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Our opinion: Be wary of more requirements

State lawmakers should be wary of turning Pennsylvania into New York, whose legislature is continually adding new requirements for health insurance providers in the Empire State. It’s something to keep in mind after Rep. Joe Hogan, R-Feasterville, introduced a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation he is drafting that will require insurers cover ovarian cancer screening tests for women over the age of 40. We aren’t saying Hogan’s bill is a bad idea, and we know that making insurance companies cover the cost of the tests will help protect women from ovarian cancer. The ...

Our opinion: We have to ring county bell

There are two equally important takeaways from the oversight regarding Warren County’s entry into the 250PA Bells Across America program. The first is the incredible wherewithal we have here in Warren County to accomplish things we put our mind to. The combination of Lisa Card, Kim Slocum and Leann Waterhouse came together to accomplish in a scant few days what other counties and their artists had weeks to finish. We’re not sure exactly how Warren County was forgotten for the Bells Across America program, but were it not for Card, Warren County may not have been included in the ...

Our opinion: Changes to ARD long overdue

It’s good to see, after the state’s budget showdown at the Slowdown Corral, that some items that are of importance to local residents are making their way through the state Legislature as the year comes to a close. One of those items is legislation to fix a court-created loophole in the ARD program. In case, Comm. v. Chichkin, a defendant had completed ARD for a first DUI but picked up a second a couple years later. For sentencing purposes, even though the defendant completed the ARD program, the second DUI was counted as a second DUI, which brought enhanced mandatory minimum ...

Our opinion: State’s fiscal challenges alarming

Since all seats of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and about half of those of the state Senate will be on the state’s 2026 election ballots, it’s safe to surmise that commonwealth residents need not fear a state income tax increase, no matter when the Legislature completes its work on a budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The purported deadline for completion of that budget is June 30, but it took the General Assembly more than four extra months beyond June 30 of this year for work on 2025-26’s $50 billion spending package to be finished. It was a mess for which the ...

Our opinion: Support area business at holidays

Tens of millions of Americans will do most, if not all, their holiday season shopping with giant online retail operations this year. They will argue that it is more convenient or safer for them to do so rather than patronize local brick-and-mortar stores. Local retailers, from mom-and-pop specialty shops to the big-box stores, rely on Christmas shoppers for significant chunks of the revenue that keep them open year-round. If they have a bad holiday shopping season, they suffer terribly. Some may not survive long into the new year. So what? Well, put on your thinking cap for a ...

Our opinion: Body camera idea makes sense

Expanding the use of body cameras to state game officials, DCNR rangers and Fish and Boat Commission officers and deputies makes a lot of sense. So much sense, in fact, that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t part of the original 2015 legislation that gave approval for Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed legislation that will expand the use of body cameras to include state game officials, DCNR rangers and Fish and Boat Commission officers and deputies. Trained officers of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission to wear body cameras. Waterways ...