Breaking News

Opinion

Local media binds our community

Editorials

One day last month, newspaper stories shined a light on the troubles, triumphs and transformations happening in communities across Pennsylvania. In Erie, readers followed fundraising efforts to save an injured dog named Dopey. In Harrisburg, people gathered at a vigil for a teenager whose life was cut short. Philadelphia buzzed after a hard-fought Eagles win and as the Phillies closed in on the National League East title. In Sharon, a father confronted the sentencing of the per- son who killed his son. And in Greater Hazleton, plans emerged for the region’s largest data ...

Children have right of way — not motorists

Editorials

Right-thinking people of Pennsylvania have to be wondering whether the study associated with obtaining a driver’s license in this state has begun being regarded as something that doesn’t really matter — that the information presented is part of a lame exercise worthy of being forgotten quickly. Does Pennsylvania really have so many drivers who don’t know what blinking red lights on a school bus mean? Then there’s the obvious follow-up question: Does Pennsylvania really have so many drivers ignorant of the potential costs associated with the illegal practice — in human ...

Getting rid of the grave clothes

Local Columns

When I read this passage I could not help but think of the account of our Lord raising Lazarus from the dead. You remember that Lazarus was four days dead when Jesus approached his tomb. Jesus came and demanded that the tomb be opened, spoke one word and Lazarus rose and walked out. When he came out he still had on his grave clothes and our Lord said, “Loose him and let him go”. Many Christians are like that today. They have been lifted out of the darkness of being separated from God, they have been redeemed, and yet they still walk around in their grave clothes. Our Lord would say ...

Early church growth a spontaneous reaction to the work of God

Local Columns

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine – Acts 2:42 In our recent study, we have been considering the growth of the early New Testament church. As we read about the spiritual and numerical growth of the early church in the book of Acts and other places, there should be many things that we can apply in our churches today. We will begin with some simple observations and then move on to deeper theology which should be taught in our churches today. We know from the reading of Scripture that the sacrificial work of Christ was the foundation of the early church. ...

Vape shop regulations need to be tightened

Editorials

Do we need a vape shop on every street corner? They seem to be popping up with the almost magical overnight frequency of mushrooms or Starbucks locations. If a closed business is too small to host a Spirit Halloween, the space has a good chance of becoming a vape shop in short order. But are those always the best spots? While some businesses can be barred from certain locations by zoning, the relatively new vape shop category might slip between regulations that aren’t quite as up-to-date. There’s a question of whether that would need to be updated. Cigarettes, the predecessor ...

Violence itself is never well aimed

Editorials

Given the amount of attention focused on gun violence, it is worth noting violence itself is not so well aimed. A gun can be expertly targeted. A good hunter, for instance, wants to be as accurate as possible. He doesn’t just point toward the woods and have faith he will hit a deer; he wants to hit a specific deer. This isn’t fishing where you drop a line and hope for the best. But violence — yes, even gun violence — is not a sharpshooter’s rifle. Violence is a bomb that explodes in every direction at one time. It may hit its intended target, but the shockwaves and ...