Congratulations on a job well done

July 13, 2026

We need to congratulate the City of Altoona, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific for an excellent four day event. From 5:15 p.m. July 8 to 10 a.m. July 11, the Big Boy event was tremendous. In April when it was announced, a friend said to me “Altoona can’t handle this.” Was he wrong. What a great four day party! There are so many organizations that need to be applauded for a job well done. Welcoming 100,000 people to an outdoor event in the heat of summer and keeping them safe is no easy task and you did it. From all of us train buffs who grew up with trains in our backyards ...

Same standards apply to all political sides

July 9, 2026

Americans should be deeply concerned when any president appears to profit personally from holding the nation’s highest office. Reports that President Donald Trump and his business interests have accumulated billions of dollars in wealth while he serves as president raises serious ethical and constitutional questions that deserve public scrutiny. The Framers included the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution for a reason: to prevent presidents from accepting financial benefits that could influence — or appear to influence — their decisions. These protections were intended to ...

Enforce current e-bike rules

July 7, 2026

As the mother of two boys, I read your June editorial “E-bike crackdown welcome” with a strong sense of shared concern. You accurately highlighted scenarios that haunt local parents daily — riders losing control of their speed, collisions with vehicles, and the tragic potential for innocent motorists to be injured or deeply traumatized. These are not hypothetical fears; they are clear and present dangers on our local streets because age restrictions and vehicle-type laws are being largely ignored. Pennsylvania law states riders must be at least 16 years old to operate these ...

Missing out on news of state fair, migrants

July 8, 2026

Who in Pennsylvania government was responsible for the decision to not participate in The Great American 250 State Fair in Washington, D.C., this weekend? Luckily, when John Fetterman and Dave McCormick heard of this they saw to it that PA was represented. Why am I not reading about the “Birthright Tourism” business that is being carried out by China, Africa and other countries by sending pregnant women to the USA to give birth so their babies can have birthright benefits? Why am I not reading any reporting on the Angel Parents of children who were murdered by illegal ...

Voting should be accessible to all

July 6, 2026

Recently, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court voted to uphold a Mississippi state law that allows for mail-in/absentee ballots to be counted after election day IF they were mailed on or before the state specific deadlines. This ruling ensures that the maximum number of citizens have their voices heard. Especially for those in the military or working abroad. Many states require that counting mail-in ballots can only start on election day. Only having one day to count these ballots would be a tight window. Now, factor in complications like if someone made a bomb threat to your elections ...

Vote to restrict president was wrong

July 5, 2026

Who in our national legislature voted to prove the Iranians right in their estimation that they could outlast us? That vote to restrict the president did just that and made it more difficult to end the war by military action or negotiation. It is one of the most ridiculous actions by a government since Neville Chamberlain stepped off a plane waving a useless scrap of paper. We seem not to have learned that one cannot negotiate with dictators because they are answerable to no one. As far as keeping Iran from nuclear weapons, they seem to have forgotten the unsuccessful negotiations ...