State & Regional News

More than 160,000 Pennsylvania students are enrolled in brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools, with the latter’s enrollment having ballooned in recent years.

Jay Bryson, chief economist for Wells Fargo’s Corporate and Investment Bank, told Lehigh Valley business leaders Wednesday that he expects the economy will lose some steam in the coming months, but avoid a recession.

Christopher Fitzgerald was shot and killed near the Temple University campus in Philadelphia while working as a university police officer in February 2023.

A 605-pound black bear harvested in the Lehigh Valley has ranked one of the largest in the state to be bagged during its most recent season, and was the sixth-heaviest bear in Pennsylvania for 2023.

The Ready to Learn Block Grant money can be put toward a variety of uses, including the expansion of a school district’s social and health services, and even professional development for educators.

Lawmakers announced the $40 million infusion that they said will support a new Northside Logistics and Cargo Complex. It will include a new dock facility and direct truck-to-aircraft loading apron at LVIA.

The team behind Lehigh University's "Community Mapping for Environmental Justice” project is creating an interactive map of litter in Bethlehem. Officials said the collaborative effort aims to improve the health and well-being of the entire community.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Registration is open for the Nurture Nature Center's Youth Climate Summit of the Lehigh Valley, a free event April 19 and 20. The summit aims to engage middle and high school students in climate change issues, as well as seek solutions.

Rep. Joshua Siegel announced on Friday he will seek a second term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Siegel, 29, represents the 22nd Legislative District, which includes parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township.

With electricity costs jumping across the country, PPL has requested that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission allow it to raise its rates. The PUC will hold public hearings and collect testimony as it considers it.

Two men face felony charges for stealing nearly $100,000 from Lowe's stores across the state. Investigators say the men used self-checkout kiosks to make purchases with their cell phones using information stolen from Lowe's customer accounts.

Lehigh County Chief Clerk of Elections Tim Benyo said off-year elections are "a little more complicated for county officials," as opposed to a presidential election. This week on Political Pulse, Benyo tells host Tom Shortell about what goes into municipal elections behind the scenes.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has a book coming out in January, touching upon everything from his swift political rise to the trauma of his home being set on fire.

Forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center say the region faces “equal chances” for above, near, or below-normal precipitation from December through February — meaning the odds of any outcome are roughly even.

The voter registration deadline to vote in the Nov. 4 election is Monday, Oct. 20, while the last day to request a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Protesting President Trump, marchers took to Broad Street in Bethlehem after a half-hour rally at Rose Garden Park, ending outside City Hall at Payrow Plaza. It was one of thousands of rallies across the nation Saturday that the president's supporters decried as "Hate America" rallies.

Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Longswamp Township, Berks County, has installed 10 new fully automated “state-of-the-art” snow guns that adjust automatically to weather conditions, “maximizing snow production when temperatures drop,” the resort said in a release.

Jeani Garcia, who took the helm at Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley this year, was recently named to serve on the executive committee for the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie led the field in political fundraising for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District over the past three months. Democratic candidates Ryan Crosswell and Bob Brooks were not far behind, each raising more than $300,000 over the same time period.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's office says without the federal payments for SNAP — the food stamp program — more than $366 million in monthly benefits could be put on hold starting Nov. 1. The federal government shutdown is in its third week.

Northampton County human services workers will not be furloughed on Oct. 20, but may be furloughed at any time with a week's notice. County Executive Lamont McClure said Thursday he did not think a furlough would be necessary this year.