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.

Temperatures climbed well into the upper 80s this week in the Lehigh Valley, teasing that classic summer milestone — the first 90-degree day of the year.

Eileen Miller, whose son Paul Miller was killed in a collision by a distracted driver, on Friday spoke on a piece of legislation that bans the use of handheld devices while driving in Pennsylvania.

The $13 million contract was with the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program. A pandemic-era program, commonwealth farmers were paid to supply local food banks with fresh produce.

Governor Josh Shapiro, joined by local and state politicians, spoke out in support of mass transit investments for the betterment of the Commonwealth, at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hecktown Oaks Thursday.

Excitement at Target, Best Buy, and GameStop for the release of Switch 2, Nintendo's newest game console. While fans in New York City and Philadelphia reported longer lines, some local gamers were lucky enough to buy one before it sold out on Thursday.

An Allentown woman was charged with possession of a quarter pound of synthetic opioid fentanyl, District Attorney Stephen Baratta announced Wednesday.

Political Pulse host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick discuss the implications of the Republican tax and spending package recently passed in the US House.

Smoke drifted over the Great Lakes on Monday night and pushed east, the National Weather Service said, with forecasters warning it will result in smokier skies for the Lehigh Valley and large swaths of the eastern U.S. on Tuesday.

More than 120 people showed up for the weekly "Mondays with Mackenzie" demonstration outside one of the congressman's offices on Monday. It was the first of the protests since he cast an essential vote for President Donald Trump's signature policy bill.

The National Weather Service said the haze could be more apparent toward the late afternoon and evening hours, particularly at sunset.

A $25,000 donation from the Garrigan Foundation will allow Lehigh Valley Public Media to contribute to a summer enrichment program and similar events at local libraries. It restores a federal grant the Trump administration froze earlier this month in a strike against PBS and NPR.

Easton City Council heard requests for CDBG funds at their Wednesday meeting, but officials are concerned about the Trump administration's goal to cut the program and potentially cripple funding initiatives for those in need.