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Opinion

Our opinion: Tourism measure eye-opening

Our Opinion

Warren County Visitors Bureau officials are getting a better look at where visitors are coming from when they visit Warren County. Information from Zartico, a company that uses geolocation, lodging and spending data to help determine where tourists are coming from, should help local officials know where to spend local marketing dollars so we get the most bang for our buck. It’s interesting, for example, to know 41% of May visitors to Warren County came from Pittsburgh and State College, while only 4% each came from Erie, Charleston, W.V., and Buffalo. That’s good information to ...

Our opinion: Truancy, chronic absenteeism need more focus

Our Opinion

School attendance rates’ slow climb back from the COVID-19 pandemic should be concerning to everyone - including school officials and parents here in Warren County. While we’re not sure that state Rep. Tracy Pennycuick’s proposal to change existing state law is the cure to the state’s flagging school attendance rates, we can’t fault Pennycuick from trying. Pennycuick proposes reforming the mid-year transfers for truant students from school districts to cyber schools, requiring cyber charter schools to share real-time attendance and academic data with the school district ...

Our opinion: Good, bad news on EMS

Our Opinion

It’s good news that Warren County public safety officials are seeing fewer dropped 911 calls. That means we’re doing a better job of navigating the challenges that come with having fewer volunteer firefighters manning fire stations throughout the county when emergencies arise. That’s good news, because the struggle to recruit volunteer firefighters to man volunteer fire department ambulances isn’t going to go away any time soon. Those who need proof need only see the second half of what Ken McCorrison, county public safety director, said during a May Council of Governments ...

Our opinion: Two-way street for motorists, walkers

Our Opinion

As another school year has come to an end, motorists need to be alert and aware when behind the wheel. Last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and its safety partners reminded motorists and pedestrians to always be on the lookout for each other. “Whether you are walking, driving, or riding your bike, it is critical for everyone to be aware of their surroundings,” said Community Traffic Safety Project Coordinator Mike Tautin of the Highway Safety Network. “And when you are walking, you should also make sure others are aware of you. Crashes happen in a ...

Public media attack hurts our community

Local Commentaries

Imagine turning on your TV or radio and finding silence where “Sesame Street,” local news, and emergency alerts used to be. No more “Our Town” stories celebrating your neighbors in Warren County. No more trusted voices guiding your children through their earliest years. No more WPSU. That’s the future we could face if Congress approves the rescission package recently submitted by the White House. Among its sweeping cuts is the elimination of critical funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — the lifeblood of local stations like WPSU. This funding represents 17% ...

Nation needs common sense cannabis reform

Local Commentaries

My job as the District Attorney of Warren County is to uphold the law and protect public safety. But our laws must make sense — and when it comes to cannabis, the federal government’s policy is increasingly out of step with reality. Cannabis is currently classified under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the same category as heroin and LSD. That designation means it’s considered to have “no accepted medical use,” despite the fact that 38 states, including Pennsylvania, have legal medical marijuana programs helping patients and veterans with chronic pain, cancer ...