State & Regional News

The most popular names have been a constant the past few years, according to the major health networks. But one trend that emerged in 2023 in the Lehigh Valley seems to be tied to sports — specifically, the success and popularity of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taylor Swift also may be having an impact.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is starting a new office to help train county election workers, Pa. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. It also plans to update its guidance for logic and accuracy testing that could have caught issues with the Northampton County voting machines.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Nippon Steel is set to pay more than $14 billion to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a deal that Rep. Susan Wild said is “really kind of heartbreaking."

Pennsylvania's gas tax– the highest in the nation in 2023 – will drop from $0.611/gallon to $0.576/gallon and will remain in place through 2024.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said these types of incentives will help to attract “the best and brightest” candidates to serve the city.

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.

The spring equinox officially arrived at 5:01 a.m. Thursday, but the upcoming pattern is cold, blustery and rainy for the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the region.

According to the USDA, wholesale prices for large cartoned shell eggs fell as low as $4.78 per dozen in the Northeast region — a decline of 33% month to month.

Glowing economic news in the Lehigh Valley was shared during the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation's 30th anniversary celebration at ArtsQuest on Tuesday.

This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell speaks with Celeste Dee, owner of Lehigh Valley-based Advantage Political Strategies. The two talk about judicial campaigns.

In his latest budget proposal, Governor Josh Shapiro wants to allocate nearly $500 million to chronically underfunded school districts — and that includes several districts in the Lehigh Valley. But lawmakers have concerns around the fairness of the funding distribution.

WWE was once a near-annual staple in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley. But the company has not returned since a holiday tour stop in 2023.

Nonprofits catering to LGBTQ+ people in the Lehigh Valley are doing what they can to push back on recent executive actions, support their community and fight for their survival as organizations, their leaders say.

A police officer discharged his firearm in an armed confrontation with the victim, who shot himself during the encounter Saturday night in Wind Gap, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

A destructive storm system moving up the coast is expected to hit the Lehigh Valley on Sunday evening. The area likely won't see any severe weather today, but it is just bordering the potential to, graphics from the National Weather Service show.

Gerald C. Yob has been mayor of Freemansburg for 44 years. He served on borough council 12 years before that. Yob turns 96 in August, and plans on running for a 12th term as mayor.

PennDOT has plans to improve the pavement and add truck climbing lanes in both Lehigh and Northampton counties. But the future of a controversial interchange in Lehigh County has grown more clouded.

Bear Creek Mountain Resort near Macungie said it will end its 2024-25 ski season on Saturday, March 15, after being open 97 ski days — which it said was one of its longest ski seasons ever.