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Our opinion: Find middle ground on divorce

No one enters into a marriage looking forward to divorce, particularly marriages that involve children. But for many commonwealth residents, the 1950s ideal of a husband, wife, children and a dog living in a house with a white picket fence never materializes. Financial troubles, domestic violence and mental abuse too often enter the picture - and Pennsylvania makes it pretty difficult for couples to cut ties when the going goes from tough to impassable. We’d love to live in a world where divorce isn’t necessary. That is not, unfortunately, the world in which we live. State ...

Our opinion: Good and bad news on EMS

There’s good news and bad news on the topic of emergency medical services in Warren County. The good news? Membership in a multi-municipal emergency medical services commission continues to grow with the addition of Tidioute, Deerfield, Triumph, Limestone and Eldred as well as Howe. in Forest County. That’s outstanding growth. Having an EMS commission can create a vehicle to help deal with some of the issues facing the region’s first responders. Sometimes the first step is having all of the necessary players at the table to discuss solutions to issues - and the growth of ...

Our opinion: Development beyond big cities

A recent story by the Center Square highlighted Pennsylvania’s struggles to expand the commonwealth’s innovation economy beyond more than a few tech hubs located in the state’s biggest cities. A Brookings ranking found that, of 56 regions, Pittsburgh was 54th for its change in jobs since 2012 and 50th for its change in employment rate. The region’s share of jobs in advanced industry is still below the American average. Advanced industry jobs in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia lag behind the familiar hubs of Boston, North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, the Bay Area and ...

Editor’s corner: Turbine lake dispute keeps muddying waters

Debate over wind turbines being placed in the Great Lakes is constantly swirling. A feasibility study released in late 2022 by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority that did not support the placement of turbines in the Lakes Erie and Ontario was thought to be a dagger ...

Our opinion: Britain moves to eradicate smoking

It’s not just a United States thing; there are smokers around the world who wish they never had taken “that first puff” of a cigarette — for health or other reasons, including the cost of continuing what many call a habit. Regardless, smokers throughout this planet who have access to world news — and who pay attention to what is going on — are likely to be interested in following a story emanating from the halls of British government about an attempt to eventually ban smoking. However, three important questions hang over the U.K. effort to create what already is being ...

Our opinion: Willman adds an importance

For weeks leading up to last week’s primary elections, there was absolutely no drama for local voters. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump had sewn up their party’s nominations. State Rep. Kathy Rapp and state Sen. Scott Hutchinson had no challengers. All indications were that the primary would be a low turnout, low impact election. That changed when Erin Willman decided she would run a write-in campaign to challenge Rapp to represent Warren County in the state House of Representatives. There were 2,000 write-in votes during last week’s primary, with 495 ...