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Bipartisanship needed to fight 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 ...

Americans needs incentives to work, not disincentives

Incentive to work. Isn’t that something we need more of today? Then why are we considering allowing millions of people to not pay their student loan debt, thus dissuading them from working to make a buck, pay off their debt and be responsible, productive citizens? Look, we don’t profess to know all the details or intracacies of student loan debt, and we agree there needs to be some changes to mitigate the $1.7 tillion in student loan debt in this country. We understand that, two years ago thousands of businesses were ordered to close by the government due to the pandemic and ...

Be responsible: Pick up and clean up

Earth Day reminds us each year of how precious our natural resources are. They are life-giving. It should convince us all to be stewards of a clean environment. And it makes us mad at the lazy people who pollute, notably those who throw their garbage out of their car or truck windows. We see it a lot. And it is the result of laziness, ignorance and apathy. We live in a fast-food society. Heck, many of us have little patience anymore to even read or see something through. Our brains appear to be more and more wired to spin and constantly pivot to issues, things and people ...

This Easter, celebrating the gift of life

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. For Christians, grounded in the victory of Jesus Christ over death and opening the gates to salvation for mankind, Easter 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 ...

Another PA tuition freeze possible with “transformation”

Don’t for one second believe we fully support the integration of six of Pennsylvania’s state-run universities, including our own Lock Haven University. We said at the get-go that integration wasn’t necessary — a reasonable right-sizing was. Both are happening as you read this. “Severe cuts” is a phrase we hear locally as LHU integrates with Bloomsburg and Mansfield Universities. One result is a “renewed partnership” between the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and the state Legislature, which controls a whole lot of funding to the 14 ...

Investments in ATV trails help us all

Anyone who travels the rural, mountainous byways of Clinton County can attest to the many ATVs they see on and in trailers pulled by trucks and SUVS, driven by people who love to go riding on any of the great trails afforded in our region. Thus it is great news to hear the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announce a $1.2 million investment of taxpayer dollars and fees to build a connector trail linking (or working toward linking) all of the popular Bloody Skillet, Denton Hill, Hayneville and Whiskey Springs ATV Trails. The connector trail will ...