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Local Columns

Only God is most trustworthy, not man To the Editor: We enter this world at the time appointed by God for our birth. We enter life knowing nothing. We have to learn everything: how to eat, how to talk, how to walk, etc. We learn from those God has placed in our lives to teach us. Our primary learning comes from our parents, and we learn other things from others we have contact with. One very important thing we needed to learn is to trust and who we could put our trust in. Not all of those who become involved in our learning of knowledge teach us what is true and right. So we had ...

The craziest lure: The Coike baits

Local Columns

Match the hatch. Almost any expert will tell you the key to catching more fish is to offer a bait or lure that matches what they are naturally eating. It makes sense, after all, that a hungry fish is more likely to be enticed by something that they are already searching for. But one of the most popular lures to hit the market is ignoring all the rules. The Coike baits, also known as an urchin or dice bait, do not look like anything bass eat or even see in freshwater. Yet they are catching fish and reeling in a lot of anglers. So, what is the Coike bait? Basically, it is a plastic ...

America does not succeed by accident

Local Columns

Consider this my belated birthday celebration announcement — much like the card that arrives a few days late from your great aunt with a handwritten note explaining, “I’m sorry I missed the day, but I was thinking of you.” In my case, the delay wasn’t because I forgot; it was because I represented the U.S. Small Business Administration through a series of regional outreach events focused on promoting administration programs and services. During this time, I spoke at a regional planning luncheon in West Virginia, met with local lenders and partners, launched a Matchmaker Prep ...

NS merger must be watched

Editorials

The fate of the proposed merger under which Norfolk Southern Railroad would be acquired by Union Pacific Railroad, creating America’s first transcontinental rail freight carrier, is beginning to undergo scrutiny by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board under what is being touted as a tough new standard. Therefore, the review, now just beginning, will not only decide whether the proposed merger would be in customers’ best interests; it also will deliver a verdict on the correctness and effectiveness of the new standard itself. For communities like Altoona that have a stake in ...

Cellphone use ban reflects reality, disruptiveness

Editorials

It’s more apparent every year that when children are in school, they should not be using their cellphones. We have all been entranced by the lure of the technological marvels we carry with us every hour of the day. But we have also begun to realize how distracting and disruptive they can be, for adults and students in school. Frederick County Public Schools is implementing a policy to completely ban cellphone use during the school for the upcoming school year. The district will be ahead of the deadline to comply with the Maryland General Assembly’s recently passed Phone-Free ...

Progress should not come at the expense of Mifflin County’s future

Local Columns

Few decisions shape a community more than how it chooses to use its land. The proposed hyperscale data center in Granville Township is one of the most significant economic development proposals ever considered in Mifflin County. It promises billions of dollars in investment and has generated excitement among those who see it as an opportunity to place our county at the forefront of America’s growing technology economy. I understand that enthusiasm. The United States is in a global race to develop artificial intelligence and advanced computing technologies. Data centers are ...