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What other newspapers are saying: Rigid public comment rules do more harm

Public comment periods are meant to let people talk to the government. Sometimes it’s about actions that are happening or decisions that are pending. Sometimes it’s about bringing problems to the government’s attention. A comment period is one mechanism municipalities, school boards and other agencies can use to make that process tick by with clockwork efficiency. It prescribes when a speaker can speak. It sets up the format. It establishes the time frame. It also moves the blame. It isn’t council’s fault you only get a few minutes to speak. It’s the policy. That can work ...

State needs to ban ‘gas station heroin’

The colorful packaging bears trippy names like ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and Purple Magic. Sold as an elixir or in pill form, the products promise feelings of “euphoria,” “happiness” and “bliss,” and are marketed to grab the attention – and cash – of young and old consumers alike. What the labels don’t disclose is that the main ingredient, tianeptine, is a highly addictive substance, and in high doses can mimic the effects of opioids, causing seizures, cardiac arrest, respiratory issues and ultimately death. Unregulated, it’s being sold as a “dietary ...

Veterans Memorial Park deserves support

We are glad our city government and Pennsylvania College of Technology reached an agreement for the college to provide work on the Veterans Memorial Park on Wahoo Drive. We appreciate the students’ hard work on maintaining the park, the school’s leadership in facilitating the project and ...

What other newspapers are saying: Surveillance a balancing act

America’s spy programs are complex, but the Fourth Amendment is simple. It says the government cannot collect and search through the private communications of United States citizens without a warrant. Congress faces a protracted deadlock on renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the Fourth Amendment points to a straightforward compromise. That is: Keep up overseas surveillance to protect U.S. national security, but require a warrant whenever the resulting database is used to look through a specific American’s communications. The distinction ...

Dementia training could help first responders

Legislation being drafted to require EMS personnel to undergo training to help them better interact with those living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias makes sense, at first blush. Sen. Lynda Culver and House members Maureen Madden and Kyle Mullins are looking for Pennsylvania to join Virginia by requiring training to help EMS providers recognize cognitive impairment and communicate effectively during emergencies. While fire departments can take the training on their own under current law,, Culver, Madden and Mullins want to make the voluntary training a ...

What other newspapers are saying: Nursing home residents at homeless shelters reflect housing crisis

Public officials well aware of Ohio’s problems with a shortage of accessible, affordable housing might not be aware of a growing problem related to that challenge. Nursing homes are sending patients to homeless shelters at a growing rate. A Signal Ohio report earlier this month looked at nursing homes transferring “older, poorer and medically fragile” patients to homeless shelters. In fact, seven nursing home facilities in Ohio have been faulted in the past few years for efforts to dump patients into homeless shelters. Eastland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Columbus ...