County Of Lehigh

PRESS RELEASE FROM HARRISBURG PA Voters Who Did Not Receive Their Mail Ballot Should Vote At The Polls 11/02/2020... Harrisburg, Pa. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar today alerted Pennsylvania voters who applied for but have not received their mail ballot that they can vote by provisional ballot at their polling place on Election Day. "Do not worry if you haven't received your mail or absentee ballot you will not lose your right to vote," Secretary Boockvar said. "Anyone who hasn't received their mail ballot should go to their polling place on Election Day and vote by provisional ballot. Your ballot will be counted if you are a qualified voter who has not already cast a ballot." Polls are open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling place on the Department of State's voting website, votesPA.com. Any voter who has received but not yet returned their mail ballot should do so immediately by hand-delivering it to their county election office, satellite election office or other designated drop-off location. Voted mail ballots will not be accepted at polling places. Voters must make sure that they enclose their mail ballot first in the white inner secrecy envelope and seal it, then insert the inner envelope into the outer pre-printed return envelope, and sign and complete the voter's declaration on the outer envelope. Voters must complete all these steps for their ballot to be counted. Under Pennsylvania law, voters may only return their own ballots. The only exceptions to this are for voters with a disability who have designated someone in writing to deliver their ballot, or for voters who need an emergency absentee ballot. Voters who applied for and receive a mail ballot and then decide they want to vote at the polls on Election Day can change their mind, but they should bring their mail or absentee ballot and the outer ballot envelopes to be voided by the poll worker. They may then vote on their county's voting system. If a voter applies for a mail ballot but does not return it and does not bring the mail ballot and envelopes with them, they may still vote by provisional ballot at the polls on election day. Their county board of elections will then verify that they did not vote by mail before counting their provisional ballot. For more information on voting and elections in Pennsylvania, call the Department of State's toll-free hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772) or visit votesPA.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Wanda Murren (717) 783-1621 https://www.media.pa.gov/pages/state-details.aspx?newsid=428

For more information on voting in Lehigh County, please visit our website at https://www.lehighcounty.org/ for polling locations, frequently asked questions, and more.

10/30/2020 With permission from Lehigh County’s Coroner’s Office and in compliance with information permissible by law, the following update breaks down all COVID-19 related deaths in Lehigh County. This updated document is a cumulative report. Please note the following data only reflects individuals who died of COVID-19 within Lehigh County. This number does not reflect Lehigh County residents who passed away in another county.... The following information fits epidemiological standards while protecting the privacy of those who have passed. It is with this record that we hope to inform Lehigh County residents of the spread of COVID-19 and how it has affected our community. --The report includes a message from Lehigh County Coroner, Eric Minnich, stating: The average age of these 359 residents was 81.75 years old. 44.3% of the residents were male and 55.7% were female. This data includes test confirmed positive cases and presumed positive cases, as determined by the medical certifier. 91% of these deaths were confirmed positive by testing (327) and 9% fall in to the presumed positive category (32). 77% of these decedents were residents of long term care facilities in Lehigh County. In addition to the 359 Lehigh County residents that have died of COVID-19, an additional 147 deaths of non-Lehigh County residents have occurred within Lehigh County healthcare facilities. The staff of the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office continues to serve the residents of Lehigh County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout this pandemic. Our staff continues to investigate deaths of those individuals who die within the County and serve their families. We wish our most sincere condolences to the families affected as well thoughts of strength and healing to our entire Lehigh County community. Respectfully, Eric D. Minnich D-ABMDI Coroner

CITY OF ALLENTOWN NEWS RELEASE 10/29/2020 BUSINESS ROUNDTABLES SCHEDULED... The Allentown Department of Community & Economic Development is hosting a series of roundtable meetings with city business owners to discuss opportunities for success. DCED Director Leonard Lightner says, The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected most businesses. We are looking for ideas large and small that can increase a business’s chance of recovery. The one-hour meetings will be conducted virtually on the following schedule during the week of Monday, November 16 using Microsoft Teams: Retail Businesses: Monday, November 16 @ 9:00 a.m. Food & Beverage Businesses: Tuesday, November 17 @ 9:00 a.m. Arts & Entertainment Businesses: Tuesday, November 17 @ 2:00 p.m. Salons and Personal Services: Wednesday, November 18 @ 9:00 a.m. Other: Sign up and you will be contacted! According to Lightner, these meetings are an opportunity to discuss and share ways the city can support your business. This discussion will create action, leading towards economic stability. To register click here and select the Small Business Roundtables button: https://www.allentownpa.gov/ Registration must be completed by Thursday, November 12 at 1:00 p.m. Questions may be addressed to [email protected]. For Additional Information Please Contact: Mike Moore Communications Manager 610-437-7653 Dana Yurgosky Business Development Liaison 610-437-7610 ###

