State & Regional News

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.

Driven by $8.1 billion in manufacturing, the Lehigh Valley's Gross Domestic Product grew to a record $50.2 billion in 2022. The region's economy now ranks above Vermont and Wyoming.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola said it's a fallacy if the U.S. Postal Service thinks it can save up to $7 million by shipping outgoing mail from the Lehigh Valley to Harrisburg for processing without cutting jobs. On Monday, she called on USPS to do further analysis of its plans.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley addressed about 150 donors at a Lisa Scheller political fundraiser Wednesday night. Scheller, a Republican, is attempting to oust Democratic incumbent Susan Wild from PA's 7th Congressional District.

A report by the research and advocacy group PennEnvironment analyzed samples from 50 of Pennsylvania's cleanest waterways, only to find different kinds of microplastic residue in all of them.

John Fetterman's health and familiar attack ads dominated the debate between Pennsylvania's senate candidates Tuesday night. Fetterman and Oz touched on a wide array of subjects, from abortion to gun control to the economy to the candidates' personal background.

Pennsylvania's heated Senate race pits John Fetterman, a Democrat in the mold of Bernie Sanders, against Republican Mehmet Oz, a television star backed by Donald Trump.

Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of State Leigh Chapman tried to halt the spread of misinformation concerning the electoral process and explained why there may be a delay in counting votes in the upcoming election.

The Kindness Project expands into the Poconos as foster families need more resources to take in children. The non-profit offers free living essentials to kids in foster care.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano expresses some far-right views that appealed to some Easton conservatives.

U.S. Rep Susan Wild (D-Lehigh/Monroe) and Republican challenger Lisa Scheller squared off Friday night for another round of exchanges in a live debate. The event was the second and final face-to-face meeting between the two candidates before the 2022 midterm election.

Pennsylvania's governor race between Doug Mastriano and Josh Shapiro could reshape state politics

LehighValleyNews.com will host a debate between Democratic incumbent Susan Wild and Republican Lisa Scheller on Friday, Oct. 21, at the Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

Rachel Rutter is one of 10 women to be nationally honored by the 2022 L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth for her work with immigrant children in Pennsylvania.

Voters will pick between Rep. Susan Wild and Republican challenger Lisa Scheller in one of the country's most contested House races.