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Our Opinion

Our opinion: Bill undermines accountability

We are concerned legislation sponsored by state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Fayetteville, erodes our state’s commitment to transparency and accountability. “Resurrected from stalled legislative efforts in previous sessions, the bill would allow public notices to go on municipal, school district and county websites” as an alternative to newspapers, an email from the Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association warns its members. We agree with our industry’s trade association that allowing government bodies to police their own transparency lacks the independent oversight necessary for ...

Our opinion: Need new plan for orphaned wells

Pennsylvania is losing ground in its efforts to cap abandoned oil and gas wells. According to a recent state legislative hearing, the state has seen 1,154 more oil and gas wells abandoned since 2020 while, over the past two and a half years, plugging only 308 abandoned wells. This comes after the state received $76 million from the federal government to speed up the process of capping abandoned wells. The 1,154 abandoned in that time represent just a fraction of the total unplugged wells across the state. Reports from the Department of Environmental Protection estimate there are up ...

Our opinion: Thumbs up to Ukraine backers

How many of us are thinking regularly about the roughly three-year-old conflict in the Ukraine. It may not be that high on the list given the state of things inside the United States. DOGE, the Big Beautiful Bill, federal spending cuts, the mess in Iran and Israel, increasing levels of mental illness and homelessness, energy independence, immigration, tariffs and higher costs for just about everything we buy all compete with Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine for our attention. That’s why it’s worth singling out the commitment to a group of local residents who are not only ...

Editor’s corner: Neighboring counties in dark on pump prices

Right as the summer travel season kicked into full gear, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel indicated he is heated over prices at the pump. Last week in a letter, he called on state and federal authorities to investigate the gasoline costs being paid by motorists here at home. “Families, ...

Our opinion: E-bikes require state, local action

It’s expensive to operate a motor vehicle these days. That’s one reason we are seeing an increasing number of e-bikes and e-scooters on our streets. Personal mobility devices aren’t a bad thing. It’s good that there are lower-cost options for people to get themselves from place to place than cars or trucks. And if e-bikes or e-scooters are used properly there is no reason why cars, trucks, pedestrians and personal mobility devices can’t share the road safely. The problem is proper, safe use. Warren City Council members are expected to discuss the issue again during ...

Our opinion: County transparent on Kibbey case

Shortly after Kibbey’s resignation was made public, we asked those involved to be transparent as the investigation continued and as the fallout from the incident became evident. It would have been easy for Warren County officials to simply paper over the Kibbey affair and proceed as if the whole sordid affair had never happened. To their credit, they haven’t done that. Court officials released the charging documents that included statements from the state Attorney General’s Office investigator as soon as the charges were filed. There was zero delay releasing that information ...