Worried about a planned PPL rate hike, Veronica Burley decided that 2008 would be the year she went solar.

She proposed installing some solar panels on a pole at her home in Bushkill Township (Northampton County) and let the sun slice 30 percent off her family’s electric bill.

She hadn’t planned to spend an extra $500 on zoning fees. According to the township zoning rules, putting up the pole constituted building a new structure. That irritated Burley, who says the pole is about as tall as a basketball hoop.

‘‘Everybody tells you to go with alternative energy. Then you have the township putting up roadblocks,’‘ said Burley, whose plan ultimately was approved by the Zoning Hearing Board.  read more »

William Platt II’s Blackberry started buzzing halfway through John McCain’s speech.

Minutes earlier, the Lehigh County Republican chairman twice had referred to Barack Obama as Barack Hussein Obama, and word was racing across America’s media wires, Web pages and political blogs.  read more »

Democratic state House candidate John R. Ritter is undergoing treatment for leukemia but plans to stay in the race for the 187th District seat, his campaign said Wednesday.

Ritter began treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on Monday. He was diagnosed and received a treatment plan last week, his campaign said.

‘‘John’s doctor anticipates he will recover and be able to serve if elected in November,’‘ Ritter’s wife and campaign manager, Lynn Ritter, said in a written statement. She said Ritter will campaign as treatment allows. ‘‘Getting well will be my husband’s first priority, but John will keep in touch with supporters and constituents.’‘  read more »

A widely anticipated ban on the use of deer-hunting rifles in the Lehigh Valley may not happen as soon as expected, a Pennsylvania Game Commission official said Sunday.

A preliminary vote on the rifle ban — which would expand Southeastern Pennsylvania’s shotgun-only area to include virtually all of Lehigh and Northampton counties and a significant portion of Berks County — is scheduled for Tuesday.

But Commissioner Gregory Isabella of Philadelphia, whose district includes the Lehigh Valley, said sportsmen have raised a number of concerns that may require more consideration before the measure moves forward. Additional discussion could take place today during the commission’s work session.  read more »

Bethlehem Councilman J. Michael Schweder said Thursday that he plans to introduce legislation that will place strict limits on the money individuals and political committees can give to candidates for all city offices.

Candidates for mayor, city council, controller or treasurer would not be allowed to accept more than $1,000 from any person during an election year or $2,500 from any political action committee. During non-election years, the contributing limits would drop to $500 for PACs or people.  read more »

An Easton city solicitor is investigating whether the city’s new charter prohibits Pam Panto from serving on City Council, and a legal opinion could be issued as early as today.

On Jan. 2, City Council appointed Panto, whose four-year term on council had just ended, to fill the vacancy.

The inquiry stems from a 42-word provision in the new charter involving former council members, city officials said.

‘‘No former council member shall hold any compensated appointive city office or city employment … until one year after the expiration of the term,’‘ the provision states.  read more »

When Easton Mayor Phil Mitman entered office on Jan 5, 2004, he inherited a host of problems.

The city’s financial outlook was bleak, economic development was stagnant and the police department was reeling from a number of multimillion-dollar civil rights lawsuits.

As Mitman, 63, leaves city hall on Tuesday to serve as executive director of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., he leaves behind questions of whether he tackled those challenges or fell victim to them.  read more »