State should ban hand-held phones while driving

June 5, 2023

The pilot program allowing the use of speed cameras in active work zones in the Philadelphia area, in effect since its approval under Act 86 of 2018, will be expiring this year unless the Pennsylvania General Assembly makes the program permanent. A Capitolwire article published last week reported that state Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, is planning legislation that not only would continue the Philadelphia-area program, but expand it. The problem is that the proposed expansion is too limited. What Neilson, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, wants to do should be ...

Celebrate Memorial Day respectfully

May 27, 2023

No matter what is happening on this nation’s political and economic fronts — and much is happening — Memorial Day, the holiday we are observing today, should not and does not take a back seat. Only something truly catastrophic might cast Monday’s observance into the background, but even then most Americans would pause in respect to what this day represents. Memorial Day is the day when the nation honors the brave, selfless men and women who gave their lives while in this country’s service. It also is the day each year when Americans put special emphasis on remembering ...

Vote today, set the tone for November

May 16, 2023

Today is an important day for area citizens: it is the first chance to weigh in on who will get to serve the community on the various boards that are the lifeblood of local politics. We refer, of course, to today’s primary election. A full slate of candidates across the ideological spectrum have lined up for positions throughout Clinton and Centre counties. Those positions include notable, important decision-makers like county commissioner, school board director and township supervisor — all of which can have a direct impact on voters’ lives ... and finances. People often ...

Woolrich is leaving? What can be done?

May 12, 2023

1830 That’s 190 years ago, when America’s oldest outdoor clothing brand was founded as a woolen mill along Plum Run, east of Lock Haven, by English immigrants John Rich and Daniel McCormick, who took horse and buggy from town to town to sell woolen yarn and fabric. Rich bought out McCormick in 1845 and created John Rich & Son. The operation was expanded and moved to the town that would become known as Woolrich. Rich took one of his sons into the business seven years later. Woolrich made army blankets during the Civil War. Other Rich family members bought and sold ...

Statistics on drug use during pregnancy very alarming

May 10, 2023

Virtually every day, readers, listeners and viewers of the latest news accounts are updated about arrests, court cases and prison sentences tied to the use or sale of illegal substances — plus, on some days, provided reports about overdose deaths associated with those substances. Too infrequently, however, are there reports about the tiny victims of illegal drug use, despite there being many. Recently, the Wall Street Journal became the latest media outlet to tackle that horrific circumstance, and the picture that the Journal painted was not pretty. The article, on the ...

There are a lot of great students in our region

May 6, 2023

Do not, for one second, believe there are not a multitude of great, smart and engaging kids attending our area schools. Don’t let bad news overshadow the more voluminous good news about our kids. And know that problems in our schools are caused by a small minority of kids. At The Express, you’ll many times read on page A1 about our students’ accomplishments. And there are many. Here are some very recent examples: The Keystone Central Career and Technology Center sent 18 students to Hershey to compete in the SkillsUSA state competition in mid-April. Keystone Central ...