State & Regional News

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Bethlehem reporter Will Oliver and Northampton County reporter Ryan Gaylor.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure says he'll run for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District seat in 2026, seeking to bring the seat back under Democratic control.

Stephen DeWeerth, professor and dean of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, called the endowment “a testament to the commitment of our alumni community in advancing Lehigh's mission of inspiring future makers."

With Bethlehem City Council adopting the 2024 Lehigh Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan on Tuesday, the city is now in place for potential federal financial assistance if a disaster, natural or human-caused, was to happen.

Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone introduced a new ordinance at the board's Wednesday meeting that would see marijuana possession and use reduced to summary offenses with fines.

Mark Pinsley also plans to publish a series of “plain-language reports” about how billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to cut the federal government will affect local municipalities, services and programs.

Lehigh Valley Health Network and Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association are expanding a program which helps those with autism and other communication issues interact with police when stopped.

The LVPC Environment Committee on Tuesday approved a proposal by Lower Nazareth Township to modify its Agricultural Security Area program. The ASA program lets farmland owners enroll their properties in an ASA, which then is managed by a municipality.

If you’ve ever thought about running for local office, you’ve probably had one big question above all: How do I get my campaign up and running? Tom Shortell and Sam Chen have the answers in this week's Political Pulse.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released further details of the arrest made at Northampton County Prison on Friday, again accusing Northampton County Prison of not cooperating. County Executive Lamont McClure challenges that.

The Lehigh Valley has "amazing industries" and companies, "but that doesn't mean much" to people who can't access those jobs, U.S. Rep. Susan Wild said.

Musikfest organizers have already eliminated paper food and beverage tickets, and started using renewable energy sources to power tents, vendors and beer trucks – but the work continues to make the event more environmentally-friendly.

The Lehigh Valley will begin to see impacts from Tropical Cyclone Debby on Tuesday, forecasters warn, calling expected rainfall a ‘predecessor’ event as the storm begins to crawl up the coast.

Central Moravian Church hosted a joint service Sunday with congregations based at three other historic Moravian settlements that recently became the first joint UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Saturday’s weather plagued Musikfest and there’s a chance more of the same is in store Sunday for the Lehigh Valley region. After a sunny Monday, heavy rain is in the forecast Tuesday.

1 in 4 menstruating students in the Allentown School District have missed class time because of the lack of access to period products. Funding for free menstrual products for students was approved in the 2024-2025 state budget.

Joe Kovacs, the 2-time world champion from Bethlehem Catholic High School and Penn State, competed in his third Olympic Games as a member of Team USA in Paris.

Joe Kovacs, a Nazareth-area native and Bethlehem Catholic grad, is competing in his third Olympic Games as a member of Team USA. The shot put finals are Saturday afternoon.

A 12-mile northbound stretch of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for about six hours, between the Quakertown and Lehigh Valley exits.

The merger of Lehigh Valley Health Network and Jefferson Health is now complete. The two closed the deal Thursday morning, creating a regional hospital system that oversees 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient care sites.

A new complaint form is available online for Pennsylvanians — or those traveling through the Commonwealth — encountering issues with airline travel, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced Wednesday.

As part of a series of grants amounting to $30 million, the Lehigh Valley will see nearly $740,000 in funding for "Green Light-Go" improvement projects in Lehigh and Northampton Counties.