In what we would call welcome news, Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced that beginning Monday, restaurants will be permitted to increase how many indoor dine-in customers may permissibly be served at one time — moving back to 50 percent of “normal” capacity or exactly what it was when the ...

Plenty of people have taken on new hobbies this past spring and summer, spurred by uncertainties over the coronavirus pandemic. Backyard gardening became popular again, and the past month has seen the bounty of the season being harvested for meals and preservation. Evidence of that may be ...

Don’t be surprised next month if you live in Williamsport and you get a knock on the door from a city firefighter. Fire Chief Mark Killian recently told City Council’s public safety committee that his department is running a “Williamsport Safe Program,” in which they will go ...

Among popular Christmas season activities during recent years has been finding the Elf on the Shelf. The stuffed toy, about 12 inches long, delights children who wonder where in the house he or she may be hiding. Thanks to COVID-19, a good place to start looking for the Elf this year would be ...

Today is the first day in Pennsylvania for registered voters to apply for a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3 general election. While we urge voters to go to the polls in person on Nov. 3, we also understand that there are reasons that may cause hesitation for some people, particularly during the ...

Gov. Tom Wolf, along with governors of New York, New Jersey and Michigan, has been asked to supply COVID-19 data for public nursing homes to the U.S. Department of Justice. The data will help the Department of Justice decide if it will initiate investigations under the Civil Rights of ...

On this day, let’s pray for peace. Yes, let’s pray for that which calms us. Have we, as a nation, truly calmed down since the dreadful events that happened 19 years ago today? Have we had any moments of true peace? Perhaps a few, but how quickly in those moments have we again had to put ...

The gridiron roars back to life tomorrow night with the return of high school football to the playing field. Not only do the local athletes get to play, their parents will be allowed to do what parents enjoy most — witnessing the joy of their lives, their children, as they share their ...

Frustration with government is understandable. Sometimes, it blinds us to the good, dedicated public servants in the ranks who, like us, go to work every day and try hard to do their very best. Probably more often than we know, they go above and beyond the call of duty. Perhaps you missed ...

You count! That is, unless you don’t. That’s why we implore you to PLEASE fill out a 2020 Census form and get counted. It takes just minutes, it really does. The census is our nation’s long-standing method of knowing you’re around so it can help you. That is, to provide help in ...

Today we pause from work to observe Labor Day. Except we don’t. Americans have a certain drive that compels them forward without pause. Our work weeks are not limited to 9 to 5 Monday through Friday with weekends and holidays off. In the 21st century, some do their shopping while others ...

A new accessibility advisory commission is on the way in Williamsport. With unanimous approval of the ordinance on first reading, there is little doubt that the new commission will be finalized and seated in coming months. The new commission would come from a cross-section of the disabled ...

Should all go well, we can expect some big doings in the summer of 2022. With what would have been this year’s 75th annual Little League World Series canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, plans are underway to celebrate the 75th edition of the Series in 2022. In concert with that, the ...

The pandemic may have dramatically changed our work, social and educational lives, but it cannot stand in the way of the forces of nature. So it’s reassuring to hear that municipal and county officials have kept their focus on the levee project through the past half year while COVID-19 ...

At this point in the economy’s recovery from COVID-19, the concern needs to be stagnation, not inflation. Good for Federal Reserve officials for recognizing that. Central banks are looked for help in situations such as that facing the economy today. By holding down interest rates, they can ...

Behind the unemployment statistics — between 16 million and 18 million Americans without jobs, many as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic — are the children. Millions of them are in homes where the coronavirus continues to make it difficult to put bread on the table. Now is not the time to ...

Among the brightest bits of news linked to the COVID-19 epidemic was the report last week that home sales are booming in the United States. The pace of home purchases jumped by a record-high 24.7 percent last month, according to the National Association of Realtors. Analysts credited low ...

To play or not to play. To attend classes in person or study remotely from home. These are serious decisions to be weighed by individual families and students as school bells ring this fall. We believe it is important that opportunities be provided despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ...

Students returned to the playing fields on Monday, three days after the PIAA board voted to allow fall sports. This is a positive sign, in our view, and we hope Gov. Wolf stays true to his word that he will not turn his “recommendation” that a return to the playing field should be delayed ...

Virtually all of the rich and powerful parents caught in the federal probe last year of cheating schemes meant to get their children into prestige colleges and universities have insisted their hearts were in the right place. They just wanted to help their children. What mom or dad cannot ...