County Of Lehigh

3/4 recording of the 2021 Citizens Academy with Cedarbrook Administrator and Director, Jason Cumello. Topics include the history and role of Cedarbrook Senior Care & Rehabilitation in Lehigh County.

MUNICIPAL PRIMARY PROCLAMATION NOTICE 2021 (UNOFFICIAL) Notice is hereby given to the electorate of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, that a Municipal Primary wil...l be held in said County on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M., prevailing time, at which time registered and enrolled electors of the DEMOCRATIC and REPUBLICAN parties will assemble and vote, according to law, for the nomination of candidates for the following public offices, all registered voters, regardless of party registration may vote on only the Constitutional Amendments and any forthcoming referendum questions: STATE LEVEL OFFICES One (1) Justice of the Supreme Court One (1) Judge of the Superior Court Two (2) Judge of the Commonwealth Court Three (3) Judge of the Court of Common Pleas COUNTY LEVEL OFFICES One (1) County Executive 4 Year Term Five (5) County Commissioners Districts 1 - 5 4 Year Term District 1 REP Antonio Pineda District 5 DEM Joyce Moore MAGISTERIAL OFFICES One (1) Magisterial District Judge 31-1-01 6 Year Term DEM Patricia Patti M Engler REP Patricia Patti M Engler One (1) Magisterial District Judge 31-1-03 6 Year Term DEM Ronald Manescu REP Ronald Manescu One (1) Magisterial District Judge 31-1-06 6 Year Term One (1) Magisterial District Judge 31-2-01 6 Year Term DEM Karen C Devine REP Karen C Devine CITY OF ALLENTOWN OFFICES One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term DEM Matt Tuerk Four (4) City Council 4 Year Term DEM Tino Babayan One (1) Constable (Each Ward) 6 Year Term 16th Ward DEM Steven A Wiggs 19th Ward DEM Dennis C Huber One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term 13th Ward 2nd District DEM Nicholas Butterfield 15th Ward 1st District DEM Sandra K Simon 17th Ward 4th District (Parkland) DEM Keith B Wexler 18th Ward 1st District DEM Susanne Mayer-Kusterer Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 13th Ward 1st District DEM Cheryl A Haughney 13th Ward 2nd District DEM Rachel B Osborn 13th Ward 4th District REP Gwendolyn J Unger 15th Ward 1st District DEM Deborah Gross DEM Nancy Hinkle CITY OF BETHLEHEM OFFICES One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term Four (4) City Council At Large 4 Year Term One (1) City Controller 4 Year Term One (1) Constable (Each Ward) 6 Year Term One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term 13th Ward 3rd District DEM Denise Stangl 13th Ward 4th District DEM John Fenstermacher BOROUGH OFFICES ALBURTIS One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term DEM Kathleen Palmer Three (3) Council Members 4 Year Term DEM Kathleen Raines REP Steven R Hill One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term DEM Jason Forte CATASAUQUA One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term REP Barbara A Schlegel Three (3) Council Members 4 Year Term DEM David Bernini One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP James Delbertis One (1) Constable 6 Year Term Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 3rd District DEM Marian E DeLong REP Diane Laubach COOPERSBURG One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term Four (4) Council Members 4 Year Term REP Joe Ellenberger One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP Kristina Bealer One (1) Constable 6 Year Term COPLAY One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term Four (4) Council Members 4 Year Term DEM Louis L Bodish DEM Stephen J Burker DEM Carl A Luckenbach DEM Charles J Sodl One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term DEM Jeffry P Deutsch One (1) Constable 6 Year Term One (1) Judge of Election 4 Year Term 2nd District DEM Beverly Miller Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 2nd District REP Joan Witko EMMAUS One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term REP Lee Ann Gilbert Three (3) Council Members 4 Year Term DEM Roy Anders Jr REP John F Belin Jr REP Brent Labenberg One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term REP Vickie Gruver One (1) Judge of Election 4 Year Term 2nd District REP David K Schlonecker Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 2nd District DEM Michele Eyer 4th District DEM Joanne C Andrews 5th District REP Alexandra Racines FOUNTAIN HILL One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term Four (4) Council Members 4 Year Term DEM Norman E Blatt Jr REP Philip Trabel One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term DEM Thomas J Redding Jr One (1) Constable 6 Year Term MACUNGIE One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term Four (4) Council Members 4 Year Term REP Gregory Hutchinson One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term