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In a year of noise, Thanksgiving still speaks softly

Editorials

Thanksgiving has a way of slowing the world down, if only for a day. It’s the pause between what we’ve endured and what’s to come, a brief breath before the rush of the holidays and the churn of another year. It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of what’s wrong because there’s plenty to choose from. But the beauty of Thanksgiving lies in its quiet defiance of all that noise. It asks us to look up from the chaos, to notice what remains: the steady breath of life, the warmth of a kitchen, the faces that still gather around us. Gratitude isn’t denial. It doesn’t ignore ...

October’s top books at MCL

Local Columns

Let’s talk about the four most circulated books for October at the Mifflin County Library. This list is surprising. At the top of the list is an old favorite with a new twist. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved classic “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt. But our most circulated book is the graphic novel adaptation which shows Winnie Foster who learns about a hidden spring and who meets the Tuck family, who already know about the spring’s life-changing power. And remember, there is a bad guy who will stop at nothing until he finds the Tucks and uncovers ...

Airport’s success is gift to region

Editorials

Count the Altoona-Blair County Airport as an early holiday gift-giver to this region, as well as to potentially many more places far beyond. The gift it has provided — this month, well before the placing of traditional holiday gifts under Christmas trees — is the great news about increased passenger numbers already recorded plus predictions that those upbeat numbers will be topped in coming months and, hopefully, beyond. Besides the numbers themselves, though, part of the gift to people who fly into and out of the airport is added confidence that the local air service upon which ...

Compromise to end shutdown acknowledges importance of focus

Editorials

One complaint we have shared with readers about Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget process is that his proposals have been contingent on big, sweeping changes — legalization of marijuana among them — that we believe deserve nuanced, thorough debate on their own merits by our legislators. We were disheartened to see the Democratic caucus in the U.S. Senate approach the shutdown in a very similar way — and relieved Republicans and a handful of moderate Democrats are forging a path forward that excises the debate that might end in big, sweeping changes and thus required greater nuance and ...

Thousand Steps Trail provides weekend adventure

Local Columns

Editor’s Note: This is part two of an article published in the Nov. 18, 2025 edition of The Sentinel. I reached the summits above the 300th and 400th steps and stopped counting after that. As I got higher, the azure-blue sky began to wrap around the treetops, and I could see more hues of gold, amber, and burgundy. Juxtaposed against the peaks of the mountains they stood on, each tree appeared to be carefully and selectively painted there. Dark greens complemented cinnamon-colored leaves and fire-orange leaves adorned with bold yellow tips. The clouds appeared milky-white, ...

To fill a tag, do not ruin the rut

Local Columns

As the last week of archery season ends, hunters find themselves in the peak of the rut. It’s like the stars have aligned and provided the best for last. But this does not mean that bagging your buck is a guarantee. There are still plenty of ways you can screw it up. The first mistake hunters make is thinking that the rut means anything goes. Can you get away with a little bit more noise walking in? Maybe hunting a less than perfect wind? Maybe, if the doe activity is so hot around you that bumped bucks will come back anyway. But this doesn’t mean that you can throw caution to the ...