Environment & Science

Lehigh Valley's 'Spooktacular' Hot Air Balloon festival is on Friday through Sunday and there's a lot more going on than just balloons

Monkeypox is getting a name change in parts of the country, but the change has not made its way to the Lehigh Valley yet. New York City’s health department recently announced it now will refer to the infectious viral disease as MPV.

The Lehigh Valley's fall cooldown came right on schedule, said Ryan Reed, a specialist at the state Bureau of Forestry. “Cold and dry are two of the best stimuli to bring on great fall colors.”

Two Allentown doctors who helped treat more than a dozen carbon monoxide-poisoned kids in are now sharing the story.

The spray drying services company is required to submit a detailed corrective action plan 15 days from the date of the letter, Oct. 4, explaining why the violations occurred and how they will be prevented in the future.

Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds announced that the city will conduct a feasibility study for a new South Bethlehem Community Center.

A new recycling facility in the Easton Area will aim to sort recyclables from trash, avoiding contamination that renders an entire load a fate that sends it off to the landfill.

Hurricane ravaged Florida continues to get help from Red Cross volunteers from the Lehigh Valley. One Lehigh County woman said she’s been asked to extend her two-week deployment, as more help is needed.

Maybe you woke up this morning wondering, "What is escovitch fish?" (Maybe you didn't?) We answer that and more in this daily list of useful information chosen to inform and enhance your day.

The first frost is possible in the Lehigh Valley this weekend, and October is trending colder than average, meteorologists say. What will it feel like by Halloween?

More than six months after its launch, 33 air quality monitors have been installed throughout the Lehigh Valley as part of Lehigh Valley Breathes, a regionwide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing.

Arcadia Development Corporation plans to tear down the SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western at 300 Gateway Drive off Route 512, replacing it with a warehouse. The permit hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 29 at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem.

A one-day symposium at Lehigh gathered decision-makers from Pennsylvania's big-name universities, talking strategy for recruiting students cross-border and overseas, and touting economic and cultural benefits.

The city is working to establish an application process for microgrants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, according to Allentown’s new sustainability coordinator.

The Lehigh Valley is under a slight risk of excessive rainfall, with the Weather Prediction Center warning of localized and isolated areas of flash flooding Thursday into Friday.

Hosted by the Northampton County Conservation District, the Envirothon is scheduled for April 18 at Louise W. Moore County Park. Teams will be tested in a handful of different topics, including wildlife, forestry, soils and land use, aquatic ecology and a current environmental issue.

The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured.

The Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission will recognize the Allentown State Hospital — which was demolished at the end of 2020 — as a significant part of the Commonwealth’s history by awarding it an Official State Historical Marker.

The results of Lehigh Gap Nature Center's 27th annual Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch are in. Find out what birds were spotted.

An extended view of the total solar eclipse that was promised in the Lehigh Valley on Monday afternoon never materialized due to thick cloud cover, disappointing many of the approximately 1,000 at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

It's solar eclipse day. Here are a few final things to know as we count down to the cosmic spectacle that has been dominating the public consciousness.

Despite the cold weather, dozens of anglers showed out to the Little Lehigh Creek in Allentown to mark the first day of trout season in Pennsylvania. The Fish and Boat Commission has been hard at work populating local waters with trout since February.