State & Regional News

The Walking Purchase, a 1737 land grab perpetrated by William Penn's sons, shaped the Lehigh Valley as residents know it today. But, the land wasn’t actually purchased, as the name might suggest — it was swindled from the Lenni-Lenape.

More than 130 people attended the panel, which focused on efforts across the state to tamp down on light pollution, not only to benefit star-gazers, but for fireflies and migrating birds, too.

Lehigh Valley Political Pulse host Tom Shortell wants to hear from you. Readers are encouraged to submit questions through the link in the article. They may be addressed on a future episode of the program.

As the system moves off the Carolina coast and begins to strengthen and lift northward, impacts farther inland — particularly in the Lehigh Valley — are not expected to be overly hazardous.

PennDOT has decided to convert a normally empty parking lot off William Penn Highway into 30 or more truck parking spots. While warehouses have boomed across the Lehigh Valley, truck parking has failed to keep up.

Political scientist Chris Borick joined Tom Shortell again this week to try to make sense of the government shutdown and what it all means.

Senate Democrats have refused to fund the federal government unless Republicans agree to extend tax subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. U.S. Ryan Mackenzie supports the tax subsidies but echoed Republican demands that no deal can be struck until the federal government is funded.

A reinforcing cold front has triggered a freeze watch in the Lehigh Valley from Thursday evening through Friday morning, bringing our coldest overnight temperatures since mid-April.

State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2026 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.

The filings, which occurred over the past few days in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey, are individual filings of LLCs, including the location that was based at the Lehigh Valley Mall Lifestyle Center.

Emmaus grad and Lehigh County Democratic Committee senior advisor Aidan Levinson is set to join the new Commission on Next Generation Engagement, established by Governor Josh Shapiro in June to advise the administration

Extending from Allentown to north of Coplay, the gap, made up of two main sections delineated by the Lehigh River, is expected to be closed in a little over a decade, officials said.

Students planning to enroll in various educational programs have until August 1 to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for a PA State Grant Award.

The roads were closed after damage inflicted by heavy rainfall on July 16.

Northampton County Emergency Management Services estimate countywide damages stemming from the July 16 flooding at $7.5 million. It expects that figure will climb as more municipalities report in.

Sen. Bob Casey has introduced the No Robot Bosses Act, which intends to protect workers' rights and regulate how companies use AI and algorithms in personnel decisions.

Sweltering conditions in the Lehigh Valley are forecast to end with a bang on Saturday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. But we have to make it through Friday first.

A statewide drought watch is still in effect, even amid rounds of severe rainstorms and flash flooding.

A July 13 media release stated that the Low Energy Evaporative Fractionation System will employ “an advanced foam fractionation process and proprietary techniques” to treat landfill byproducts.

Ryan Mackenzie, the longtime Lehigh County state representative, will need to emerge from a crowded Republican field to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, the three-term incumbent.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania is now 10 cents higher this week, and experts say the pain at the pump is likely to continue.

The Lehigh Valley is preparing for its first official heat wave of the year, with a stretch of 90°+ degree temperatures expected. A heat advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Friday.