State & Regional News

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.

The precautionary measure across Pennsylvania comes at no cost to farmers. While the virus hasn't been reported in commonwealth cattle, other states have seen a marked uptick in cases.

A new investigative report has confirmed two Pennsylvania lawmakers with ties to the “Stop the Steal” movement were actively involved in pressuring the U.S. Justice Department to investigate disproven claims of fraud in the 2020 election.

The contest to replace outgoing Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey — one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country — is well underway. Dozens of candidates have announced bids for the seat, and several with national name recognition have raised millions to fund their efforts.

Pennsylvania has a new, tech-savvy option for hunters and anglers: digital licenses. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s new web platform allows people to apply for and download licenses in PDF form.

Merrymead Farm employs about 50 people, down from the typical 120 this time of year.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Centre) said he accepts the results of last year’s election, a rare concession…

In the first 10 months of the pandemic, Pennsylvania saw a significant increase in child fatalities and near-fatalities stemming from abuse and neglect.

More Pennsylvania children in foster care are being placed with family members or someone they know. At a press conference on Thursday, officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services said in 2019, 38.7% of kids in foster care were placed in “kinship care.”

A group of East Coast states will now let law enforcement agencies share gun crime data.

Flu season is ramping up in Pennsylvania amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and people are being urged to get flu shots to avoid further strain on the healthcare system.

Pennsylvania has begun sending out mail ballots for next month’s election, where voters will elect a slew of new judges who will play key roles in shaping policy for at least the next decade on three statewide appellate courts.

Though COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available for months, Pennsylvania health authorities are pushing to get more people vaccinated.

A Pennsylvania Senate hearing designed to gather input from the Department of State about potential changes to election law was over quickly on Tuesday because the Wolf administration decided not to participate in person.