Breaking News

Our Opinion

Our opinion: Back taxes are another punch in the gut

News that the shuttered Irvine Distribution Center owes more than $800,000 in back taxes is just another punch in the gut when it comes to the former Blair and BlueStem site. At a time when money is in the right supply - particularly the $500,000 owed to the Warren County School District - the back taxes are like salt in the wound. The loss of 300 people was bad enough, but the new owner’s unwillingness to pay the taxes due on the facility continues to hurt the rest of the taxpayers who are carrying the load for school and government services. “If those property owners would ...

Our opinion: Warren Gives has banner year

Warren Gives continues to grow. And that’s a good thing given the number of non-profit organizations that need the community’s support to provide the type of support and activities Warren County residents have come to expect. Warren Gives 2024 raised $936,952, a new record, with each of the 107 participating organizations receiving donations. In addition to the record-breaking total, donations were received from all 50 states for the first time in Warren Gives history, the 1,901 individual donors broke past Warren Gives records while the Kinzua Wrestling Club set a new record ...

Our opinion: Proper respect on Memorial Day

No matter what is happening on this nation’s political and economic fronts — and much is happening — Memorial Day, the holiday we are observing today, should not and does not take a back seat. Only something truly catastrophic might cast today’s observance into the background, but even then most Americans would pause in respect to what this day represents. Memorial Day is the day when the nation honors the brave, selfless men and women who gave their lives while in this country’s service. It also is the day each year when Americans put special emphasis on remembering family ...

Editor’s corner: When in doubt, jump on the brand-wagon

Pennsylvania officials are hoping its “Great American Getaway” slogan paves a road to greater visits. In unveiling the new brand, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger joined other leaders at PNC Field in Moosic ...

Our opinion: U.S. needs accountability on debt

President Joe Biden recently visited Sturtevant, Wisconsin, to speak at the site of a future Microsoft data center. As the Associated Press reported recently, the project is expected to create about 2,000 jobs. We understand that any president running for reelection will tout the successes in job creation seen during his or her administration. And the job market has been a bright spot in Biden’s tenure. But voters have no reason to accept a failure to address and correct the many shortcomings that exist along with that low unemployment rate. As we have editorialized before, ...

Our opinion: EMS deals better than threats

The issue of EMS billing between the city of Warren and its surrounding boroughs and townships has been a contentious one for the past couple of years. We can’t say either side is necessarily wrong. Warren taxpayers pay to provide EMS services and fire protection for the city of Warren, not Warren County. But the very purpose of mutual aid agreements is that fire departments help each other regardless of cost or inconvenience in recognition of the fact that when alarms go off, someone will be there to help regardless of the name on the fire truck or ambulance. That’s why it’s ...