Can you really protect yourself from online fraud?

May 3, 2023

That someone or entity stole $8,000 from the Sugar Valley Volunteer Fire Co. is alarming, but shouldn’t really be surprising. We read about this type of criminal activity a lot these days. Police agencies are seeing an uptick in thefts from bank accounts. Criminals, in various ways, gain a bank account number or a routing number and it’s just trouble from there. We’d bet in the fire company’s case, whoever took the money intially has or will try again—even if the account is blocked. We saw that with a reader who recently told us a check she sent for a payment probably ...

Impact of obstacles to gas production frustrating

May 1, 2023

We all should find the news that natural gas production in Pennsylvania slipped slightly in 2022 troubling. “Pipeline constraints — mostly due to political and extreme activism — constrict flow to key demand centers, including the Northeast, limiting the ability for more Americans and allies abroad to benefit from clean affordable Pennsylvania-produced natural gas,” David Callahan, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, explained to a reporter for the Center Square. The development of natural gas has been a blessing for our region — bringing new, family-sustaining ...

What do taxpayers want? Good schools or lower taxes?

April 29, 2023

Attend enough Jersey Shore Area School Board meetings and you will see that — almost with each budget cycle and certainly with each new leader — the board is confronted with proposals to close schools to cut costs. And most times in more recent years, the ultimate decision has been no. Closing of the Nippenose Valley Elementary School was, we believe, the most recent consolidation. Now we see six members vote this week to keep elementary buildings open and remaining K-5 with students being shifted to equalize class size. A board minority voted for a scenario that would’ve ...

Yet another loss with power plant decision, so it’s time to regroup

April 19, 2023

We are saddened to hear that Bechtel Corp. is pulling out of a plan to build a natural-gas fired, electric generating station in Renovo. Our belief is that Bechtel and the ultimate plant operator would invest in the best available technology to significantly reduce the release of organic compounds from the plant’s emissions. Further, ongoing testing and upgrading that emissions scrubbing technology over time would prove that the plant posed no direct health threat to area residents. We also are very disappointed with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the snail’s pace of ...

Don’t mess with employers’ work schedule needs

April 15, 2023

We think the environment out there for employees and employers has changed the last few years, mostly because of the pandemic. Some would say that change has been good for employees; others would disagree. Regardless, many workplaces are now much more flexible with their employees by allowing remote work, flexible hours each day, better pay (due to worker shortage) and benefits; and smart employers promote a positive work environment and culture. So talk of moving to a four-day work week just doesn’t fly with us. There are some suggesting — as with the opinion piece by Anthony ...

City should not cut police services, but we concede rising costs are becoming untenable

April 6, 2023

Police services are expensive. And we believe a vast majority of people — taxpayers — understand that. So we ask city taxpayers — property owners and business owners: Are you willing to have your tax dollars invested in strong police services, knowing your taxes will go up as costs rise? That’s really the big question in the City of Lock Haven as City Council looks ahead at expenses while negotiating a new labor contract with the police union. This is an emotional debate, for sure. Police protection is highly valued, especially by local businesses, as evident of the ...