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Last gasps of energy ignorance proves frustrating

In last Tuesday’s editorial in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, we noted that the results of the 2024 could easily be understood as a referendum on Democrats’ disregard for Americans’ fears for their financial security, due in large part to inflation and the Biden administration’s unaffordable energy policies. Unfortunately, the Biden administration appears to be reacting to the presidential election by doubling down on damaging policies instead: According to the international news service Bloomberg, the White House is rushing a study on the impact of liquified natural gas, ...

Winter arrives with increasing heating bills

Winter arrives in Mifflin and Juniata counties, bringing freezing temperatures and increasing energy bills. Many residents will struggle to heat their homes, but help exists through two established programs: LIHEAP and the MJ Energy Bank. The numbers paint a clear picture - energy costs continue to rise while fixed incomes remain static. Senior citizens on limited budgets face impossible choices between heat, food, and medicine. Working families stretch paychecks to cover basic needs. No one should freeze in their home when assistance programs stand ready to help. LIHEAP opened ...

What other newspapers are saying: Breast cancer MRIs are smart, cost-effective

Sometimes, people want things from the government that sound great but just aren’t cost effective. It would be fantastic if utilities came without a bill, for instance. Long hot showers without worrying about paying for either the water or the heat? Who wouldn’t like that? But services come with a cost, and someone has to pick up the tab. More familiar are the government regulations that require we take smart steps that cost money. Want to drive a car? Prove you have insurance. In 2023, Pennsylvania took the rarest of legislative actions. It made a good move that came with a ...

Rumor is just that, a rumor

Do you remember playing the game in grade school where someone in the room whispers something to the next person and each person whispers to the person beside them until the last person tells what they heard? What the last person heard is never what the first person said. That is true of a recent rumor that is floating around the Juniata Valley. The rumor states that the Sentinel will be closing this year…different people have heard different dates. However, the rumor is COMPLETELY FALSE. THE SENTINEL IS NOT CLOSING. PERIOD. So, if you hear this rumor, please set the record straight.

Daylight savings time begins again

It’s that time again. Leaves have begun falling. The calendar flips to November. And, beginning Sunday, the 9-to-5-ers of the world will begin to see it getting dark outside before their commute home. That’s right, it’s time to turn your clocks back one hour. While the temperature may not feel like autumn yet, we will soon begin preparing for family meals, toy drives, and holiday parties. And on Sunday, we have the unique opportunity to enjoy one extra guilt-free hour of sleep. While this may seem like a dream to some (no pun intended), health experts have argued that ...

Address youth mental health issues before crisis

As an emergency physician, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of untreated mental health conditions. For far too many young people, the first time they access mental health care is in a moment of crisis — often in the ER, when their symptoms have already escalated beyond what community care could have addressed. Waiting for crises is simply not the way to approach mental health. We wouldn’t wait until a child is severely physically ill to treat an illness, so why are we doing this with mental health? As we marked World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, we must take a serious ...