State & Regional News

The drought is far from over, but enough precipitation has fallen to boost the confidence of state officials when it comes to outdoor fires.

Join Megan Frank every Friday at 9:30am and 6:30pm for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Brittany Sweeney takes her place, joined by politics reporter Tom Shortell and Easton reporter Brian Myszkowski.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania is conceding his reelection bid to Republican David McCormick. The concession came Thursday, more than two weeks after Election Day. A statewide recount is showing no signs of closing the gap and Casey's campaign has suffered repeated blows in court.

FirstEnergy sought to raise local customers' electric bills by more than 9%, but the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission blocked the higher rate.

The bipartisan House Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development Committee spent three days in the Lehigh Valley this week. Part of the visit included a hearing with local organizers to discuss funding celebrations of America's 250th anniversary.

After a steady – but not soaking – overnight rain, the area remains on track to break a pair of records that have stood the test of time. But more precipitation is on the way, including snow.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning in effect from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon for Carbon and Monroe counties in an "elevation-dependent system."

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild said the House Ethics Committee is split in deliberations over how to handle an investigations into former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz on allegations of sexual misconduct. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Gaetz to lead the Justice Department.

The Lehigh County Board of Elections voted 3-0 to certify 191,158 ballots Wednesday afternoon. Fights over how to count contested provisional ballots are already popping up in the neck-and-neck U.S. Senate race between Bob Casey and David McCormick.

Organic whole and baby carrots linked to Grimmway Farms, including several brands available in stores throughout the Lehigh Valley, have been recalled due to concerns of E. coli.

The spring migration count at Hawk Mountain has ended with counts 25% above the 10-year average.

There are more than 400 species of bees in Pennsylvania, but loss of habitat, disease and pesticides have put them at risk, experts said.

The pleas potentially set the stage for a trial in which Kohberger could face the death penalty.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is alerting consumers to widespread electric price changes.

In Pennsylvania, there’s currently no single resource for people to see how counties and local governments plan to spend the money. But understanding the process can help you influence it.

A grand jury has indicted a man who was already charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, allowing prosecutors to skip a planned week-long preliminary hearing that was set for late June.

Those who live in the home were grateful for the funding, which will be mainly used to remodel the kitchen, but they were also vocal about wanting more activities.

A program that started at Easton's Nurture Nature Center to protect area watersheds has already garnered state recognition. Now it's expanding.

A Code Orange alert means the air is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as young children and older adults with respiratory conditions.

The EPA on Thursday announced a new proposal that would set new guidelines for power plants, requiring “ambitious reductions” in carbon pollution. A Pennsylvania environmental group calls the move a "big step in the right direction.”

The city's parking authority earned the 2023 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for its Park Green program, a sustainability initiative.

PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center on Tuesday released its “Dirty Dozen” report, a ranking of the commonwealth’s top climate polluters.