State & Regional News

Mark Pinsley has launched his third bid for state Senate and will abandon his efforts to become the Lehigh Valley's next congressman.

In December alone, there were 676 eviction filings and defaults in Lehigh County — the highest monthly total since August 2023.

Lehigh County Democrats confirmed that Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley is circulating petitions for both Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District and Pennsylvania's 16th state Senate District.

The seven Democrats running for the Lehigh Valley's congressional district agreed on virtually every issue during a candidate's forum in Allentown on Monday evening. Instead of policy, candidates tried to differentiate themselves through their records and credentials.

Voters are increasingly breaking with the Republican and Democratic parties. One national poll found a record 45% of Americans consider themselves politically independent.

The forum is set to start at 6 p.m. Monday at Resurrected Life Church in Center City Allentown.

Democratic voters in Pennsylvania's 16th and 18th Senate districts may have contested races this spring. Meanwhile, Republican Zach Mako is seeking re-election in Pennsylvania's 183rd House District.

Joining host Tom Shortell on this week's Political Pulse, Ryan Crosswell said his campaign is focused on two priorities: lowering costs for families and defending democratic institutions.

The early LIHEAP crisis numbers already represent a notable share of last winter’s total in the Lehigh Valley, according to data provided by the Department of Human Services.

An extreme cold warning, combined with a wind advisory also in effect, could mean wind chills as low as 20 degrees below zero for the region this weekend.

High wind warnings were converted to wind advisories for most areas early Monday, but not before thousands of utility customers across the region lost power overnight.

Applications are open for the The Good Farmer Award U.S. Officials are looking for farmers with less than 10 years of experience who exemplify sustainable farming practices while contributing to community and environmental health.

The area could see wind gusts up to 60 mph tonight, with windy conditions persisting into tomorrow, including frigid wind chills. Plus, a look at what forecasters are saying about the potential for snow later this week.

Central Moravian Church is one of three Historic Bethlehem structures on a new 90-minute World Heritage Tour visitors finally can enter. The Saturdays-only tour starts this weekend.

A Northampton County farm was one of the latest group to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

Puppy raisers help socialize and teach guide dogs obedience in the early stages of their lives before they start training to become guide dogs for the visually impaired.

In a statement released through U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie's office, ICE says Northampton County has a policy of not fully cooperating with the agency, placing agents and the public at risk. County Executive Lamont McClure disagrees.

If the policy is approved, Bethlehem Area would become the fifth district in the region to put a generative AI policy on the books.

It's the third time the Delaware River has won the title. Previous wins were in 2002 and 2017.

The Lehigh Valley will begin the weekend under a winter weather advisory in effect from noon Saturday until 1 a.m. Sunday.

Congressman Ryan Mackenzie has accused Northampton County of not cooperating with ICE, while County Executive Lamont McClure has argued the legislator does not grasp the complexity of the situation.

Some salt sheds across the region could be down to their final grains, officials said Thursday, as reports of a rock salt shortage spread through the region and well beyond.