State & Regional News

Jeani Garcia, who took the helm at Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley this year, was recently named to serve on the executive committee for the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie led the field in political fundraising for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District over the past three months. Democratic candidates Ryan Crosswell and Bob Brooks were not far behind, each raising more than $300,000 over the same time period.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's office says without the federal payments for SNAP — the food stamp program — more than $366 million in monthly benefits could be put on hold starting Nov. 1. The federal government shutdown is in its third week.

Northampton County human services workers will not be furloughed on Oct. 20, but may be furloughed at any time with a week's notice. County Executive Lamont McClure said Thursday he did not think a furlough would be necessary this year.

The Philadelphia-based health system will lay off 1% of its staff, citing "financial headwinds." Jefferson Health completed its acquisition of Lehigh Valley Health Network in August 2024.

Three seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are up for retention elections this cycle. Typically a "mundane affair," as described by political scientist Chris Borick, these races now have a lot of eyes on them, with parties looking to flip these judicial seats in swing states.

Applications are open for the second Good Farmer Award U.S. Officials are looking for farmers with less than 10 years of experience who exemplify sustainable farming practices while contributing to community and environmental health.

Republican Roger MacLean and Democrat Josh Siegel are vying for a four-year term as Lehigh County executive. The winner in the Nov. 4 election will succeed Democrat Phil Armstrong, who cannot run again because of term limits.

A crop farm in Lehigh County was included in the latest round of Pennsylvania's Farmland Preservation Program. Twenty-three other farms across the state were also preserved.

Operations at Lehigh Valley International Airport have not suffered from the government shutdown to date, according to Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority officials. However, an increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick during the last shutdown spurred a deal in 2019.

Northampton County Council adopted a resolution Thursday urging state lawmakers to adopt a budget as soon as possible. It's part of a wave of similar resolutions across the state, calculated to present a united front and put pressure on Harrisburg.

PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center on Tuesday released its new report, “Solar Schools for Pennsylvania: Repowering Education with Clean Energy."

State Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Lehigh, and Republican Roger MacLean, Allentown's former police chief and city councilman, traded barbs and insults during the taping of the "Business Matters" Lehigh County executive debate.

State Police, municipal police officers and members of the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office took part in virtual reality training at the Jane Scheller-Wayne Woodman Community Service Center at Lehigh Carbon Community College on Wednesday.

Charles Bierbauer earned degrees in journalism and Russian from Penn State University and worked two decades at CNN, starting just a year after the network's inception. He grew up in Allentown.

Penn State Extension this summer published "The Bees of Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Genera,” outlining the commonwealth’s more than 440 species of bees, organized by genus.

Allentown City Council last month gave Mayor Matt Tuerk 30 days to acquire a property for safe camping or temporary shelter for residents of an encampment due to close Sept. 29. Tuerk says he won't meet that deadline.

Senate Bill 980, introduced Wednesday, would phase out the manufacture, sale and use of firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, beginning in 2026.

For more than three decades, Hunters Sharing the Harvest has facilitated a venison donation program throughout Pennsylvania, creating a network of deer processors and hunger relief agencies. Find out how much was donated and where last season.

The National Weather Service said Friday that much of the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area has experienced its coldest August in about 10 years.

The 2025 autumn migration count has begun at Hawk Mountain. It's the longest running raptor migration count in the world.

The Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley was one of the half-dozen winners of this year’s Environmental Partnership Awards.