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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Catasauqua, East Allen Township, Hanover Township, North Catasauqua and Northampton Borough have spent years crafting a joint development plan on how to best steer development within their borders. Allen Township, though, isn't participating. -
Republicans leaders are working to increase the number of conservatives who vote by mail. But they may have their work cut out for them after years of attacking the mail-in ballot system.
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Staff at the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study are reviewing more than 600 suggested projects for the region's Long Range Transportation Plan. Planners anticipate getting $4.3 billion in funding, which isn't enough to meet all the needs.
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Few, if any, bridges in Pennsylvania insulate the steel beams in their decks, PennDOT Deputy Secretary Mike Rebert said Wednesday. High-intensity fires capable of destabilizing those bridges are rare, but do happen.
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Local experts say the Lehigh Valley is well prepared to knock down wildfires, but state data show those blazes are becoming much more common across Pennsylvania.
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Prosecutors confirmed Johnathan Miklich, a Moore Township police officer, remains suspended from duty. His wife and ex-girlfriend previously accused him of harassment and assault.
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A report by the United Way of the Pennsylvania found basic amenities are too expensive for 39% of the state's households, including ones where people are employed full time.
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The bill, spearheaded by state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, would dedicate American Rescue Plan money to training mental health care providers, creating more suicide prevention programs and supporting specialty courts.
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U.S. Rep. Susan Wild supported a plan Wednesday to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling. If an agreement is not reached in the next week, the U.S. could devastate the global economy by defaulting on its debt.
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Allentown saw almost 500 crashes where a pedestrian was hurt in the past five years, eight of which killed people. Federal funding is contributing $312,000 for a study to improve road safety.
