Lehigh Co. executive commits to COVID-19 recovery in address
Lehigh County will be ready to host mass coronavirus inoculations once more vaccines become available, Executive Phillips Armstrong vowed Thursday.
Like it has most elements of everyday life, the pandemic dominated Armstrong’s annual State of Lehigh County address. After holding a moment of silence for county residents who have died because of the virus, Armstrong spelled out how the county has adapted by learning to social distance and work remotely.
When federal funding became available, his administration worked with the other government officials and regional partners to get aid to those in need, he said. Lehigh County’s efforts are still ongoing, working with groups large enough to host mass vaccination sites in the future. He asked local residents to do their part and aid in the recovery by putting their faith in the vaccine.
“Please. We need herd immunity. To get back to normal, we need you — when it’s your turn — to please get there and get that shot,” said Armstrong, who publicized his own inoculation in January to boost support for the shots.
The county, he noted, has already plugged the $33 million it received from federal coronavirus relief legislation into the local community. Rather than decide itself how to divvy up the funds, his administration created an advisory board of elected officials, nonprofits and business leaders to oversee the distribution of aid. Some $5 million wound up going to 700 small businesses, with another $6 million going to groups addressing mental health, substance abuse and other human service support, Armstrong said.
He noted Lehigh County stood apart from many of its peers as it was one of the few counties that provided economic relief to volunteer fire stations and ambulance corps. These groups normally rely on public fundraisers, but the pandemic prevented them from their customary bucket drives and fish fries. The county also partnered with Northampton County to support organizations like the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority and regional tourism groups like ArtsQuest and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, which have been hard hit by economic fallout from COVID-19.
“We wanted to make sure this money, when it came out, would go where it would do the most good,” Armstrong said.
He repeatedly thanked county workers who have continued to serve the public through the pandemic, pouring particular praise onto staff at Cedarbrook and the 911 Center. Their work allowed the county to keep providing vital services without having to raise taxes in the 2021 budget.
Armstrong returned to a popular talking point of his tenure, emphasizing his disinterest in partisan politics. Effective local government, he said, leaves party identity at the door to tackle the problems facing the community. During his speech, he credited officials on both sides of the aisle with the county’s successes, including the Democratic-led Board of Commissioners and District Attorney Jim Martin, a Republican.
“Here in Lehigh County, working with the municipalities and the commissioners, party does not matter. What matters is we get the job done and we get the job done right,” Armstrong said.
Voters will have a chance to weigh in on how Armstrong has lived up to those words later this year, though it’s unclear what their alternatives will be. Armstrong formally announced he will seek a second term as county executive in December. So far, no one else has announced their candidacy. Those hoping to appear in the May primary have until March 9 to file their petitions.
Like most public events in the past year, the annual address was moved to a virtual format due to the pandemic. Normally, scores of elected officials and local business leaders mingle at CocaCola Park or DeSales University before the address hosted by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. This year, about 40 people tuned in to watch the recorded remarks from Armstrong and Don Cunningham, LVEDC’s executive director.
A Salvadorian man extradited in 2019 has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child in Easton more than a decade ago and faces 30 years in prison for the crime.
Cristobal Alfaro, 48, pleaded guilty Wednesday to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony, as well as endangering the welfare of a child and terroristic threats, both misdemeanors. Alfaro faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years and will have to register for life as a sexual offender under Megan’s Law.
Alfaro admitted in court to sexually assaulting a girl from 2006-10, while she was 11-15 years old. The assaults took place in Easton, authorities say, and were reported to law enforcement in 2011.
The victim told police that Alfaro threatened to kill both her and her mother if she told anyone about the abuse.
Police filed charges against Alfaro in 2011, but learned he was no longer in the country. Authorities found Alfaro, a native of El Salvador, in the country in November 2017. He was arrested by the FBI’s Trans-National AntiGang Task Force, but the extradition proceedings took until 2019 to resolve.
—