Thoughtful Americans ought to be concerned about the disappearance and murder of a Saudi journalist who wrote columns for the Washington Post. But what about the other 44 journalists who have met violent deaths this year? What about the 48 who perished in 2017? Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi ...
The Roman Catholic Church, so much at the center of bad news over the past couple of years due to the child sex-abuse scandal involving hundreds of priests over much of the past half-century, experienced a happy, proud and prayerful day last Sunday as Pope Francis elevated to sainthood a former ...
There’s nothing wrong with Altoona’s ordinance placing the responsibility for tree maintenance on property owners, even if the city planted the trees. Many other places have such a requirement. However, if certain trees have not been a problem but something new comes along suddenly ...
Pennsylvania lawmakers were wrong in approving a bill giving incumbent district judges an unfair advantage when seeking re-election. As with challengers, an incumbent should be required to collect voter signatures on petitions for the right to have his or her name appear on ballots. When the ...
Some in the White House are not especially fond of Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who became this country’s ambassador to the United Nations under President Donald Trump. Still, there is evidence Trump himself understood her great value to Americans. Haley revealed last ...
Pennsylvania counties’ annual budget preparations seldom are as traumatic, contentious and politically charged as what goes on in Harrisburg practically every year. That’s true even when the first county budget drafts seem extremely troublesome. Most counties find a way to make cuts and ...
At Cresson Borough Council’s meeting on Monday, during which discussion centered on police manpower, Chief Brad Klock used what to many communities is a controversial word: “regionalizing.” “Places have to start regionalizing,” Klock said, referring to the police staffing shortage ...
Everyone and everything is at risk when there is speeding in work zones, not just the workers doing the work and their equipment, but also the irresponsible motorists themselves, other motorists, passengers, the improvements underway and the work already completed. For too long, Pennsylvania ...
Newspapers explore many of the topics that affect your senses. The stories we report may get your blood rushing, wrinkle your brow, inspire you to call a friend about an event or simply entice you to relax and read about your favorite team that pulled out a victory that was destined to be a ...
It’s best for Altoona residents to be open-minded about the downtown traffic study that will begin in about a month. The Mountain City’s vehicular traffic still is being governed by decisions made a half-century ago or longer. Times, needs and conditions change, and Altoona, like other ...
Those Altoona rental-property owners who feel that the city shouldn’t have the right to impose insurance requirements for their units have a legal recourse. They can challenge the requirement in court. But without such a challenge putting the requirement on hold, the city is correct in ...
It’s too early to characterize it as good news — but it definitely is hopeful — that another study is being launched regarding additional passenger rail service between Altoona and Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, the proposal is not without a window for second-guessing. First, it must be ...
Roman Catholic dioceses across the United States have no doubt been shaken by the news about the $27.5 million that’s being paid to four victims of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y. According to a report in the Sept. 19 Wall Street Journal, the bulk of the money will be ...
Leaders of some communities can’t foresee a quick solution to the problem of blight, so they avoid talking about it. For many years, Gallitzin Borough was one of those communities, but now it seems poised to become an active combatant against the problem. One key to keeping the fight ...
It’s going to take months for states victimized by Hurricane — subsequently Tropical Storm — Florence to assess fully the damage caused by the tragic, prolonged weather event. It’s going to take longer than that for many individual families to pick up the proverbial pieces from the ...
Fines have been an important topic before Hollidaysburg Borough Council in recent weeks — for good reason. No municipality should be content to live with nagging problems affecting not only residents but the community’s image and reputation as a whole. But on one of the problem fronts, ...
Tuesday’s Mirror article “Parents, frat leaders launch national anti-hazing effort” was good news that parents and young people alike should have greeted with hope and a sense of optimism. It can be said confidently that no right-thinking person wants to ever again hear of ...
There’s still uncertainty over how proposed water system improvements in Cambria County’s Reade Township will shake out in the weeks ahead. The project, supposedly involving replacement of 400-plus residential water meters and installation of approximately 2,000 feet of new waterline ...
This region — and much of Pennsylvania — is living a wild ride of reality and uncertainty emanating from the persistent water-logged weather conditions that continue to wreak hardship for many while thrusting fear into the lives of many others. Tuesday’s front-page Mirror headline ...
Here we are, 17 years to the day after commercial airliners hijacked by Middle East terrorists brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, caused serious damage at the Pentagon and apparently had as a target the Capitol, White House or some other important place in ...