State & Regional News

Nine juveniles who escaped from a detention center in Berks County and were at large for less than a day have been captured, state police said Monday.

A heat map generated from PennDOT crash statistics shows a high rate of collisions involving deer and vehicles — the Lehigh Valley included. Pennsylvania also ranked No. 3 overall for the likelihood of having an animal-vehicle collision.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey is rallying bipartisan support to restore federal funding for hunter safety and archery courses in schools, citing a misinterpretation of the Safer Communities Act.

Several Lehigh Valley residents reported witnessing a string of lights in the sky in the Allentown and Bethlehem areas on Saturday night, Sept. 16.

Congresswoman Susan Wild is advocating for $16 billion in additional dollars to support the sector.

The mud-colored salamander–also known as a snot otter, mud devil, and Allegheny alligator–can grow to be two feet long, and can live up to 30 years.

In the wake of a jail escapes in Chester and Warren counties, state Republican lawmakers are planning to introduce a set of bills to improve county jail security, infrastructure and staffing.

Authorities in Pennsylvania said they captured escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante after hunting for him nearly two weeks.

The state's Basic Education Funding Commission held its first meeting in Allentown to collect testimony on fixing Pennsylvania's school funding formula after a landmark court ruling declaring it unconstitutional.

State Senate Republicans added vouchers back to the budget while cutting Level Up funding for Allentown and Bethlehem Area school districts.

PennDOT officials detailed planned and continuing work for 2024, including major bridge replacements along well-traveled state routes.

Sunday's rain could transition to snow as the storm system departs the region Monday morning, with the potential to affect the morning commute, according to the National Weather Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its plant hardiness map, showing a warmer Lehigh Valley. The region has moved into a warmer zone from the one where it was placed more than a decade ago. Experts say it has consequences for plant seasons and species.

If you're doing anything outdoors, do it Saturday. Rain will arrive Sunday and is forecast to intensify later in the day, with gusty winds. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Sunday afternoon into Monday afternoon.

In a letter to Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Rep. Milou Mackenzie asked the Department of State to provide Northampton County with instructions on how to avoid more Election Day mistakes with their voting machines.

A sprawling storm system is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and snow to the region this weekend.

Almost 11,000 birds of prey were counted this year during the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn hawk watch as they made their way along the raptor "superhighway" in the Valley’s backyard.

Amtrak officials previously said passenger rail between Allentown and New York City could be restored as soon as 2024. However, a $300,000 study exploring the proposed connection is more than a month overdue.

Forecasters say the Lehigh Valley will see a mixed bag of precipitation in the days ahead, with snow showers possible Wednesday and Thursday and a potent storm system expected this weekend.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a visit to Allentown that as part of his 2024-25 budget, he will fund a program providing scholarships to students in poor-performing school districts.

State lawmakers on Monday held a committee hearing titled “Minimizing Risk & Harm: Preparing for Pennsylvania’s Hydrogen Future.” It comes almost two months after President Joe Biden announced seven regional clean hydrogen hub projects, including two in Pennsylvania.

A state mandate requiring schools to identify sexual content in books could cost Lehigh Valley school districts significant time, money and resources.