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Penn College’s success stories are a blessing

We are happy that students at the Pennsylvania College of Technology found their skills are in high demand for prospective careers at a recent career fair. “The strong turnout at the Career Fair reflects both the strength of our employer partnerships and the value of an applied technology education at Penn College,” Shelley L. Moore, senior director for the college’s Center for Career Design, said, according to last Thursday’s edition of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Both students and employers praised the event, citing the energy and enthusiasm prevalent amidst the ...

Saving tortoises doesn’t mean just moving them

A rescued gopher tortoise arrived at the Nokuse Nature Preserve in Florida’s Panhandle while my sister Erica and I were there. It didn’t know how lucky it was. Across Florida, builders are required to obtain permits from the state to capture and relocate gopher tortoises found on development sites. It’s a system meant to save them — but does it? Without federal protection for the species across its range, conservationists might be only moving the problem, not solving it. Gopher tortoises’ only federal protections exist in small parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and western ...

Miyares’ race for Virginia AG just got more compelling

The one thing that has been consistent in covering Virginia’s off-year statewide elections since as far back as the year Republicans George Allen and Jim Gilmore ran for governor and attorney general, respectively, in 1993 is that the races really don’t start moving until September. And when they do, they move fast. Allen began that summer trailing badly in his race against Democrat Mary Sue Terry. Early polling showed her earning 56 percent support of Virginia’s voters to Allen’s 27 percent. By September of that year, Allen had cut Terry’s lead from 18 percentage points ...

Early detection saves lives

Every October, pink ribbons bloom on lapels, storefronts, and light poles across the country. But in Mifflin and Juniata counties, Breast Cancer Awareness Month should be more than a symbol; it should be a reminder to act. Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting women. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 316,000 women nationwide will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, and about 43,000 will die from the disease. Early detection continues to be the single greatest factor in survival. That message is just as critical here at home. ...

People endangered by ransomware

Internet experts call it ransomware, a very particular type of virus that infects computers and restricts users’ access to their files or threatens the permanent destruction of their information unless a ransom — anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars — is paid. The virus typically announces themselves by popping a message up on screen — supposedly from the FBI or another federal agency — saying that because you violated federal law your computer will remain locked until you pay a fine; or, you get a pop-up message telling you your personal files have been encrypted ...

Right-sizing: The Sentinel returns to downtown

The Sentinel has a new home, and it’s returning to downtown Lewistown. On Monday, Oct. 6, The Sentinel officially opened its downtown office at 21 South Brown Street, moving from the larger building it occupied for more than half a century on Sixth Street in Highland Park. The change isn’t a matter of real estate. It’s a statement of purpose — a decision to right-size, refocus, and rejoin the daily life of the downtown. For decades, the Highland Park building suited the demands of another era, a time when presses rumbled and most of the staff worked under one roof. That ...