State & Regional News

Two Lehigh Valley’s representatives in the state house have recently proposed legislation to make affordable housing more accessible.

Under a proposal by Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania would cap tuition and fees at state-owned colleges to $1,000 a semester for in-state students from households earning up to the median income.

The number of people developing cancer is on the rise, but the survival rate is also going up according to the American Cancer Society. Doctors believe there are two contributing factors.

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An outdated police manual from 1981, gross approval of overtime and a general lack of leadership by Chief Douglas Kish necessitate change in the Catasauqua Borough Police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 patron said he witnessed two men wearing shirts marked 'It's Okay To Be White' as part of a group blaming Jews for the 9-11 terrorist attacks. ArtsQuest and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley are condemning the incident.

Last month, Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) had 73,128 passengers passing through the airport, a 3.6% increase from November of last year.

A state advisory board is questioning the rigor of telemedicine appointments for marijuana cards and advertising by marijuana businesses.

“We don’t want to see any more individuals die from an opioid use disorder that don’t need to die,” said Barbara Durkin, director of Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

Lehigh Valley Health Network is one of three hospital systems in the country chosen to participate in the study. Oncologists with LVHN are looking for patients to participate.

The annual tradition for many doubles as a science fair you can take part in.

Starbucks workers around the country are walking off the job starting Friday, in what will be a three-day strike. It will be the longest work stoppage in the year-old unionization campaign.

“I’m going to be second-guessing myself until the day I die,” Wolf, a two-term Democrat, said during a live public interview with Spotlight PA on Thursday.

Pennsylvania House Republican leader Bryan Cutler is seeking to wait until the May primary before holding special elections in two vacant districts.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, perhaps the most powerful politician ever from the Lehigh Valley, made his farewell address on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon.

A website, Fallen Firefighters of New Tripoli, details the men's lives, contains their obituaries and displays several photos. Funeral services are set for Saturday.

Rep. Susan Wild and Sen. Bob Casey supported the bill, which offers protections for gay and interracial marriages. Sen. Pat Toomey missed the vote.