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Our opinion: Camera debate creates murky picture

There is a common theme across the nation when it comes to Flock cameras. Americans do not want to have something consistently looking over their shoulder. According to Pew Research Center, the automated license plate readers are high-speed camera systems that automatically photograph every license plate that passes them. When networked together and paired with specialized software, they can reconstruct where a vehicle has been over a period of days or weeks. Flock Safety is the leading automated plate reader vendor, Pew Research Center noted. The company estimates its cameras were ...

Our opinion: Thanking those who served for freedom

They've never asked for thanks, but they've earned it a thousand times over. Every parade, every flag raised, every quiet moment of freedom enjoyed on a Monday morning exists because, somewhere, someone once stood between danger and home. Veterans Day isn't a gift to them; it's a reminder to the rest of us. Across the region, you'll find them everywhere--men and women who wore the uniform and came home to build lives, families, and towns that still depend on their quiet strength. They don't ask for recognition. They don't boast about their service. But the stories are written in their ...

Our opinion: Strangulation legislation should be approved

A woman’s 2022 strangulation in Philadelphia by a stranger is the inspiration for legislation that, in our opinion, should be approved by the state Legislature this year. Rep. Donna Scheuren has introduced a package of bills (HB 2517, HB 2518 and HB 2519) that would apply to the way strangulation cases are handled. The most significant change comes in HB 2517, which would change the grading of stranger-on-stranger strangulation, increasing the severity of the offense from a second-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony in cases where the victim and defendant had no prior ...

Editor’s corner: In age of sharing, privacy picture blurs

Rare is the moment when New York’s senior U.S. senator is critical of any type of picture taking. A longstanding political joke notes “the most dangerous place in Washington is between Chuck Schumer and a television camera.” That phrase offers a nod to Schumer’s longtime tradition of ...

Our opinion: Finding balance with winter heating

Based on what has been a mild autumn, there’s hope for a warmer winter. That is definitely the case when considering the cost of heating our residences. According to PA Energy Ratings, the Commonwealth ranks 10th for the highest average winter heating cost. “Part of this is due to the fact that PA is situated where cold weather systems blow eastward from western Canada and the Plains States,” the platform notes. “These can sometimes collide with warmer, wetter weather systems moving up the east coast and cause ice storms or dump 1-2 feet of snow onto the region. Similarly, ...

Our opinion: Get ready now to give buses more room

Next year, Pennsylvania drivers will be required to stop 15 feet away from a school bus with its red lights flashing and side stop arm activated. The increased distance is part of legislation that was signed into law recently by Gov. Josh Shapiro. The state will begin educating drivers on the new requirement in December, with the legislation to take effect in a year. The legislation also establishes enhanced penalties for repeat offenders, addressing a gap in current law that does not provide increased punishment for those with second or subsequent violations. "Every child deserves ...