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PSU needs to be open about closings

Penn State leaders are proposing the shuttering of seven Commonwealth Campuses. The idea has been on the table since February. It would be brought up in May, it was suggested. But the May meeting of the board of trustees falls in a sweet spot between the annual Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium one weekend and spring semester graduation the next. It’s deliberate, putting trustees in town to participate in graduation events. In April, university President Neeli Bendapudi said the announcement would not be made then, pushing it back until later so as not to disrupt graduation. It ...

Having an American Pope is unique experience

On a Thursday afternoon, white smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City as Catholics and non-Catholics alike around the world watched with great interest to see who would be chosen as the successor to the late Pope Francis. As with many cultural events, experts came out of the woodwork. People who two weeks ago had never heard of a single Cardinal became experts on the internal politics of the Vatican. With intense media coverage of an ever-growing list of candidates, the task of finding a new Pope seemed less like a solemn religious ceremony and more like the lead up to ...

‘N’ in SNAP means nutrition

SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, is one of the nation’s largest welfare programs. And, like all welfare programs, it is massive, it has grown prodigiously over the years and it is inefficient. One glaring issue, which is gaining attention as a result of new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again campaign, is the kinds of foods that recipients of SNAP funds can purchase. And here we have convergence of bodily health and fiscal health. The “N” in SNAP stands for nutrition. The ...

Real cost of student loan forgiveness

Each spring, as tassels are turned and degrees are conferred, college graduates across the country celebrate the culmination of years of study, sacrifice and — inevitably for many — debt. Against this backdrop, the idea of student loan forgiveness is touted by many as a compassionate and progressive policy, a generous gift to the newest members of the workforce. But such a policy, while emotionally appealing, is fraught with economic, moral and social consequences that far outweigh its supposed benefits. Let us begin with a simple question: If student loan forgiveness is ...

May 20 primary demands your attention

Tuesday, May 20, 2025, arrives with a civic duty: the municipal primary election. Polls will open across Mifflin and Juniata counties, offering every registered voter a direct hand in shaping local governance. Local primary elections are where democracy begins. This is not a distant debate; these are choices about the people who will oversee our schools, ensure our safety, manage our finances, and make decisions impacting our daily lives. Participation in these local contests forms the foundation of how our communities function and evolve. In Mifflin County, voters from Armagh to ...

Energy development still needed

Jason Fink, president and CEO for the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, is right to sound the alarm. Fink detailed in his monthly column in Chamber Connection, provided with last Wednesday’s edition of the Sun-Gazette, the risks of an energy crisis in our state and region. “We are seeing greater demand and are getting to the point where the demand is going to outpace supply,” he wrote. “Our electric bills over the past several years have been a telling sign for this increased demand. Prices continue to go up, and no new plants are coming online to meet the ...