I spent a good part of my adult life leaving the Lehigh Valley. I've lived and worked in Turkey, China and England, but the Valley seems to be my center of gravity. After graduating from William Allen High School and Kutztown University, I went to graduate school at Emerson College in Boston and then City University in London. Traveling abroad changed me in many ways, especially in how I think of other cultures and my own. But it also made me homesick. After more than a decade of working as a teacher and journalist overseas, I returned home, to Allentown. Since then, I've been a journalism teacher and an editor for community newspapers. And now with Patch, it's clear there's no place like home.
Interest rate swaps by Pa. Turnpike Commission cost taxpayers and motorists at least $108.9 million, according to Pa. Auditor General Jack Wagner
Higher than a year ago.
TOUGH TIMES: According to the Coalition for Sustainable Communities, 41 percent of Pennsylvania residents live in a financially distressed municipality.
OVERPAYMENTS: Pennsylvania spent more than $690 million on unemployment compensation overpayments during fiscal year 11-12.
From square dancing and tractor pulls to potato judging and cooking demonstrations, the eight-day Pennsylvania Farm Show offers something for everyone.
Gov. Tom Corbett's Innovation Office reported $1.1 million saved by changing default printer settings in the Department of Public Welfare.
Gov. Tom Corbett decided to sue the NCAA over the fines and penalties assessed by the collegiate athletic association on Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Bensalem Police have issued a Silver Alert for a missing New Jersey man with dementia; he was last seen at Parx Casino.
Here are the most popular local stories from Patch during the week.
Some of the most important political activities of 2012 took place beneath the ornate dome of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court chambers in Harrisburg.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Pennsylvania lawmakers will soon consider a proposal to eliminate inheritance taxes on family business assets.
Find the cheapest gas in Hatboro and Horsham.
AN END TO SPENDING: At least one Pennsylvania lawmaker thinks the state should have a cap on its budget as a way to control state spending.
State liquor stores will be open until 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve
A woman walking along an I-95 on ramp in Bensalem was struck by a car’s side mirror.
Bensalem Police report three retail thefts on Dec. 27.
The Felix family from Dallas, GA received thousands of votes to win Patch's Deck the House contest and $100,000 for their local school district.
The National Weather Service reports snow is coming Dec. 29 with up to 4 inches of accumulation in northern Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Here are the most popular local stories from Patch during the week.
Patch readers unite! Help one of our area school districts win $100,000. Homeowners in Upper Moreland and Hatboro-Horsham are finalists in Patch's Deck the House Contest.
