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Work release important for prison

Blair County’s prisoner work-release program was not the only one in Pennsylvania and other states victimized by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prisons across this country had to implement major changes on behalf of inmates’ safety and the safety of those who might have had to make contact with them during the health crisis. Inmates, already restricted prior to the start of the pandemic, had to live with even more stringent limitations, prohibitions and realities — and the realization that no one knew how long the disruptions to normal, albeit uncomfortable, prison life might ...

Bipartisanship necessary on gun violence

If a person is intent on killing someone and doesn’t have a gun, he or she will find some other means for committing the crime. That must be kept in mind as the Pennsylvania General Assembly, amid its 2022-23 budget-preparation work currently underway, considers how to allocate funds most effectively to try to reduce gun violence in the commonwealth. It is important that whenever the available funds are directed, those dollars reach the programs with the best track record for “cooling off” potentially deadly circumstances before they reach the point of someone pulling a trigger ...

Respect can’t elude pet owners

The April 21 Mirror front-page article “Dog waste fight leads to threats, jail time” was of interest to many people in this newspaper’s coverage area for an obvious reason — because the article focused on a problem that is too common here and beyond. Day in and day out, news media are consumed by coverage of major state, national and international events, but there are times when local issues are too relevant to ignore, even if they are far from being the most important news of the day. Today is one of those days, stemming from reporter Kay Stephens’ April 21 coverage that, ...

Student loan relief: Proceed with caution

Many people successful in their life’s pursuits are where they are today because of educational opportunities afforded by federal student loans or grants. Those former students should be forever grateful for having had the opportunity to grow up in a free nation with abundant financial resources — abundant financial resources that enabled them to get a college degree without first having to provide much, if any, upfront tuition money. Now, rather than dwelling on the hope that their loans someday might be forgiven, for whatever reason, former loan recipients now earning a ...

When paving I-99, avoid shortcuts

The state Department of Transportation’s plan to use a one-inch-thick hot mix overlay, rather than the current standard resurfacing, for an approximately seven-mile stretch of Interstate 99 between Newry Borough and Altoona’s 17th Street is built on good intentions. The proposal would save millions of dollars over its projected life of eight to 10 years. Yet, perhaps, that savings prospect might not be benefit enough. Good judgment suggests questioning whether the innovative resurfacing option being proposed really would be the proverbial slam-dunk that current cost figures by ...

Easter basket can fulfill us in many ways

On this Easter weekend, no one is alone in concerns and uncertainties they might be feeling. Many others are enduring similar anxieties, while others are feeling various degrees of emptiness because of circumstances in their lives — wondering how that emptiness might be resolved. This holiday, grounded in the victory of Jesus Christ over death and opening the gates to salvation for mankind, should be one of joy, hope, reconciliation and resolution from the pains of daily life. Instead, events on the world, national and local “stages,” coupled with negative or otherwise dangerous ...