State & Regional News

Healey, the first lesbian to openly serve as an American governor, visited the campaign office on Hamilton Street. She was in town for a large rally of public sector unions Friday evening on behalf of U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh County Clerk of Elections Tim Benyo said his office contacted law enforcement after determining an organization turned in hundreds of faulty voter registration applications.

Lehigh and Northampton counties are in a drought watch due to persistently dry weather. The Lehigh County Authority is asking residents to start conserving.

Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will rally supporters in the Lehigh Valley on Monday, the final day of her campaign.

A red flag warning is issued when the risk of fire danger is highest. The warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Friday.

A tour group consisting of Europeans interested in the American political system stopped in Northampton County to see the spectacle of election season this week.

"A Community Conversation: Protecting Your Vote" aired Wednesday on PBS39 and will be rebroadcast at 6 p.m. Thursday. It's hosted by LehighValleyNews.com politics reporter Tom Shortell.

The U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday showed all of the Lehigh Valley in either “moderate” or “severe” drought.

More than 2.1 million Pennsylvania voters have been approved for a mail-in ballot this election, down from the 3 million ballots requested in 2020. Democrats saw the steepest drop, allowing Republicans to increase their share of mail-in ballots.

Donald Trump held a campaign rally before a packed house at the PPL Center in Allentown — a city with a large Puerto Rican population. He said he had done more for Puerto Ricans than any president in American history.

Three seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are up for retention elections this cycle. Typically a "mundane affair," as described by political scientist Chris Borick, these races now have a lot of eyes on them, with parties looking to flip these judicial seats in swing states.

Applications are open for the second Good Farmer Award U.S. Officials are looking for farmers with less than 10 years of experience who exemplify sustainable farming practices while contributing to community and environmental health.

Republican Roger MacLean and Democrat Josh Siegel are vying for a four-year term as Lehigh County executive. The winner in the Nov. 4 election will succeed Democrat Phil Armstrong, who cannot run again because of term limits.

A crop farm in Lehigh County was included in the latest round of Pennsylvania's Farmland Preservation Program. Twenty-three other farms across the state were also preserved.

Operations at Lehigh Valley International Airport have not suffered from the government shutdown to date, according to Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority officials. However, an increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick during the last shutdown spurred a deal in 2019.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure released a statement Tuesday explaining he would not take a loan to pay the county's bills during the state budget impasse. He urged legislators to adopt a budget and restore the flow of funds.

A man who scaled an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and used beer bottles filled with gasoline to ignite the occupied Pennsylvania governor’s mansion pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted murder and other charges.

Easton will have to rely on tax revenue anticipation and grant revenue anticipation notes to keep the city functioning as the state stretches over 100 days into its budget stalemate.

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.