State & Regional News

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend waiving the land development approval process for a proposed new barn at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.

National politics often makes headlines, but former Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez says municipal government impacts its residents more. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell dives into what goes on inside local government with Donchez.

Increased stress due to everyday life, like politics or the economy, coupled with habitual, risky behaviors distracting the driver from the road, can create a slippery slope, ripe for crashes, experts said. Plus, those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

Organizations such as colleges, local governments and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding under Congress's Community Project Funding program. The Lehigh Valley has secured tens of millions in funding through federal discretionary spending in recent years.

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."

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.

Decadent chocolate, fresh strawberries and nutty pistachio: Local businesses are latching on to a chocolate-y social media trend.

Easton Police Chief Carl Scalzo spoke out against a proposed "welcoming city" ordinance, saying it could be seen as a beacon for criminal activity in the city and make police officers' jobs more difficult.

The state's dairy industry has officially reached "HPAI-free" status after rigorous testing in Pennsylvania dairy cattle for highly pathogenic avian influenza. Other states have detected bird flu in their cattle though, so the state will continue to monitor and test cattle.

Because of the timing, the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 4 p.m. until midnight for total snow and sleet accumulations of a coating to one inch and ice accumulations around a light glaze.

On this week's episode of Political Pulse, Tom Shortell and Chris Borick talk about local traffic development and how residents feel about traffic issues.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wants to know how a former Allentown vice officer was hired by the U.S. Center for SafeSport despite sex-crime allegations in his past.

Back-to-back storms will roll through the Lehigh Valley this week, but forecasters say if you're a snow purist, don't expect much in the way of significant accumulation.

Local officials in places like Lowhill Township want more tools to help them control industrial development and traffic in their borders.

From Coplay to Caesar's Superdome: Saquon Barkley made a name for himself at Whitehall High and Penn State. He's been a top performer in the NFL this season. Here are Barkley's best plays of the 2024 season ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

A dozen Pennsylvania puppies will compete for the "Lombarky" trophy and Most Valuable Puppy starting at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The winter weather advisory will run 3 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday, with mixed precipitation expected in the Lehigh Valley and across the region.