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District 65 race all about representation

There is an election coming in November that I believe deserves more attention than it is getting. U.S. Rep. Kathy Rapp has represented Pennsylvania's 65th Legislative District for many years, and Destiny Howard is challenging her for the seat. District 65 isn't some distant political district on a map. It is Warren County, Forest County and part of Crawford County. The person we elect will go to Harrisburg and make decisions that affect our hospitals, our families, our communities and our individual freedoms. That is why I have been looking more closely at the differences between ...

Hidden inflation drives up state costs

When most people think about inflation, they think about groceries, gasoline, housing, or electricity. But another form of inflation is quietly making Pennsylvania more expensive, and most people have never heard of it. It does not happen at the grocery store. It happens in the courtroom. A major new academic study by researchers from Georgia State University and Brighthouse Financial has confirmed that lawsuit costs are increasing faster than normal inflation and that the biggest reason is rapidly growing jury verdicts. The researchers analyzed more than 74,000 jury verdicts and ...

Don’t mourn the falling SNAP rolls in nation

When Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last summer, more than 42 million, or one in eight, Americans were on the food stamp program. Since then, that number has fallen by 5 million. Is this trend “incredibly alarming” and “unconscionable,” as Democratic lawmakers have claimed? Only if you assume that fewer people receiving food stamps is inherently a bad thing. Much of SNAP’s enrollment decline reflects states unwinding pandemic-era waivers and eligibility rules that kept caseloads elevated. It can also mean that people capable of work are finding jobs, or ...

Is that nasty smell really a skunk?

An attentive reader of The Post-Journal responded to my column about the nighttime marauders on our deck — the nocturnal animals. I mentioned that some friends in Russell, Pennsylvania, were being overwhelmed by skunks, and entire neighborhoods there reeked. Whoa — I had never noticed that ...

Spelling out grades, school costs

From what I've heard and read, the 2026 graduations went well. Graduation gowns were a neutral color. The cords bore the colors of each senior's original high school. So Youngsville and Sheffield were honored along with Eisenhower and Warren. From a distance, as a school district retiree, I understand there was an overall welcoming view of the transferring students. Congratulations to the students, parents and school staff for dealing with this challenging merger. May there be increased success in the coming school year. At the same time, caution is fitting. Superintendent Gary ...

Growing up alongside the tube

Recently, a friend mentioned that as a kid she watched Howdy Doody. When she laughed and sang the musical intro, “It’s Howdy Doody time,” I stunned myself by singing every word to the show’s opening song. Where did that come from? That night I reminisced about Howdy and some of my ...