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Violence is the enemy.Seek togetherness, instead

For as much as our culture likes to hold itself as above political violence, people historically sure do a lot of it. The horrendous attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, as he campaigned in Butler, Pa. — nearly three hours to our west, just north of Pittsburgh — is another wretched entry to an equally wretched list. Political violence extends beyond presidents and candidates, of course – consider the shooting of Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise and the assault of Paul Pelosi, both among recent examples. In 2022, a man paused and called the police on himself ...

Report sheds light on Pennsylvania’s energy dilemma

What can Pennsylvania lawmakers do about a looming regional power shortage that they didn’t cause and can’t easily fix? This dilemma poses the most important energy issue facing the commonwealth. PJM Interconnection – which operates the regional electric grid serving 13 states and the District of Columbia – issued a report last year warning that, under current trends, there might not be enough electric generating capacity to keep the lights on by 2028-2030. The problem results from a combination of circumstances. First, demand for electricity is growing due to the ...

Never a question, community comes together when tragedy strikes

Tragedy seems to hit these pages far too often. There are benefit dinners, raffles, and rides scheduled almost every weekend to help those in need. The Juniata Valley community and its churches and civic organizations always seem to open their hearts — and their wallets — when a neighbor experiences dire straits. The circumstances have been horrific on occasion as a construction worker was electrocuted and is recovering, another father of five succumbed to cancer as the community steps up to support his family and even children have experienced traumatic health issues. And ...

Blair prison needs some serious ideas

It is instructive for officials of local-level governmental entities to watch what is happening in units of government around them. By doing that they can avoid others’ errors but also obtain valuable guidance on how to pursue their projects or other initiatives. They also can obtain valuable perspectives on how to justify what they are seeking to do and regarding the steps and strategies necessary to accomplish their objective or objectives. Apply that thinking to the situation involving the Blair County Prison, which has been on “life support” for decades as county leaders, ...

Red Cross announces emergency situation

Despite the drum beat of month-after-month pleas for blood donors to help the American Red Cross meet a desperate need, the organization’s supply has actually plummeted more than 25%. Consider what that means for those who rely on the Red Cross to supply blood and blood products that could save their lives. “The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces dangerous levels of heat and people head out for final summer travel plans,” the organization said Monday. “Since July 1, the Red Cross national blood supply has fallen by more than 25%, ...

Holidays crucial to our national healing process

Although much of the national attention is — and will continue to be — focused on developments related to the Nov. 5 presidential election, the world beyond the political front is far from being in slumber mode. For example, on the retail front, merchants are not sitting back, intent on waiting until after Halloween to make important decisions associated with the busy Christmas shopping season. Many merchants already are knee deep in planning for the products with which their shelves will be stocked in the weeks leading up to Dec. 25. Also, on their mind and capturing their ...