Punya Bhasin

Nov 5, 2024 | dailyitem.com | Daniel Sheehan |Evan Jones |Punya Bhasin |Andreas Pelekis

Lines stretched around the block Tuesday at polling sites across the Lehigh Valley as people waited, sometimes for hours, to cast ballots in what polls indicate is an extremely close presidential race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. At the Banana Factory in south Bethlehem, where many Lehigh University students waited for the chance to cast their ballots, some for the first time, the wait was more than five hours, according to some people in line.

Oct 30, 2024 | mcall.com | Punya Bhasin

Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds walked into his 2025 budget address with one message: “Bethlehem is a city you want to invest in.”His Wednesday morning address to leaders from the city’s public and private sectors emphasized that the city under his administration will continue prioritizing responsible budgeting and sustainability, with no tax increase planned for next year.

Oct 29, 2024 | mcall.com | Punya Bhasin

The Northampton School Board rejected borrowing money to pay for a new elementary school in East Allen Township, but conflicting opinions about financing and tangents on immigration took over much of the discussion. The board held a special meeting Monday to discuss the authorization of a bond of up to $35.2 million to fund the “construction,” “fixturing” and “equipping” of a new East Allen Elementary and Education Center, which already are in the process of being built.

Oct 27, 2024 | mcall.com | Punya Bhasin

In this close and divisive election, many polls show the election coming down to swing states like Pennsylvania. But the state has left tens of thousands of votes and one of the largest voting blocs in the hands of a few overextended employees and individuals. Harvey Sligh and his wife Carole are among the 80,000 Pennsylvanians who reside in the more than 700 nursing homes throughout the state.

Oct 2, 2024 | mcall.com | Punya Bhasin

The developer of one of three proposed warehouses in Lowhill Township is asking officials to modify the township sewer ordinance, a request that is not being met with resident support. At a Tuesday night meeting, Lowhill Township officials explained that while warehouse plans are “stalled” at the moment, the township has received motions from CRG Services Management, regarding its plans to develop a 299,800-square-foot warehouse at 2951 Betz Court.