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.

A tornado warning was issued in the Martins Creek area of Northampton County on Monday afternoon as severe storms moved through. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service confirmed a twister had reached the ground.

Officials gathered at The Waterfront to highlight the Environmental Protection Agency’s $5 billion climate pollution reduction grants program.

The region had been in drought and running a deficit in the rain column, but things changed in a big way on Monday for some parts of the Lehigh Valley. Now, more heavy rainfall is on the way.

A Pennsylvania state court on Tuesday rejected the latest Republican effort to throw out the presidential battleground state's broad mail-in voting law.

Prosecutors say they are seeking the death penalty against a man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death late last year.

Storms today could bring damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding or even a tornado or two across the region. The Lehigh Valley is now under an enhanced risk for severe weather.

A coalition with wealthy backers is pushing Pennsylvania lawmakers to use public dollars to create tuition vouchers so K-12 students can attend private schools. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is in support of this idea.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

In the wake of an antisemitic group spreading hateful flyers across the area, Rep. Susan Wild and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley are making it clear that hate has no place in the Lehigh Valley.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola said she will remain a Democrat but will promote the centrist ideology of the centrist Forward Party co-founded by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania officials enlisted the help of Pocono Raceway to speed up the I-95 bridge repair.

There is $1.5 million in funds to be distributed to those in need by Community Action Lehigh Valley.