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.

The program is back for the start of 2022 after being canceled last year due to the pandemic.

Leigh Chapman will be the Department of State's fifth leader in seven years.

The third-largest school district in Pa. is launching its first esports team.

Commonwealth Court is expected to rule soon on a case that could lead to an election probe.

The American Civil Liberties Union was among the chief opponents of approval.

After all but vanishing by the 1960s, the species is now self-sustaining in Pennsylvania.

The money is part of the state's share of $9 billion in American Rescue Plan funds

Delaware County school district asserts its under-funding violates the state constitution.

Game Commission biologist Art McMorris has spent 18 years working on behalf of the winged predators.

The new variant is responsible for three quarters of all new cases in the U.S.

Environmental justice areas include neighborhoods that shoulder more than a typical share of climate and environmental risks.

Some say the way the state distributes money to small school districts is not equitable.