Baltimore cut its homicide rate by 60% from 2021 to 2025—largely through a public health approach to gun violence. A Contagious Peace: Behind Baltimore’s Historic Homicide Reduction BY Melody Schreiber,…
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Protecting Children from Being Exploited by AI Technology
BY senator Tracy Pennycuick – Pennsylvania 24th District serving Montgomery & Berks Counties In a Lancaster County courtroom in Pennsylvania this spring, young girls described the anxiety, humiliation and loss…
The Fragile Lifeline: Rural Health Care in Pennsylvania and What Local Leaders Can Do About It
BY Susan Schrack Wood, Ph.D., Director of Communications, PA Municipal League Mary Smith* lives in Dauphin County, her aging parents live in rural Huntingdon County. Like many in the Baby…
Creating Dementia-Friendly Spaces
BY Abraham Amorós Deputy Executive Director of Operations, The League Like many of you reading this, I was charged with the care of an elderly parent when he needed support…
Takeaways from the 2025 Nursing Home Explosion in Bristol Township, Pa.
BY Kevin Dippolito, PA-CO, PA-CEM, IAAI-CFI, Fire Chief/Fire Marshal/Emergency Management Director, Bristol Township Introduction On December 23, 2025, a natural gas–fueled explosion occurred with about 180 people inside a nursing…
Flash Flood in Palmer Township Demonstrates the Need for Proactive Stormwater Program Funding and Management
BY Judy Lincoln, Senior Content & Digital Strategist, HRG, Inc. Imagine staring into a crater that’s 30 feet deep, 40 feet wide, and 60 to 80 feet long. That’s exactly…
Butler Township, Presidential Assassination Attempt
By Tom Knights, Manager, Butler Township On July 13, 2024, an assassination attempt was made on the life of then-former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally held in Butler,…
From Crisis to Control: Horsham Township’s Comprehensive Response to PFAS Contamination
By Michael Shinton, P.E., Executive Director, Horsham Land Redevelopment Authority When per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—often referred to as “forever chemicals”—were discovered in Horsham Township’s groundwater in 2014, local leaders…
Recovering From Natural Disaster: How Hellam Township is Mitigating Flood Risk and Improving Lives
By Sarah Smith, Assistant to the Township Manager, Hellam Township Flooding is a major concern for municipalities across Pennsylvania, and Hellam Township is no exception. The township, a mostly rural…
Weathering the Storm
Submitted by Kenn bennett, Communications Coordinator, Lancaster Clean Water Partners Lancaster County Municipalities Are Handling More Extreme Weather A summer thunderstorm that once dropped an inch of rain over several…