State & Regional News

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania’s state House are scheduled to elect a new speaker Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania State Police investigated hundreds of crashes over the Christmas holiday weekend, with a rise in crashes, fatal crashes and the number of people killed. One fatality occurred during an alcohol-related crash in Lower Macungie Township.

The new Congress, including Rep. Susan Wild and Senator-elect John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, will be sworn into office at noon on Jan. 3, 2023.

The World Health organization is changing the name of monkeypox. The current name is thought to be both racist and stigmatizing.

Jarrett Coleman initially planned to stay on as a Parkland School Board member while simultaneously serving in the state Senate. He changed course last month. Good government advocates say such an arrangement creates the potential for conflicts of interest.

Elected leaders will jockey for control of the House for at least a few more weeks.

Need continues to grow for emergency food services. With the end of pandemic-era benefits and inflation still not letting up, demand is higher than ever, according to food pantry managers.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will host guided hikes in state parks and forests on Jan. 1. Lehigh Valley hikers may want to head to Jacobsburg State Park for a walk through Henry's Woods.

Bryan Kohberger plans to waive an extradition hearing in Monroe County Court so he can be quickly brought to Idaho to face murder charges, his defense attorney said Saturday.

Pat Browne, Lehigh County's former state senator, created legislation that generated over $1 billion for the Lehigh Valley over 28 years in Harrisburg.

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.

A Lehigh Valley representative introduced two gender affirming care bills recently. One would protect those in the LGBTQ community, the other would protect their medical providers.

As of Tuesday, the Lehigh Valley was suffocating in its thirteenth day of 90-plus temperatures this summer, well on the way to surpassing the average of 14.42 days in the 90s for records that date back to 1912.

State education officials on on Monday visited Bethlehem Area Public Library’s South Side branch, 400 Webster St., to raise awareness about the Summer Food Service Program. Free, nutritious meals are available to those aged 18 and younger — no questions asked.

USA Today nominated Hotel Bethlehem for its sixth consecutive run at the Best Historic Hotel in America title — something the luxury landmark has brought home the past three years in a row. Now it's time for the community to pitch in for the win.

Environmentalists say the Lehigh River is the cleanest its been in 175 years. A river snorkeling program at Lehigh Gap Nature Centers encourages residents to explore their local waterways and track river health.

The Lehigh Valley will face “an active week in terms of weather hazards,” the National Weather Service said early Monday, with the remnants of Beryl expected to impact the area.

In a statement Sunday, U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, stopped short of saying President Joe Biden needed to leave the ticket but warned that he could harm candidates in down-ballot races.