State & Regional News

The drought is far from over, but enough precipitation has fallen to boost the confidence of state officials when it comes to outdoor fires.

Join Megan Frank every Friday at 9:30am and 6:30pm for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Brittany Sweeney takes her place, joined by politics reporter Tom Shortell and Easton reporter Brian Myszkowski.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania is conceding his reelection bid to Republican David McCormick. The concession came Thursday, more than two weeks after Election Day. A statewide recount is showing no signs of closing the gap and Casey's campaign has suffered repeated blows in court.

FirstEnergy sought to raise local customers' electric bills by more than 9%, but the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission blocked the higher rate.

The bipartisan House Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development Committee spent three days in the Lehigh Valley this week. Part of the visit included a hearing with local organizers to discuss funding celebrations of America's 250th anniversary.

After a steady – but not soaking – overnight rain, the area remains on track to break a pair of records that have stood the test of time. But more precipitation is on the way, including snow.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning in effect from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon for Carbon and Monroe counties in an "elevation-dependent system."

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild said the House Ethics Committee is split in deliberations over how to handle an investigations into former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz on allegations of sexual misconduct. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Gaetz to lead the Justice Department.

The Lehigh County Board of Elections voted 3-0 to certify 191,158 ballots Wednesday afternoon. Fights over how to count contested provisional ballots are already popping up in the neck-and-neck U.S. Senate race between Bob Casey and David McCormick.

Organic whole and baby carrots linked to Grimmway Farms, including several brands available in stores throughout the Lehigh Valley, have been recalled due to concerns of E. coli.

The powerful animal tranquilizer is showing up in supplies of illicit drugs and is contributing to a growing number of overdose deaths, including in the Lehigh Valley.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation encourages Whitehall Township residents to review virtual plans for the replacement of the Fifth Street Bridge over Route 22.

A handful of organic farms across the Lehigh Valley are welcoming residents and visitors this weekend to help their own gardens get growing.

The PennDOT Workers' Memorial honors the 90 employees who died while on the job since 1970. The memorial is displayed along North Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown Thursday through Friday.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, sponsored the bill. Any money collected will go toward bald and golden eagle conservation efforts.

Norfolk Southern’s CEO will be under more pressure to improve profits after the railroad’s shareholders voted Thursday to elect three of the board members an activist investor nominated, but he won’t be fired right away.

Pennsylvania election officials say the rate of mail-in ballots rejected for technicalities saw a significant drop in last month’s primary election. That is after state officials tried anew to help voters avoid mistakes that might get their ballots thrown out.

A special hourlong program livestreamed on LehighValleyNews.com Wednesday night. Panelists included Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure. The nonpartisan civic education group Keep Our Republic was a partner in the production.

The safety of a skin care procedure that draws patients’ blood and uses it in the healing process is coming into question. A Lehigh Valley nurse explains how to stay safe while receiving a vampire facial.

A report from the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion has former President Donald Trump with a 3-point lead over President Joe Biden in a head-to-head battle. That lead becomes a tie when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is included as an option.

More than a dozen wild birds in Pennsylvania have so far been confirmed to have the strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. The threat to humans is low.

The spring migration count at Hawk Mountain began last month. One-day peak counts reach more than 100 birds in mid- to late-April, with this season’s count continuing through May 15.