State & Regional News

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by Bethlehem reporter Will Oliver and Northampton County reporter Ryan Gaylor.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure says he'll run for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District seat in 2026, seeking to bring the seat back under Democratic control.

Stephen DeWeerth, professor and dean of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, called the endowment “a testament to the commitment of our alumni community in advancing Lehigh's mission of inspiring future makers."

With Bethlehem City Council adopting the 2024 Lehigh Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan on Tuesday, the city is now in place for potential federal financial assistance if a disaster, natural or human-caused, was to happen.

Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone introduced a new ordinance at the board's Wednesday meeting that would see marijuana possession and use reduced to summary offenses with fines.

Mark Pinsley also plans to publish a series of “plain-language reports” about how billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to cut the federal government will affect local municipalities, services and programs.

Lehigh Valley Health Network and Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association are expanding a program which helps those with autism and other communication issues interact with police when stopped.

The LVPC Environment Committee on Tuesday approved a proposal by Lower Nazareth Township to modify its Agricultural Security Area program. The ASA program lets farmland owners enroll their properties in an ASA, which then is managed by a municipality.

If you’ve ever thought about running for local office, you’ve probably had one big question above all: How do I get my campaign up and running? Tom Shortell and Sam Chen have the answers in this week's Political Pulse.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released further details of the arrest made at Northampton County Prison on Friday, again accusing Northampton County Prison of not cooperating. County Executive Lamont McClure challenges that.

Fracking has been a dividing line between the 4 Democrats in the race.

The plaintiffs argue disparities in school funding violate the state constitution.

The House State Government Committee moved a bill forward along party lines Monday that would limit how county election departments can be funded.

The governor said he will turn over masking decisions to local school officials on Jan. 17.

Measures claiming to promote “energy choice” in Pennsylvania appear to be gaining momentum in the legislature.

Kids aged 5-11 can now receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Shots are already being administered across the Lehigh Valley.

Some families are still waiting on funds they were supposed to get months ago to make up for meals students missed during last school year.

The bill has bipartisan co-sponsors but a House Republican spokesperson says it is not a priority this fall.

Gov. Tom Wolf and some Senate Dems are crying foul over two bills that would ease rules for Pa. gun owners.

More than 81,000 documented oil and gas wells across the U.S. have been left unplugged by former owners — far exceeding the previous estimate of 56,000, according to a new report by the Environmental Defense Fund.

The five-member Legislative Reapportionment Commission has been waiting for a final, cleaned-up package of census data since the summer.

The Biden administration wants to develop 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind power by 2030 -- enough energy for 10 million homes.