Good morning, Allentown.

Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio enlisted bereavement coordinators (Jessica Tirpak and Alexandra Cortese) to help families reconnect with remains from his evidence room, holding a September morning funeral that brought closure for eight unclaimed souls while work continues on the final case.

Francesca’s, a women's retailer with 20 PA stores, is planning to close all locations and liquidate inventory soon after unexpected layoffs on Jan.

14 and reports of unpaid invoices. The chain’s financial struggles have led to its decision to wind down operations.

American Airlines will resume daily nonstop flights from ABE (Lehigh Valley International Airport) to ORD (Chicago O’Hare) starting May 21 with departures at 6:00 a.m. and 5:18 p.m. and arrivals at 4:48 and 10:15 p.m. The new schedule will boost travel options locally.

Lehigh Valley Active Life (1633 W.

Elm St) in Allentown offers a variety of January events in its Trexler Room, including dance shows, arts workshops, exercise classes, and support groups, with a per person fee that covers refreshments.

Citizen Soldier will return to Archer Music Hall on Tuesday, May 26 at 6 p.m. in the Arrow room with support from 10 Years, Adelitas Way, and New Medicine; tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. at 939 Hamilton St (purchase online or at the box office).

Rylan Domingues, a Phillies pitching analyst and former Lower Macungie student, taught middle school math classes on Jan.

14 about using math to improve baseball play. He showed graphs (with data and slides) to explain how numbers help players and coaches get better.

At Dodd Elementary on Jan.

16, teacher Marlene Rickerby’s class took part in the Tools of the Trade program that taught career vocabulary & journalism techniques. Acting Director Nicole Singer organized the district event featuring volunteer Dr. Lisa Draper & additional sessions scheduled for spring.

Allentown School District and DIGroup Architecture broke ground on an $11M Family & Community Resource Center at 265 Lehigh St on the Bridgeview Academy campus.

The two-story, 13,750 sqft center will centralize student enrollment and key services and is slated for completion in December.

Choreo, a Chicago accounting firm, will acquire nearly all assets from Allentown’s Northeast Financial Group & Reading’s Herbein Financial Group, adding 12 employees and $1.3B in client assets.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center launched its second annual MKBC Blood Donor Madness competition on Jan.

12 to boost campus blood drives; schools in Allentown (Bethlehem, Easton, Pittston and Reading) will compete over 12 weeks with winners and scholarship awards announced during the week of April 13.

Waterfront Development Company in Allentown has revised its master plan for the 29-acre project along the Lehigh River to focus on housing instead of office space.

Developer Zac Jaindl said the update—prompted by pandemic shifts—may change again if economic conditions shift.

Hershey Bears vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms

7:05-9:05 p.m. — PPL Center — Tickets required — A thrilling AHL matchup featuring local hockey rivalries.

Downtown Allentown Restaurant Week

February 1-7 — Downtown Allentown — Variety of offers and prix fixe menus — Indulge in delicious specials at local eateries during this culinary celebration.

R&B ONLY

8 PM – 12 AM — Archer Music Hall — 21+ event — Sing, dance, and experience R&B music from past to present.

Simon Mulligan Jazz Performance

7:30-9:30 p.m. — Miller Symphony Hall — Tickets available — Experience the captivating blend of classical and jazz by acclaimed pianist Simon Mulligan.