State & Regional News

Kamala Harris will spend Monday criss-crossing Pennsylvania, with visits scheduled to Allentown, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Donald Trump will be in Pennsylvania on Monday, too, holding a rally in Reading.

Pennsylvania's political landscape has shifted dramatically since the last election. Many counties have switched party majorities, which could influence the outcome of the upcoming election.

The fire began early Saturday afternoon near Route 248 in Lehigh Township in Northampton County and burned through the night. Numerous aircraft and heavy equipment joined Sunday to help fight the fire, which was not yet been significantly contained. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters battling a blaze on Blue Mountain expressed gratitude to the community for an abundance of donations — so many that they have advised people to hold onto their contributions as they have reached capacity for storage.

A Muhlenberg College/Morning Call poll of Pennsylvania voters released two days before Election Day gives a slight lead to Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump — well within the survey's margin of error. Results also show the U.S. Senate race for Pennsylvania has tightened.

Travel is expected to be tricky Monday afternoon as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are expected to be in the area on the final day of the presidential campaign before Election Day.

A three-mile stretch of Route 611 between Northampton and Monroe counties will reopen Tuesday morning. Portland Borough business owners say the protracted shutdown has crippled business.

The National Weather Service said there will be “no relief” to ongoing drought and fire concerns, with record-challenging temperatures expected by midweek across the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the mid-Atlantic region.

It's the second time in a week city schools will be closed for a presidential campaign rally. The potential for large crowds, heavy traffic and disruptions prompted the move, the school district said.

State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2025 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.

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.

Two Haitian-led organizations in Reading are gathering money to send to disaster-stricken Haiti after the country was hit by an earthquake and a tropical storm within a week.

The top Republican in Pennsylvania’s Senate said Monday that hearings will begin this week as he committed to carrying out a “full forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election.