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Opinion

Our opinion: Bill undermines accountability

Our Opinion

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

Our Opinion

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

Our Opinion

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

Opinion

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, ...

Readers Speak

Letters To Editor

Fighting words Dear Editor, The 250th United States Army anniversary parade in Washington, D.C., is history. President Donald J. Trump, a convicted felon, should have excused himself from attending except for the fact that it was important for him to celebrate his birthday in front of the troops. He supposedly avoided the military draft because of a questionable foot spur ailment, yet it did not curtail his years of golfing. Most important, however, are several facts. He stated about the late Sen. John McCain that “he’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was ...

View from Hickory Heights: A way to beat heat

Local Commentaries

Years ago, I learned how to do Swedish weaving from my grandmother and grandfather. We called it huck towel weaving. I had no idea it was an old Swedish craft. I am not sure how my grandmother got involved doing it, but she did. On a day that my grandfather did not have to work we went to Forestville to a small store that sold huck material. They had it in all colors at the time. I remember making towels of red and green with a Christmas theme. I still use them for Christmas – more than fifty years later! I also had some light green, some yellow, and white. I also made some ...