State & Regional News

Sweltering conditions in the Lehigh Valley are forecast to end with a bang on Saturday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. But we have to make it through Friday first.

A statewide drought watch is still in effect, even amid rounds of severe rainstorms and flash flooding.

A July 13 media release stated that the Low Energy Evaporative Fractionation System will employ “an advanced foam fractionation process and proprietary techniques” to treat landfill byproducts.

Ryan Mackenzie, the longtime Lehigh County state representative, will need to emerge from a crowded Republican field to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, the three-term incumbent.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania is now 10 cents higher this week, and experts say the pain at the pump is likely to continue.

The Lehigh Valley is preparing for its first official heat wave of the year, with a stretch of 90°+ degree temperatures expected. A heat advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Friday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is hosting a first-of-its-kind summit this week in Philadelphia focused on those aged 65 and older.

An appellate court ruling could help shake loose details about how much money lawmakers spend on private lawyers.

The PACT Act makes it easier for veterans and their survivors to qualify for benefits if they served in the Middle East, Afghanistan or Vietnam. But to make the most of their benefits, they'll need to submit paperwork to the Department of Veterans Affairs by Aug. 9.

The third week of July is the warmest week of the year based on climatological norms, and the Lehigh Valley forecast fits that trend. Excessive heat headlines are likely, the weather service said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2026-27 budget proposal falls back on familiar proposals to regulate skill games and legalize marijuana, two flashpoints that fueled a months-long budget impasse last year.

The rich got richer in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District race at the close of 2025. Campaign finance reports show Ryan Mackenzie, Bob Brooks and Ryan Crosswell raised nearly $1.4 million while Lamont McClure, Carol Obando-Derstine and Mark Pinsley each saw their campaigns lose money.

Gov. Josh Shapiro billed the agreement as the largest-ever investment by a pharmaceutical company in Pennsylvania history and the “largest-ever investment in the Lehigh Valley.”

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie defended expanded immigration enforcement under the Trump administration while acknowledging the need for reforms after recent incidents involving federal agents.

Guests enjoyed dinner Tuesday night at Bethlehem's United Steelworkers Union Hall before a panel of five women tried to make sense of rising costs for housing, groceries, healthcare and other essential needs.

Wonder, a fast-growing food and delivery concept that blends elements of a food hall, restaurant and delivery service, is coming to the Promenade this summer, it was announced Tuesday.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center requires about 350 blood donations every day to meet the needs of regional hospitals. Sunday's big winter storm forced the cancellation of multiple blood drives.

Month-to-date snowfall in the Allentown area now stands at 20.8 inches, nearly triple the normal January average of 7.7 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm dropped a record 11.8 inches of snow on Lehigh Valley International Airport, breaking the old record of 10.4 inches for the date set in 1988.

Forecasters say the Lehigh Valley region could see 10 to 16 inches of snow and sleet accumulations, with a wintry mix of snow and sleet expected Sunday afternoon and evening. A winter storm warning remains in effect into Monday afternoon.

The Lehigh County Coroner's Office said the 27-year-old died Saturday night at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest — hours after being shot during a standoff with Pennsylvania State Police in a North Whitehall Township driveway.

Forecasters now expect widespread snow totals of 12 to 18 inches across much of the region, with locally higher amounts possible. The warning replaces the earlier watch, signaling that severe winter weather is now considered imminent.