State & Regional News

American politicians are putting political points ahead of national interests, Leon Panetta told a capacity crowd at Lehigh University. The dysfunction is emboldening the nation's adversaries such as Russia and China, the former secretary of defense said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will return to the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday to unveil the state’s new economic development strategy, his office said.

An outdated police manual from 1981, gross approval of overtime and a general lack of leadership by Chief Douglas Kish necessitate change in the Catasauqua Borough Police Department, a study showed.

Applications open Monday for the 2024 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program and are accepted until 4 p.m. March 8. The grants are earmarked for conservation efforts in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

More than 160,000 Pennsylvania students are enrolled in brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools, with the latter’s enrollment having ballooned in recent years.

Jay Bryson, chief economist for Wells Fargo’s Corporate and Investment Bank, told Lehigh Valley business leaders Wednesday that he expects the economy will lose some steam in the coming months, but avoid a recession.

Christopher Fitzgerald was shot and killed near the Temple University campus in Philadelphia while working as a university police officer in February 2023.

A 605-pound black bear harvested in the Lehigh Valley has ranked one of the largest in the state to be bagged during its most recent season, and was the sixth-heaviest bear in Pennsylvania for 2023.

The Ready to Learn Block Grant money can be put toward a variety of uses, including the expansion of a school district’s social and health services, and even professional development for educators.

Lawmakers announced the $40 million infusion that they said will support a new Northside Logistics and Cargo Complex. It will include a new dock facility and direct truck-to-aircraft loading apron at LVIA.

More than a dozen people pushed council to act, arguing the Israel-Hamas war is a local issue because Allentown taxpayer dollars are helping to fund Israel's military operations.

Such a cease-fire resolution would put Bethlehem among 70-something other municipalities across the country with some form of official public stance on the conflict.

More than 100 businesses, officials, organizations and environmental advocates statewide — including two from the Lehigh Valley — signed a letter to Shapiro arguing his economic development plan, “Pennsylvania Gets It Done,” fails to prioritize sustainable industries and instead doubles down on fossil fuels.

Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Susan Wild visited Lehigh Valley International Airport Tuesday, highlighting a federal grant to build new air cargo infrastructure.

Two recently formed super PACs are attacking Republican Ryan Mackenzie in the GOP primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. But Mackenzie and others allege it is an effort by Democrats to interfere in the crowded primary.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission last week released a draft of its Priority Climate Action Plan, a document almost a year in the making aimed at tamping down the region’s carbon emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Five farms, three in Lehigh County and two in Northampton County, were the latest to be included in the commonwealth’s Farmland Preservation Program, along with more than a dozen others across the state.

The legislation would allow gun owners to keep their weapon stored in their car, but would make it a misdemeanor offense to bring it inside a polling place.

Francis Malofiy of law firm Francis Alexander on Tuesday filed a complaint for a class action lawsuit on behalf of 12 families who all say they were falsely accused of child abuse by LVHN doctors.

Sen. Bob Casey called out big corporations during a stop in Easton on Thursday, saying their pursuit of profits has kept inflation high. Leading economists are warming to the once fringe theory of "greedflation."

Nancy A. Walker, Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry, was in Allentown on Thursday to announce $4.2 million in Industry Partnership grants for projects statewide that will prepare state workers and high school seniors for family-sustaining jobs.

The nominating petition for Taiba Sultana, a candidate for Pennsylvania's 136th House District, contained a questionable signature belonging to a Lisa Boscola. State Sen. Lisa Boscola and incumbent state Rep. Robert Freeman are accusing her of fraud.