State & Regional News

Three farms in Lehigh and Northampton counties were the latest to be included in the state’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

Senate Republicans blocked a vote on a bill that would guarantee access to assisted reproductive technology. The effort came a day after Democrats blocked a Republican effort to penalize states that attempt to ban invitro fertilization treatments.

A bill aimed at saving local pharmacies with pharmacy benefit manager, or PBMs, reform was touted in Allentown this week. Pennsylvania State Representative Josh Siegel, who represents Lehigh County, joined State Representative Jessica Benham, who represents Allegheny County, at Allentown Pharmacy.

The grant program would allow schools to recruit students, paraprofessionals and other community members to pursue a career in education. It passed the House with bipartisan support last year but has been stuck in committee in the Senate since then.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan says machine gun conversion devices, also known as Glock switches, are becoming increasingly common in the region. The illegal modifications turn semi-automatic firearms into automatic weapons.

A new report release by the American Heart Association shows the U.S. on trend to have a cardiovascular disease crisis within 30 years. A public poll shows people feel eating healthy is the way to avoid the crisis, but price points and access limit that ability.

Heat index outlooks — projecting what it feels like outside with the heat and humidity combined — push feels-like temperatures near triple digits between June 17-21 and top 100 degrees in the Lehigh Valley between June 19-25.

More than two dozen state legislators, including one from the Lehigh Valley, have co-sponsored HB2238, which would eliminate the use of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in household products.

A Democratic-sponsored proposal to boost public school funding by billions and impose stricter rules on cyber-charter schools is on its way to the Pennsylvania Senate after passage in the state House.

State officials are holding a virtual town hall meeting Wednesday for residents to share their feedback on the Bureau of Forestry’s newest strategic plan. Here's how to participate.

“The entire region is dependent upon the success of Hamilton Street in Allentown, of Main Street in Bethlehem and Centre Square in Easton,” Mayor Matt Tuerk said.

CVS and Walgreens pharmacies announced they will begin offering mifepristone, an abortion drug, through their brick-and-mortar locations in certain states, including Pennsylvania, starting in March 2024.

With spring still weeks away, state forest officials are gearing up for this year’s spongy moth hatch. Here's what Lehigh Valley residents need to know.

While many customers are waiting for their power to be restored after the wind storm in the Lehigh Valley, estimated repair times are putting some areas on a longer waitlist. Check out the logic behind those estimates and what they really mean.

Last month, U.S. Rep. Susan Wild introduced legislation that would codify access to IVF treatments across the country. Following a controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling, the bill finds itself at the center of debate in the nation's capital.

A half-dozen city leaders and environmental advocates highlighted the economic, environmental and public health benefits the implementation of clean truck standards could reap across the Valley.

Kevin Dellicker, Ryan Mackenzie and Maria Montero pitched their candidacies for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District during a taped debate Wednesday. The 'Business Matters' episode will air on WFMZ Monday.

Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney painted former President Donald Trump as an existential threat to American democracy during an hour-long lecture at Lehigh University Tuesday evening.

Since 2009, the Neighborhood Improvement Zone has invested $500 million of state tax dollars into redeveloping 128-acres of Allentown. State Sen. Jarrett Coleman has called for a review of the program to ensure Pennsylvania's making a wise investment.

Lafayette College officials are preparing to host the U.S. vice presidential debate Sept. 25. Two watch parties are in the works, and the school is already seeking volunteers to help with the festivities.

A service at St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Allentown observed two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, as aid seen as essential to the war's future stalls in Congress.

A video clip showing auditor general candidate Malcolm Kenyatta telling a voter his Lehigh Valley-based opponent Mark Pinsley of not caring about Black people is circulating online, raising questions about the campaign.