Good morning, Bethlehem.

Bethlehem will host Walnut Week from November 17 to November 21 at the Walnut Street Garage to celebrate the opening of the city’s newest landmark—events include a news conference, transportation meeting, rooftop preview, grand opening, and a local business walk.

City officials say the week-long celebration will boost community pride.

On August 20, Cardi B and Atlantic Records hosted an event at Spin Me Round at Palmer Park Mall where fans who preordered her CD received a professional photo with the Grammy-winning rapper—over 1,000 fans lined up as early as 6 a.m. to get the chance to meet her.

Local candy makers in the Lehigh Valley will offer special Halloween treats like ghost-shaped Peeps® and Sour Ghoulish Grape Mike and Ike® when trick-or-treaters return, and the region's concentration of candy manufacturers is 3.7 times higher than the national average—expansions by Kervan USA and Bazzini are expected to boost jobs and grow the local economy.

Lehigh Carbon Community College and Northampton Community College are part of a Technology and Trades Workforce Consortium that will prepare students for high-tech data center jobs as Amazon plans to invest $20 billion to create at least 1,250 roles in communities such as Salem Township, Luzerne County and Falls Township, Bucks County — the consortium will offer career and technology, microcredential and pre-apprenticeship academies to meet industry needs.

Bethlehem Area School District has named Jennifer LoConte as its new communications manager and she will start in mid-November.

LoConte brings over 20 years of experience in communications (from nonprofits, corporate, and public roles) to share the district’s story.

At a school board meeting on Oct.

20 at East Hills MS, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Maureen Leeson and Freedom HS Principal Laurie Sage honored National Merit winners, including Ethan Fredericks and commended students Gwen Adriguez, Sean Blackton, and Cody Smith. Superintendent Jack Silva welcomed Elise Jones—formerly principal of Easton Area MS—to head Fountain Hill elementary.

The Easton Area School District Board of Directors voted Tuesday to withhold 30% of charter school payments until the state enacts a 2025-26 budget and to call on state leaders to fund education, while joining similar actions by Bethlehem Area School District.

The board also approved a 2% salary increase for its executive leadership team even as some board members and public commenters opposed the raises because of recent tax hikes and budget shortfalls.

Adrianne Finley Odell, Head of School at Moravian Academy, said Tuesday morning that AI is changing K-12 education as teachers set boundaries amid parent concerns about reduced critical thinking and creativity—seniors were the first to use AI tools since their freshman year.

She noted that this development has prompted careful reviews of AI’s role in learning.

Iman Sajjad became president of the Diversity Peer Educators at Lehigh and now leads other campus groups like Dravo House and EMS; she uses kindness and clear boundaries to help students feel understood—she learned this lesson after feeling burnt out last semester.

Lehigh University formally adopted the Chicago Principles for free speech today after President Joseph Helble announced the new policy in a video sent to the campus community, stating the policy includes a Lehigh-specific preamble to guide open discussion and respectful debate.

The Board of Trustees approved the policy after input from the Faculty and Student Senates and the university also launched a new brand campaign called Real to highlight its distinct identity.

At Freedom High School, students celebrated spirit week with themed dress days, a bonfire, a hallway decorating contest and a pep rally ahead of Saturday's Freedom-Liberty game.

The football team lost to rival Liberty on Saturday afternoon, but the school kept its strong spirit.

PennCyber is offering weekly online safety topics during Cybersecurity Awareness Month to help Pennsylvanians use strong passwords, enable multifactor authentication, recognize scams, and update software.

The program, guided by the Core 4 steps, will run throughout October—aiming to boost digital security statewide.

Bethlehem’s first large-scale affordable housing rental project in over a decade will break ground next year after it was awarded low-income housing tax credits by PHFA.

The 60-unit Gateway on Fourth project—located at 1400-1414 E. Fourth St.—is a public-private partnership that will offer affordable and market rate homes for residents earning up to 60 percent of the area median income.

Lehigh’s men’s wrestling team held its annual Brown and White match at Grace Hall on October 23, 2025, where teams competed in several bouts with wins decided by points and technical falls.

The event showcased matchups among first-year, sophomore, and senior wrestlers in varied weightclass duels.

IL Divo Concert

8:00-9:30 p.m. — The Club at Wind Creek Event Center — Last-minute tickets available — Experience the harmonies of IL Divo in a vibrant setting.

Postmodern Jukebox Concert

7-8:30 p.m. — Zoellner Arts Center — Tickets required — Experience today’s pop hits reimagined in the classic styles of legendary musicians.

The Snowbird Golf Tournament

Participation welcome — 3604 Farmersville Rd, Bethlehem, PA — Entry fee may apply — Hit the greens in the community's winter golf tournament.

Damon Sumner Stand-Up Comedy Show

8-10 p.m. — Bethlehem Visitor Center at SteelStacks — $21 — Enjoy a night of laughter with comedian Damon Sumner as he shares hilarious stories and observations from his life.

Chiodos Concert

5:30-8:30 p.m. — Sands Casino And Hotel — Tickets from $81 — Enjoy an electrifying performance by Chiodos at the Wind Creek Event Center.

Le Nozze di Figaro

4-5 p.m. — Zoellner Arts Center — Experience the comedic and dramatic brilliance of Mozart's masterpiece through talented young artists.

2025 Bethlehem Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

4:30-5:30 p.m. — Payrow Plaza — Free entry — Experience the magic of Christmas with twinkling lights, festive carols, and a chance to meet Santa.