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We need more than just financial incentives to recruit more school teachers

Our public and private colleges and universities have their work cut out for them to graduate more students who want to teach elementary, middle and high school kids. It’s a growing challenge as we face a severe shortage of teachers. Since 2010, Pennsylvania has seen a 66% decline in Instructional I teaching certificates, the state’s most basic teaching accreditation awarded to graduates who pass their certification tests, issued to in-state graduates. Data from the Department of Education also reflect a 58% decline in certificates issued to those planning to work ...

Threat to emergency medical services here has hit a fever pitch

"We’re in trouble.” “We’re spinning out of control.” These are alarming statements by a man who has given his life to sustaining emergency medical services in Clinton County and is now sounding the alarm that manpower and other shortages are threatening such services. So while cynics may see Lock Haven EMS Chief Gerard Banfill’s statements as overly emotional, Gerard is exactly right in our view. His emotion is exactly what we all need to see and hear because adequate emergency medical services are at stake here. Life-saving emergency medical services, we would ...

Don’t let your guard down with the flu or COVID

For most Americans, including people of the northcentral and central Pennsylvania — life is returning slowly but steadily to the way it was prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Seeing a person wearing a mask is much less common, pessimism about COVID-19 is giving way to increased confidence that the battle against the prolonged scourge is on the verge of being won, and that refinements to the vaccines developed so far will continue to make a COVID resurgence by way of a deadly new variant much less likely. Yet, we’ve seen quite a few cases of the flu — especially the ...

As violence ramps up at school, parents must step up

It starts with parenting. That role — that oh-so-very important-job — is the key to raising a good and decent child. Oh, it isn’t easy and kids don’t always react the right way to good parenting. But being involved with your kids and their emotional well-being is the basis for talking about problems — particularly fights — occurring at Central Mountain High School. The most recent incident has a 17-year-old female student allegedly attacking another student in a restroom at CMHS, causing serious injuries to the victim. That was followed by crude posts on social ...

Good to see people step up to the plate

It is heartening to see many people stepping forward to run for public office and serve the citizens of our region. Serving as an elected representative is kind of thankless these days, what with our divisive politics. The May 16, 2023 Primary Election in Pennsylvania will see various local offices up for election. Yes, this year is a big local election year. At the county level, you’ll see races for sheriff, commissioner, auditors, district attorney, prothonotary and register and recorder. In local courts you’ll see races for magisterial district judges. Area school ...

Beaver Stadium renovation makes sense

The Penn State Board of Trustees is moving forward on a major renovation to Beaver Stadium. For the past several years, the university has been wrestling with whether to build a new stadium or modernize its current 106,592-seat home. PSU confirmed its intentions following last week’s Board of Trustees meeting, and we think Penn State is making the right call. Plans are still being finalized and will be presented to the board for a vote in the “near future,” PSU said. The football program is a major source of price to this region and certainly an economic engine for Penn ...