State & Regional News

Longtime representative for the 136th District Robert Freeman will face off against challenger Taiba Sultana on April 23, essentially determining who will take the seat in the Democratic stronghold.

More than 2,000 acres on 28 farms in 15 counties across the commonwealth were preserved. Here are the Lehigh Valley farms now safe from development.

Kirkland Village celebrated their recent upgrades thanks to a grant from the Long-Term Care Transformation Office, with health officials detailing the importance of funding to keep long-term facilities at their best.

More than six months after its launch, 33 air quality monitors have been installed throughout the Lehigh Valley as part of Lehigh Valley Breathes, a regionwide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing.

The price of a first-class stamp could increase for the fourth time in less than two years. Other proposed adjustments would raise all mailing services product prices approximately 7.8 percent.

District 131 is made up of parts of Lehigh, Northampton and Montgomery counties. Here’s a brief look at the respective candidates, including the two Democrats hoping to take the spot of a Republican incumbent.

Arcadia Development Corporation plans to tear down the SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western at 300 Gateway Drive off Route 512, replacing it with a warehouse. The permit hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 29 at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem.

A one-day symposium at Lehigh gathered decision-makers from Pennsylvania's big-name universities, talking strategy for recruiting students cross-border and overseas, and touting economic and cultural benefits.

Between 5,000 and 6,000 people are expected for former President Donald Trump's campaign rally at the Schnecksville Fire Hall on Saturday, according to Lehigh County Republican Committee Chairman Joe Vichot.

The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured.

Muhlenberg College is welcoming in-person students back to campus this week. But for some of the COVID-19-era sophomores, being back-to-school means they’re new to school.

Last week, Pennsylvania’s opioid disaster declaration expired and the General Assembly refused to renew it.

Joe Martellucci, the administrator of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Services for Lehigh County, said the opioid epidemic is far from over, despite the end of the state’s opioid emergency declaration.

A Lehigh Valley man is heading south to assist with Hurricane Ida relief efforts. The Red Cross volunteer boards a flight Tuesday and will help distribute supplies when he gets to the devastated area.

Much of the state is under a flash flood watch as the remnants of Hurricane Ida travel to the northeastern United States.

Masks will be required in all Pennsylvania public and private schools, as well as child care facilities, Gov. Tom Wolf was set to announce Tuesday, reversing course amid a statewide COVID-19 resurgence that is filling hospital beds just as students return to class.

Some medical professionals are hoping they see an uptick in vaccinations now that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has FDA approval.

A report from the center-left think tank Third Way shows some degrees at private Lehigh Valley colleges take graduates over a century to see a return on their investment.

Pennsylvania saw another spike in COVID-19 numbers Monday with more than 9,000 new cases reported over the weekend.

Federal unemployment and pandemic benefit programs are set to end on Saturday, Sept. 4.

Gov. Tom Wolf has called for an increase as all six states that border the commonwealth offer higher minimum wages.

The U.S. Department of Energy held an online public meeting on Tuesday to find out how frontline communities in Appalachia are impacted by the growing ethane and petrochemical industries. Ethane is a byproduct of natural gas development and can be used to make plastics.