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The clock is ticking. It’s time to get REAL and get that ID

Gotten your REAL ID yet? No? Don’t worry, you are not alone. In fact, the majority of Pennsylvanians haven’t. According to the latest statistics released by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), only 26 percent of Pennsylvanians have applied for a REAL ID. That’s certainly more than a bit concerning, considering the May 7 deadline is approaching quickly. On Tuesday, PennDOT announced that it will hold special REAL ID Days across the Keystone State to help residents prepare for the deadline when federal enforcement begins. The REAL ID Act was passed by ...

Fire safety always important

Near the end of an April 2 front-page Mirror article about a fire that damaged an Altoona home, a paragraph noted “there has been a rash of fires in the city lately, including two fatal fires on successive days — March 18 and 19.” For city residents old enough to remember the redevelopment decades of the 1960s and 1970s, the spate of recent blazes might have resurrected memories of the structure fires here that were not uncommon during those earlier years when the city began embracing an expanded character that was not deeply embedded in the railroad industry. Blazes in the ...

What other papers are saying: Europe needs to change habits for defense

Europe finally appears serious about rearming. German legislators have agreed to exempt defense from constitutional limits on debt spending. The European Commission is urging members to raise military budgets to 3 percent of gross domestic product and issue joint debt to fund weapons purchases — moves that could unlock more than $867 billion in additional spending over four years. If European leaders are to build truly capable militaries that no longer depend on the U.S., however, they’ll need to change how they spend on defense, not just how much. To be effective, any new funds ...

Protecting Catholic churches from meddling

Does the pope keep a detailed time card? That’s a joke, but it’s also a legal argument relevant to a case at the Supreme Court. Under Wisconsin law, the Diocese of Superior is exempt from paying taxes into the state’s unemployment system. Yet the state says this opt out doesn’t cover the diocese’s Catholic Charities non-profit and its sub-entities. “Their activities are secular in nature,” the Wisconsin Supreme Court, newly controlled by a 4-3 liberal majority, held last year. They “neither attempt to imbue program participants with the Catholic faith nor supply any ...

Spay or neuter your pets

The season of new life has begun and with it the populations of stray and housed animals rises. Welcoming new cats and dogs to the world can be a beautiful thing, but introducing too many of these beloved pets can cause problems. According to the Juniata Veterinary Clinic website, “millions of unwanted cats and dogs are euthanized annually due to overpopulation issues.” The best option to curb this issue, according to many online resources, is to spay and neuter your household pets. According to the Juniata Veterinary Clinic, when your pet reaches six months of age, they are ...

Prison debate reminiscent of Route 22

In fall 1968, a meeting was held in Hollidaysburg dealing with the proposed construction of a new four lane, limited-access Route 22 eastward past Blair’s county seat community, past Williamsburg Borough and into Huntingdon County. The project made sense then and it still makes sense, both from the stand- point of travel efficiency and potential economic development. But Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation made a big — some people would still judge it stupid — decision to opt for a construction corridor that would have bisected the Hollidaysburg Area School District ...