State & Regional News

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.

During another campaign blitz across the state earlier this week, Trump continued to fan distrust of the news media. His attacks on news organizations are a political strategy that seems to resonate with his base. And undermining journalism could have long-term consequences for democracy.

Pennsylvania officials are imploring voters to return their mail-in ballots now, and in-person at drop boxes - following a recent decision from the U-S Supreme Court that’s called into question the future of ballots that arrive after 8 p.m. on Election Day - and whether they’ll be counted immediately.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey and Congresswoman Susan Wild paid a surprise visit yesterday to the U.S. Postal Service’s Lehigh Valley Processing and Distribution Center.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a quick, pre-election review on Wednesday to a new Republican appeal on mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. The GOP sought to exclude votes received after Election Day. But the matter isn’t completely settled yet.

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education is drawing up plans to bring six of the universities in its orbit under two umbrellas.

President Trump continued to criticize Pennsylvania’s electoral process during his campaign blitz across the Commonwealth Monday. But state officials say his claims lack validity.

Trump told a crowd outside Lititz on Monday that if re-elected, his administration would continue to preserve manufacturing and industry in Pennsylvania.

State environmental regulators are hitting Sunoco’s Mariner East pipeline project with its sixth violation in Lebanon County since mid-August.

Mail-in voters have until election day to cast their ballot, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar is recommending voters do not wait, and where possible avoid using the mail.

Voter registration totals have reached a record high in Pennsylvania - and officials say they’re expecting record turnout on election day as well.

A yearlong study conducted by the state Department of Aging, found seniors are conned out of ten million dollars a year in Pennsylvania. And as WLVR’s Megan Frank reports, in many cases the scams come from people they know.

Nearly nine million voters have registered so far to cast their ballots in November, in person and by mail. But Pennsylvania officials say they’re still concerned about getting every vote counted on Election Day.