State & Regional News

Gov. Josh Shapiro put the reconstruction of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia front and center on Thursday, launching a livestream of the progress that will run online 24/7 until the job is finished.

Held June 7 in Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley Environmental Advisory Council Network’s “Funding Municipal Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs,” focused on federal and state funding opportunities available to organizations across the region.

There’s one major question as we approach the summer solstice in the Lehigh Valley – where’s the warmth?

The House budget recently passed on a party-line vote increased school maintenance funding to $350 million from $100 million proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro

Few, if any, bridges in Pennsylvania insulate the steel beams in their decks, PennDOT Deputy Secretary Mike Rebert said Wednesday. High-intensity fires capable of destabilizing those bridges are rare, but do happen.

Democrats in Pennsylvania are optimistic that Republicans will finally agree to raise the state's minimum wage after years of debate. A Republican member of the state Senate's leadership team is leading a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, providing hope for a resolution, although challenges remain in the GOP-controlled state Senate.

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 Museum Pass program offered by Allentown Public Library has grown to include partnerships with close to 20 museums, gardens and historic sites in Eastern Pennsylvania. It's exclusive to adult residents in Allentown.

Staff at the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study are reviewing more than 600 suggested projects for the region's Long Range Transportation Plan. Planners anticipate getting $4.3 billion in funding, which isn't enough to meet all the needs.

Regional and national news outlets Thursday left out an important detail about the return of the Canadian wildfire smoke — it was nowhere near the ground.

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.

The sudden cave-in of part of the busy East Coast highway created an immediate traffic nightmare for drivers. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a disaster declaration.

After the driest May on record, the Lehigh Valley is still dealing with bone dry conditions, exacerbating allergies and creating optimum conditions for brush fires.

Chris Kiskeravage, the retired assistant chief for training in the Allentown Fire Department, died after a battle with cancer. Colleagues say his personality and wealth of knowledge made lasting impressions on those he instructed.