Press Release From Penn State Extension - Lehigh County For Immediate Release 10/29/20... Master Gardener 2021 Calendar Sale Order by December 14 Lehigh Valley, Pa - Enjoy stunning images of Pennsylvania gardens and nature all year long with a Penn State Extension Master Gardener calendar! The 2021 Master Gardener calendar features over 50 photos and monthly gardening insights written by experienced Master Gardeners. The calendar was designed by Judy Ross, Master Gardener from Lehigh County, and the photographs were taken by Master Gardeners across Pennsylvania. To purchase a $10 calendar, go to: https://extension.psu.edu/master-gardener-calendar or call 877-345-0691. Place your order by December 14 for delivery in time for the holidays! Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Contact: Bradley J Kunsman, Jr. Extension Educator, Master Gardener / Master Watershed Steward Northampton County 14 Gracedale Avenue Greystone Building Nazareth, PA 18064 610-813-6613 [email protected] ###

The County of Lehigh would like to wish our dedicated first responders a Happy First Responders Day! A huge thank you to all our first responders, especially those at Lehigh County Emergency Management, for everything that you do in our communities!

10/28 Lehigh County Weekly Update

Pennsylvanians Urged to Hand-Deliver Mail Ballots Immediately Harrisburg, PA- Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar reminded Pennsylvanians that today is the deadline to apply for a mail or absentee ballot for the Nov.3 election. Voters who still have their mail ballot are strongly encouraged to immediately hand-deliver their voted ballot to their county election office or other officially designated site, including drop boxes. If you haven’t already, voter...Continue reading

For CARES Rent Relief Program assistance in Lehigh County, please call the Lehigh County Information and Referral Office at 610-782-3200.

Today, Lehigh County Executive Armstrong was present at the ribbon cutting for the brand new Dave & Buster's at the Lehigh Valley Mall.

Reminder that early voting for Lehigh County residents is available until 4PM Tuesday, October 27th. This is the last day residents can come in to the Lehigh County Office of Registration to vote with an over-the-counter ballot. The Lehigh County Office of Voter Registration will be open to collect mail-in ballot applications from 8AM-4:00PM M-F and on Saturday, October 31st, from 9AM-1PM. The last day the office will accept ballots is Election Day, November 3rd, until 8PM.

10/23/2020 With permission from Lehigh County’s Coroner’s Office and in compliance with information permissible by law, the following update breaks down all COVID-19 related deaths in Lehigh County. This updated document is a cumulative report. Please note the following data only reflects individuals who died of COVID-19 within Lehigh County. This number does not reflect Lehigh County residents who passed away in another county.... The following information fits epidemiological standards while protecting the privacy of those who have passed. It is with this record that we hope to inform Lehigh County residents of the spread of COVID-19 and how it has affected our community. --The report includes a message from Lehigh County Coroner, Eric Minnich, stating: The average age of these 358 residents was 81.73 years old. 44.1% of the residents were male and 55.9% were female. This data includes test confirmed positive cases and presumed positive cases, as determined by the medical certifier. 91% of these deaths were confirmed positive by testing (326) and 9% fall in to the presumed positive category (32). 77% of these decedents were residents of long term care facilities in Lehigh County. In addition to the 358 Lehigh County residents that have died of COVID-19, an additional 143 deaths of non-Lehigh County residents have occurred within Lehigh County healthcare facilities. The staff of the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office continues to serve the residents of Lehigh County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout this pandemic. Our staff continues to investigate deaths of those individuals who die within the County and serve their families. We wish our most sincere condolences to the families affected as well thoughts of strength and healing to our entire Lehigh County community. Respectfully, Eric D. Minnich D-ABMDI Coroner

Weekly Webcast with Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong, filmed on location at Bake Oven Knob. Video is courtesy of Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

10/21/2020 PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lehigh County To Offer B Ballots Starting October 28th Voters can pick up a B Ballot if they did not receive their mail-in ballots by this date. ... Allentown, PA- On Wednesday, October 28th, B Ballots will be available to all voters who did not receive their mail-in ballot. The Lehigh County Office of Voter Registration advises that voters who are still missing their ballots by October 28th to come in to the Voter’s Office and pick up a B ballot. A voter may then use a B Ballot in lieu of their addressed mail-in ballot. This is to ensure that those waiting for a mail-in ballot can cast their vote without missing the November 3rd deadline. A B Ballot serves as a backup ballot for those who have not received their mail-in ballot after the initial application period. The Office of Voter Registration asks that voters wait at least a week after applying for a mail-in ballot before requesting the B Ballot. In the circumstance that a person receives their mail-in ballot after casting a B Ballot, the mail-in ballot will be ineligible to vote. The Lehigh County Office of Voter Registration started to distribute mail-in ballots on October 6th, 2020, and has continued mailing ballots throughout the month. However, there are some applicants in Lehigh County who are still waiting for their mail-in ballot. The B Ballot is an effort to ensure all voters have the chance to cast their ballot despite the unprecedented circumstances of the 2020 General Election. For more information on mail-in ballots or the B Ballot, please contact the Lehigh County Office of Voter Registration at 610-782-3194. ###