State & Regional News

In his latest budget proposal, Governor Josh Shapiro wants to allocate nearly $500 million to chronically underfunded school districts — and that includes several districts in the Lehigh Valley. But lawmakers have concerns around the fairness of the funding distribution.

WWE was once a near-annual staple in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley. But the company has not returned since a holiday tour stop in 2023.

Nonprofits catering to LGBTQ+ people in the Lehigh Valley are doing what they can to push back on recent executive actions, support their community and fight for their survival as organizations, their leaders say.

A police officer discharged his firearm in an armed confrontation with the victim, who shot himself during the encounter Saturday night in Wind Gap, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

A destructive storm system moving up the coast is expected to hit the Lehigh Valley on Sunday evening. The area likely won't see any severe weather today, but it is just bordering the potential to, graphics from the National Weather Service show.

Gerald C. Yob has been mayor of Freemansburg for 44 years. He served on borough council 12 years before that. Yob turns 96 in August, and plans on running for a 12th term as mayor.

PennDOT has plans to improve the pavement and add truck climbing lanes in both Lehigh and Northampton counties. But the future of a controversial interchange in Lehigh County has grown more clouded.

Bear Creek Mountain Resort near Macungie said it will end its 2024-25 ski season on Saturday, March 15, after being open 97 ski days — which it said was one of its longest ski seasons ever.

H.B. 827 was proposed by State Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton. The bill aims to establish a tutoring program in which high school students could receive academic credit for being tutors

Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th District, was a member of a panel discussion about the home health care crisis. Advocates are urging lawmakers to increase reimbursement fees to home care agencies.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the eastern hellbender for protections under the federal Endangered Species Act. Find out why habitat loss and the pet trade are contributing to population declines.

If predictions stay true, the Lehigh Valley would be on the higher end of the 4- to 7-inch range of snowfall. PennDOT and the PA Turnpike Commission have set vehicle and road restrictions.

Shapiro highlighted his administration's historic investments in K-12 public education in the last two years before his budget address in the first week of February.

Depending on how the system evolves, a robust and plowable storm seems like the more likely scenario for the region, with the timing on potential snowfall beginning to lock in for Sunday afternoon.

The "African Americans in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley" traveling display is in the rotunda of the Northampton County Courthouse. It shares foundational stories of the Lehigh Valley through an African American lens.

Infinera has secured a CHIPS and Science Act contract to construct a state-of-the-art semiconductor facility in South Bethlehem. The 2022 law intends to bolster domestic production of essential technology.

U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reached a non-binding agreement with Coherent Corp. that could lead to the creation of 320 jobs at its Palmer Township facility. The agreement is intended to boost production of silicon carbide substrates, a specialized crystal used to create semiconductor wafers.

Confidence has increased for a clipper system to bring light snow to the region on Thursday, with potential for additional accumulation Sunday into Monday. The coldest air mass of the season arrives behind it, forecasters say.

Excelsior Farms was one of nine farms across the state recognized at the 109th PA Farm Show that have been in the same family for 100 years or more.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. LehighValleyNews.com spoke with local human trafficking awareness advocate Carol Andersen to learn how to be more aware of human trafficking in the region.

The Lehigh Valley has been put on the map for its popularity among home buyers. Now, it's officially cheaper to rent than to buy, and the area has been named the hottest small rental market in 2024 by Rent Cafe. What trends can current and prospective residents expect in 2025?