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Prioritize healthcare throughout rural Pennsylvania

Columns

Every April, Grange chapters from the local to national level celebrate Grange Month. This month is an opportunity to highlight one of the most enduring institutions in rural America and recommit ourselves to the communities we have long served. For generations, the Grange has stood for fellowship, advocacy, and practical support for farm families and rural towns. That mission is just as important today, especially when it comes to health care. Colorectal cancer is one of the greatest examples of why this matters. In Pennsylvania this year, an estimated 6,520 people will be diagnosed ...

What is the correct amount of water humans should drink?

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: Please write about the correct amount of water that people should drink. There’s so much misinformation! — E.N., MD ANSWER: There is so much misinformation since a simple answer, like “more is always better,” is easier than a nuanced answer. It depends on your age, activity level, the temperature and humidity, any medications you might be taking, and whether your kidneys have any issues. However, the simplest answer, which is true for most people, is that your body has a built-in system, called the thirst reflex, to make sure that you are getting enough fluid. ...

Why Earth Day matters more than ever

Columns

Fifty-seven years ago, Earth Day changed American politics. On April 22, 1970, 20 million American, about 10% of the entire U.S. population, took to the streets, campuses, and town squares in a single day to demand action after 150 years of uncontrolled industrial pollution. The demonstrations were so large and bipartisan that Washington responded almost immediately, probably out of fear but also respect for the intensity and size of the demonstrations. Within just a few years, President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency and Congress passed 20 landmark laws including the ...

Dear Annie: Lost in mixed signals and broken expectations

Columns

Dear Annie: About six months ago, I grew close to a woman I had known casually for some time. She had recently come out of a painful breakup, and what began as friendship quickly turned into something much more emotionally intimate. We talked every day, shared deeply personal things and became part of each other’s routine in a way that felt meaningful and serious. Although she kept saying we were “just friends,” our relationship did not feel platonic. We became physically involved, and over time she began making comments that made me believe we were building toward something ...

Thank you Trump for starting the draft again!

Letters to the editor

Jim Hironimus White Hall Lets see: Trump started a war a few weeks ago without going to Congress! This drove gas prices and fertilizer prices for farmers way up because they cannot get it because it is stuck waiting in an ocean far away that was open! We had a Nuclear treaty of sorts with Iran: Until Trump tore it up! We used to be the strongest nation in the world and now we look like a bunch of fools! Trump put in tariffs and raised prices on goods! Now, if you haven’t noticed, Trump and his cronies instituted “the draft” so all your sons may get drafted and go to war ...

Gas prices keep rising. My electric car keeps saving me money

Columns

Gasoline prices have surged to their highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic and it has me feeling pretty good about my electric vehicle purchase. I know that utility prices are also on the rise, but being able to plug my car in at home instead of paying horrid prices at the pump has still saved our family money. Charging an EV at home costs 40%-65% less than refueling a gas-powered car. Plus, driving an EV is a little gentler on the Earth, and that also feels good as we celebrate Earth Day. Even when factoring in the additional energy required to manufacture an EV’s battery, ...