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School is back in session — slow down and pay attention

School buses are back on the roads across part of the Juniata River Valley, and come Monday, there will be even more of them. Students in the Juniata County School District returned to class Wednesday. Mifflin County students head back Monday, Aug. 31. That means summer driving habits need to change. School buses will once again be stopping along rural roads, borough streets and busy highways. Parents will be dropping off children. Students will be waiting along roadsides. Teenage drivers will be heading to school. For the rest of us, it means leaving a few minutes earlier and ...

Growth begins where our comfort zone ends

My son was furious when I picked him up from day camp, slamming the door when he got in the car. He had been downgraded from a "yellow" swimmer to a "red" swimmer. He hadn't forgotten how to swim. The YMCA had simply changed its policy. My son loves to swim. He likes donning goggles and swimming underwater, not to mention perfecting his handstand. But the YMCA had changed its safety rules, and rightfully so. The shallow end reaches 5 feet deep, and campers now have to be at least 5 feet tall to swim there without a life jacket unless they pass the swim test. My son is 4 feet, 10 ...

The US talked itself into failure

There are a couple of stories that seem unrelated but are very related. They show the story of a country that used to build things and has decided, without ever quite admitting it, that building is too hard. Start with the missiles. Rep. Mike Turner was on television last week talking about letting Ukraine license our Patriot technology and build the missiles themselves, because the threat is spreading and our defenses must spread with it. He is right. Think how strange that is. The most powerful country in history is handing another nation the recipe for our best defensive weapon ...

First responders deserve our thanks

People were trapped inside a burning building on Valley Street. Some residents were trying to escape through windows. Others needed help to get out as heavy fire spread through the building late at night. Firefighters arrived knowing people could still be inside. They entered the building while flames moved through the structure and smoke filled the rooms. Other crews worked from outside and above the fire, opening the roof to reach flames hidden in concealed spaces. Commanders called a second alarm. More ambulances were requested. Fire companies from Mifflin, Juniata, and ...

Six-year-old offers lesson on citizenship

Vanessa Zelczak-Waryas probably doesn’t see herself as the future of community leadership. After all, she is just 6 years old. She’s not even in first grade yet. How can you make a difference when you still have a bedtime? But in Ligonier, Vanessa is not just learning a lesson. She’s giving one. The master plan for development of the historic Ligonier Beach recreation area will invest more than $15 million into everything from grading and drainage to parking and trails. It’s a six-phase project that prioritizes different aspects and aims to give new life to a 100-year-old ...

Remember family safety as world burns

We’ve seen the news around the world throughout the summer. Wildfires in Washington state, Canada, North Africa, Spain and France, among other places. While much of our region’s summer has had enough rainfall to keep our risks lower, Pennsylvania will have dry days ahead, at some point, for certain. The American Red Cross advises families to be aware and be prepared — for any natural disaster. If evacuation orders are given, being able to respond quickly can improve the odds of keeping your family safe. The organization’s website advises families to keep a “go-kit” — ...