There’s nothing wrong with the “serious and honest look” at legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania that Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed. “Taking a look” wouldn’t obligate the Keystone State to pursue the legalization. That study would merely identify the pros and cons tied to ...
Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, but it’s also a time of faith, hope, gratitude and appreciation. People here should reflect on that today and feel comfort as they ponder Jesus’ birth in a manger in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, but also not fail to acknowledge how much the world ...
For many families, Christmas Eve, from before dawn through midnight, holds as much or more excitement than the actual holiday observance itself. It’s not necessarily because of the rush to tie up the proverbial loose ends of holiday shopping, although that might factor into the overall ...
It’s not exaggeration to say that additional clouds of shock and disgust descended upon parishioners of the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese earlier this month when they learned the financial toll of the diocese’s child sexual abuse scandal whose fallout isn’t destined to go away ...
For most families, the purchase of a home is the biggest investment they’ll ever make, and protecting that investment is among their most important personal interests. It’s no wonder then that some Logan Township residents who own properties near Penn State Altoona are concerned about a ...
Pennsylvania taxpayers won’t have to look under their Christmas trees on Dec. 25 to find their gift from the state Legislature. It’s already been delivered, not by Santa Claus, but by way of an assurance from Republican leaders that they don’t intend to seek any tax increases as part ...
Time is short for those of us who have fallen behind on our Christmas shopping. As we cope with the struggles of everyday life while trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone on our lists, let us not neglect to take care of the one task that ought not to require any thought: ensuring Santa ...
As U.S. presidents born nearly a century ago, the late George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter each reached the age of 94. Observing Carter seated in the front row during Bush’s Wednesday funeral, we couldn’t help but reflect on how dramatically the nation’s political landscape has changed ...
AMED and other ambulance services across Pennsylvania are in the proverbial dark — and rightly concerned — about how much they ultimately will benefit from a new law dealing with reimbursements for situations in which transportation to a hospital isn’t needed. About all that can be ...
The Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee — and the General Assembly as a whole — need to take a close look at Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal that the state cover at least half the cost of voting machines that would leave a paper trail as a safeguard against hacking. Doing that would ...
Older Americans are well aware that two dates always should remain etched in the minds of the people of this nation. Younger Americans obviously are aware of the more recent of the two dates: Sept. 11, 2001, the day that this country was victimized by a four-pronged terrorist attack from the ...
Much is being said — and will be said in the days ahead — about the exemplary life and the honorable presidency of George H. W. Bush, this nation’s 41st chief executive, who died late Friday. But beyond reacting to the former president’s death, this also is a time when Americans ...
Just because incidents of suicide don’t usually garner front-page headlines or bulletins in the electronic media, that in no way diminishes the seriousness of the problem here in central Pennsylvania. Mirror reporters have delved into the problem and its effects on families, loved ones, ...
Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane might be secretly wishing now that she had accepted her punishment when it was meted out two years ago, rather than pursue appeals that have turned out to be fruitless — and no doubt costly. She’d be out of jail by now. Kane, once a ...
Parishioners of the seven area churches burglarized and vandalized between October and December 2017 no doubt experienced deepening concern as each month passed without arrests. That concern was justified, considering the commonly held belief that the longer a case remains unsolved, the less ...
“This truly is a great time to be a Pennsylvania hunter,” proclaim two Pennsylvania Game Commission leaders in the 2018-19 issue of Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest. Noting that the commission receives no money from the state’s general fund, the two officials — Bryan J. ...
If Pennsylvania’s revenue total remains in the black for the final eight months of the 2018-19 fiscal year, mimicking the revenue picture of the year’s first four months, state taxpayers will have grounds to be cautiously optimistic that the Keystone State maybe has turned the proverbial ...
Great deals and impulse buying: They’re both a big part of Black Friday. But what also should be at the forefront of this day is safety — safety on the highways while traveling to and from stores, or between stores, and safety amid the frenzied crowds trying to scoop up the best ...
Today’s observance of Thanksgiving is about more than turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, family get-togethers and watching football. This national holiday, falling on Nov. 22, also is a tragic anniversary in this nation’s history. It was 55 years ago today that President John F. Kennedy ...
The shopping experience known as Black Friday is two days away, but it’s not premature to reflect on that day’s big impact on local merchants’ bottom line. Black Friday and the weeks following it, leading up to Christmas, are a make-or-break time for numerous local stores. Actually, ...