Bethlehem Press

Before the regular meeting of the Lehigh County Commissioners Feb. 14, Director of General Services Richard Molchany during the General Services Committee meeting briefed the commissioners on the status of plans to consolidate Lehigh County’s and the city of Allentown’s 911 services.

“I represent the average person,” said the new Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong addressing a convivial crowd of county officials, politicians or their representatives and other guests on Thursday. “We understand the power of the average person.”

Executive Armstrong, speaking at Coca-Cola Stadium in Allentown, introduced his remarks by assuring the attendees, “We put progress over politics.”

Armstrong said that “over the past several years, our local economy has undergone a renaissance … we still make stuff here.”

The soldiers in Lehigh County’s fight against the opioid crisis just got some sharp new teeth that will allow them to attack a major source of the problem: the drug manufacturers.

City Councilman Eric Evans formally resigned his position on Bethlehem City Council Jan. 16 and was immediately confirmed by the council in a unanimous vote as Bethlehem’s business manager, succeeding Dave Brong, the current business administrator. Councilman Brian Callahan was not present at the meeting and Evans recused himself from the vote.

Evans had just recently been sworn in for his third term as a city councilman.

Four incumbent Bethlehem City Council members reaffirmed their oaths of office Jan. 2 after their November 2017 election wins allowed them to continue their duties on the Council.

District Judge Nick Englesson officiated for the swearing in of Councilwoman Olga Negrón, who was accompanied by her friend Dr. Paige Van Wert.

Lehigh County Commissioners overrode a veto by then County Executive Thomas Muller that sought to undo the requirement that the county provide an electronic copy of Lehigh County’s annual budget Jan. 10.

Before the vote, commissioners listened to Muller explain why he had vetoed the measure.

Lehigh County officials Dec. 20 introduced the newest initiative in their effort to meet the opioid crisis plaguing county residents; a website that shows parents how to look for drugs that may be hidden in a child’s bedroom.

Outgoing County Executive Tom Muller introduced the topic, telling reporters gathered in a basement room of the administrative building that the problem of opioid abuse is rampant in Lehigh County. Alluding to a recent visit to one of the county’s school districts, he said that a student said his or her high school is referred to as “Heroin High.”

Lehigh County Commissioner President Marty Nothstein presented farewell plaques to outgoing commissioners David Jones, Thomas Creighton and Michael Schware at the close of the meeting Dec. 20. David Jones Sr. stepped down as a Lehigh County commissioner for District 3.

About 20 graceful ice skaters from The Lehigh Valley Charter HS for the Arts participated in the annual winter ice show for the community at Steel Ice Center Dec. 16. The Press was present for practice the day before.

Thom Mullins, the high school’s Artistic Director of Figure Skating, coached the skaters through their routines on one of the two ice rinks at the Steel Ice Center. Mullins was appropriately bundled up in the cold arena; the skaters, on the other hand, wore costumes that suggested warmer temperature as many had bare arms and heads, wore tights and big smiles.

Bethlehem authorities scrambled Dec. 19 to get a resolution on the agenda in response to possible tax issues anticipated as a result of the then-pending federal tax code revision that was signed into law three days later by President Donald Trump. The new tax code could possibly affect the CRIZ (City Revitalization and Improvement Zone) and the TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) district.