Tom Shortell
Politics ReporterI cover all things politics for LehighValleyNews.com. As veteran reporter of the region, I previously covered the Slate Belt, Northampton County, Lehigh County and local courts during stints at the area’s two newspapers. I also penned the popular Road Warrior column at The Morning Call, keeping readers up to speed on transportation news. I graduated from St. Bonaventure University and have yet to find a pun I don't like. I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. Contact me at toms@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8209.
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LehighValleyNews.com, lehighvalleylive.com and The Morning Call have filed a joint motion seeking the release of sealed court records connected to a grand jury drug case investigation. The documents have been sealed for two months even though an order sealing at least one of them expired more than a month ago. -
An attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press argued that a motion to unseal court dockets tied to a drug bust should be allowed to continue in Lehigh County Court. LehighValleyNews.com, lehighvalleylive.com and the Morning Call have joined in the effort to make the records public.
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With an unusually politicized Supreme Court retention question on the ballot Tuesday, Lehigh Valley voters overwhelmingly backed Democratic candidates.
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Democrat Sarah Fevig may have spent a record amount for a single county commissioner candidate in her campaign. Meanwhile, Zach Cole-Borghi handily defeated his opponent despite the specter of criminal charges.
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Unofficial results show Democrat Josh Siegel defeated Republican Roger MacLean by nearly 20,000 votes in Tuesday's Lehigh County executive race.
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Nancy Dischinat served as executive director of Workforce Board Lehigh Valley for the past 27 years, helping build an environment of skilled workers that created a sought-out business environment.
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The partisan divide is still a reality when it comes to Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot system. Democrats accounted for nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania's requests. More than 1 million people statewide requested a mail-in ballot, according to the state.
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Democrats Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht are each seeking a second 10-year term on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. While retention questions normally receive little attention, the potential to flip control of the high court has drawn massive political spending in the off-year election.
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U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, has organized a food drive while pinning the ongoing government shutdown on Senate Democrats. SNAP benefits that help feed millions of low-income Americans are hours away from expiring.
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The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has filed an emergency motion in Lehigh County Court requesting that a judge unseal documents in at least 22 criminal cases tied to an interstate drug ring. Among the defendants is Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi.
