Good morning, Allentown.

Lehigh Valley Balloon Fest will be held Aug.

28-29 at Slatington Airport (1000 Airport Lane). The festival will feature hot air balloon rides, nighttime glows, laser light shows and fireworks plus local food vendors, rides and family activities.

Lehigh Valley hosts summer events this weekend: a children’s festival today at the zoo in North Whitehall, a blueberry festival with new vendors in Bethlehem starting Saturday, a patriotic blues festival at SteelStacks + street fairs and viewing parties in Hackettstown and a Puerto Rican parade in Allentown.

Bethany Children's Home unveiled a new $121K basketball court at its campus in Heidelberg Twp — funded by community leaders, supporters, and donors who raised the funds over the past few years.

Officials say the court will offer a safe space for kids to learn important values through sports.

Rotary members installed a new leadership team on July 9 at Brookside Country Club.

New president Valerie Deneen outlined a vision to strengthen community service and expand local partnerships for the coming year.

23andMe will pay $18M in a settlement for its 2023 data breach that affected millions — Pennsylvania will receive $491,902 from a payout agreed by 42 states after the company’s bankruptcy reduced the initial $150M figure.

Families and community leaders celebrated 30 years of creativity at the Crayola Experience in Easton yesterday when a birthday ceremony was held indoors (the event was moved inside due to poor air quality).

Guests met characters, danced with a DJ, and joined interactive experiments and games.

Local farmers in Germansville face steep input costs and tougher marketing challenges as inflation and shifting consumer habits strain their businesses.

They say new land-preservation legislation is needed to attract younger farmers (a crucial step to keep local production sustainable).

Thomas Jefferson University will establish a new regional campus of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at One Center Square (downtown Allentown) to expand medical education and boost the local health workforce.

The campus will provide over 54,000 sqft of education space and partner with Jefferson Health for clinical training.

The Pennsylvania state budget gives more money to East Penn and Salisbury Township schools — $1.5 million for East Penn and $176,200 for Salisbury — to boost wellness, safety and education programs, including a daily 30-minute recess for students in kindergarten to fifth grade.

Smoke from Canadian and northern Minnesota wildfires has lowered air quality across Pennsylvania, triggering Code Red alerts on Thursday and Code Orange alerts today in Allentown as health officials advise limiting outdoor activity and using N95 respirators—showers may briefly clear the haze but a wind shift is needed for lasting improvement.

Home prices in Lehigh and Northampton counties hit a record high of $385,000 in June — an increase of over 4% from last year — as inventory remains tight and homes sold in about 19 days, according to Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors.

Township engineers are still reviewing Project Atlas, a proposal for three 500,000 sqft data center buildings, two accessory buildings, an electrical substation, roadway & stormwater facilities plus historic barn restoration.

Residents voiced concerns over generator noise, diesel emissions & traffic near Parkland High School before the Planning Commission's review.

Bourbon & Blues Night with BC Blue

6-10 p.m. — 1812 Piano Lounge — Reservations required — Enjoy a soulful evening of live blues music with BC Blue, featuring the dynamic sounds of Bev Conklin.

DCI: Drum Corps International - 2 Day Pass

6:30-9:30 p.m. — J. Birney Crum Stadium — VIP tickets available — Experience top-tier drum corps performances with exclusive VIP packages.

Scranton Wilkes Barre RailRiders vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs

5:30-7:45 p.m. — Coca-Cola Park — Ticket prices vary — Catch the exciting Minor League Baseball action with local favorites IronPigs taking on the RailRiders.