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Prison talk: Blair must be transparent

Blair County officials are capable of making the right decisions regarding the current county prison and perhaps, eventually, a new one. However, based on an article in the Mirror’s March 12-13 edition, some county residents might be thinking that those leaders will need to become more aggressive in tackling the issue than what the officials are at this time. Nevertheless, it can be argued that it is better to approach the proposed project in an open-minded way, rather than allow preconceived notions to mold a situation that might not be in Blair’s best interests. Needs — and ...

Let’s always keep sun shining in

The rights of free speech and a free press are historically and inextricably intertwined. Today and moving forward, these rights demand protection as much, if not more,than ever. Pennsylvania celebrates Sunshine Week this week — March 13-19 — and there is an excellent reason for choosing this time frame. Our fourth president, James Madison, drafted the Bill of Rights in 1791. He believed in freedom of the press, saying “and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.” Madison was born March 16. Celebrating Sunshine Week at ...

Be careful amid the ‘madness’

If you’re a sports fan in general, or a basketball fan in particular, then this week is probably something you’ve looked forward to — the beginning of the NCAA basketball tournaments, often referred to as “March Madness” because of the at-times unpredictable nature of the game results. And while March Madness is nothing new, the meteoric rise of legalized sports gambling is — at least relatively speaking. According to an Associated Press story, it is estimated that 17% of American adults (not just sports fans, but all adults) will place a bet of some kind on the ...

As gas prices rise, remember local tourism

To resurrect a well-worn phrase, many people of this region are “screaming bloody murder” over the escalating price of gasoline and heating oil. In this free nation, they have a right to express their views and complain, although they should take care to ensure their opinions are built upon accuracy, fairness and acknowledgment of the proverbial bigger picture. For now, there should be agreement that only Russian President Vladimir Putin is the one responsible for the pain at area gasoline pumps. If he had not ordered the invasion of Ukraine, gas prices might have remained ...

Fire safety needs more attention

Fire and other emergency officials are rightly concerned about the rash of fires in this region during the first two months of 2022, some of which claimed lives in addition to inflicting extensive property damage. Every other right-thinking resident of Blair and surrounding counties should be concerned also. The second paragraph of a March 1 Mirror front-page article began this way: “Within the first eight weeks of the year, the region has recorded four fatal house fires, a dairy barn fire that killed dozens of cattle and a fire that destroyed a business’s local ...

Witherspoon most worthy of recognition

Shining rays of sun on some good news: The Central Blair Recreation Commission has made an excellent decision in asking Altoona City Council to name a basketball court at 13th Avenue and 19th Street for the late NAACP President Don Witherspoon. CBRC Executive Director Mike Hofer confirmed the intention at the organization’s annual Community Classic Dinner and Auction. Witherspoon was a driving force behind the refurbishment of the basketball courts, where many of the city’s past greats honed their skills. The improvements led to a renovation of the dilapidated court, construction ...