State & Regional News

With an unusually politicized Supreme Court retention question on the ballot Tuesday, Lehigh Valley voters overwhelmingly backed Democratic candidates.

Mackenzie, along with officials from Wildlands Conservancy, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, on Wednesday morning hiked a portion of the property, lauding the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund that helped preserve it.

Following a wind advisory Wednesday night, forecasters say the Lehigh Valley will see a fairly active pattern continuing through the weekend and into early next week as temperatures tumble.

Democrat Sarah Fevig may have spent a record amount for a single county commissioner candidate in her campaign. Meanwhile, Zach Cole-Borghi handily defeated his opponent despite the specter of criminal charges.

All three of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices who sought reelection Tuesday will get another term. The result shapes the makeup of the seven-member court through the next presidential election in 2028.

People came to the polls mindful of the state Supreme Court retention vote — and with a wide variety of issues on their minds, from the federal government shutdown to abortion policy and access to health care.

Here's all you need to know about the 2025 general election in the Lehigh Valley, where scores of local races are on the ballot — including county and municipal offices, plus school boards and Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention questions getting an unusual amount of attention.

Nancy Dischinat served as executive director of Workforce Board Lehigh Valley for the past 27 years, helping build an environment of skilled workers that created a sought-out business environment.

The partisan divide is still a reality when it comes to Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot system. Democrats accounted for nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania's requests. More than 1 million people statewide requested a mail-in ballot, according to the state.

Lawmakers were told that while insurance companies must notify PennDOT when a policy is canceled, the new insurer is not required to report when coverage is reinstated.

Black Friday is almost upon us, when retailers kick off the holiday season with offers meant to get customers in the shopping mood. A number of stores that were closed on Thanksgiving, including Walmart and Target, reopen early Friday as the holiday shopping season begins in earnest.

In an effort to ensure drivers in the Lehigh Valley abide by speed limits and remain mindful of not being distracted, Pennsylvania State Police plan to step up enforcement from Wednesday through Sunday in this Thanksgiving holiday period.

A federal court has directed Pennsylvania counties to accept mail ballots that a voter has failed to date or misdated, a long-awaited decision that could affect thousands of ballots in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence is open to any commonwealth business, farm, government agency, educational institution or nonprofit organization that has developed or participated in a project that promotes environmental protection and stewardship. Applications are due by Jan. 3.

When state officials announced a series of in-person and virtual meetings there were no in-person meetings slated for the Lehigh Valley, even though the region is the third largest metropolitan area in the commonwealth. A meeting in Allentown has been added to the schedule.

A significant storm is set to soak the region this week, and it will come during the peak travel days ahead of Thanksgiving. Some areas could even see wintry precipitation.

Pennsylvania saw a nearly 50% increase in Hispanic-owned businesses between 2012 and 2019, according to Census data. Non-Hispanic businesses increased by 9.3%, which means Latinos are creating businesses at a higher rate than their non-Hispanic peers.

While the goal is to transition communities to clean energy while creating jobs, there are still many unknowns about the projects. Even though there are two hubs slated for Pennsylvania, it could be a while before the Lehigh Valley’s residents begin to feel any impacts.

First introduced by state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh Valley, in 2015 and approved by the Senate in July, the bill would increase the fine and direct any monies collected towards bald and golden eagle conservation efforts across the commonwealth.

"We were building the plane while we were flying it,” said one consultant.

Pre-Thanksgiving storm ahead: Your best-laid plans to hit the road for the holiday could be upended next week, forecasters warn.

The Senate unanimously passed the legislation on Nov. 16 which Gov. Shapiro, a Democrat, signed a day after it passed.