Breaking News

Our Opinion

Our opinion: Home care worker charges shocking

Let’s say up front that the charges filed against four direct care workers at a Conewango Township facility still have to be proven in court. But the details included in supporting documents filed by investigators in the case paint a shocking picture of the final days of an area man’s life and should prompt state action to ensure that proper care is being given in such facilities around the state. As sad as it is to say, while the care in Conewango Township is likely a worst-case scenario, we’re not sure state oversight in its current structure is enough. Those who read our ...

Other voices: Democracy doesn’t require truth police

It became fashionable a few years ago for people to blame “misinformation” for others holding views they find wrongheaded. Social media platforms, sometimes jawboned by the federal government, invoked this supposed crisis to justify censorship, especially during the pandemic. This insulted the intelligence of the American people, who can make up their own minds without being told what to think. A new study explores how exposure to “misinformation” on social media affected voters in 2020. The answer, drawn from a three-month experiment on nearly 16,000 users, is very ...

Our opinion: Dialing up a policy on cell phones

Without a statewide edict regarding cell phone use in schools, Warren County district board members broached the topic last month. At the July meeting, members discussed several reasons driving the proposal, including classroom distractions, excessive screen time, the effects of social media on student mental health and the challenge teachers face in keeping students focused during instructional time. In Harrisburg, officials have the item on the radar, passing a bill on a bipartisan vote to restrict cell phone use in state schools in June. According to the bill, students would be ...

Our opinion: City wastes no time with Sunshine Law training

It’s encouraging that the city is taking quick action after questions arose over the way the city Redevelopment Authority applied the state’s Sunshine Act during a recent, contentious, meeting. The city Parks, Recreation and Landscaping Commission received a refresher on Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act during a recent meeting. The training follows criticism surrounding the Redevelopment Authority’s June 10 special meeting, where residents raised concerns about the meeting’s location, public access, and adherence to open meeting procedures. During a subsequent City Council ...

Our opinion: Missed deadline on murder sentencing fix inexcusable

Missed deadlines are nothing new for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. But missing a court’s deadline to rewrite sentencing laws for those convicted of second-degree murder is a bridge too far, even for Pennsylvania lawmakers. In Commonwealth v. Lee, the state Supreme Court struck down mandatory life sentences for people convicted of second-degree murder as unconstitutional under the state constitution. The ruling stems from the conviction of Derek Lee, who is serving a mandatory life sentence for the death of a man in a 2014 home invasion in Pittsburgh. Attorneys for Lee argued ...

Our opinion: District can make its own cell phone decision

It is likely that the state General Assembly will, at some point, get together on a final version of legislation banning the use of cell phones in schools during the school day. Given the experience of neighboring states, including New York, we have a hard time believing the state Legislature hasn’t yet come to agreement. But, sooner or later Pennsylvania will end up adding the commonwealth to the list of states that limit student cell phone use. Unlike the legislature, which has shown no problem with not meeting deadlines on small things like the state budget, school districts ...