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Our opinion: Area’s colorful extravaganza

Here at home, we are blessed with the beauty of nature that is evident in autumn. Earlier this week, Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reported “fall colors continue to develop across the landscape in northwestern Pennsylvania. … Trees are not the only plants that provide beautiful fall colors; goldenrod and asters decorate northwestern PA fields with bright dots of yellow, purple, red, and white.” Across the border, Chautauqua County also is at its peak, according to the I Love New York campaign. For travelers, it is a brilliant and beautiful ride ...

Our opinion: Pain to come in budget impasse

The state’s budget impasse isn’t hurting the Warren County School District - yet. But that will change the longer the budget deadlock continues, possibly as soon as this week, according to Gary Weber, Warren County School District superintendent. “I would say that we are in a better position than most right now,” Weber said in an email to the Times Observer last week. “If we go past this week (end of September) without a budget, we are most likely looking at having to move some of our investments into the general fund to pay bills. This will not last long and at some ...

Our opinion: Lawmaker’s ARD fix needs OK

Pennsylvania courts have been pretty consistent over the past five years when it comes to whether or not an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition counts as a first DUI offense. It doesn’t, in their view, because the ARD case doesn’t result in a conviction. That doesn’t mean the DUI offense didn’t happen, but in the eyes of the law the driver hasn’t been convicted of a DUI either by plea or a jury. Under the law that means the driver can’t be held to a more strict sentence if the driver is later convicted in a second drunk driving incident. The court decisions have left ...

Editor’s corner: State GOP engagement keeps pressure on Dems

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s re-election campaign more than a year away already appears to be navigating in troubled waters. After proposing a $51.5 billion spending plan that had revenues exceeding expenses by $4.5 billion, Senate Republicans rejected the proposal, seeking an option ...

Other voices: Nixing survey won’t end hunger

President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is anything but for the nation’s poorest families. Among the numerous cruel elements to the new spending plan are food-program cuts that are expected to increase “food insecurity” — also known as hunger — for millions of Americans, including children. What terrible optics going into the midterm election season. But no worries. Trump’s administration this month announced how it intends to address the politically inconvenient specter of coddling billionaires at the expense of impoverished Americans who will go hungry: It’s ...

Our opinion: Youths, not motorists, have right of way

Right-thinking people of Pennsylvania have to be wondering whether the study associated with obtaining a driver’s license in this state has begun being regarded as something that doesn’t really matter — that the information presented is part of a lame exercise worthy of being forgotten quickly. Does Pennsylvania really have so many drivers who don’t know what blinking red lights on a school bus mean? Then there’s the obvious follow-up question: Does Pennsylvania really have so many drivers ignorant of the potential costs associated with the illegal practice — in human ...