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Our opinion: DEP has big say in Betts Park

Given its prior misclassification of two-tenths of an acre of land behind the Days Inn on Route 6, we’re not sure the Warren City Council had much of a choice when it came to approving a non-surface horizontal drilling proposal for the site. The city had already been in court over the site once after telling the developer the land was for zoned residential use despite a mistake on the city’s zoning maps indicating the land was zoned for industrial use. It was made pretty clear during court arguments leading up to the city’s March 10 special meeting to approve a settlement with ...

Our opinion: County stuck in middle on policy

Pennsylvania remains a holdout when it comes to legalized marijuana sales. There are differing - and legitimate - arguments on both sides of that argument. But, frankly, the tired old arguments of whether or not Pennsylvania should legalize marijuana sales are beside the point today. The fact of the matter is that the actions of New York state, which legalized marijuan sales, and Pennsylvania, which has not legalized marijuana sales, have put Warren County and similar counties in Pennsylvania in a no-win position. Consider a recent traffic stop in Youngsville. A Seneca woman was on ...

Other voices: More vaccine lessons ahead

The measles outbreak that began in Texas is now up to 228 cases in two states, 23 hospitalizations, and one dead child, and still health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is hedging on the obvious, which is to get vaccinated. “Good nutrition remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses,” RFK Jr. wrote in an op-ed, though parents should “understand their options to get the MMR vaccine,” for measles, mumps and rubella. Then in an interview, he promoted treatment of steroids and cod-liver oil as producing “almost miraculous and instantaneous ...

Alien invaders are not just little green men

A minute after I opened my computer, it started screeching. The three loud alarms were accompanied with flashing mushrooming blobs. I felt my heart clutch. No. No. NO-O-O-O-O! I was sure it was a crash. The end of my laptop. The last time my blood ran that cold, was when my previous computer bit the dust. This turned out to be only a dastardly mess but I didn’t know that for the first 45 minutes of panic. Supposedly, my primary security software was demanding that I use their program. But I already had their program! What is this? I followed the directions because I had complete ...

Our opinion: Office missing accountability

Two scandals confronting our state, in our view, converge on one underlying issue. A state senator from Allentown has noted that in 2024 alone, Gov. Josh Shapiro spent at least $300,000 in tax dollars on flights. While that cost by itself should concern Pennsylvanians worried about the fiscal future of their state, there is a possibility — perhaps even a likelihood — that the actual cost was higher. “The data provided by PennDOT is woefully inadequate,” Sen. Jarrett Coleman said, according to The Center Square report. “The PennDOT logs are full of inaccuracies and ...

Our opinion: Focus on future, not the past

We feel for those in Youngsville and Sheffield upset with the decision to close high schools in their communities - particularly the Youngsville voices who speak the loudest at school board meetings. It’s difficult to see things that have long been a part of the community change, whether it’s a longtime business closing, a landmark being torn down or a school building being closed. Our small townships and boroughs have had a rhythm to them that is difficult to change. But change we must. It simply isn’t feasible to keep four high schools running in Warren County. For all ...