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There’s still time to prepare for Election Day

After nearly a year of debate and litigation, all issues about voting are settled for Pennsylvania, and there have been no changes. Tuesday, Nov. 3 is time for us all to vote. Here are reminders of important deadlines and resources for all Pennsylvania voters. You can learn about voting in Pennsylvania at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/vote. You can link from there to register to vote, to change your registration (for example, address change), to check your registration if you are unsure about whether you’re registered, to request a mail-in ballot, to find your polling place, and ...

Keep future, not past, in mind for downtown

The debate over 231-237 Pennsylvania Avenue West should ultimately come down to one question: What gives Warren the best opportunity to put this property back into productive use for the next several decades? There is understandable support for preserving the existing building. Historic buildings contribute to Warren’s character, and preservation should always be seriously considered. But preservation also has to make economic sense. This building dates to 1920, has been vacant, lacks functioning utilities, needs significant work, and has been described by the city engineer as ...

Edibles with a shelf life of 25 years

It began during another cleanout day in the garage. We expect to be moving within the year and are trying to purge everything we don’t use. It’s a nightmare. The dictionary defines purge: “to get rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; to cleanse; to purify.” Well, anything stored ...

Online safety for youth starts within the home

Every year around this time, parents are focusing on having their children ready for another day of school. This year, I hope families will spend a little time preparing for something else: The online world their children enter every day. For many students, social media is as much a part of life as it is the classroom. It allows them to stay connected with friends and share experiences, but it also creates opportunities for cyberbullying, exploitation, and abuse. Not only do smartphones and apps cause issues with attention and focus in the classroom, – which I seek to address with my ...

A day at Betts Industries: “Doing what’s best”

Betts Industries in Warren is celebrating 125 years of manufacturing. When I read that they were hosting an open house, I was intrigued. And boy, what a story they have to share. All I knew was that Betts made truck valves for tankers. Dear Richard and I decided to take the company ...

County failing Tidioute in water crisis

Warren County is a generous community. When disaster strikes another state or hardship affects people across the country or overseas, our residents collect supplies, donate money, and look for ways to help. Yet here at home, residents of Tidioute have been living without dependable potable water from their taps for months. The boil-water advisory began March 18 and has now been extended to Noc. 1. If it continues until then, Tidioute residents will have spent 228 days boiling water for drinking, cooking, brushing their teeth, and preparing food. Imagine living with that burden ...