Breaking News

Opinion

Gender gap grows wider and wider

Editorials

The gender gap, we’re informed by some of the best polling analysts in the business, is bigger than ever. Ever, in this case, means since the election of 1980, when men were more willing than women to vote for Ronald Reagan and oust Jimmy Carter. That spurred political journalists to emit multiple articles examining just exactly what was on women’s minds and probing their different and presumably superior opinions. The assumption was that the gender gap was costing Republicans votes. Being of a contrary disposition, in October 1982, I wrote an opinion article titled (paraphrasing ...

Medicaid reform in the ‘Beautiful Bill’

Editorials

President Donald Trump recently signed H.R.1, aka the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” into law. The basis of the bill is an extension of the 2017 tax relief. Also included in the new law is the first substantial reform to the Medicaid health insurance entitlement. Despite claims that “the sky is falling,” the Medicaid reforms are actually a start at guaranteeing that the program will survive into the future and be available for the country’s most vulnerable people. Opponents decry the “cuts” to Medicaid. In reality, the new law actually reduces an increase in spending ...

County fairs continue to teach valuable lessons

Editorials

We recommend everyone takes some time to visit a county fair. It perhaps goes without saying that these fairs offer families a lot of fun and a lot of food. But what’s more important is that they offer people from across the county and the surrounding communities a glimpse into important parts of the fabric of rural living. “Agriculture remains a critical part of our state’s economy and our region,” we noted a year ago. “As the state Department of Agriculture notes, the agricultural sector contributes about $132.5 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy annually and supports ...

Restoring a sacred place

Local Columns

Four years ago, a friend mentioned a community project grant being offered by a local box store. That sparked a conversation within the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau about how we might use such an opportunity to make a lasting impact. As we explored ideas, one kept returning to my mind, something I had passed by countless times on my walks through Victory Park with my dogs: the African American Memorial Cemetery near the boat launch. Although the Lewistown Borough was faithfully maintaining the grass, the cemetery itself had ...

Heat brings wave of high energy costs

Editorials

The weather forecast says the heat is here with more coming, and so is the next electric bill. It’s not news that summer in Pennsylvania brings more than sunburn and long evenings — it brings a jump in energy costs that has a habit of sneaking up on households across Mifflin County and beyond. Every year, air conditioners switch on, fans start humming, and the meters outside our homes spin faster. If you’ve glanced at your bill and wondered how it got so high, you’re not alone. Over the past five years, electric costs in Pennsylvania have taken a steady, stubborn climb. Last ...

Traffic safety, other quality-of-life issues matter

Editorials

While it may not excite, anger or frustrate Pennsylvanians in the same way as many of the topics addressed in Sun-Gazette headlines — as they are reading the articles or discussing the news of the day with friends and family — we suspect most motorists and even passengers in our region have, at times, found traffic to be an angering or frustrating experience. For this reason, we believe everyone can appreciate the efforts of city leadership, featured in recent editions of the Sun-Gazette, to improve traffic safety in Williamsport. We specifically believe Williamsport’s ...