State & Regional News

Joe Kovacs, a Nazareth-area native and Bethlehem Catholic grad, is competing in his third Olympic Games as a member of Team USA. The shot put finals are Saturday afternoon.

A 12-mile northbound stretch of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for about six hours, between the Quakertown and Lehigh Valley exits.

The merger of Lehigh Valley Health Network and Jefferson Health is now complete. The two closed the deal Thursday morning, creating a regional hospital system that oversees 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient care sites.

A new complaint form is available online for Pennsylvanians — or those traveling through the Commonwealth — encountering issues with airline travel, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced Wednesday.

As part of a series of grants amounting to $30 million, the Lehigh Valley will see nearly $740,000 in funding for "Green Light-Go" improvement projects in Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

Deli meat company Boar's Head has recalled 7 million more pounds of meats potentially affected by a listeria outbreak less than a week after the initial recall.

Over the past few days, Lehigh Valley residents have complained of bad smells wafting through Bethlehem and surrounding areas. Residents have described the most recent heavy odor as a rotting smell.

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to launch a battleground tour next week with her yet-to-be-named running mate, with stops in seven swing states stretching from Pennsylvania to Nevada.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a new law that will regulate pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. It's intended to save local pharmacies from closing and save patients money on prescription medications.

An estimated $450,000 is needed for the next step in the process of studying passenger rail. While Lehigh County officials say they will pay half, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said he thinks other local agencies should foot the bill.

The Saturday into Sunday timeframe will see the next storm system target the region, and an active pattern could bring snow next week, forecasters say.

The first of a three-session forum to address the housing availability and affordability crisis in the Lehigh Valley was held at DeSales University on Wednesday.

Just shy of 90 awardees from 45 counties were selected for the commonwealth’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program. Find out what got funded in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission officials last month held the first regional climate planning workshop of the year, WorkshopLV: Environment.

Forecasters are calling for calling for “quite the icy slop of wintry precipitation across the region, including both sleet and freezing rain” as a quick-hitting winter storm descends upon the region late Wednesday.

Republicans balked at Gov. Josh Shapiro's $51.4 billion budget proposal Tuesday, saying the spending patterns did not align with Pennsylvania's financial realities. Lawmakers will debate the plan and determine its outcome.

Justin Simmons, who served a decade in the Pennsylvania House, is the first Republican to announce a bid for the county’s top job.

According to a release issued by ICE, Luis Gualdron-Gualdron, “a citizen and national of Venezuela who previously entered the United States without inspection,” was arrested on Jan. 31 without incident near the prison shortly after an immigration detainer was not honored.

Tom Shortell and Chris Borick discuss the areas likely to be included in the state budget, including education funding, school vouchers and a possible bailout for SEPTA.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is scheduled to deliver his budget proposal for 2025-26 to a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He is expected to seek more money for public schools and public transit.

Last week, just two leases for Big Lots locations in the Lehigh Valley were listed for sale by Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. Now leases for all locations in the area are for sale as the asset liquidation company enters phase two of its sales.

Residents can comment on a draft of the 2025-2029 Pennsylvania Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP, through March 3. There's a public input form, as well as scheduled webinars.