State & Regional News

A recent bald eagle rehabilitation and release is a bright spot amid a dangerous time for bald eagles in the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the commonwealth. Bird flu continues to threaten wild bird populations, causing more than a dozen bald eagles to be euthanized across Pennsylvania.

A five-part series this week will explore traffic and transportation issues in the Lehigh Valley. Increasing traffic volume, dangerous driving and insufficient infrastructure are among the topics examined.

Said LANTA planning and scheduling manager A.J. Jordan, “LANTA Planning Department is consistently working to make sure changes impact riders as little as possible."

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie visited Ward Transport & Logistics Corp. in Easton, where he got feedback about federal regulations on truck drivers and concerns about Pennsylvania's emission standards.

Justin Simmons, the former Republican state representative, was among three people who filed nomination papers last week to seek the party's nomination in the May 20 primary election.

The first-of-its-kind report, “Wildlife Corridors: How reconnecting habitats is protecting Pennsylvania’s native species," highlights 10 innovative wildlife corridor projects around the state.

Democratic VIPs including U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, DNC Chair Ken Martin and former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild attended the town hall at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Thursday night. The evening came with a rebuke to attendees from the church pastor.

At a virtual town hall Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, said he did not support cuts to Medicare or Social Security, called for peace in Ukraine, and gently pushed back on how the Trump administration handled cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture officials say they're owed more than $3 million in outstanding reimbursements from the federal government. The lawsuit includes six other organizations and five major cities.

Organizers with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Democratic National Congressional Committee and several other groups invited U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie to a town hall event Thursday over proposed Medicaid cuts. Instead, the first-term Republican will hold his own telephone town hall.

Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped from Chester County Prison last week, has been on the run for six days. He was convicted last month of killing his girlfriend and is extremely dangerous, according to authorities.

A Red Cross volunteer from the greater Lehigh Valley just got back from assisting displaced people in Hawaii following devastating wildfires there. Her job was to try and reconnect families.

Former Allentown City Councilman Josh Siegel, now a state representative, accepted two tickets from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to see the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Houston Astros at last fall's World Series. The gift may have violated the city's Code of Ethics.

The change that would be effective only for the 2024 primary election.

Allentown City Councilman Ed Zucal said independent investigators are needed to dive into allegations of racism and discrimination in City Hall. Mayor Matt Tuerk's administration has been beset by complaints from the Allentown NAACP and former Human Resources Director Nadeem Shahzad.

Under Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong's proposed budget, local property owners would pay an average of $768.10 in county taxes. It's Armstrong's fifth proposed budget without a tax hike in six years.

Wawa is making the special offer available to teachers and school staff as schools are reopening.

Gov. Josh Shapiro came together with fellow politicians at the Allentown Campus of Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical College to discuss funding for trade work education and apprenticeship programs Wednesday.

The program empowers high schoolers to be local leaders when it comes to caring for the environment.

Environmental groups are calling on state regulators to deny a request from a crypto-mining company to burn tires as fuel for its operations.

The $3.05 million in federal funding comes on behalf of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program. The Easton Avenue project is one of five across the state.

Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office warns residents about a surge in telephone scams and offers tips on avoiding fraudulent calls.