Back when Skills of Central Pennsylvania began as a small day program in Bellefonte in 1960, even its talented, determined, dedicated founders could not have envisioned how big of a role it would come to play for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health ...
If it weren’t for the existence and spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in Pennsylvania’s deer population, especially in this part of the commonwealth, today’s opening of the firearms deer season would have virtually no major concern besides the always important issue of safety. But CWD ...
With the passage of each year, Black Friday takes on new meaning for many people. Online shopping and increased reliance on home shopping channels have removed some of the frenzy and outright chaos that characterized this day after Thanksgiving — the official start of the Christmas shopping ...
Logan Township’s desire for a seat on the Altoona Water Authority is a reasonable request, although the city can be excused for wanting to maintain total control, as it has throughout the authority’s existence. But now, with a proposal in the works for the authority to purchase the ...
Some hunters and other people no doubt disagree with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s decision not to accept venison donations this year. They have a right to that opinion. But “with the jury still out” over whether eating meat of deer infected with chronic wasting disease, or ...
For decades, tobacco companies insisted their product was not hazardous to health. When scientific proof countered that, they maintained their advertising strategies were not calculated to get as many new smokers hooked on nicotine as possible. We know now that all of those protestations ...
Altoona City Council mustered the right judgment in turning thumbs-down to a proposed 0.15-mill tax increase for tree care. There was no logical basis for imposing such a tax increase, with the city sitting on what essentially is $11 million of surplus money. There can be no denying that ...
Americans who leave our country to reside in another are outside the protection of our government in most ways. But the sheer horror of what happened in Mexico last week — nine women and children massacred, apparently by drug cartel terrorists — cries out for some meaningful reaction by ...
On this Veterans Day, the perception that the world never will be able to live in total peace and harmony remains ingrained. Among Americans, there’s virtually universal acceptance of the theory that, as long as the United States exists, there will be tyrants and other foreign entities that ...
Not until early 2020 will motorists who violate Pennsylvania work zone speed limits experience lighter wallets and pocketbooks under provisions of Act 86 of 2018, which authorizes speed cameras in highway construction and repair areas. Unfortunately, it is taking the commonwealth too long to ...
Now that Tuesday’s general election votes have been counted and congratulations have been extended, successful governmental candidates — especially those elected to offices for the first time — need to begin gearing up quickly for the formidable tasks they will be facing when they take ...
Don’t be fooled into believing that today’s election is less important than those devoted to state and federal offices. It cannot be emphasized too much that municipal elections like today’s definitely are as important, because they involve offices that are closest to the people. Just ...
Especially at major powers in the collegiate sports world, purely amateur athletics has been a myth for many years. Under-the-table gifts by well-to-do boosters have ensured that. Now, however, even the pretense may be about to end. Last week, the NCAA Board of Governors voted to allow ...
If it’s true that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” Pennsylvania’s 67 counties can be faulted for not being “squeaky” enough regarding state funding of their courts. But hopefully the “noise” that emanated from the Blair County commissioners meeting room on Oct. 22 ...
Mirror readers who have been following news about the Blair County commissioners’ current, challenging budget preparations are aware of the county prison’s projected “bite” out of proposed 2020 spending. An article on Oct. 17 reported that a budget draft for 2020 indicated that the ...
During today’s observance of Halloween, you won’t be able to look out a window of your home and see a witch riding across the night sky on a broomstick. Or will you? Most likely, your yard won’t be beset with a host of black cats trying to give you bad luck if you cross their paths. Or ...
For years, many states have been collecting corporate income taxes from companies that do not have offices, employees or property in them. Pennsylvania finally will be doing the same, beginning Jan. 1, thanks to the lifting of constraints imposed by courts of this commonwealth on how the ...
Criticism and second-guessing of the decision-making process leading up to the controversial construction-renovation project currently underway in the Altoona Area School District seems destined to continue for years after the project’s completion. The total cost, which exceeds $80 million, ...
Most Social Security recipients are rightly disappointed in the 1.6 percent cost-of-living increase that they will be receiving in 2020. As in most years of the recent past, they will complain that the “yardstick” for determining if they will receive an increase — and if so, how much ...
Fire sirens again are a hot topic in Hollidaysburg, as they were in 2017 when the borough’s Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department announced plans to replace its two sirens that had been out of service for — at that time — about eight years. Noise is the issue — and whether new technology ...