State & Regional News

Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, will stop in Allentown on Thursday as part of a tour around parts of the country with U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

Lawmakers this year approved an additional $79M for high-quality preschool programs.

Gov. Tom Wolf this week unveiled a plan to provide pardons for people who have been convicted of minor, non-violent marijuana crimes. It could affect thousands in the Lehigh Valley

When Pa. Act 101 was passed in 1988 it did not anticipate the 'throw-away culture' we have now.

Frances Wolf says hunger should never be what holds a person back from succeeding in higher education.

Consumer prices should ease in about 6 months, experts say, after the supply bottleneck goes away.

A new scholarship program between East Stroudsburg University and the Bethlehem Area School District is sending two graduating seniors to college, full tuition paid.

Microplastic contaminants have been found in 53 waterways in Pennsylvania, including in the Lehigh River, according to clean water advocacy group PennEnvironment.

Essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science, the annual Envirothon combines classroom learning and outdoor activities to engage students in the environment. Find out where Lehigh Valley teams placed.

Keystone Cement Co.'s hazardous waste permit has been renewed by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Part of the company's plan is to change how it transports waste, from trucks to rail.

Bethlehem and Allentown have achieved gold status through Bird Town Pennsylvania. The program aims to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, as well as other wildlife and residents.

Pennsylvania State Police have rolled out 15 RapidHIT ID systems to troops across the commonwealth. The machines are capable of analyzing forensic samples and generating DNA profiles in as little as 90 minutes.

A large cicada emergence is underway across the eastern United States. Find out where they're expected in the commonwealth.

This week on Watching the Skies, WLVR's Brad Klein and Bethlehem's Backyard Astronomy Guy, Marty McGuire talk about the planet Venus and its role as the "morning star."

Ryan Mackenzie, the Lehigh Valley's freshman congressman, cast an essential vote to move President Donald Trump's signature bill through the U.S. House last week. His would-be Democratic opponents say he's sold out poor families to give billionaires a tax break.

State Treasurer Stacy Garrity said her department has returned 500 military medals and pieces of memorabilia to veterans and their families since 2021.

The state Department of Environmental Protection announced $1 million in grants to promote environmental education and stewardship across the state. Four Lehigh Valley programs received funding.

The LVPC on Thursday hosted a workshop, “Planning + Pizza: Deploying Electric Vehicle Infrastructure,” aiming to collect feedback about where best to deploy EV infrastructure throughout the region.

Overall, 31 of the region’s 35 major climate sites were wetter than normal, with 22 of them experiencing one of their 20 wettest May 1-15 periods. Allentown took the top spot, experiencing its wettest May 1-15 ever.

The Lehigh Valley's public transit system says it will have to cut service by 20 percent and boost fares by 25 percent without additional state funding — something that Gov. Josh Shapiro has called for but that lawmakers will have to approve.