Thursday, October 25, 2012
Northampton County expects to purchase the development rights of 30 farms with 2012 funds.
Northampton County is on track to preserve more farms than ever before, thanks to a concerted effort by the county, state and several municipalities. Oh, and the housing slump played its part. The county expects to use $6.18 million of 2012 money to purchase the development rights of 30 farms, which will preserve 868 acres, according to Maria Bentzoni, the county’s Farmland Preservation administrator. With $2 million from the county and another $1.89 million from four townships, Northampton County received the most state matching funds of any county in the state for 2012, she said. “The fact that the market is down, that was another way we made our dollars go further,” Bentzoni said. “Obviously we want to strike when the market is down …
Monday, October 22, 2012
The Northampton County District Attorney's Office files theft charges against former county Solicitor Anthony J. Martino.
Former Northampton County Solicitor Anthony J. Martino faces charges after a grand jury concluded that he committed thefts and theft-related offenses while working as an attorney in Bangor. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli held a press conference Monday morning to announce the grand jury results regarding Martino, who faces charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, forgery and misapplication of entrusted property. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Patch.com, Martino -- working for a law firm in Bangor -- was named executor of the estate of John L. Farace, who died March 3, 2008. Farace's …
Monday, October 15, 2012
Both Northampton and Lehigh counties will have more registered voters in the 2012 presidential election than they had in 2008. Democrats hold substantial edge in both counties.
- ELECTIONS
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Monday, October 15, 2012
The voter registration offices of Northampton and Lehigh counties both saw last-minute surges, giving each a greater number of registered voters for the 2012 presidential election than they had in 2008. Democrats held a substantial edge in both counties, outnumbering Republicans by 31,000 in Northampton County and 36,000 in Lehigh County as of late last week. However, representatives of both voter registration offices said they had more names to input into their records from last-minute registrations. As of Friday morning (Oct. 12), Northampton County had 101,338 registered Democrats, 70,321 Republicans and 37,426 independents and members of other parties, according to Dee Rumsey, county director of elections. That’s a total number of …
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Northampton County Democrats have a 31,017 edge over Republicans but hundreds of voter registrations are still being tallied and verified. Registration exceeds the 2008 presidential election.
With last minute surges in voter registration, Northampton County Democrats outnumbered Republicans by 31,017, as of Friday morning. But the Northampton County Election Office still had hundreds more registrations to check addresses for and to put into the computer system, said Dee Rumsey, county director of elections. As of Friday morning (Oct. 12), Northampton County had 101,338 registered Democrats, 70,321 Republicans and 37,426 independents and members of other parties, according to Rumsey. That’s a total number of 209,085 voters, though it was being updated by the minute. That tops registration for the 2008 Presidential Election, when Northampton County, had 208,521 registered voters. In that election, county residents cast 130,417 …
Monday, September 10, 2012
A new Miracle League Field, the second in the Lehigh Valley, was dedicated Sunday in Palmer Township.
"Play Ball!" After an hour-long dedication ceremony, players took to the new Miracle League field Sunday afternoon in Palmer Township. "There are no strikeouts here, only winners," Northampton County Executive John Stoffa said of the second Miracle League field to open in the Lehigh Valley. (Another field is located in Orefield, Lehigh County.) "May this miracle continue for many years to come." The ceremony fetured dignitaries and speakers such as Stoffa, National Miracle League Executive Director Diane Alford, Chuck Brady of the Cal Ripkin Sr. Foundation, Easton Rotary Club President Mike Woodley and Richard Agretto, president of the Miracle League of Northampton County. Others in attendance included state Rep. Joe Emrick, Palmer …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Despite coming in below the national average for percent of income given, Northampton County households recorded $97.5 million in contributions in 2008, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
People who live in Northampton County donated $97.5 million to charity in 2008, making it the 270th most charitable county in the country, according to a new report from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Not too shabby, considering there are 3,115 counties in the United States. This data is part of a comprehensive report, “How America Gives,” recently released by the Chronicle. The publication broke down communities by zip code and looked at the contributions of households that made more than $50,000 a year. Discretionary income is counted as what taxpayers had left after they paid taxes and paid for food, housing and other essentials. Northampton County’s median discretionary income was $54,871, according to the Chronicle’s interactive …
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Walt Garvin is a delegate to the Democratic Convention in Charlotte, N.C.
- ELECTIONS
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Sunday, September 2, 2012
Editor's Note: Northampton County Democratic Party Chairman Walt Garvin is one of two Lehigh Valley delegates from the 17th Congressional District at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. The 15th Congressional District also sent delegates from the Lehigh Valley, including Allentown City Council President Julio Guridy, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Kathleen D. Miller of Upper Milford, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan and Miriam Huertas of Allentown. Adrian Shanker of Bethlehem is an alternate delegate. Name: Walt Garvin Party: Democratic Age: 57 Hometown: Bethlehem Township Political Office: Chairman, Northampton County Democratic Party Employment: Semi-Retired Marital Status/Children: Married (Julie), One son Kevan, 23 …
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Columnist headed to the only Driver's License Center in Lehigh County that issues IDs for voters.
I spent a recent afternoon in an experiment to see how long it might take to get a voter’s photo ID from the PennDOT Driver's License Center off Airport Road. I’ll tell you the results in a minute. It’s an important question because according to Pennsylvania’s Department of State, about 31,000 registered voters in the Lehigh Valley are without a current driver’s license or state issued non-driver ID that will enable them to vote in the Nov. 6 presidential election. Some of those folks have other official photo identification that will be accepted at the polls because they are a government employee, a member of the military, a university student or a nursing home patient or employee. All those IDs, so long as they haven’t expired -- plus …
Monday, July 9, 2012
The PA Department of State released figures this week after comparing PennDOT and voter registration databases, including information for Northampton County.
In Northampton County alone, there are 18,062 registered voters who do not have a PennDOT ID number that will be required to vote in the fall general election, according to a Pennsylvania Department of State comparison of voter registration rolls and PennDOT ID databases. In March, state lawmakers approved a new voter ID bill (House Bill 934) that requires each voter to present proof of identification at every election. Sponsored by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, the law is scheduled to take effect for the Nov. 6 general election. The law has been controversial, as Democrats have challenged that it will disenfranchise voters without proper IDs, while Republicans say it will help prevent voter fraud. The database comparison provided this…
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Weeks of dry weather led county officials to enact burn ban, but more than two inches of rain may fall today.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Sunday, April 22, 2012
A Northampton County-wide ban on all outside burning went to effect at midnight. Northampton County Council adopted the Burn Ban Resolution at its meeting Thursday night. The burn ban includes, but is not limited to, the burning of: The burn ban may be enforced by any sworn police officer. Anyone caught violating the ban is subject to a fine. “It is extremely important for all residents and visitors to respect this ban on burning in Northampton County," said County Executive John Stoffa in a press release. "The extremely dry conditions warrant this ban." Robert Mateff, director of Northampton County Emergency Management Services, said his staff will continue to monitor the dry weather conditions. “The existing dry and dangerous burning …
louis kootsares
12:26 pm on Saturday, October 13, 2012
democrats always had a numerical edge in registered voters, but hopefully they are smart enough to know that this administration is horrible and a change is needed or this country will have even worst times.. imagine the horrible effects of obahmacare,if you have no clue ask a doctor,the poor senior citizens,the stripping of medicare money,800billion,his catering to special interest groups.... … more ›