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People love to express their opinions. Whether we find those opinions offensive or they perfectly align with ours is irrelevant. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right to let others know what we think or how we feel. We’re closing in on one of the most powerful ways to do that. On Tuesday, Nov. 5, voters will elect the 47th president of the United States. Today, Oct. 21, is the last day for Pennsylvanians who are not registered to vote to make sure their voices are heard by going to the polls. The process is not complicated. Voter registration ...

Lies threaten to beget violence as our society shudders

The fever pitch of politics has reached many previously unreachable areas in the last decade. The latest to fall is the politicization of disaster relief, as FEMA has come under fire for various reasons, some legitimate and others... perhaps less so. Criticism is fair. Of government agencies? Doubly so. But criticism cannot give way to violence — the threat of which looms large in hurricane-ravaged regions of Appalachia. It was recently reported by the Washington Post that National Guardsmen in western North Carolina had encountered roving, armed militias, whose apparent goal was ...

75th Flaming Foliage Festival shows power of community

If you read our preview guide for the 75th anniversary Flaming Foliage Festival, held this past weekend in Renovo, one constant consensus is that Renovo is one of the most beautiful places on Earth — or at least that many of the queens have ever seen. While it is perhaps fair to say that Renovo stacks up poorly against the likes of the Grand Canyon or Victoria Falls, those are also commensurately more difficult — and expensive — to reach. Unfortunately, relatively little is left of the former industrial town. In what is a familiar story for much of rural America, especially ...

Unkel Joe’s closure is a warning to local consumers

A few days ago, while waiting for comment from the General Manager of Unkel Joe’s Woodshed in Flemington, we trekked up and got the pictures ready for the story ahead of time, since it was a sunny day and one never knows if that will hold true on any given day this time of year. The cropped photo, which shows the building clearly, also missed a bit of the story. Out of frame, you see, Unkel Joe’s parking lot was packed. In frame, the front of the building was lined with vehicles — but we wanted to call attention to the number of vehicles present in their lower parking ...

The slow, steady road to progress — despite setbacks

A recent exchange in our Facebook comments section regarding the new benches placed around one of the trees outside the Downtown Lock Haven office highlights a continuing struggle within the community: While some are disillusioned because of where we have been, others are inspired by where we are going. That is not to say there are not setbacks — the continuing degradation of rural healthcare comes immediately to mind as the news broke recently that the former Lock Haven Hospital has been sold by UPMC to Allaire Health. While there are problems with virtually any healthcare ...

Summer soon comes to a close, not with a whimper, but with a JAM

It is early August — summer still by most metrics, yet the creeping signs of autumn’s advance have already been spotted. The sumac on the hills has begun to turn, and if one were to listen to the area’s corporate outlets — Walmart, the dollar stores, et al — it would seem to be almost Halloween. Soon, students will return to the classroom and the air will cool and crisp. But first, summer will have one more hurrah — LH JAMS has returned for its 9th year in downtown Lock Haven. The arts fest, which began with a kick-off concert Thursday night and proceeded with a ...