State & Regional News

Residents from the Lehigh Valley and beyond on Thursday attended the state Department of Environmental Protection’s last public comment meeting on the commonwealth’s interim environmental justice policy. The majority said the policy doesn’t go far enough.

During an initial public comment meeting for a proposal to streamline mail delivery for the USPS in the Lehigh Valley, postal workers and residents expressed concern for delays and other issues.

County Executive Lamont McClure reiterated Thursday he will not step down after the county experienced widespread problems with its voting machines on Election Day. Despite the problems, the county's Election Commission certified the results last week.

Ed Smith served nearly a decade on the federal bench after a career as a military lawyer and a Northampton County judge. He died Monday.

Republican Kat Copeland is hoping her experience as a federal and local prosecutor will help her become Pennsylvania's next attorney general.

Less than a decade old and with trainees coming from all over the country, Rodale Institute’s Veteran Farmer Training program aims to give veterans the tools they need to pivot into successful farming careers, as well as spread knowledge about sustainable farming practices and regenerative organic agriculture.

An expansion of the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program “delivers the largest targeted tax cut for Pennsylvania seniors in nearly two decades,” according to the Department of Revenue.

Hunters Sharing the Harvest, Pennsylvania’s venison donation program, has since 1991 built a network of deer processors and food pantries across the state, donating nearly 2 million pounds of venison. Deer rifle season begins Saturday.

Black Friday is almost upon us, when retailers kick off the holiday season with offers meant to get customers in the shopping mood. A number of stores that were closed on Thanksgiving, including Walmart and Target, reopen early Friday as the holiday shopping season begins in earnest.

In an effort to ensure drivers in the Lehigh Valley abide by speed limits and remain mindful of not being distracted, Pennsylvania State Police plan to step up enforcement from Wednesday through Sunday in this Thanksgiving holiday period.

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."

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie visited Ward Transport & Logistics Corp. in Easton, where he got feedback about federal regulations on truck drivers and concerns about Pennsylvania's emission standards.

Justin Simmons, the former Republican state representative, was among three people who filed nomination papers last week to seek the party's nomination in the May 20 primary election.

The first-of-its-kind report, “Wildlife Corridors: How reconnecting habitats is protecting Pennsylvania’s native species," highlights 10 innovative wildlife corridor projects around the state.

Democratic VIPs including U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, DNC Chair Ken Martin and former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild attended the town hall at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Thursday night. The evening came with a rebuke to attendees from the church pastor.

At a virtual town hall Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, said he did not support cuts to Medicare or Social Security, called for peace in Ukraine, and gently pushed back on how the Trump administration handled cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture officials say they're owed more than $3 million in outstanding reimbursements from the federal government. The lawsuit includes six other organizations and five major cities.

Organizers with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Democratic National Congressional Committee and several other groups invited U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie to a town hall event Thursday over proposed Medicaid cuts. Instead, the first-term Republican will hold his own telephone town hall.