Letter: Hopes State House backs Killion’s SB501 law to save lives from abusers

To The Editor, I would like to thank the Pennsylvania House of Representative’s Judiciary Committee for its recent six days of hearings on gun laws and gun violence prevention. I had the opportunity to attend three of these hearings, and I learned a lot. I would also like to thank the Pennsylvania Senate for unanimously passing Senator Killion’s bill, SB501. This bill closes loopholes within our...

NOPE assembly misses the mark

By Janet McGann, Special to The Times Last Monday, Unionville High School had a Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education assembly regarding the deaths caused by overdosing on drugs — part of an ongoing program of such assemblies held around the county. Unfortunately, while the intentions of the assembly were good, the information and tactics used were ineffective on the student body. ...

Don’t blame Trump for all of this chaos

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times I remember taking my mother to the hospital in December of 1992. X-rays showed a mass in her lung. By June, 1993, she was gone. We blamed the cancer. But in truth, it was all those years of smoking Pall Mall Gold 100s — as a kid, she used send me down to the local deli to pick up a couple of packs, which she smoked every day until about five years before she died,...

Letter: Better laws could have preventing shootings

To The Editor, The gun control debate has been torturing the US for months now. The shootings at the Waffle House and Parkland could have been prevented by better laws and restrictions on guns. The Bump Stock should just be plain outlawed and ARs should have heavy restrictions.    Send article as PDF   

It doesn’t matter where your kid goes to college. Really.

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times It doesn’t matter where you go to college. There, I said it. Out loud. To a community of over-achievers (thanks to a FANTASTIC, highly ranked, competitive school district, for which I am grateful. Honestly.) I know what you’re thinking. This is not a sour grapes commentary, considering that I did not go to an Ivy League school (the footnote being that...

Letter: Barrar voted to silence our voices

To The Editor, This past week our current Representative, Stephen Barrar (R-160), voted to silence our voices. Stephen Barrar voted to pick his constituents rather than let the constituents pick their representative. This is not a new strategy to remain in power. This strategy started long ago, and is most glaringly evident by the old 7th district map. In 2011, when Pennsylvania redistricted the Congressional...

Comey’s bombshells, redistricting gutted and the GOP’s internal fighting

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Gosh, another boring two weeks where nothing happened in politics. Well, except for former FBI Director James Comey apparently referring to President Donald Trump as a “Mob Boss,” Speaker of the U.S. House Paul Ryan announcing that he won’t be running for reelection to the House, the head of the Republican Congressional Campaign ripping into a local Republican...

Costello’s withdrawal leaves GOP in a tough spot

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Well, okay, then. By now those of you following local politics know that U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello announced he would not seek reelection and then withdrew from the May 15 primary. He’s been on TV and offered print interviews blaming President Donald Trump, liberals, redistricting and so on as being to blame. Whatever. Regardless of the why, Costello’s departure...

Op/Ed: Young people marched on gun safety, we must listen

By Tom Wolf, Governor, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Young people marched for their lives. We need to listen – and act. The March for Our Lives brought together young people from across the country and Pennsylvania to demand safer schools and stronger gun safety laws. Their passion and activism took many forms in an historic show of solidarity, and they have inspired millions to join them in their mission. We...

Costello isn’t going anywhere — at least until November

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Welcome to a very special, bonus St. Patrick’s Day edition of Politics as Unusual — marking a week where an awful lot was, well, unusual. Democrat Conor Lamb appears to have beaten Republican Rick Saccone — the current tally separates the two by less than 700 votes — in a strongly Republican performing district (Donald Trump won there by about 20 points and...