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Sunshine Week shines light on need for transparency

Now, more than ever, you need to know. You not only need to know about the chaos in Washington, but you need to know what’s happening in your own backyard in state, county, and local governments closer to home, too. That’s why this year’s Sunshine Week, recognized as March 16-22, is so important. It reminds us of the need to ensure full transparency in government at all levels. We need a strong news media to pull back the curtains and shine a spotlight on every nook and cranny in government, from the Oval Office to the local school board. Records of older adults who die as ...

Can Trump win a trade war?

President Donald Trump knows better than to treat the “honeymoon” a president gets in his first months of office as a time to relax. He’s fighting as hard now as he did at the height of last year’s campaign. He’s even started what critics call a trade war. Every week, the White House astonishes liberals — and often conservatives, too — with dramatic actions on every front from immigration to Ukraine. Much of the media is in a daze. Democrats are dizzied and disoriented. The president knows how to keep his enemies, and more than a few friends, off-balance. But ...

Americans getting worse at grieving

In her “Turning Points” column in the Feb. 19 edition of the Wall Street Journal, Clare Ansberry attempted to answer the question of why Americans are “getting worse at grieving.” For many residents of Blair County, it is a topic that seems beyond settling on a widely verifiable conclusion. However, the points made by Ansberry in her column provide generous food for thought and, beyond that, food for discussion and lively debate. On that issue, “picking each other’s brains” has the potential to foster interesting outcomes, but it need not sour relationships, if the ...

Coal energy is a stepping stone to a brighter future

During the winter meeting of the National Governors Association, Gov. Patrick Morrisey showed his continued willingness to stand up for a “future for coal.” He spoke to Fox News Digital, saying he is “very hopeful” on coal partly because of what he believes is an impending information technology arms race with China. “And we have to catch up to what they’re doing in terms of the Chinese use of coal and many, many different types of fuel sources, because we can’t let them get ahead of us as they’re building capacity in AI, superintelligence, robotics and advanced ...

A U.S. President and five Ukrainian fables

Fable one: Trump is appeasing Russia? Who wiped out the Wagner group in Syria? Who sold offensive weapons to Ukraine first? Who warned Germany not to become dependent on the Russian Nord Stream II deal? Who withdrew from an unfair missile deal with the Russians? Who cajoled and berated NATO members to meet their military investment promises made following the 2014 invasion of Ukraine? In contrast, who originally conceived a Russian “reset” in 2009? Who publicly virtue-signaled pushing the red “reset” button in Geneva with the current Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov? Which ...

Carter Smith races, raises legacy of community

Mifflin County High School’s Carter Smith races toward a legacy few athletes achieve. The junior has a growing collection of state titles. He won the 2024 Class AAA cross country championship and back-to-back 800-meter indoor track crowns in 2024 and on Sunday. What separates Smith remains his versatility. Distance runners typically excel at either short bursts of speed or sustained endurance efforts. Smith demonstrates mastery of both. His state championship in cross country required tactical awareness and stamina across a demanding 5K course. His 800-meter wins show explosive power ...