Weeds and all — God truly makes no mistakes

July 31, 2026

For those of you old enough to remember George Burns, you might remember the movie “Oh God” in which he portrayed God. If you don’t remember it or have not seen it, look it up; it was very well done. Funny, inspirational, thought-provoking and entertaining for the whole family. Of course it was made before movies were all about gruesome killings, constant explosions, violence or people having casual sex. By today’s present standards, it might not be considered popular, but I enjoyed it and I think you will too. In any event, George Burns portrayed God who makes contact with an ...

Wife’s West Coast trip leaves me at sea

July 31, 2026

I always admired my wife because of her ability to know a little bit about everything, but a recent trip by her to the West Coast for a week really made me appreciate her more than anything. She runs the household with a firm hand and a memory like no other, which is fine because my hands are not steady and my ability to recall past events is starting to go at age 61. In fact, if someone asks us about something we did in the past, I ask her if I had a good time, and she doesn’t like … I either did or I didn’t. The woman is incapable of lying. In fact, because I am good at it, I ...

In bloom

July 30, 2026

Calvary Cemetery grounds crew member Jamie Maybush weeds a bed of flowers along Pleasant Valley Boulevard in Altoona on Monday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Judge vacates former Altoona man’s death penalty for 2004 murder

July 30, 2026

Federal District Judge Joy Flowers Conti in an order issued Wednesday vacated the death sentence imposed on a former Altoona man for the February 2004 murder of his then-girlfriend. Andre Staton, 63, will now be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Staton is presently incarcerated in ...

Blair County judge rejects motions in stabbing death case

July 30, 2026

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Blair County judge denied and dismissed five motions for relief filed by defense counsel for the city man charged in the 2023 stabbing death of 42-year-old Christopher Helsel. President Judge Wade A. Kagarise issued an opinion on the petition for habeas corpus and four ...

Altoona man pleads no contest to sexual assault of child

July 30, 2026

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The city man who was caught sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in September 2022 pleaded no contest to the 15 felony counts against him Thursday afternoon and was sentenced to 10 years’ probation. Christopher Hauck Roberts, 36, was charged with five felony counts each ...