State & Regional News

In his latest budget proposal, Governor Josh Shapiro wants to allocate nearly $500 million to chronically underfunded school districts — and that includes several districts in the Lehigh Valley. But lawmakers have concerns around the fairness of the funding distribution.

WWE was once a near-annual staple in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley. But the company has not returned since a holiday tour stop in 2023.

Nonprofits catering to LGBTQ+ people in the Lehigh Valley are doing what they can to push back on recent executive actions, support their community and fight for their survival as organizations, their leaders say.

A police officer discharged his firearm in an armed confrontation with the victim, who shot himself during the encounter Saturday night in Wind Gap, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

A destructive storm system moving up the coast is expected to hit the Lehigh Valley on Sunday evening. The area likely won't see any severe weather today, but it is just bordering the potential to, graphics from the National Weather Service show.

Gerald C. Yob has been mayor of Freemansburg for 44 years. He served on borough council 12 years before that. Yob turns 96 in August, and plans on running for a 12th term as mayor.

PennDOT has plans to improve the pavement and add truck climbing lanes in both Lehigh and Northampton counties. But the future of a controversial interchange in Lehigh County has grown more clouded.

Bear Creek Mountain Resort near Macungie said it will end its 2024-25 ski season on Saturday, March 15, after being open 97 ski days — which it said was one of its longest ski seasons ever.

H.B. 827 was proposed by State Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton. The bill aims to establish a tutoring program in which high school students could receive academic credit for being tutors

Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th District, was a member of a panel discussion about the home health care crisis. Advocates are urging lawmakers to increase reimbursement fees to home care agencies.

The storm dropped a record 11.8 inches of snow on Lehigh Valley International Airport, breaking the old record of 10.4 inches for the date set in 1988.

Forecasters say the Lehigh Valley region could see 10 to 16 inches of snow and sleet accumulations, with a wintry mix of snow and sleet expected Sunday afternoon and evening. A winter storm warning remains in effect into Monday afternoon.

The Lehigh County Coroner's Office said the 27-year-old died Saturday night at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest — hours after being shot during a standoff with Pennsylvania State Police in a North Whitehall Township driveway.

Forecasters now expect widespread snow totals of 12 to 18 inches across much of the region, with locally higher amounts possible. The warning replaces the earlier watch, signaling that severe winter weather is now considered imminent.

State Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton, introduced a bill this week to more sharply define when local governments can forgo a requirement in the Sunshine Act of publicizing meeting agendas at least 24 hours in advance.

Allentown declared a snow emergency ahead of Sunday's major winter storm. Enforcement efforts in the city will begin Saturday morning.

McClure, who recently completed his second term as Northampton County executive after serving 10 years on county council, is seeking the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.

In a briefing package released early Thursday, the National Weather Service put the low end amount expected in the Lehigh Valley around 8 inches. But a “reasonable worst case” would see the area receive as much as 21 inches of snow.

EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich is sounding the alarm on cuts at the federal level he says are quietly eroding the reliability of weather forecasts across the country, from national outlooks to the local forecasts residents rely on every day.

The funding, through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Recreation and Conservation’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program, is aimed at protecting national resources and expanding outdoor access.

In this week's episode, Political Pulse host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick talk about current events shaping political opinions in unexpected ways. Borick said it marks a "wild start" to 2026 and could set the stage for the rest of the year.

Buglio said the decision is driven by what investigators are increasingly encountering during death investigations, particularly in private residences.