Breaking News

Our Opinion

Our opinion: Boost skilled trades numbers

Republicans and Democrats in the state Legislature agree there is a looming shortage of skilled trades workers in the commonwealth. The question is what to do about it. Rep. Marla Brown, R-Lawrence, wants to expose more high school students to the trades by requiring shop classes in sixth through 12th grades. Brown introduced her co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation she’s drafting in late March after a March 18 House Republican Policy Committee hearing hosted by Rep. David H. Rowe, R-Snyder, and Brown to examine strategies to strengthen workforce development in the skilled ...

Our opinion: Forest Service shift could benefit county

We won’t pretend to be experts on the U.S. Forest Service or forest management. Only time will tell if President Donald Trump’s move to reorganize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies that include the U.S. Forest Service, reduce bureaucracy, and place more employees outside Washington, D.C. is a good move or a bad move. But bringing more Forest Service staff to Warren County as the county becomes a headquarters for the Mid-Atlantic states and New England, a region that covers 12 states, can only be a positive development locally. We are a region that has been ...

Our opinion: A weak response on maternal care

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Healthy Moms, Vibrant Futures’ Maternal Health Strategic Action Plan sounds like a real step forward in helping expectant mothers in rural areas. Perhaps it’s unfair to expect a problem that has metastasized over the past two decades to be fixed quickly, but in our view Shapiro’s plan doesn’t seem likely to accomplish much in its first year. And that’s too bad, because there are some 175 soon-to-be mothers in Warren County who we think deserve better. The plan has several components, but given the recent closure of Warren General Hospital’s ...

Our opinion: Resurrection delivers hope to all

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying ...

Our opinion: Hospital campaign worth supporting

Warren General Hospital is launching the public phase of its Building on Success campaign - and it’s one that the public should support. The hospital is trying to raise $7 million for technological and facility improvements that include replacement of MRI, CT Scanner, Fluoroscopy, and Ultrasound systems; renovation of the Cancer Center Pharmacy “Clean Room” and elevator replacements and renovations to Warren Medical Group physician offices. For more information, visit www.wgh.org/capital-campaign or contact Rick Allen, who is leading the campaign, at rallen@wgh.org Local ...

Our opinion: Be ready for coming ANF burn

A controlled burn is scheduled for more than 2,000 acres of the Allegheny National Forest, possibly starting today if weather conditions are right. The burn is the first controlled burn in the Allegheny National Forest since 2024, but this year’s burn is expected to be larger as federal officials aim to reduce hazardous fuel levels and improve wildlife habitat in the Tracy Ridge area of the Allegheny National Forest. “This allows us to burn on our own terms,” said Craig Kostrzewski of the Forest Service during a media briefing. “If another burn were to occur, it would be ...