethlehem first won the top spot in 2021 after finishing second in 2020 and third in 2019. USA Today started the contest in 2015

Hotel Bethlehem staff, local officials and business owners celebrate Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, after the hotel was named the best historic hotel for the fifth year in a row in USA Today’s 10Best Historic Hotel competition. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)

(Cameron Hart/The Morning Call)

Severe storms moving across Lehigh Valley; 1,700 power outages reported

Route 22 was closed between Center Street and Nazareth Pike following a crash Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. A dump truck involved in the crash spilled asphalt onto the highway. (Rich Rolen/Special to The Morning Call)

Route 22 reopens in Northampton County after crash dumps asphalt onto highway

Kerisa Martin of Potter County took this photo of a mystery light in the sky seen from the outskirts of Coudersport on Tuesday night, Aug. 12, 2025. The light is believed to be from a rocket launch. (Kerisa Martin/Contributed photo)

What was mystery light seen in Lehigh Valley sky last night?

A motorcycle died July 5 after he tried to grab the side-view mirror of a car and crashed, officials said.

Teen wanted in shooting that injured 6 people in Easton turns himself in, police say

Latest Headlines

New traffic patterns, timetable set for Riverside Drive, connecting Hamilton Street to Whitehall Township

4 hours ago
It’s not just the winter blues. Seasonal affective disorder can hit in the summer, too

4 hours ago
New coffee chain coming to Allentown has to address traffic concerns

10 hours ago
Pa. Senate GOP passes flat budget, transit funding that Dems say is a no-go as standoff continues

1 second ago
Prominent Allentown church and nonprofit breaks ground on $7 million child care, learning facility

3 hours ago
Rain-free Musikfest 2025 sets records for attendance and ticket sales, bringing nearly 1.5 million people to Bethlehem

1 day ago
East Penn puts school realignment plan on hold — for now. Here’s what happens next

1 second ago
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Most Popular

Rain-free Musikfest 2025 sets records for attendance and ticket sales, bringing nearly 1.5 million people to Bethlehem
Rain-free Musikfest 2025 sets records for attendance and ticket sales, bringing nearly 1.5 million people to Bethlehem
Prominent Allentown church and nonprofit breaks ground on $7 million child care, learning facility
Prominent Allentown church and nonprofit breaks ground on $7 million child care, learning facility
Chick-fil-A submits plans for a new Lehigh Valley restaurant. Here’s where
Chick-fil-A submits plans for a new Lehigh Valley restaurant. Here’s where
Route 22 reopens in Northampton County after crash dumps asphalt onto highway
Route 22 reopens in Northampton County after crash dumps asphalt onto highway
Best of Musikfest 2025 | PHOTOS
Best of Musikfest 2025 | PHOTOS
New coffee chain coming to Allentown has to address traffic concerns
New coffee chain coming to Allentown has to address traffic concerns
For first time in history, Lehigh Little League baseball team caps off memorable run with East Region championship
For first time in history, Lehigh Little League baseball team caps off memorable run with East Region championship
Historic Allentown building that was once the site of a Revolutionary War POW camp to get apartments
Historic Allentown building that was once the site of a Revolutionary War POW camp to get apartments
Parkland school mascots are getting an upgrade, with help from artificial intelligence. Take our poll on the new designs
Parkland school mascots are getting an upgrade, with help from artificial intelligence. Take our poll on the new designs
Pennsylvania football preseason rankings: Northwestern Lehigh starts at top in 3A; Parkland, Emmaus earn 6A spots
Pennsylvania football preseason rankings: Northwestern Lehigh starts at top in 3A; Parkland, Emmaus earn 6A spots

Local News

Gavel

Man admits to fraud scheme to sell fake Jason Kelce memorabilia

A Philadelphia man has admitted to orchestrating a 2024 fraud scheme to sell fake Jason Kelce-signed memorabilia, originally valued at an estimated $200,000, and he awaits his fate from a judge.

Sports

Emmaus High School’s Richmond-bound defensive lineman Robert Edwards III practices Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in Emmaus. Finishing the regular season last year at 10-3, the Green Hornets reached the District 11 6A championship game before losing to Parkland. (Oliver Lois Economidis/The Morning Call)

Emmaus football preview: Expectations high for the Green Hornets in 2025

Emmaus made a memorable run to the district finals last year and now hopes it can get over the hump

Things to Do

Opera singer Grace Lerew will perform with the Allentown Band on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, and Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Allentown. (Photo courtesy Sarah Kappes)

‘Something for everyone’: Upcoming Allentown performances feature trained opera singer, civilian concert band

The Allentown Band will perform opera and Broadway favorites at two shows this week, featuring Parkland graduate and opera singer Grace Lerew.

Best of Musikfest 2025 | PHOTOS

See the best of our photos from Musikfest 2025.
Musikfest 2025 – Best of the Headliners | PHOTOS
Musikfest 2025 on Saturday, Aug. 9 | PHOTOS
The Black Keys headline final day of Musikfest 2025 | PHOTOS
Third Eye Blind performs at Musikfest 2025 | PHOTOS
Musikfest 2025 on Friday, Aug. 8 | PHOTOS
Musikfest 2025 on Thursday, Aug. 7 | PHOTOS

Opinion

John Sise with the bicycle he was riding when he hit a tree root in the ground and was thrown over the handlebars. (Photo courtesy of John Sise)

Opinion: Bicycle wreck offers lesson in human decency

Opinion: Bottom line is when you come across someone in need, stop and give them...

Crime and Public Safety

Hanover Elementary School exterior shot June 8, 2019. (Kristen Harrison/The Morning Call)

Man charged in shooting at Bethlehem restaurant that injured 2

A New Jersey man faces charges alleging he opened fire in a restaurant, injuring two...

Best Reviews

<p>Alvina Wang/BestReviews</p>

Wondering if one of the top Roombas is worth it? This model held up in testing

A quality robotic vacuum can clean over 1,000 square feet with little to no input...

Business

Dora Diaz, left, and her daughter Fernanda Diaz, 14, shops for school supplies at a Walmart in Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Shopping for school supplies becomes a summer activity as families juggle technology and tariffs

Many families begin their back-to-school shopping months before Labor Day.

Pennsylvania News

A view of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg on Monday, June 25, 2024. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

Pa. budget disagreements burst into open with no end in sight as Senate passes its own mass transit bill

After a flurry of activity at the Pa. state Capitol, it’s unclear if lawmakers are...

National News

Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan after a mistrial on a rape charge, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025 in New York. (Steven Hirsch /New York Post via AP, Pool)

Harvey Weinstein’s next retrial — or sentencing — could happen this fall

Weinstein's June conviction carries a possible sentence of up to 25 years in prison.

Allentown

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk speaks Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, during the unveiling of the Allentown Works program at Casa Guadalupe Center in Allentown. One year ago, Allentown was awarded $20 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Recompete program, one of only six communities nationwide to receive this historic investment. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Allentown received a $20 million federal grant to address unemployment. Here’s how it’ll spend that money

Allentown Works will target people who are aged 25-54, unemployed and living in some of...

Bethlehem Area

“Faces in the crowd on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, at Musikfest in Bethlehem. (Photo by Jonathan Broady, Special to The Morning Call)”

Musikfest 2025 on Sunday, Aug. 10 | PHOTOS

People enjoy the sights and sounds of the final day of Musikfest 2025 on Sunday...