Has the General Assembly finally hit the tipping point? First, we have the shamefully late budget this year, which almost unbelievably still isn’t finished because of pending legislation on table games at casinos. That delay is still holding up millions of dollars in promised funding for the four state-related universities. Then there is the attorney general investigation that has... Full story »

  It makes sense to end the week where it started. Reconsider Sarah Palin and Oprah Winfrey. Their stories provided bookends to the week that reveal much about where the roads cross between pop culture and politics. On Monday, the pair sat down for a talk about Palin’s new book and Palin’s full return to the political stage. Within... Full story »

The question before the U.S. Supreme Court is: Do we believe juveniles sentenced to life in prison can reform? Last week, the justices faced this question in a case involving two men serving life sentences for serious crimes they committed as teenagers. Attorneys for the two Florida prisoners argue that not giving adolescents hope for parole violates the Eighth... Full story »

For too many midstate parents of children with serious health issues, getting care has meant traveling to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Baltimore. Not something anyone who has a sick child wants to do. While the region can boast of having outstanding pediatric specialists, and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey houses many of them, it is... Full story »

It had been 16 months since state Attorney General Tom Corbett announced indictments against 12 Democrats, including former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon and several powerful staffers. Corbett, a Republican, had said his office also was investigating Republicans, but those assurances were met with increasing skepticism as the months dragged on. Last week, Corbett blew any skepticism out of... Full story »

This month’s election has taught us a few important things about close races. The first is that one voter can swing an election and another is that one candidate can hold up an election and cost taxpayers a lot of money. Nowhere do we see the old adage about every voter making a difference more than in the race... Full story »

Authorities have now determined that there was no evidence that Susquenita High School student Zackery Marriott had any so-called hit list or any plan to take a weapon to school. While the district attorney and police have closed its case related to Marriott, the school district shouldn’t. This time, however, the investigation should be aimed at the district’s handling... Full story »

Across the state, people are grappling with our system of property assessment. In many places, county government officials are trying to figure out the best way to update their assessments, especially as other neighboring counties choose not to do so. The state must step in and develop a plan so Pennsylvania can look at property assessment in a fair-minded... Full story »

New York City has one thing right: We are what we eat and drink, and the water used in Marcellus Shale gas drilling is not sounding very appetizing. In a startling finding this week, radioactive material was discovered in the wastewater samples analyzed by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. More testing is sure to follow, but the announcement... Full story »

More students will receive the swine flu vaccine this week, and thanks to efforts by school districts and the state, the injections will be free. Susquehanna Twp., which has 2,500 doses of the H1N1 vaccine, along with Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg Area and South Middleton school districts, had planned to charge $10 to $20 per vaccination, but they have said... Full story »

Most teens don't set out to make something 'worthy' of Playboy.  Full story »

In a legislative body that at its proud roots is one of the oldest in the nation, bipartisan corruption allegedly is steeped deeply in its innerworkings. That is the sad and discouraging take away from the ongoing mulityear investigation by state Attorney General Tom Corbett, who Thursday announced criminal charges against former House Speaker John Perzel, former Rep. Brett... Full story »

We’ve all experienced that sinking feeling of being stopped in traffic on a highway not knowing what’s going on: Is it construction? An accident? How much backlog? Other times we pick up a newspaper or watch the evening reports to learn of robberies and violent crimes, some that might have occurred only blocks away from where we live or work.... Full story »

The message about the swine flu could not be more clear: If you’re at risk, get the vaccine. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done these days. Many school districts in our area still are waiting for the vaccine — Susquehanna Twp. School District canceled its planned two inoculation days because the H1N1 vaccine did not arrive when it... Full story »

It is a patriotic and honorable duty to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many do their part by sending care packages and cards and letters to boost the spirits of our soldiers. But it is becoming more and more clear that when soldiers return to the United States, not enough of them find the support and services... Full story »