State & Regional News

In an effort to ensure drivers in the Lehigh Valley abide by speed limits and remain mindful of not being distracted, Pennsylvania State Police plan to step up enforcement from Wednesday through Sunday in this Thanksgiving holiday period.

A federal court has directed Pennsylvania counties to accept mail ballots that a voter has failed to date or misdated, a long-awaited decision that could affect thousands of ballots in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence is open to any commonwealth business, farm, government agency, educational institution or nonprofit organization that has developed or participated in a project that promotes environmental protection and stewardship. Applications are due by Jan. 3.

When state officials announced a series of in-person and virtual meetings there were no in-person meetings slated for the Lehigh Valley, even though the region is the third largest metropolitan area in the commonwealth. A meeting in Allentown has been added to the schedule.

A significant storm is set to soak the region this week, and it will come during the peak travel days ahead of Thanksgiving. Some areas could even see wintry precipitation.

Pennsylvania saw a nearly 50% increase in Hispanic-owned businesses between 2012 and 2019, according to Census data. Non-Hispanic businesses increased by 9.3%, which means Latinos are creating businesses at a higher rate than their non-Hispanic peers.

While the goal is to transition communities to clean energy while creating jobs, there are still many unknowns about the projects. Even though there are two hubs slated for Pennsylvania, it could be a while before the Lehigh Valley’s residents begin to feel any impacts.

First introduced by state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh Valley, in 2015 and approved by the Senate in July, the bill would increase the fine and direct any monies collected towards bald and golden eagle conservation efforts across the commonwealth.

"We were building the plane while we were flying it,” said one consultant.

Pre-Thanksgiving storm ahead: Your best-laid plans to hit the road for the holiday could be upended next week, forecasters warn.

Albeit late, lawmakers passed a $47.6 billion plan for the fiscal year that started July 1, with much focus on education this year.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission issued 19 recommendations for PPL Electric to improve upon, including fixing its poor customer service and restoring power to customers faster following an outage.

The National Weather Service posted a flood watch starting at 6 a.m. Friday for the Philadelphia region and its suburbs.

The $208 million will also produce 295 new union jobs, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s announcement said, though it’s unclear what cut of the funding the Macungie facility is getting or the number of new jobs expected locally.

Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled new designs for highway welcome signs and license plates this week, both featuring the Liberty Bell and the phrase "Let Freedom Ring." But it appears history hot spot Easton was left out.

While the Easton Police Department only took a few phone calls over fireworks complaints for July 4, it appears citizens and city council are riled up over the nuisance and danger tied to the explosives.

Hellertown Borough's historical society touts the Heller-Wagner Grist Mill, located along West Walnut Street, as one of the oldest landmarks in town. The mill operated into the 1950s.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, is looking to force his predecessor, now Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, to release tax returns about Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone. Browne, who crafted the NIZ, has worked to keep the information confidential for five years.

Funding was awarded through the Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program. The program aims to protect and promote natural resources through the implementation of ready-to-go, single-year projects.

The National Weather Service expanded an excessive heat warning into the Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, calling for dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 105 degrees. A severe weather threat will follow.

Allentown and Easton have been paired with an engineering company to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. It's Allentown's first time, but Easton's second, in the program.

Major renovations at Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab, agricultural conservation and bridge maintenance are the major expenditures in Lehigh County’s five-year Capital Plan.