State & Regional News

Almost 11,000 birds of prey were counted this year during the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn hawk watch as they made their way along the raptor "superhighway" in the Valley’s backyard.

Amtrak officials previously said passenger rail between Allentown and New York City could be restored as soon as 2024. However, a $300,000 study exploring the proposed connection is more than a month overdue.

Forecasters say the Lehigh Valley will see a mixed bag of precipitation in the days ahead, with snow showers possible Wednesday and Thursday and a potent storm system expected this weekend.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a visit to Allentown that as part of his 2024-25 budget, he will fund a program providing scholarships to students in poor-performing school districts.

State lawmakers on Monday held a committee hearing titled “Minimizing Risk & Harm: Preparing for Pennsylvania’s Hydrogen Future.” It comes almost two months after President Joe Biden announced seven regional clean hydrogen hub projects, including two in Pennsylvania.

A state mandate requiring schools to identify sexual content in books could cost Lehigh Valley school districts significant time, money and resources.

The state Department of Environmental Protection's Energy Programs Office will host five public engagement sessions in December, four in-person and one virtual, as officials work to create a priority climate action plan to address the negative effects of climate change.

Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, urged the U.S. House to take an unprecedented step Thursday and expel Rep. George Santos from office for alleged misconduct.

Mark Pinsley announced Friday, Dec. 1, that he will run for auditor general in 2024. The position oversees financial and performance audits of Pennsylvania state government.

Residents from the Lehigh Valley and beyond on Thursday attended the state Department of Environmental Protection’s last public comment meeting on the commonwealth’s interim environmental justice policy. The majority said the policy doesn’t go far enough.

The National Weather Service has issued a cold weather advisory for the Lehigh Valley and other parts of eastern Pennsylvania through noon Wednesday, with wind chills dropping to as low as 13 degrees below zero.

Bethlehem Co-op Market wants members and future patrons to keep the faith. A summer opening is now the target.

Trump overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House. He's expected to issue executive orders to clamp down on border crossings, increase fossil fuel development and end diversity and inclusion programs across the federal government.

Allentown City Council unanimously voted last week to add Juneteenth — celebrated on June 19 — to the city's list of paid holidays for full-time non-bargaining employees.

Rachelle Carmenucci had Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter visit her Pittsburgh home in 1979. After being thrust into the media spotlight, the Carters flew her to the White House for lunch.

While the snow took a few hours to start piling up, by mid-afternoon it was falling at rates of two inches per hour in some parts of the Lehigh Valley. Dangerous cold will follow the snow, forecasters say.

Lehigh Valley Health Network and the Easton Area Community Center’s St. Anthony’s Youth Center received state grants to support violence prevention and out-of-school programs. The $1.1 million in funding will enhance community efforts to reduce violence and grow youth development initiatives.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the eastern hellbender for protections under the federal Endangered Species Act. Find out why habitat loss and the pet trade are contributing to population declines.

If predictions stay true, the Lehigh Valley would be on the higher end of the 4- to 7-inch range of snowfall. PennDOT and the PA Turnpike Commission have set vehicle and road restrictions.

Shapiro highlighted his administration's historic investments in K-12 public education in the last two years before his budget address in the first week of February.

Depending on how the system evolves, a robust and plowable storm seems like the more likely scenario for the region, with the timing on potential snowfall beginning to lock in for Sunday afternoon.

The "African Americans in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley" traveling display is in the rotunda of the Northampton County Courthouse. It shares foundational stories of the Lehigh Valley through an African American lens.