State & Regional News

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

Driven by $8.1 billion in manufacturing, the Lehigh Valley's Gross Domestic Product grew to a record $50.2 billion in 2022. The region's economy now ranks above Vermont and Wyoming.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola said it's a fallacy if the U.S. Postal Service thinks it can save up to $7 million by shipping outgoing mail from the Lehigh Valley to Harrisburg for processing without cutting jobs. On Monday, she called on USPS to do further analysis of its plans.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at 11 a.m. on Wednesday is holding a meeting at its Allentown office to brainstorm and prioritize ways to decarbonize transportation across the region. Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions.

Amid the joy and festivities, environmental advocates are urging residents to keep sustainability in mind during what can be a time of year when trash and waste spikes.

State environmental officials on Thursday evening hosted the last of five public engagement sessions, as they work to create a Priority Climate Action Plan, or PCAP, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission statewide and mitigate further effects of climate change.

On the sixth day of Hanukkah, some in the local Jewish community called for supporters of Palestinians in Gaza to join in calls for peace.

PennDOT officials detailed planned and continuing work for 2024, including major bridge replacements along well-traveled state routes.

Sunday's rain could transition to snow as the storm system departs the region Monday morning, with the potential to affect the morning commute, according to the National Weather Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its plant hardiness map, showing a warmer Lehigh Valley. The region has moved into a warmer zone from the one where it was placed more than a decade ago. Experts say it has consequences for plant seasons and species.

The Pennsylvania Health Department has unveiled the nation’s first statewide COVID-19 mobile testing unit.

This summer’s combination of record-breaking heat, Black Lives Matter activism, and the pandemic has led to conversations on environmental justice.

The Pennsylvania Department of State released a report on this year’s presidential primary over the weekend … that includes recommendations for the November 3 general election – and a request for swift legislative action.

As state lawmakers debate how to help Pennsylvania’s economy recover from the coronavirus shutdown, environmental groups see an opening for a cleaner future.

Governor Tom Wolf says his administration is learning better ways to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on Latinos in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s top health official is taking a personal stand against transphobia after weeks of headlines detailing bigoted incidents involving her across the state.

The recent death of an infant in Berks County, who tested positive for COVID-19, is sparking questions about how the virus impacts the very young.

Friday was the deadline for mandatory universal coronavirus testing for Pennsylvania’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities - but officials said about one in five couldn’t meet that deadline.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro charged two pipeline companies with polluting groundwater and streams in a series of spills in 2015 along a pipeline project in Washington County.

Allentown School District officials are recommending that all schools open virtually this fall. The news comes as the state’s experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases which has raised questions about student safety in the classroom.

Governor Tom Wolf has condemned transphobia in Pennsylvania. The governor released a statement Wednesday censuring actions at the Bloomsburg Fair in Eastern PA.

An Eastern PA state fair came under fire this week after posting photos that have been described as transphobic, showing a man at a Bloomsburg carnival game dressed up as Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine.