State & Regional News

The city was awarded the grant through the WalkWorks program. Officials now have $35,000 and a year to create an Active Transportation Plan aimed at bolstering connectivity across the city.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is believed to be on the short list of vice-presidential candidates that presumed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is considering.

As support coalesces around Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's nominee for president, the conversation has turned to a potential running mate. Among the leading contenders is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Lehigh County Democratic Chair Lori McFarland and political organizer Aidan Levinson said they could rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket. They are among the Lehigh Valley's contingent of delegates heading to the Democratic National Convention in August.

President Joe Biden announced he will end his bid for reelection and support Kamala Harris for the presidency. Lehigh Valley politicians were quick to weigh in with their thoughts after weeks of speculation about Biden's fitness for office and his future.

The Democratic Party's convention is a little less than a month away. Even with President Joe Biden endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to be his successor, there are unanswered questions about logistics, money and political fallout.

President Joe Biden's decision comes in the wake of a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about Biden's fitness for office just four months before the election. Biden said he is throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s instant favorite for the nomination at its August convention in Chicago.

Development has divided wildlife habitats across Pennsylvania, leading to more vehicle-animal collisions. A new report from the state Legislature argues reconnecting the pieces through wildlife corridors would help.

Tom Perez, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, said a $208 million matching grant to Volvo will grow the middle class and help fight climate change.

A compromise has been reached between federal, state and local officials that will allow construction of a temporary, free-standing rockfall barrier where a rockslide occurred on Route 611 in December 2022.

Under the bill, gun owners could lose their license to carry if they try to take a loaded weapon onto a plane. This would be similar to losing a license for possessing a small amount of marijuana, one lawmaker said.

Executive Education Academy Charter has been waiting to appeal its application denial since 2021. Gov. Josh Shapiro's nominees were just confirmed by the State Senate earlier this month.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s gift ban says he can’t take tickets from groups with “financial relations with the Commonwealth.” Team Pennsylvania was awarded $1.8 million in state contracts this year.

The most popular names have been a constant the past few years, according to the major health networks. But one trend that emerged in 2023 in the Lehigh Valley seems to be tied to sports — specifically, the success and popularity of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taylor Swift also may be having an impact.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is starting a new office to help train county election workers, Pa. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. It also plans to update its guidance for logic and accuracy testing that could have caught issues with the Northampton County voting machines.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Nippon Steel is set to pay more than $14 billion to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a deal that Rep. Susan Wild said is “really kind of heartbreaking."

Pennsylvania's gas tax– the highest in the nation in 2023 – will drop from $0.611/gallon to $0.576/gallon and will remain in place through 2024.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said these types of incentives will help to attract “the best and brightest” candidates to serve the city.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.