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.

Students told to attend classes about puberty based on sex assigned at birth.

The problem is getting worse, she says.

Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Leigh Chapman warns the move may have a 'chilling effect' on voters.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania and several voting rights advocacy groups have asked Martin to drop the plan.

U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) said the Supreme Court would turn pregnant people into 'second class citizens' if the draft becomes the official court ruling.

GOP gubernatorial candidates strongly support keeping or expanding Pa.’s abortion restrictions, while House and Senate leadership isn’t ruling out bills to do that.

Some states, like West Virginia and Ohio, have 'trigger bans' that would immediately ban the procedure.

The four will be listed alongside 98 others who have died in the line of duty since the state police agency’s founding in 1905.

The ID will be required to board an airplane in the U.S., enter a military base and enter a federal facility.

The average hourly wage for direct support professionals is under $15.

Low polling numbers have kept Alex Khalil out of debates and largely out of public view.

Yesterday, Netflix laid off some of its staff, many of them recently hired women of color. They were working on its new fan-focused website.