Mandatory death sentences for murdering police

March 2, 2023

On Feb. 18, 2023, the life of a Temple University police officer was violently and deliberately taken by a young man who shot the officer multiple times in the face and torso. The perpetrator then proceeded to attempt to rob the officer and take his firearm. Officer Christopher David Fitzgerald, the son of two law enforcement officers, was just 31 years old. He left behind a wife and four children. Unfortunately, in this commonwealth, we are seeing ever-increasing attacks on law enforcement. Just since the start of this year — in less than two months — there have been seven ...

Too much energy regulation

February 25, 2023

On average, electric bills for Pennsylvanians are up 73 percent since 2020. The increases range from 55% in east (for PECO customers) to 100% in central Pennsylvania (for PPL customers). Natural gas prices have seen dramatic spikes. With two-thirds of our commonwealth’s homes heated by natural gas, it’s no surprise Pennsylvanians’ heating bills are way up. Our lower-income families are disproportionately more at risk of missing payments. Aid is available, but it’s not enough to outweigh price increases. When our commonwealth is the number two exporter of energy in the nation ...

Many small steps take medical research on COVID-19 a long way

February 25, 2023

Even those who escape the infection suffer during a pandemic like the one we are still living through. Families have lost loved ones, people have lost jobs or worked from home, students have lost personal interactions with teachers and classmates. We are all tired of the disruptions, the isolation, the adjustments, and the seemingly endless flood of warnings, requirements, instructions, and recommendations. We just want it to be over! Unfortunately, it isn’t. Case rates and deaths are lower than a year ago, but we are still losing 400 or more people a day in the U.S., and 2022 will ...

More questions need asked of rushed police regionalization process

February 21, 2023

I thought it was time that I should express my thoughts about the Old Lycoming Township Police Department and regionalization, now that the Old Lycoming Township Police Department no longer exists. I was unable to attend meetings last year to let the township supervisors know my thoughts on regionalization. When I became the first full-time chief of police for Old Lycoming Township I had ideas on how the department should be operated. I wanted to provide the best service to our community. Before coming to Old Lycoming Township I was an auxiliary police officer for the Williamsport ...

What we all need to know in an environment of high electricity costs

February 18, 2023

We’ve all experienced increased costs across virtually every aspect of our daily lives, from food and other goods at the supermarket, to the gas pump, and to a range of basic services. Electricity prices have certainly been no exception, as they too have increased significantly over the past two years, impacting consumers nationwide, including our neighbors, families and friends here in Pennsylvania. They’re a prime focus of our company, PPL Electric Utilities. PPL Electric doesn’t generate electricity or control the price of electricity supply. Rather, we are responsible for ...

Up the creek without a paddle

February 18, 2023

A few days ago I was making a mad dash to the market to pick up some essentials for the day’s meal. As it was my turn to shop, and I was determined to do so without the list that remained on my kitchen counter, my mind was playing memory games to fill the shopping cart successfully. Because I was so preoccupied, it wasn’t until I was in the store, heading straight for the produce, that I realized I had forgotten one very important item — my mask. In my hurry, I had left it in the car. And so began my “safety waffle.” Should I go back to grab my mask, or just take a ...