State & Regional News

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend waiving the land development approval process for a proposed new barn at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.

National politics often makes headlines, but former Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez says municipal government impacts its residents more. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell dives into what goes on inside local government with Donchez.

Increased stress due to everyday life, like politics or the economy, coupled with habitual, risky behaviors distracting the driver from the road, can create a slippery slope, ripe for crashes, experts said. Plus, those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

Organizations such as colleges, local governments and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding under Congress's Community Project Funding program. The Lehigh Valley has secured tens of millions in funding through federal discretionary spending in recent years.

A Lehigh County man "targeted" 23 Lowe's stores across more than a dozen counties in Pennsylvania. Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against him Monday.

An influx of residents and warehouses have made highways in Lehigh and Northampton counties more crowded. An analysis by LehighValleyNews.com finds some stretches of road have experienced increases of 40% to 50% in traffic volume, with Route 33 overtaking Interstate 78 as the region's second-busiest highway.

A recent bald eagle rehabilitation and release is a bright spot amid a dangerous time for bald eagles in the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the commonwealth. Bird flu continues to threaten wild bird populations, causing more than a dozen bald eagles to be euthanized across Pennsylvania.

A five-part series this week will explore traffic and transportation issues in the Lehigh Valley. Increasing traffic volume, dangerous driving and insufficient infrastructure are among the topics examined.

Said LANTA planning and scheduling manager A.J. Jordan, “LANTA Planning Department is consistently working to make sure changes impact riders as little as possible."

Lehigh County sent out nearly 48-thousand mail-in ballots for this year’s primary election–more than election officials have ever tried to count on Election Day.

In yesterday’s primary, four wards in Allentown were consolidated into one voting location at Fearless Fire Company. And as WLVR’s Tracy Yatsko reports, complications around that meant the site opened late for in-person voting.

Lehigh Valley hospitals are among the first in the nation to get federal shipments of an antiviral drug to treat patients with COVID-19

Pennsylvania health officials announced a new plan Tuesday, May 12, to help fight the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes and long term care facilities,

Many sectors of the economy have been halted or changed by the coronavirus pandemic, and environmental research is no exception.

Democratic Governor Tom Wolf has come under fire from some Republican leaders for moving too slow to reopen the state. Now a local Democrat has joined the chorus, asking the state to lift some restrictions in the Lehigh Valley quote “immediately.”

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf fired back at county officials and other local leaders today who’ve said they’ll reopen early, despite orders to remain closed and keep full stay-at-home lockdown in place.

Most deaths from COVID-19 in Pennsylvania are among people living in nursing and personal care homes.

State officials say that reports of price gouging continue to rise. The attorney general’s office says it has received 5,000 tips from consumers since the pandemic hit Pennsylvania. WLVR’s Tyler Pratt reports on how the state plans to enforce the law.

Thirteen western counties, comprising nearly 2.7 million residents and most of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, will see relief from Gov. Tom Wolf’s most restrictive pandemic orders on movement and businesses this Friday, May 15.

The current moratorium was scheduled to end Monday but the governor has extended it to July 10. WLVR’s Tyler Pratt reports state officials are asking landlords to be patient.

Protection from evictions for renters from the state may be ending, in some areas as early as next week. Chloe Nouvelle reports on what this could mean for tenants in the Lehigh Valley.