DEM Cynthia A Hartzell One (1) Constable 6 Year Term DEM Carol A Huber SLATINGTON One (1) Mayor 4 Year Term REP Walter Niedermeyer Three (3) Council Members 4 Year Term One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term TOWNSHIP OFFICES HANOVER Three (3) Council 4 Year Term DEM Bruce E Paulus REP Joseph Heimbecker One (1) Constable 6 Year Term HEIDELBERG One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term LOWER MACUNGIE Three (3) Township Commissioners 4 Year Term REP Charles J Ervin One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term Two (2) Constable 6 Year Term REP Frederick Bainhauer III One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term 1st District REP Rob Hurwitz 2nd District REP Susan Terry Keller 4th District REP Kathleen McGhee 7th District DEM Glenn Simmons Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 1st District REP Arlene Hurwitz 4th District REP Joanne R Nosal 7th District DEM Mary Simmons LOWER MILFORD One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term REP Lowell Linde One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP Jessica Skibicki One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Auditor 2 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term LOWHILL One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term REP Robb Werley One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term LYNN One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP Mary Ann Metzger One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term REP James E Tews NORTH WHITEHALL One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term REP Mark H Hills Jr One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP Sarah Finney Miller One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term 1st District REP Susan Steigerwalt Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 1st District REP Ardith J Erte REP Sandra N Sacks 5th District REP John C Coppola SALISBURY One (1) Township Commissioner in the 2nd Ward 4 Year Term One (1) Township Commissioner in the 4th Ward 4 Year Term One (1) Township Commissioner in the 5th Ward 2 Year Term REP Alok Patnaik One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP Tamara Kulik Smarch Two (2) Constable 6 Year Term SOUTH WHITEHALL Two (2) Township Commissioners 4 Year Term REP Monica Hodges REP David Kennedy One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term Two (2) Constable 6 Year Term One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term 6th District REP Donald J Spano 8th District DEM Jerry Knafo Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 4th District Crystal J Davis 6th District Timothy J Messerli UPPER MACUNGIE One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term DEM Sunny Ghai One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term 1st District REP Althea Hahn Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term 1st District REP Gene Hahn UPPER MILFORD One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term DEM Deborah Seibert Schevets One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term Western REP Kathleen L Hallowell Two (2) Inspector of Election 4 Year Term Eastern REP Timothy Anger UPPER SAUCON Two (2) Supervisor 6 Year Term DEM Timothy Foley REP Brian Farrell REP Stephen Wagner One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP Deborah Herstine One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term One (1) Judge of Election (Each Precinct) 4 Year Term 6th District REP Robert C Guigley WASHINGTON One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term REP Shawn Wanamaker One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term REP Sally A Mantz One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term WEISENBERG One (1) Supervisor 6 Year Term REP Anthony C Werley One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term One (1) Auditor 6 Year Term One (1) Constable 6 Year Term REP Robert L Yeager WHITEHALL Three (3) Township Commissioners 4 Year Term One (1) Tax Collector 4 Year Term Two (2) Constable 6 Year Term REP Ron Clever SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICES ALLENTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Robert E Smith Jr REP Robert E Smith Jr BETHLEHEM SCHOOL DISTRICT Three (3) School Directors - At Large 4 Year Term One (1) School Director in the 1st District 4 Year Term (Bethlehem 10th Ward, 1st District, 13th Ward 1st District & Fountain Hill 1st 3rd Districts) CATASAUQUA SCHOOL DISTRICT (Catasauqua Borough & Hanover Township) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Dale K Hein REP Dale K Hein EAST PENN SCHOOL DISTRICT (Alburtis, Emmaus, Macungie Boroughs & Lower Macungie, Upper Milford Townships) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Alisa Bowman REP Alisa Bowman NORTHERN LEHIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT (Slatington Borough & Washington Township) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Gary S Fedorcha REP Gary S Fedorcha NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT (Heidelberg, Lowhill, Lynn & Weisenberg Townships) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Becky Hite REP Becky Hite PARKLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT (North Whitehall, South Whitehall, Upper Macungie Townships & Allentown 17th Ward 4th District, 18th Ward 2nd District) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Robert M Cohen DEM David J Hein DEM Mike Millo DEM Jay Rohatgi DEM Annette Wilcox REP Robert M Cohen REP David J Hein REP Mike Millo REP Jay Rohatgi REP Annette Wilcox SALISBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT (Salisbury Township) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Joseph D Gnall DEM George J Gatanis DEM Rebecca A Glenister REP Joseph D Gnall REP George J Gatanis REP Rebecca A Glenister Two (2) School Directors 2 Year Term SOUTHERN LEHIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT (Coopersburg Borough, Lower Milford & Upper Saucon Townships) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Melissa Torba DEM Mary Joy Reinartz DEM Nicole King DEM Paul Deebel DEM Kathleen Parsons REP Melissa Torba REP Mary Joy Reinartz REP Nicole King REP Paul Deebel REP Kathleen Parsons WHITEHALL-COPLAY SCHOOL DISTRICT (Whitehall Township & Coplay Borough) Four (4) School Directors 4 Year Term DEM Antoinette M Guedes DEM Keri Kromer DEM William Fonzone Sr REP Antoinette M Guedes REP Keri Kromer REP William Fonzone Sr ALL DISTRICTS One (1) Judge of Election 4 Year Term One (1) Majority Inspector 4 Year Term One (1) Minority Inspector 4 Year Term CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENTS (All Registered Voters, All Districts) Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law and increase the power of the General Assembly to unilaterally terminate or extend a disaster emergency declarationand the powers of Commonwealth agencies to address the disaster regardless of its severity pursuant to that declarationthrough passing a concurrent resolution by simple majority, thereby removing the existing check and balance of presenting a resolution to the Governor for approval or disapproval? Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law so that: a disaster emergency declaration will expire automatically after 21 days, regardless of the severity of the emergency, unless the General Assembly takes action to extend the disaster emergency; the Governor may not declare a new disaster emergency to respond to the dangers facing the Commonwealth unless the General Assembly passes a concurrent resolution; the General Assembly enacts new laws for disaster management? Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended by adding a new section providing that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of an individual's race or ethnicity? REFERENDUM QUESTIONS (All Registered Voters, City of Allentown Only) Shall Section 606 of the City Home Rule Charter, which requires Heads of Departments, Offices and Agencies to reside within the City of Allentown within one year of appointment, be amended to require such individuals at the time of appointment to reside within five (5) miles of the City's borders? Shall Section 701 of the City of Allentown Home Rule Charter be amended to permit City Council to appoint a City Council Solicitor such that Section 701 will read: A. The Mayor shall appoint a City Solicitor who shall be a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and experienced in municipal law. The City Solicitor, as the Head of the Legal Department, shall serve as chief legal advisor to the Mayor and all City Departments and agencies, represent the City in all legal proceedings to which the City is a party, and shall perform such other duties prescribed by law, by this Charter and by the City Administrative Code. B. The Mayor shall have the power, if needed, to engage other temporary Solicitors to represent the City as the need may be. Such appointments shall be temporary and shall be for the purpose of representing the City in specific legal matters. C. City Council may appoint legal counsel to serve as City Council Solicitor to provide City Council with legal advice. D. The City Solicitor shall direct and control the legal matters of the city Shall Section 403, Subsection A and Subsection D of the City of Allentown Home Rule Charter be amended to authorize and permit the City Controller to initiate and conduct all manner of audits, including performance audits, without first being requested to do so by the Mayor or by City Council and to permit the City Controller to have access to any and all types of information necessary, including City payroll information, to conduct such audits? ELECTION BOARD OF LEHIGH COUNTY By: Timothy A. Benyo, Chief Clerk

