Breaking News

Editorials

Blair County CYF must not be allowed to backpedal

Sometimes it is advisable to endure some discomfort for a while, in hopes of achieving something better that is being sought for the longer term. That might be good advice for the Blair County commissioners now regarding the seventh provisional license that the state Department of Human Services has issued to the Blair Children, Youth & Families agency. Commissioners Chairman Dave Kessling indicated on Nov. 24 that he and fellow commissioners Amy Webster and Laura Burke were considering appealing the state’s provisional license decision because of progress CYF has made to fix ...

Pearl Harbor: not just another day in history

For Americans, Saturday, Dec. 6, 1941, began as most Saturdays before it. American life was different then; Saturdays were different because Sundays were different. Sundays were not shopping days; they were more geared to rest and relaxation at home. Some families ventured away from home on that day of the week only to attend religious services or “to go for a ride,” if they were fortunate enough to own a vehicle. Anyone interested in sports learned about game results either by way of a radio or waiting until the next publish day of their local newspaper. Television was ...

State’s fiscal challenges are alarming

Since all seats of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and about half of those of the state Senate will be on the state’s 2026 election ballots, it’s safe to surmise that commonwealth residents need not fear a state income tax increase, no matter when the Legislature completes its work on a budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The purported deadline for completion of that budget is June 30, but it took the General Assembly more than four extra months beyond June 30 of this year for work on 2025-26’s $50 billion spending package to be finished. It was a mess for which the ...

Road salt issue should be simple

Pennsylvania residents who watched as the just-concluded 2025-26 state budget-preparation debacle played out might be thinking that the Legislature surely might now be able to find an issue that it can handle more quickly and more efficiently. But, in fact, will it? There’s an issue “out there” involving road salt, but state lawmakers have found a way to make it more difficult than it ought to be. Some state lawmakers — and presumably some non-elected officials — believe that road salt’s use ought to be curbed in order to reduce environmental damage stemming from ...

Enjoy Thanksgiving; ditch the negativity

A front-page article in the Wall Street Journal’s Nov. 21 edition said middle class U.S. residents are weary — buckling under the financial stress from inflation. Early on, the article made the point that “after nearly five years of high prices, many middle-class earners thought life would be more affordable by now.” But, the article continued, “costs for goods and services are 25% above where they were in 2020, and even though the inflation rate is below its recent 2022 high, certain essentials like coffee, ground beef and car repairs are up markedly this year.” A ...

AP is standing for your right to speak freely

The Associated Press is back in a courtroom Monday defending itself and our principles against the White House, continuing to fight for the right of the press and public to speak freely without being targeted by their government based on its preferences. This is not a controversial idea. Yet this foundational American freedom remains under threat. It’s why AP took a stand nine months ago when the government blocked us from covering presidential events because of what we call a body of water. We strongly believe this case could have much wider implications, not only for other news ...