Lydia McFarlane | WVIA News
Multimedia Healthcare ReporterLydia McFarlane joined the news team in 2024 as an intern after graduating from Villanova University with a dual Bachelor's degree in communication and political science. She became the team’s dedicated healthcare reporter. Her beat covers hospitals, mental health, policy and most importantly, people.
Lydia brings a diversity of experience from previous internships at Resolve Philadelphia, Education Week, The Hill, Open Secrets and Teen Vogue and from her role as a news editor at her college’s publication, The Villanovan.
At WVIA, Lydia was part of the winning team that contributed to the second-place award for Excellence in Reporting on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the Keystone Professional Media Awards organized by the Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association. Her story ‘A South Wilkes-Barre spin on Dominican Republic breakfast’ was part of the winning package.
Wilkes-Barre born and raised, Lydia's grateful for the opportunity to come home and learn more about her community as a reporter within it. She's honored to start her career in NEPA-- the place that taught her everything she knows. You can reach Lydia at lydiamcfarlane@wvia.org or 570-602-1187.
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Según el Centro para las comunidades de parto de Pensilvania, 23 de los 67 condados de Pensilvania no cuentan con un hospital que ofrezca servicios de parto y alumbramiento y los 23 condados están clasificados por el Centro como comunidades rurales. -
According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, nearly half of the state’s rural counties do not have hospitals with labor and delivery units. This reflects a nationwide trend of hospitals closing specialized service lines such as obstetrics.
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NextGen Counseling received its state licensure in October 2025. The organization now welcomes children aged 12-19 for addiction counseling at its location on Dickson City’s Main Street. -
La'Niyah Clark went missing on Jan. 17. Investigators said a body found in South Wilkes-Barre last week was hers. La'Niyah's loved ones held a vigil Saturday evening at the parking garage off Thayer Street where the teen's remains were found. -
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan brought Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to tour the recently sold Scranton hospitals and speak with new leadership about their plans. -
Investigators believe human remains found Saturday in Wilkes-Barre are related to the case of a missing city girl but can't explain the connection yet, Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said Tuesday. -
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, or CASA of Wyoming Valley and CASA of Lackawanna County will partner to host free screenings of 'Brave the Dark,' a film about a man’s mentorship of one of his students, in Wilkes-Barre and Tunkhannock on Tuesday and Wednesday. -
Pennsylvania State Police, Pike County detectives and the Pike County Area Agency on Aging conducted an investigation of Belle Reve Senior Living Facility in Milford Borough after receiving an anonymous tip alleging medical neglect of residents. -
Pennsylvania State Police say they ended an I-81 pursuit in Scranton which began earlier Tuesday morning in Broome County, New York, and have a suspect in custody. The driver’s car is now at the state police barracks in Dunmore. -
February 16, 2026- Pennie enrollment drops after Affordable Care Act subsidies expire. Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan plans to send a formal letter to the governor’s office requesting a two-year moratorium on data center projects. Shapiro unveils Housing Action Plan in Philadelphia. And, a discussion about what the SAVE Act could mean for voters.
