State & Regional News

Sweltering conditions in the Lehigh Valley are forecast to end with a bang on Saturday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. But we have to make it through Friday first.

A statewide drought watch is still in effect, even amid rounds of severe rainstorms and flash flooding.

A July 13 media release stated that the Low Energy Evaporative Fractionation System will employ “an advanced foam fractionation process and proprietary techniques” to treat landfill byproducts.

Ryan Mackenzie, the longtime Lehigh County state representative, will need to emerge from a crowded Republican field to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, the three-term incumbent.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania is now 10 cents higher this week, and experts say the pain at the pump is likely to continue.

The Lehigh Valley is preparing for its first official heat wave of the year, with a stretch of 90°+ degree temperatures expected. A heat advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Friday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is hosting a first-of-its-kind summit this week in Philadelphia focused on those aged 65 and older.

An appellate court ruling could help shake loose details about how much money lawmakers spend on private lawyers.

The PACT Act makes it easier for veterans and their survivors to qualify for benefits if they served in the Middle East, Afghanistan or Vietnam. But to make the most of their benefits, they'll need to submit paperwork to the Department of Veterans Affairs by Aug. 9.

The third week of July is the warmest week of the year based on climatological norms, and the Lehigh Valley forecast fits that trend. Excessive heat headlines are likely, the weather service said.

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.

Gov. Tom Wolf is asking Pennsylvania's legislature to quickly approve a new statewide mask mandate for schools because his administration is worried that students returning to schools are going back to an unsafe environment.

The CDC reported a 62% increase in the number of children being admitted to Pennsylvania hospitals in the past week bringing the total number of children hospitalized statewide this month to over 1,600.