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Our opinion: Downsizing process at beginning

Warren County residents have been put on notice as of this week. Drastic changes are being looked at for all the schools, not just Sheffield. While that is disconcerting for many, there is no question that something needs to be done. Sheffield High School has been allowed to remain open at a high cost for last year and this year. But it looks as though that location may be coming to an end. On Monday, district administration presented projected savings that would result from a few different closure options — moving grades 9-12 at Sheffield to Warren, moving 9-12 at Youngsville to ...

Our opinion: Renewables can come quick

With renewable energy gaining momentum in Pennsylvania, solar and wind farms could become more prominent throughout the state and in our region. Due to Warren County’s proximity to Allegheny National Forest, it is important for officials to consider best practices when dealing with these potential locations. In neighboring Chautauqua County, the wind farms are evident on Route 60 through the Cassadaga area and off Interstate 90, near the Dunkirk-Fredonia exit of the state Thruway. Though the monstrosities seem to be far enough away, neighbors have complained about their impacts ...

Our opinion: County misses grant funding

The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced last week that 268 schools across the Commonwealth will receive funding to provide fruits and vegetables to students. Warren County is not on the list. Why not? Nearly $7.3 million in grant funding will be awarded under the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. This funding is in addition to the universal free breakfast program that Gov. Josh Shapiro championed throughout the budget process and has secured two years in a row. “Access to healthy food options gives our students the fuel they need in order to learn, grow, and ...

Our opinion: Adding fear to railroad issue

Be forgiving toward anyone who is concerned, or even fearful, about the safety of railroad freight cars these days. Most of the people who read a recent Associated Press report about railcar safety inspections no doubt still are amazed that there have not been numerous other serious rail accidents, especially like the one last year that caused so much havoc, damage and fear in East Palestine, Ohio. Regarding fear, that reaction continues to be real even today, in and around the Ohio community. And it is important to note that any trepidation still oozing from knowledge of what ...

Swelling homeless numbers create crisis nearby

BARCELONA, N.Y. — He was seated at Route 5 and North Portage Road in this small hamlet near Westfield that boasts a thriving summer shoreline and pier along Lake Erie. Holding a cardboard sign, the individual made a humble and desperate plea. “Homeless. In need of cash.” Residents and ...

Our opinion: Togetherness, without violence

For as much as our culture likes to hold itself as above political violence, people historically sure do a lot of it. The horrendous attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, as he campaigned in Butler, Pa. is another wretched entry to an equally wretched list. Political violence extends beyond presidents and candidates, of course — consider the shooting of Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise and the assault of Paul Pelosi, both among recent examples. In 2022, a man paused and called the police on himself during an attempted assassination of conservative Supreme Court ...