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Rioting in Philadelphia will cost Pennsylvania millions

Law and order are long overdue in the City of Brotherly Love. The rioting in late September is the latest black eye on Philadelphia in an ongoing saga of dangerous incidents that keep piling up. Disgraceful criminals with zero respect for the city, for their neighbors, and for businesses that fuel the local economy have caused destruction beyond belief. As chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, I want to commend the Philadelphia City Police, who have managed to make arrests and reel in the lawlessness each evening. The Police are doing their job in reestablishing law and ...

While the world watches, it asks ‘why?’

We appreciate more than words can impart, the kind and thoughtful people who have sent text messages, e-mails, and posted on social media with respect to their concern about the massacre of innocent civilians in Israel by Hamas and its supporters. In almost every contact, we hear: Why, Why, Why? A short primer, or reminder, may be in order for those asking the “Why” question. 1. Who is Hamas and why would they murder innocent civilians? Hamas is a terrorist organization formed, organized, run, and paid for by the most extreme Muslim ideology. Their job is to kill any ...

Misguided push for $15 minimum wage won’t work for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s small businesses employ over 2.5 million people throughout the Commonwealth. But if Governor Shapiro has his way, thousands of these jobs could soon be under threat. Earlier this year, the state legislature attempted to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and the wage for tipped employees to $9 per hour. Now, Gov. Josh Shapiro and state legislators are reigniting the conversation, pushing for an unprecedented 107 percent minimum wage hike. The vast majority of economic studies find that a higher minimum wage leads to job losses for the least-skilled workers. ...

Mothers and babies and the ‘triple-demic’ of COVID, flu and RSV

As summer moseyed toward fall, headlines warned of a potential “triple-demic”: COVID-19, flu, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). COVID hospitalizations and deaths were at their lowest since the pandemic began for most of the summer, but the numbers were creeping up. Flu and RSV rates were unusually low in the first two years of the COVID pandemic, largely due to isolation and other COVID precautions, but were rising again as the pandemic ebbed and most of us returned to our normal activities. COVID-19, flu, and RSV are respiratory infections caused by viruses. Healthy people ...

David vs. Goliath in Harrisburg

It’s a tale as old as time in Harrisburg, but for those who read about games of skill for the first time an obvious question often remains; how is this different from gambling? In simplest terms, skill games are interactive, where, with hand-eye coordination and a little intellectual acuity, the player can affect the outcome on every play. Games can be won by the player’s own skill. On the other hand, casino and lottery games are won by chance. The player has no input as to the roll of the dice, the cards dealt, or when the roulette wheel stops. Skill games are not found in ...

In print and digital — always local

The Friday night high school football game. Notice of a city council meeting where higher property taxes will be discussed. News of an impending county commissioner election and plans for a Veterans Day parade, the opening of a downtown cafe and the retirement of a beloved police officer. These are the kinds of news events integral to the everyday lives of Pennsylvanians, yet they are also unique to the individual communities we call home. Providing the essential local news and information that can’t be found anywhere else has been the business of community newspapers for ...