State & Regional News

A significant warmup is set to take hold across the Lehigh Valley this weekend and intensify into next week, bringing the region its first sustained stretch of summerlike heat of the season.

Katherine Reinhard said many voters remain undecided heading into the primary and urged audiences to rely on credible reporting as they make final decisions.

Beginning June 6, Pennsylvania drivers caught holding a cell phone behind the wheel under Paul Miller’s Law will face a $50 fine, plus court costs and fees.

Carol Obando-Derstine, Lamont McClure and Ryan Crosswell expressed a desire to reform ICE rather than abolish it during one-on-one interviews in the PA-7 Talks series.

Former residents and several people close to the fire department described years of deteriorating conditions and limited enforcement inside the Hotel Hampton, including blocked or missing exits, rodent infestations, malfunctioning or ignored smoke alarms and more.

Political scientist Chris Borick says endorsements and money have given Bob Brooks a slight advantage in the crowded PA-7 race.

PBS39 from 6-7 p.m. today, April 30, will broadcast a special hourlong community forum, "A Community Conversation: Understanding Childhood Vaccine Changes."

On this week’s episode of Lehigh Valley Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell spoke with political scientist Chris Borick about the economic forces driving the boom of data centers — along with the political friction emerging.

A revised childhood vaccination schedule was put in place this year reducing the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11. Some parents around the Lehigh Valley are confused about what schedule they should follow.

Bob Brooks, a Democratic candidate running for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, has asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed against him by Carol Wiley, his former mother-in-law. She alleges he owes her more than $162,000 from a lawsuit she filed in 2018.

Farmers markets add to the local economy, driving tourism, officials said. Supporting them is also important for farmland preservation and strengthening community, advocates say.

“Cutting Edge: Inventive Nineteenth-Century Quilts” opens Saturday, Aug. 9. The new exhibit explores over 30 unique quilts from Arlan and Pat Christ’s collection and will run through Oct. 26. Admission is free.

The shutdown of the southbound lanes is scheduled for early Sunday between the Lehigh Valley and Quakertown interchanges, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

More than a month past the budget deadline, Lehigh Valley state Sens. Jarrett Coleman and Nick Miller offered little optimism a deal was around the corner.

U.S. Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Lisa McClain praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for helping manufacturing companies and workers during a tour of Ampal Inc. in Lower Towamensing Township.

Between delayed state funding and federal cuts, Second Harvest Food Bank does not have enough food to meet demand, its leaders say.

Hundreds of active wildfires across Canada – with a significant portion burning out of control – have sent smoke drifting into the U.S. again, including the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Country Controller Mark Pinsley criticized President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie for gutting the social safety net and Democratic leaders for failing to offer effective resistance.

58 consecutive years of touring and no talk of slowing down for this group of musicians who love their work.

Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites has unveiled a variety of Musikfest programming for the whole family, on display at the Colonial Industrial Quarter in Historic Bethlehem.

The tract, spread across Penn Forest and Kidder townships, includes Mud Run, a key tributary of the Lehigh River. It was purchased through a $1 million grant from the Open Space Institute.

Mark Pinsley is the fourth Democrat to challenge Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie in the Lehigh Valley's battleground district in the 2026 midterm.