🌱 Patch AM: Will Easton’s zoning board clear the way for 34 new apartments?

Hi there, Easton! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Will Easton’s zoning board clear the way for 34 new apartments?
• How a fast-moving Southside Easton house fire left two people hurt
• Who’s taking charge at Easton Area Middle School in January?

Also on today's calendar: Soulful Sounds in Allentown and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Last night I had a dream. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Much colder, with a high of 37 and low of 29 degrees.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and windy, temps: high: 45, low: 23.
• Monday: Plenty of sun, with a high of 38 and low of 28 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Backers for proposed 34-unit apartment building on Easton's N. 4th St. challenge zoning code (lehighvalleynews.com) — A major 34-unit apartment and commercial project at 70 N. 4th Street in downtown Easton is facing a lengthy zoning battle over building size, height, and design rules. After more than four hours of testimony from developers and city officials, the Zoning Hearing Board continued the case to Feb. 10, leaving the project’s future and neighborhood impact still undecided.
   

2. Adult, child injured in Southside Easton house fire (lehighvalleylive.com) — A Southside Easton home on Williams Street caught fire Thursday afternoon, injuring an adult and a child who escaped and were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Fire crews quickly contained flames to a second-floor bedroom and roof, though smoke damaged the rest of the upper level. Easton fire officials are still investigating what caused the blaze.
   

3. New principal appointed at Easton Area Middle School until permanent principal hired (wfmz.com) — Easton families should know that Easton Area Middle School will have interim leadership when students return from winter break, with curriculum supervisor Ryan Cron stepping in as lead principal starting Jan. 5. He’ll serve until the district hires a permanent principal, following Elise Jones’s departure to lead Fountain Hill Elementary in the Bethlehem Area School District.
   

4. Northampton County Council overrides McClure veto on involvement in procurement process (wfmz.com) — Northampton County Council, meeting in Easton, overrode County Executive Lamont McClure’s veto of a measure changing how large county contracts are evaluated. The new rules let three council members sit on committees reviewing proposals over $100,000, a move McClure says violates the home rule charter. Supporters argue the change will improve transparency and confidence in the county’s procurement system.
   

5. Lehigh Valley attorney gets prison time for threatening investigator, contempt of court (lehighvalleylive.com) — An attorney based in Easton has been sentenced to state prison after being convicted of threatening a state disciplinary investigator and repeatedly being found in contempt of court. The 61-year-old lawyer received a total sentence of 18 to 52 months plus probation, and his law license is currently suspended while a revocation hearing is pending. The case stems from a 2024 confrontation and a series of threatening emails.
   

📸 Around Easton

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Easton

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Sunday December 21

• Easton Winter Village 2025 in Centre Square
  Third Street Alliance for Women & Children, 41 N 3rd St, Easton
  12:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday December 19

• Soulful Sounds in Allentown
  Da Vinci Science Center , 815 Hamilton St , Allentown
  7:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings
  Vault 634 634 Hamilton Street Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101
  8:45 pm

Sunday December 21

• Annual Karl Stirner Arts Trail Winter Solstice Celebration
  Easton, PA Calendar Easton, PA 18042
  4:30 pm
• Elpedio's Christmas Spectacular!
  Elpedio's Ristorante , 2912 Old Nazareth Rd , Easton
  5:00 pm

Tuesday December 23

• City Council Committee Meeting
  Easton, PA Calendar Easton, PA 18042
  6:00 pm

Wednesday December 24

• Christmas Eve
  Easton, PA Calendar Easton, PA 18042
  8:30 am
• Vacant Property Review Committee
  Easton, PA Calendar Easton, PA 18042
  4:00 pm

Saturday December 27

• LEHIGH VALLEY STAND DOWN (EASTON, PA) - VALOR Clinic Foundation
  Across from Safe Harbor - Food Distribution Center, 536 Bushkill Dr, Easton, PA, 18042
  9:30 am
• LEHIGH VALLEY STAND DOWN (Bethlehem, PA) - VALOR Clinic Foundation
  Across from the Wooden Match Restaurant, 61 W Lehigh St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
  12:00 pm
• LEHIGH VALLEY STAND DOWN (ALLENTOWN, PA) - VALOR Clinic Foundation
  Union Street & South 3rd Street , Allentown
  1:30 pm

Thursday January 1

• Lehigh Valley New Year's Chaser: Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
  Saylor Park Ironton Rail Trail 245 N 2nd St. Coplay, PA 18037
  10:00 am

📣 Easton Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a dark well.
  Instinctively, the animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. The farmer was not equipped to hoist the old animal… (Nextdoor Woodridge Falls)
• Looking for a local and insured cleaning company or individual to clean our office located in Palmer Industrial Park.
  Right now, we are looking for every 2 weeks. Start time would be 430pm, usually takes about 2-3 hours. Please message me if you are interested ... (Nextdoor Charles)

• Reminder - this coming weekend is the FINAL WEEKEND for free garage parking at the #cityofeastonpa's two downtown garages. Ends 12/21. (X: cityofeastonpa)
• Holiday memories are Made in Lehigh Valley. Visit our partners at @LehighValleyPA for a full listing of the holiday happenings that illustrate why... (X: LVEDC)

• ABB Group posted a job opening for Warehouse/Internal Logistics Operator in Easton. Apply here.
• Sam's Club posted a job opening for Baker and Packager Associate in Easton. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Easton here.

Ok Easton! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I dreamed I was swimming in a pool of orange soda, but it was just a Fanta-sea.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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