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Celebrate local achievements, push forward

As winter settles across the Juniata Valley, Lewistown residents rise to meet community needs through grassroots initiatives and established traditions of service. These efforts illuminate both our streets and spirits. The newly formed Deck the Downtown group mobilized dozens of volunteers to wrap trees and storefronts in twinkling lights along Market Street in Lewistown. What started as a small idea sparked by local business owners grew into a movement, with residents climbing ladders and untangling strands of lights on crisp weekend mornings. The result transforms our historic ...

Fate of monarch butterflies depends on us

A story that ran in yesterday’s Express provided an update on the plight of the monarch butterfly — a particularly beloved and notable species for many, many people. Two key takeaways from that story: eastern monarchs face a 57 to 74 percent chance of extinction by 2080, and eastern monarchs have seen a 59 percent decrease in their occupied overwintering space from the previous year, which is now down to just 2.2 acres. Some readers have houses that sit on more acreage than that. Imagine the entire overwintering population of eastern monarchs fitting in your ...

Hunting an important economic engine

Deer season is underway in Pennsylvania — and we hope all hunters find success in our forests and fields. The economic impact of hunting for our state cannot be overstated. According to WJAC-TV in Johnstown, economic reports show deer hunters spend about $980 million in our state each year. That money helps businesses both large and small — sporting goods stores, gun shops, restaurants and motels and other lodging — continue to create jobs. In a typical year, the state’s revenues from hunting licenses exceeds $150 million according to the state Game Commission’s website, ...

Dealing with those family members who try your patience

As we maneuver through the day-to-day preparations of the holiday season, many of us must prepare for that endurance test of being around that one relative or in-law who redefines the concept of disagreeable. Now, don’t get me wrong-this is not about politics (for a change). It’s about holidays with a schmuck, that family member who is less a kindhearted human and more an incredible test of your patience, self-restraint, composure, and tolerance. You know that one-a real pain in the butt. We like to think of our families as loving, caring, sensitive people who bring joy to ...

New laws improve Pa. health care

When anyone is sick, hurt or needs help, we want to be sure high-quality, affordable health care is accessible to everyone. My Senate Republican colleagues and I have been hard at work the past two years advancing and implementing commonsense health care policies that do that, benefitting all Pennsylvanians. No one wants to experience a health emergency, but when it happens, you want to know an ambulance is on its way with trained emergency medical services personnel on board. That’s why we approved a new law to increase reimbursement rates for EMS organizations, delivering ...

Court right to protect 2nd Amendment from municipal governments

We welcome the decision by the state Supreme Court to uphold a ruling that municipalities cannot pass tougher or more restrictive limitations on Pennsylvanians’ Second Amendment rights than state law. The efforts by some communities to sidestep the wisdom of our state Legislature on these matters has carried grave risks to the rights of law-abiding gun owners — that they could see their state devolve into a patchwork of conflicting ordinances and laws about one of their God-given rights, enshrined in our Bill of Rights. That confusion would have been an unacceptable burden for ...