State & Regional News

Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered Pennsylvania flags on all Commonwealth facilities, buildings, and grounds be lowered to half-staff to honor the victims of the RM Palmer Company factory explosion.

West Reading's police chief announced two additional fatalities on Sunday evening, ending the search for two missing individuals. The search and rescue operation followed a chocolate factory explosion Friday night.

Reporter Julian Abraham spent the weekend covering the explosion that occurred Friday at a chocolate factory in West Reading.

As part of a yearlong investigation, The Associated Press obtained the data points underpinning several algorithms deployed by child welfare agencies to understand how they predict which children could be at risk of harm.

A chemical spill of a latex product late Friday in Bristol Township released contaminants into a Delaware River tributary, according to OEM officials.

Three people died and four remain missing in the explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. chocolate-making plant in West Reading. The grim announcement Saturday night came after a day of hope spurred by a victim found alive in the wreckage early in the day.

Pennsylvania will again operate a water assistance program for low-income households behind in their water or wastewater bills, state officials announced last week.

While the report indicates positive trends, community advocates and leaders raised concerns about high rates of gun violence and educational outcomes. They called for more hyper-localized data to identify trends and correlations between issues impacting Black communities.

Thursday's March For Our Lives rally marks its fifth anniversary since its inception after a 2018 mass shooting at a Florida high school. Hundreds are expected at Thursday's rally in Harrisburg, which coincides with rallies this week in Florida, Michigan, California and Texas.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he's long admired the Lehigh Valley's unique ability to build partnerships. It's a skillset he said he hopes to bring to other communities across the state to promote economic growth. Shapiro was keynote speaker at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. annual meeting in Bethlehem.

Local Red Cross volunteers are in Florida helping with Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The Lehigh Valley chapter's executive director says this one is different than other storm system cleanups he's witnessed.

Former Gov. Tom Corbett and two former federal judges said that petitions for recounts and other litigation could cause some Pennsylvania counties to miss the deadline to certify results of the November election.

As of Monday afternoon, mile markers 94.2-97.13 of the D&L Trail in East Penn Township remain closed because of a sinkhole.

The state Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in Bethlehem to take public testimony about Keystone Cement Co.’s hazardous waste permit renewal application.

Northampton County’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event was held Saturday. More than 1,700 residents registered.

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg and mental health experts advocated for an increased investment in school-based health clinics at a news conference at Hays Elementary School in Allentown on Friday.

With nearly 98% of the city already built out, city officials and partners have had to get creative in bringing forth potential solutions to the broader housing crisis.

What can the Lehigh Valley expect as we head into meteorological fall? Experts have given their long-range outlooks for both temperatures and precipitation, and also weighed in on La Niña.

A fall appreciation event gave those at Miller-Keystone Blood Center the chance to say “thank you” to those who give blood. It’s the first time they’ve been able to host an event like this since the pandemic.

The US is mailing Americans COVID tests again. Here's how to get them

State officials on Thursday gathered at a Lancaster County dairy to announce the theme of the 2025 farm show. The farm show runs from Jan. 4 through Jan. 11 in Harrisburg.

The commonwealth's six-week leaf-peeping season has begun. Here's when the Lehigh Valley can expect peak colors.