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Editorials

What other newspapers are saying: Decorum rules might prove problematic

No one likes to be yelled at or cursed at, least of all a public official trying to do a hard job under difficult circumstances. That has been happening a lot at Frederick County Board of Education meetings recently. Some members of the public show up simply to spew venom at the officials. It is pretty tough to sit there and take it. The temptation is to prohibit people from cursing or yelling. The urge can be strong — but public officials need to resist it. The Policy Committee of the school board is considering updating its meeting policy to prohibit personal attacks during ...

Energy must remain priority

We know that the need for energy in both the U.S. and world is only growing. We’ve noted numerous times before that the role renewable energy can play in meeting that need will still be determined by as-of-yet-unrealized technological advances, and we’ve argued that until then, the ...

Redistricting fights hollow out middle of voters

From coast to coast and in between, staunchly Republican and staunchly Democratic states are weighing redrawing their congressional district boundaries, often in explicit ways to reach a clearly partisan outcome. We understand the impulse for engaged voters who feel strongly about the state ...

What other newspapers are saying: Red Ribbon Week mission continues

You might remember them as the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth, from back in the 1980s, but today, the renamed National Family Partnership continues its work to support families and communities “in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug free youth.” Among the efforts supported by the organization is National Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31 each year, and established to honor the memory of U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agent Enrique Camarena, who was killed, likely because of his work, in 1985. At the time, according to the organization, “In honor of ...

Safety vital while trick-or-treating

As October draws to a close, Halloween arrives. The American Red Cross offers some tips for safe trick-or-treating on the organization’s website. The Red Cross recommends using face makeup instead of masks, which make seeing difficult, giving trick-or-treaters a flashlight to light their ...

State needs responsible budget

This week Pennsylvania reaches the four-month mark without a state budget. The annual deadline for the state government’s spending plan is June 30. We believe it is inexcusable that our state is within hours of being four months overdue for passing a budget — but, as we editorialized this past summer, the proposal offered by Gov. Josh Shapiro was unrealistic. Shapiro has unsuccessfully pressed lawmakers for a $3.6 billion increase in spending. The proposal, in our estimation, does little to address court rulings that Pennsylvania’s system of funding public education does not ...