State & Regional News

Cedar Crest College has recently received a $1 million state grant to upgrade the turf on the school's softball field.

Carolyn Carluccio, the president judge of Montgomery County Court, announced her candidacy Tuesday in next fall’s election for a 10-year term on the state’s highest court.

Though U.S. Social Security Administration field offices have reopened for in-person services, there continue to be obstacles for people seeking Social Security disability benefits, according to a new report released by a legal advocacy group.

When John Fetterman goes to Washington in January as one of the Senate’s new members, he’ll bring along his style from Pennsylvania. It's one that extends from his own personal and very casual dress code to hanging marijuana flags outside his current office in the state Capitol.

Officials in a northeastern Pennsylvania county where paper shortages caused Election Day ballot problems are deadlocked on whether to report official vote tallies to the state.

With winter here, drivers should be aware of a Pennsylvania law passed earlier this year that requires them to clear snow and ice off their vehicles before hitting the road.

Rep. Mike Schlossberg credited GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano — and Mastriano's extreme positions — with turning the state House blue for the first time in a decade.

Black Friday marks a return to familiar holiday shopping patterns, but inflation is weighing on consumers. Elevated prices for food, rent, gasoline and other household costs have taken a toll on shoppers.

Local authorities are urging travelers to drive safely, without distraction and free from the effects of drugs and alcohol.

Inflation is gift-wrapping a salary increase for Pennsylvania state lawmakers, judges and top executive branch officials in 2023. That includes boosting rank-and-file lawmakers and district judges into six-figure territory.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s gift ban says he can’t take tickets from groups with “financial relations with the Commonwealth.” Team Pennsylvania was awarded $1.8 million in state contracts this year.

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.