- 
                Micaela Hood/LehighValleyNews.comU.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, has organized a food drive while pinning the ongoing government shutdown on Senate Democrats. SNAP benefits that help feed millions of low-income Americans are hours away from expiring.
- 
                Matt Rourke/AP PhotoTwo federal judge have ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund the SNAP food aid program using contingency funds during the government shutdown. The administration has said it can't fund SNAP with the government shuttered.
- 
                        The late William Jacob Heller founded The American Flag Manufacturing Co. in Easton in 1887, helping popularize the U.S. flag nationally. Heller is credited as being instrumental in having flags hung at schoolhouses throughout the nation.
- 
                        Local experts say the Lehigh Valley is well prepared to knock down wildfires, but state data show those blazes are becoming much more common across Pennsylvania.
- 
                        The Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors reported home sales dropped 22% in May — normally a busy season. Increased interest rates and tight inventory in Lehigh and Northampton counties were driving the figures, according to GLVR.
- 
                        State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, is the architect of a bill that would allocate $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan funding for mental health programs. It passed the House last week and is under state Senate consideration.
- 
                        The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners in April voted to remove the mail-in application process for antlerless licenses, as well as move up the sale to the fourth Monday in June.
- 
                        Moms for Liberty, a Florida-based nonprofit that didn't exist in 2020, has become a power player in conservative politics ahead of the 2024 elections, including in the Lehigh Valley.
- 
                        Spraying began 9 a.m. at Washington Crossing State Park. Black flies have been a recognized pest of humans and livestock in Pennsylvania since the 1970s.
- 
                        Around 53-hundred mail carriers were attacked by dogs last year, according to the United States Postal Service. Pennsylvania is 4th on the list of top dog bites among postal workers.
- 
                        Transportation officials warned of extensive delays and street closures and urged drivers to avoid the area in the city's northeast corner following the collapse of a portion of I-95 on Sunday.
- 
                        A report by the United Way of the Pennsylvania found basic amenities are too expensive for 39% of the state's households, including ones where people are employed full time.
- 
                        Registration is open for the Nurture Nature Center's Youth Climate Summit of the Lehigh Valley, a free event April 19 and 20. The summit aims to engage middle and high school students in climate change issues, as well as seek solutions.
- 
                        Rep. Joshua Siegel announced on Friday he will seek a second term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Siegel, 29, represents the 22nd Legislative District, which includes parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township.
- 
                        The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is looking for public comment concerning PPL's 2023 billing fiasco which led to a $1 million civil penalty.
- 
                        During a meeting in Allentown Wednesday, Make the Road Pennsylvania organized a rally in opposition of a bill package from Rep. Ryan Mackenzie that they characterized as "anti-immigrant."
- 
                        Marc Muffley, 41, of Lansford in Carbon County, had an entire row of family and friends supporting him at the federal courthouse in Allentown. He was arrested and charged last year.
- 
                        Gov. Josh Shapiro was in Bethlehem on Tuesday to announce the expansion of the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. Older, disabled residents can apply for rebates up to $1,000. State Rep. Steve Samuelson authored the legislation.
- 
                        North Whitehall Township's Klusaritz Family Farm was recognized at the Pennsylvania Farm Show as one of six farms across the state that had been in the same family for more than 100 years.
- 
                        PPL Electric Utilities and Met-Ed, which serve the Lehigh Valley, said high winds were bringing down poles and wires. The biggest trouble spots appeared to be in Lower Macungie Township, the Bath area, and the Slate Belt.
- 
                        Pennsylvania’s economy will center around agriculture in 2024, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro.
- 
                        Snow squalls cause dangerous travel conditions and can be blinding for motorists, according to the National Weather Service. The Lehigh Valley is at highest risk from mid-morning into the afternoon.
- 
                        The troop from New Tripoli has set a goal of selling 6,000 boxes, with plans to use that money to fund a two-week trip to Europe next year.
- 
                        Alvin Pettit’s statue design, “A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter,” was selected from five finalists in a year-long process.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
