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Rubber dams offer a lesson for others

Editorials

The Altoona Water Authority has learned too late that it must be extra-vigilant regarding the inflatable rubber dams employed to increase water capacity at Lake Altoona and the Impounding Dam near Horseshoe Curve. Apparently, the authority, about seven years ago, put too much faith in the quality claims put forth regarding rubber dams made in China that ended up being installed locally. These current rubber dams are “clearly inferior,” said authority general manager Mark Perry. That’s indicative of the possibility that seven years ago not enough attention was given to quality ...

Readers' opinions

Letters to the Editor

Democrats plotting the fall of the US To the Editor: As most have heard all great nations fall from within, and I believe the Democrats are playing the long game to do just that. In my opinion, they are raising an army of our youth to bring down our nation. Did you, as I, wonder how “dorm storming” looking for jews on campuses across the USA started or who started pro-HAMAS/Palestinian anti-jew demonstrations on campus or why high school children and others were allowed to leave the classroom on a school day to demonstrate against ICE, the Trump administration? Fox News Feb. 10, ...

State should fund predator program

Editorials

Last year we supported District Attorney Cody Brown’s WRATH unit. The group is a specialized investigative unit of local law enforcement officers committed to protecting children from online exploitation. The unit, as envisioned by Brown, works to identify and capture those who prey on children through digital means. Its mission is to expose and prosecute those who seek to exploit minors online. We have seen too many instances locally of children locally who have victims of online child sex predators, which is why we so vocally backed Brown’s initiative. But we recognize such units ...

Harris wrong about packing Supreme Court

Editorials

The rule of law for thee, but not me? To “fight fire with fire,” former vice president Kamala Harris is calling on Democrats to consider packing the Supreme Court with liberals and punishing conservative justices for lying during their confirmation hearings. “This is a moment where there are no bad ideas,” she said on a podcast this week. In any moment, these bad ideas would endanger the constitutional order. No matter how much someone disagrees with recent decisions by the high court, threatening to subordinate judicial independence to the whims of a political party befits a ...

Juniata County Dairy Promotion pointers

Local Columns

This is Dairy Princess Kera Bentz writing my last newspaper article as the 2025-2026 Juniata County Dairy Princess. My year was full of amazing memories. Each promotion I participated in this past year has a special place in my heart. My year started with lots of ice cream serving and ...

Sowing and reaping: God’s way of blessing

Local Columns

When most people hear the phrase “sowing and reaping,” they often think first about money. It is true that the Bible teaches principles of giving, generosity, and financial blessing. But sowing and reaping reaches much farther than money. It touches every area of life. The apostle John wrote, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2). That is not just one man wishing another man well. That is the Word of God showing us the heart of God. God wants good things for His people. He is not the author of ...