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Our opinion: Partaking in Parton’s legacy

Saturday brings an opportunity for parents and children to immerse themselves in a story - and to help hundreds of Warren County children do so throughout the year. We’re talking, of course, about the Jefferson Defrees Family Center’s annual storybook breakfast at 9 a.m. Saturday at the center, 207 Second Ave., Warren. There are a lot of literacy initiatives in Warren County. Ruby Wiles, founder and director of Allegheny Creations and Free Books for Kids Town, a non-profit whose mission is children’s literacy and education, hosts several events throughout the year, all with ...

Other voices: Homeless boom appears in the blue states

In case you missed the pre-holiday news dump, the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that homelessness this year hit a record. Add this to President Biden’s regrettable legacies, though it’s notable that progressive states accounted for most of the increase. HUD’s annual point-in-time survey found that the number of homeless increased 18% this year and 36% since 2019. Local governments and nonprofits in January counted some 771,480 living in public spaces, shelters or other temporary government-funded housing. Yet the report essentially absolves federal policies ...

Our Opinion: Decision about weight loss drugs not easy

Americans elect their leaders on the premise that those individuals will be capable of making the right decisions on difficult, as well as easy, issues. An issue on which members of Congress might have to render a decision, possibly in the early weeks of the new legislative session, is the kind of topic that could generate opposition and trigger anger, no matter how the decision making shakes out. The issue is whether Medicare and Medicaid should pay for popular anti-obesity drugs for many more Americans than those already eligible for that benefit. The Biden administration ...

Our opinion: Showing off strength of Pa. farms

Anticipation builds across Pennsylvania as Harrisburg prepares to host the 2025 PA Farm Show through Saturday. The event transforms the city into a vibrant hub of agricultural innovation and community pride, showcasing the strength and depth of Pennsylvania’s agricultural sector. The PA Farm Show, the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the nation, presents a diverse array of exhibits and activities. Attendees will experience everything from livestock competitions to cooking demonstrations, each offering a glimpse into the dedication of local farmers and ...

Our opinion: Finding savings for energy costs

We can’t criticize Gov. Josh Shapiro for filing a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission against PJM Interconnection. Pennsylvania residents can’t afford the possibility of $20 billion more in electricity costs if PJM Interconnection’s capacity auction ends up imposing new costs on consumers. Shapiro argues that PJM is not currently allowing new power plants to request connection to its grid, which means its capacity auctions are leading to record-high costs without safeguarding reliability of the power grid. Over the last several years, demand for energy has ...

Our opinion: Carter led throughout his life

President Jimmy Carter was an honorable man whose second act in life — after one term in the White House — has served as an example for us all for more than 40 years. It remains to be seen if some of his followers as POTUS will live up to Carter’s post-political career and life. Can you imagine George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump or Joe Biden teaching Sunday school or rolling up their sleeves to build homes for Habitat for Humanity? Neither can we. But Carter did just that after Ronald Reagan’s decisive victory in 1980 made the Plains, Georgia, native a one-term ...