State & Regional News

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s gift ban says he can’t take tickets from groups with “financial relations with the Commonwealth.” Team Pennsylvania was awarded $1.8 million in state contracts this year.

The most popular names have been a constant the past few years, according to the major health networks. But one trend that emerged in 2023 in the Lehigh Valley seems to be tied to sports — specifically, the success and popularity of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taylor Swift also may be having an impact.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is starting a new office to help train county election workers, Pa. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. It also plans to update its guidance for logic and accuracy testing that could have caught issues with the Northampton County voting machines.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Nippon Steel is set to pay more than $14 billion to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a deal that Rep. Susan Wild said is “really kind of heartbreaking."

Pennsylvania's gas tax– the highest in the nation in 2023 – will drop from $0.611/gallon to $0.576/gallon and will remain in place through 2024.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said these types of incentives will help to attract “the best and brightest” candidates to serve the city.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

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.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 is the last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot, in order to vote in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary.

When voters go to the polls or fill out their mail ballots for Pennsylvania’s May 16 primary election, they’ll see a slew of local candidates. Here are some steps you can take to prepare.

The probe has been focused on a natural gas pipeline as safety investigators try to figure out the cause.

On Sunday, a counterclockwise-spinning low pressure system was moving up the coast. The Lehigh Valley was on the western side of the low, which meant heavy rainfall.

On July 1, the Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley and Pocono chapters will merge.

Monday, May 1, is the last day to register to vote in the Pennsylvania primary.

Hundreds of power outages were reported across the Lehigh Valley early Monday following heavy rains. At least 2.35 inches fell at the airport.

Proposed shipping routes showed Norfolk Southern trains carrying LNG directly through several Lehigh Valley municipalities on their way to southern New Jersey.

A $1.5 million grant program has been announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to support the Accelerated Program for PK-12 Special Education Teacher Certification.