Breaking News

Letters to the editor

Ban electric scooters in Pa.

Tom McCarey Berwyn, Pa. If the Legislature does not ban electric scooters from Pennsylvania’s roads many children will be maimed and killed. Misinformed politicians and bureaucrats think that electric scooters are a viable means of transportation. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are no “rules of the road” for scooters, and no infrastructure for them. Electric scooters are toys, and, at best, belong in parks. They should be banned from the roads. Yet, Senator Kearney thinks a new law will protect the children. I’m sure he has good intentions, but good ...

Say grats at dinner

Gary Jump Itasca, Ill. When we read about problems and tragedies it’s easy to become distressed. To increase happiness, think about things for which you have gratitude. My family does this at the end of dinner when we say “grats.” This involves one person telling us three things for which she or he is grateful. Then we have a conversation about what was said. Being the old guy at the table, I often discuss how one of those things was different in earlier times. For example, if televisions are cited, I might talk about how, when I was young, we didn’t have one, and that ...

Retain our best judges

Alfred Jones, Jr., Esq. State College We have been very fortunate to have good judges in our Centre County court, and, in the upcoming election, we need to make sure we retain one of our best judges. Judge Katie Oliver is one of the best judges I have observed in my 53 years as a Centre County lawyer. She was an excellent trial lawyer before she became a judge and she brings that courtroom expertise to the bench. Our lawyers and their clients appreciate her fair and balanced manner. Judge Oliver is very aware that those who come to her courtroom are people, people in difficult ...

The ‘F’ word

Sam Stea Cogan Station The truth no longer holds water. Slogans have seized our minds. Our founding, common history no longer has relevance. The press is not free. Our enemies lie within and without. Intimidation and cronyism rule the day. A hundred years ago, millions died to rid the world fascism. Yet we have welcomed it back with open arms and resounding applause. It is time we take stock of what is going on through the lens of history. Tom Brokaw wrote “The Greatest Generation.” Let’s pick that book up again and relearn what we never meant to forget.

Jokes no more

Jim Newton Itasca A friend told me about lying on his bed when he heard the TV on in another room. He got up to see what sounded like Saturday Night Live running a Trump speech parody. It turned out to be an actual Trump speech, the one given during the Gaza end-of-war ceremonies. We both had a brief chuckle over the parody-reality confusion. I said “brief” chuckle because in some circles, robust laugh-out-loud moments are less appreciated. My friend’s anecdote reminded me of a phrase adults used when I was young: “We laugh to keep from crying.” American society ...

Deportation numbers — the questions they raise

Tim Mannello Williamsport Back when Barack Obama was president, the U.S. deported about 914 undocumented immigrants every single day. Fast forward to the Trump administration, and that number has dropped slightly to around 800 per day. On the surface, these figures might seem like just statistics — but they open the door to deeper concerns. So here’s the real question: Is this just about immigration enforcement, or is something bigger at play? Some wonder if these deportations are less about reducing undocumented populations and more about justifying a growing presence of ...