State & Regional News

In the home stretch of summer, is the worst of the heat behind us? Here’s where things stand in the Lehigh Valley as we look ahead — and enter the peak of hurricane season.

The American Red Cross and Miller-Keystone Blood Bank are urging people to give blood to avoid a critically low situation. A summer slump and severe weather has impacted donations.

Four farms in Lehigh and Northampton counties were the latest to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, an amusement park that has drawn generations of families for nearly 100 years to the Ocean City boardwalk, will close at the end of the 2024 season. Operators say it's "no longer a viable business."

The Storm Prediction Center has extended a tornado watch until 10 p.m., and the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning until 6:45 p.m.

With Tropical Storm Debby on approach to the region, forecasters continue to refine key messaging on what the Lehigh Valley can expect. We're at a 'slight' risk for severe weather, with tornadoes the main threat. Both Lehigh and Northampton counties are also under a flood watch.

Tropical Storm Debby has been flooding parts of the Atlantic coast as remnants make their way north. As a result, PA-Task Force 1 has been deployed to assist North Carolina in emergency response operations.

Officials in Bethlehem celebrated part of the city's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Wednesday, while making plans for the site's future.

A cold front interacting with moisture from Tropical Storm Debby left the region awash in heavy rain on Tuesday, triggering flash flood warnings and water rescues. More rain will come Friday as Debby moves over the area.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to be her running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket.

The most popular names have been a constant the past few years, according to the major health networks. But one trend that emerged in 2023 in the Lehigh Valley seems to be tied to sports — specifically, the success and popularity of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taylor Swift also may be having an impact.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is starting a new office to help train county election workers, Pa. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. It also plans to update its guidance for logic and accuracy testing that could have caught issues with the Northampton County voting machines.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Nippon Steel is set to pay more than $14 billion to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a deal that Rep. Susan Wild said is “really kind of heartbreaking."

Pennsylvania's gas tax– the highest in the nation in 2023 – will drop from $0.611/gallon to $0.576/gallon and will remain in place through 2024.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said these types of incentives will help to attract “the best and brightest” candidates to serve the city.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

Driven by $8.1 billion in manufacturing, the Lehigh Valley's Gross Domestic Product grew to a record $50.2 billion in 2022. The region's economy now ranks above Vermont and Wyoming.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola said it's a fallacy if the U.S. Postal Service thinks it can save up to $7 million by shipping outgoing mail from the Lehigh Valley to Harrisburg for processing without cutting jobs. On Monday, she called on USPS to do further analysis of its plans.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at 11 a.m. on Wednesday is holding a meeting at its Allentown office to brainstorm and prioritize ways to decarbonize transportation across the region. Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions.