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Our opinion: WRATH Unit pays a dividend

Cody Brown hadn’t yet been elected as the Warren County District Attorney when he announced the creation of the WRATH Unit last September. But the Affidavit of Probable Cause filed in a recent case involving an area man accused of disseminating videos showing alleged child sexual abuse materials shows the value in having such a unit. No one knew quite what to expect when Brown, who was then the first assistant district attorney, announced a Web Response Against Traffickers and Harmers Unit to be housed within the District Attorney’s office. Specifically it will target offenders ...

Our opinion: We waited months for this budget?

Perhaps the best thing about Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 budget process is that it is, finally, over. The $50.8 billion budget is balanced, ended up roughly $3 billion under the initial budget proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro in February and includes priorities for both sides - including a continuation of increases in K-12 education funding following a landmark 2023 court ruling and continued funding of tax credits for businesses that donate money for scholarships to allow children to attend private schools. It also left untouched the state’s $7.7 billion “Rainy Day Fund,” which was a ...

Other voices: World loses when U.S., Iran overplay hands

The cycle’s familiarity should not obscure the gravity of the consequences as the US and Iran return to threats, strikes and a futile search for an exit from war via escalation. On Sunday, Tehran said that it had closed the strait of Hormuz again. The World Food Program is already feeding 1.5 million fewer people this year owing to the illegal war launched by the US and Israel. Vulnerable countries are suffering most as existing crises are compounded: an extra 2.5 million people in Somalia and 2.3 million in Afghanistan are struggling to meet basic food needs. Even de-escalation ...

Our opinion: Long crisis getting little attention

Since March 18, a crisis in Tidioute seems to not be a priority for Warren County as a whole. Since that day — before the official first day of spring — borough residents have been forced to boil water. That’s 120 days — or one-third of the year. At the moment, the timetable for a solution remains a mystery as those served by the Southwest Warren County Municipal Authority will remain under a boil-water advisory as state environmental officials say the authority’s water treatment plant has not yet returned to acceptable operating levels. “Treatment plant performance has ...

Our opinion: Senate should quickly approve Sunshine Act bill

State House members think there should be fewer exceptions to last-minute changes to local government meeting agendas. House Bill 2146, passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support in the state House, would clarify exceptions to the 24-hour rule for meeting agendas under the Sunshine Act. The state Legislature approved legislation in 2021 setting exceptions to the rule stating an agenda has to be available to the public 24 hours before a meeting. Recognizing the need for flexibility, the 2001 amendments established reasonable exceptions to the 24-hour rule, including actions related ...

Our opinion: Participate in transportation survey

We hope that stakeholders in Warren take the opportunity this week to make their thoughts known regarding the city’s Active Transportation Plan by completing a survey that will help guide the plan. The survey - which can be completed online at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/acd00c692b1a4534a3c947ca634e8830 - will result in a plan to improve walking, biking and overall accessibility throughout the city. It aims to improve access to goods and services, employment, schools, healthcare, parks and the regional trail network, while also strengthening first-mile/last-mile connected to ...