State & Regional News

Dozens of Lehigh Valley projects cashed checks worth nearly $19 million in fiscal year 2023 thanks to support from U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. The Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation brought home $364.5 million in earmarks, which ranked in the top half of U.S. states.

Under the bill, gun owners could lose their license to carry if they try to take a loaded weapon onto a plane. This would be similar to losing a license for possessing a small amount of marijuana, one lawmaker said.

Executive Education Academy Charter has been waiting to appeal its application denial since 2021. Gov. Josh Shapiro's nominees were just confirmed by the State Senate earlier this month.

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.

The PACT Act makes it easier for veterans and their survivors to qualify for benefits if they served in the Middle East, Afghanistan or Vietnam. But to make the most of their benefits, they'll need to submit paperwork to the Department of Veterans Affairs by Aug. 9.

The third week of July is the warmest week of the year based on climatological norms, and the Lehigh Valley forecast fits that trend. Excessive heat headlines are likely, the weather service said.

The family of a 2-year-old girl swept away along with another child by a flash flood that engulfed their vehicle on a Pennsylvania road is expressing gratitude at the discovery of a body believed to be hers.

The PPL Foundation has provided half a million dollars to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley to address homelessness and housing insecurity in the region.

Hot, summertime temperatures will expand across the U.S. and could bring the Lehigh Valley’s first official heat wave of the year, forecasters say.

A Democratic lawmaker is quitting the Pennsylvania House of Representatives amid a budget stalemate.

Federal safety investigators have determined that natural gas was leaking from a defective fitting at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory where a powerful explosion killed seven people.

The “Take Action” campaign is designed to highlight connections for trail users through education and providing resources to boost engagement and opportunities to get involved and support the trail.

The heavy rains wreaked havoc on the region, already saturated by a round of storms last weekend. And more rain is expected this week.

A freight train derailment in southeast Pennsylvania has spurred precautionary evacuations, but officials say no injuries were reported and there is no known hazard to the public.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has been transported south and east and is moving into Pennsylvania.

The disease, a relatively new and deadly threat to the American beech, has few treatment options and no known cure.