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Our opinion: Willman keeping Rapp accountable

The race for the 65th House district pits longtime incumbent Rep. Kathy Rapp against Erin Willman, a local business owner and advocate for the blind. Currently the Republican chair of the House Health Committee, Rapp will be seeking her 11th two-year term representing the 65th District, which includes all of Warren and Forest counties as well as part of Crawford County. Rapp was an outsized presence in the state House of Representatives on health care matters before the Democrats took control of the chamber after last year’s election. Democrat control of the chamber reduced ...

Our opinion: Pennsylvania is in the thick of it

Ever since the 2020 election, there has been an added scrutiny to how elections are handled and carried out. Pennsylvania state officials understand the concerns, which led to a high-ranking state official making the rounds. Last week, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt completed visits to all 67 county elections offices in Pennsylvania, including Warren County, concluding his final county visit in Philadelphia – where he oversaw elections for 10 years as a city commissioner and member of the bipartisan board of elections. Schmidt joined Philadelphia City Commissioners ...

Our opinion: Scrutinize administrator numbers

One of the common refrains we’ve heard over the past few years from the public when it comes to school closures in Warren County is what the public views as a bloated Warren County School District administration. We would point out, first, that the matter is actually separate from the rationale behind school closures. Reducing administrators doesn’t free up enough cash to pay for the education our students deserve. Fewer cars in the administration building parking lot each day doesn’t change the teacher shortage that the district finds itself facing nor would it mean the ...

Our opinion: Enforce parking rule on Second Ave.

A new no-parking area on Second Avenue wasn’t the most important thing on Monday’s City Council agenda. Damage to people’s yards isn’t the biggest issue facing the city of Warren. Most city residents won’t see a difference. But for residents of Second Avenue, the City Council’s decision this week to prohibit parking in a 20-foot zone west of the Kinzua Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center’s driveway entrance is incredibly important. Delivery trucks have had trouble getting in and out of the loading area because of cars parked too close to the driveway. Trucks then end ...

Our opinion: Autumn brings share of warnings

October is here, and that means it’s time for drivers to be alert. This month, along with November and December, are the peak months for motorists to collide with animals, particularly deer. And of all 50 states, Pennsylvania has the highest number of claims filed annually for animal collisions, according to a just-released report from State Farm Insurance. All in all, you have 1-in-61 odds of hitting an animal when you are traveling on the roads of Pennsylvania, according to the report. It’s better than the 1-in-40 odds you have in West Virginia, but a far cry from the 1-in-11 ...

Our opinion: Worx must push consultant

Draft branding should be presented to Warren Worx stakeholders at their November meeting — and we’re glad to see that some stakeholders are providing firm direction to consultants rather than blindly accepting the first round of work. Let’s face it, we’re putting a lot of eggs in the Warren Worx basket. It’s up to us to be pushing the consultants we’re using to ensure the product we receive is as strong as it can be. So it’s encouraging to hear Shawn Walker, a member of the Warren Worx executive committee, said the committee has asked Truth Collective to rework a couple ...