State & Regional News

There's little precedent for what we’re seeing now as multiple states work to redraw their congressional boundaries mid-decade, Tom Shortell says on this week's episode of Political Pulse.

The case against Matthew Wolfe relied heavily on the expert testimony of Dr. Debra Esernio-Jenssen, the former Lehigh Valley Health Network physician being sued for alleged medical child abuse misdiagnoses. With her credibility under scrutiny, prosecutors agreed to cut years off Wolf's sentence.

The Allentown area recorded 1.88 inches of rain on Thursday, the weather service said, besting the old record of 1.86 inches from Sept. 4, 1988.

Northampton County Council adopted a resolution Thursday urging state lawmakers to adopt a budget as soon as possible. It's part of a wave of similar resolutions across the state, calculated to present a united front and put pressure on Harrisburg.

PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center on Tuesday released its new report, “Solar Schools for Pennsylvania: Repowering Education with Clean Energy."

State Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Lehigh, and Republican Roger MacLean, Allentown's former police chief and city councilman, traded barbs and insults during the taping of the "Business Matters" Lehigh County executive debate.

Charles Bierbauer earned degrees in journalism and Russian from Penn State University and worked two decades at CNN, starting just a year after the network's inception. He grew up in Allentown.

Penn State Extension this summer published "The Bees of Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Genera,” outlining the commonwealth’s more than 440 species of bees, organized by genus.

Allentown City Council last month gave Mayor Matt Tuerk 30 days to acquire a property for safe camping or temporary shelter for residents of an encampment due to close Sept. 29. Tuerk says he won't meet that deadline.

Senate Bill 980, introduced Wednesday, would phase out the manufacture, sale and use of firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, beginning in 2026.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for president, is holding a rally at Muhlenberg College in Allentown on the final day of the presidential campaign. Election Day is Tuesday.

Around 10 p.m. Sunday, the evening operation was passed off to DCNR State Wildland Crews, the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. said on social media. A planned backburn was underway to stop the spread of a fire burning since Saturday.

Kamala Harris will spend Monday criss-crossing Pennsylvania, with visits scheduled to Allentown, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Donald Trump will be in Pennsylvania on Monday, too, holding a rally in Reading.

Pennsylvania's political landscape has shifted dramatically since the last election. Many counties have switched party majorities, which could influence the outcome of the upcoming election.

The fire began early Saturday afternoon near Route 248 in Lehigh Township in Northampton County and burned through the night. Numerous aircraft and heavy equipment joined Sunday to help fight the fire, which was not yet been significantly contained. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters battling a blaze on Blue Mountain expressed gratitude to the community for an abundance of donations — so many that they have advised people to hold onto their contributions as they have reached capacity for storage.

A Muhlenberg College/Morning Call poll of Pennsylvania voters released two days before Election Day gives a slight lead to Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump — well within the survey's margin of error. Results also show the U.S. Senate race for Pennsylvania has tightened.

Travel is expected to be tricky Monday afternoon as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are expected to be in the area on the final day of the presidential campaign before Election Day.

A three-mile stretch of Route 611 between Northampton and Monroe counties will reopen Tuesday morning. Portland Borough business owners say the protracted shutdown has crippled business.

The National Weather Service said there will be “no relief” to ongoing drought and fire concerns, with record-challenging temperatures expected by midweek across the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the mid-Atlantic region.

It's the second time in a week city schools will be closed for a presidential campaign rally. The potential for large crowds, heavy traffic and disruptions prompted the move, the school district said.

State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2025 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.