Is affordability really a crisis?

March 22, 2026

At some point, the headlines turned “affordability” from a concern into a “crisis.” But what does affordability mean? For most of us, that depends on what we consider our minimum requirements for happiness. If you look at TikTok, life in New York City is a fairy tale of chic bars, eggs topped with caviar and everyone looking conspicuously stylish. For much of Gen Z, TikTok is what they know of the expensive cities they and plenty of others dream of frolicking in. The music. The sunsets. The screenshot bait. They set their hearts on the pricey neighborhoods paraded across the ...

Free nations must have capacity to defend freedom

March 21, 2026

We agree with several points our U.S. Senator, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, made in a recent column. After observing the historical importance of the U.S. relationship with our European allies, McCormick wrote that the bond of NATO remains, “but, Secretary Rubio warned, it has grown weaker as our allies have pursued policies of managed decline. They have crippled their productive capacity with so-called ‘green energy’ policies, allowed deindustrialization to neuter their defense capabilities and neglected the very fabric of their own societies through mass, uncontrolled ...

Hunger takes a bite out of college

March 20, 2026

There are things you think about a college student needing to pay for at school. The obvious cost is the tuition. The average cost of two semesters at a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education school — the most affordable four-year institutions in the state — comes in at just under $8,000 per year. And yet that is not the actual price tag. It’s not even half. Various fees come in at about $4,000. Housing? You’re looking at another $7,000. Books tip the scales at more than $1,200. That’s $20,000 for just one year — and that’s without taking a bite. A meal plan at ...

Slain trooper was protecting community

March 18, 2026

The death of a Pennsylvania state trooper during a traffic stop on March 8 underscores how the lives of law enforcement officers are at risk even while performing some of their most basic duties. Cpl. Tim O’Connor was killed while approaching a car he had stopped after authorities were alerted about what was described as an “erratic driver.” O’Connor was shot to death while he was walking toward the car; it is believed that the driver fired from inside the vehicle. After firing the shot, the shooter, identified as Jesse Nathan Elks, 32, exited the car, walked a short distance ...

Transparency vital to accountability

March 17, 2026

The coming week is Pennsylvania Sunshine Week. While we are sure that the families throughout our region our excited about the warmth and sunshine of the season, “sunshine week” refers to something else. The old adage that sunlight is the best disinfectant and the principles that for our governments — local, county, state and federal — to be truly accountable to voters, government must operate with the utmost transparency. Pennsylvania’s “sunshine laws” govern how public bodies can conduct business — how information about their decisions and when they make them must ...

Angler’s delight! Preseason trout chances at hand

March 16, 2026

With such significant relief from the months of unrelenting sub-freezing days this winter has served up, it felt so joyful to dare to think about dusting off some tackle and doing a little early-season trout fishing. And many fellow anglers I talked to last week were also thinking the same way. Of course, all stocked trout waters throughout the state are currently closed to all fishing until the opening day of trout season at 8 a.m. on April 4. But there are some notable exceptions for anglers desiring to do a little preseason trout fishing this month. We are fortunate to have a ...