We are experiencing a slight delay with tonight's 2021 Citizens Academy with Cedarbrook Director Jason Cumello, please standby.

LEHIGH COUNTY AGING AND ADULT SERVICES PRESS RELEASE 3/4/2021 LANTA to provide COVID-19 Transport for Older Lehigh County Residents... Allentown, PA- On March 2, 2021, Lehigh County Aging and Adult Services partnered with LANTA to provide transportation for older residents seeking travel accommodations to COVID-19 vaccination sites. The partnership came as a result of residents struggling to make their appointments without a reliable means of transportation. This program will be free to the public without any cost to the resident. Lehigh County Aging and Adult Services will provide LANTA the required funding to cover the shared ride cost for residents. Qualified residents need to be 65 years or older to register for the Shared Ride for Seniors Program through LANTA Customer Service in order to receive transportation. Applications can be completed by calling 888-253-8333 Sunday through Saturday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. ###

GRANT OPPORTUNITY Gift Card Donations Promote Volunteering in Local Communities The Home Depot Foundation: Community Impact Grants Program... The Home Depot Foundation's Community Impact Grants Program provides support to nonprofit organizations and public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve their communities. The Program focuses on support for organizations that serve veterans in local communities, as well as organizations that serve vulnerable and underserved communities. Grants of up to $5,000 are made in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services. Requests will be accepted on a rolling basis through December 31, 2021. Visit the Foundation's website to submit an online application. https://corporate.homedepot.com/found/communityimpactgrants

Please join us on February 18th for a virtual session with Lehigh County Chief Public Defender, Kim Makoul Esq. The event will take place at 6PM and is open to the public free of charge. Please follow registration instructions to attend. Registration link is now live: https://lehighcounty.zoom.us/.../WN_Y8EA6dJjS0-TSESrpecC6w

Exciting news from the Lehigh Valley Zoo! #lvzoo #savingspecies #lehighcounty

2/11 Recording of the 2021 Citizens Academy with Director of Administration, Ed Hozza. Topics of the night include the history of Lehigh County, the "Home Rule" Charter, and the breakdown of how Lehigh County administration is operated.

Looking for a job? Be sure to check out PA CareerLink Lehigh Valley for the latest information and resources. Hiring employers are featured every week on Employer Wednesday with new and exciting career opportunities!

2021 Citizens Academy Announcement and Lineup Beginning February 4, 2021, through April 2021, Lehigh County will be hosting its 2021 Citizens Academy for all residents. The weekly seminars will be hosted by Lehigh County department heads and row officers as they present educational information pertaining to their respective departments and agencies. All sessions will be free and open to the public. Each session will be held virtually via ZOOM on Thursday nights from 6...PM-8PM in a webinar-style format. The schedule is as follows: February 4th Frank Kane, Director of Community and Economic Development February 11th Ed Hozza, Director of Administration February 18th Kim F. Makoul, Esq., Lehigh County Chief Public Defender March 4th Jason Cumello, Administrator and Director of Cedarbrook March 11th Kay Achenbach, Director of Human Services March 18th Rick Molchany, Director of General Services March 25th Timothy Reeves, Lehigh County Chief Financial Officer April 1st Janine Donate, Director of Corrections April 8th Lehigh County Row Officers (Sheriff, Coroner, Controller TBA) Lehigh County residents are encouraged to attend these webinars to learn more about the functions of their county government and what to expect in the coming year. Zoom links will be available on the Lehigh County website prior to each session. For more information, please contact Public Information Officer, Laura Grammes at 610-782-3002.

https://www.mcall.com//mc-nws-covid-prayer-service-2021012

The final public meeting for the Trexler Nature Preserve 2020 Master Plan Update has been rescheduled for Thursday March 4 2021, 7:00pm-9:00pm. The final public meeting was previously scheduled for February 11, but has been rescheduled for March 4 to take place after the public comment period is closed for the draft report. Public comment / review period for the Draft plan will end February 22. If you have not already, please fill out our survey at https://www.surveymonkey....com/r/3XCBC6R March 4, PM3 Login Information: Join at: https://tinyurl.com/trexlerfinalpublicmeeting3 Dial in by telephone at +1 412-447-5128 Conference ID: 990 325 974#

Today is the last day to vote for the Lehigh River! The winner not only earns the title of "2021 River of The Year" but also receives $10,000 in funding for future projects. It's quick, free, and easy to vote. See original post for details.

1/22/2021 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 642 residents was 81.17 years old. 46.3% of the residents were male and 53.7% were female. This data includes test confirmed positive cases and presumed positive cases, as determined by the medical certifier. 95% of these deaths were confirmed positive by testing (609) and 5% fall in to the presumed positive category (33). 65% of these decedents were residents of long term care facilities in Lehigh County. The following graphs summarizes the weekly updates from the past 43 weeks. In addition to the 642 Lehigh County residents that have died of COVID-19, an additional 342 deaths of non-Lehigh County residents have occurred within Lehigh County healthcare facilities. The following graph illustrates that breakdown. 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

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. ###