State & Regional News

Candidates for president, Congress, the General Assembly and Pennsylvania's row offices must file their petitions with the state by Tuesday. Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley could be a critical swing region at both the national and state levels.

It’s a special year for cicadas, insects known for their high-pitched mating songs. Two adjacent broods are expected to co-emerge for the first time in 221 years. Here's the next time they emerge in the Valley.

Stanley cups have skyrocketed in popularity, following other trends in reusable drinkware. But, fads like these can encourage overconsumption, experts said.

The state agency that promotes hunting in Pennsylvania has hired a lobbying firm run by a former top lawmaker using tens of thousands of dollars in public funds.

Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to invest more money in Pennsylvania's transit authorities. The money could plug a funding gap at LANTA as COVID relief dollars run dry, said Executive Director Owen O'Neil.

Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed increasing basic education funding by $1.1 billion, laying the groundwork to slash tuition costs at state-owned schools and taking out a $500 million bond to spur economic development.

Gov. Shapiro will deliver his budget address on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The deadline to deliver a completed spending plan is June 30.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, state parks across Pennsylvania were inundated with visitors.

State officials late last month announced the theme for this year’s annual tick-themed art contest, “Protect. Check. Remove.” Last year, there were no winners in the Lehigh Valley.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The Interfaith Temple and The Enlightenment Circle hosted an “Embrace Unity: A Call for Peace” event at the Delta Hotel in Allentown on Monday.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe drew condemnations from across the political spectrum after he made racist jokes at former President Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally Sunday. The remarks came two days before Trump's event at the PPL Center in Allentown, which is one of the largest Puerto Rican enclaves in the country.

McDonald's quarter pounders have been sited as the source of an E.coli outbreak in the Midwest. Now, a Lehigh Valley doctor is letting local people know how to avoid getting sick.

Dave McCormick, the GOP candidate for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat, and U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst, Roger Marshall and Todd Young urged local voters to cast early ballots for the Republican ticket ahead of Election Day during a Bethlehem Township rally Saturday.

The forms arrived at the Lancaster County elections office shortly before Monday's deadline to register to vote and were apparently part of a larger effort to sign people up, officials said

The Minnesota governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate met with voters at El Tipico Restaurant in Allentown. It's his second visit to the region in five weeks and comes just 11 days before Election Day.

PennEnvironment's 2024 “Renewables on the Rise” report ranks every state for the production of wind energy, solar power, energy storage and other metrics over the last decade, tracking growth.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump will rally supporters Tuesday at the PPL Center in Allentown. It's his second campaign visit to the Lehigh Valley this year.

The deadline is right around the corner to nominate a veteran for one of the American Red Cross Lehigh Valley Heroes awards. The American Red Cross will once again pay tribute to those who served our country and the community.

Pennsylvania’s highest court has ruled people whose mail ballots are rejected for not following technical procedures in state law can cast provisional ballots. The decision is sure to affect some of the thousands of mail-in votes experts say are likely to be rejected this fall for not following all of the mail-in voting procedures required.

Another visit from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is in order for the Lehigh Valley. The Democratic vice presidential candidate will make his second trip to the area this Friday in Allentown.

Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne testified on the floor of the state senate that some protected tax information about the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone could not be disclosed even to state lawmakers or publicized as otherwise required by state law.