A tip of my Webb Weekly cap with the American Flag on the side to everyone that reached out to me about last week’s column. You Can Kiss My Mask – The Attempted Oppression of Our Life Liberty and Happiness.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, and it was great to talk with so many red, white, and blue-blooded Americans that feel like I do. There is absolutely nothing more important than our freedom blessed by God and powered by the 1st Amendment.

There were also some folks that did not agree with my column, and that’s what makes our Country the greatest example of individual freedom since the beginning of organized government. We have the liberty to openly discuss, disagree, and question our government’s actions without persecution. This is exactly what our forefathers intended to protect “We the People” from our government, evolving into what the Revolutionary War was fought for.

I always try to reach out to everyone that contacts me, whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent. If I missed you, my apologies — my contact information can always be found on page 4.

Just a couple of final thoughts to share regarding those that were not impressed by my writing. My column had nothing to do with political affiliation and everything to do with being an American citizen. If our governor were a Republican, my words would have been the same. It had absolutely nothing to do with not wearing a mask to protect the people around you. My thought behind You Can Kiss My Mask was that obviously I was wearing one. I think I’ve been openly clear about the great job everybody locally has done to protect one another and the importance of this since the beginning. And lastly, for those of you that would like me to become a casualty of the Coronavirus, your thoughts too are protected by the 1st Amendment. I pray you and your loved ones have great health, happiness, and peace during this most difficult time.

My advice to everyone, don’t be one of Governor Wolf’s sheeple, or anyone’s for that matter. Please question everything presented by the mainstream media or viewed on social media. You can accept nothing at FACE value. If you are leery about something or have doubts, your first instinct is usually correct. When you have doubts, ask questions, reach out to an elected official, or you can contact me any time. If I don’t know the answer, I will do my best to find out. My Father and I have always considered page 2 a watchdog for anything that just ain’t right.

Lycoming County Coroner Charles Kiessling is always on point when it comes to education and communication. He proactively goes above and beyond his job description in an attempt to address the most difficult problems. Like the heroin epidemic, drug addiction, and now COVID-19. He serves as the President of the Pennsylvania Coroners Association and is well respected around the state. My editor Steph Nordstrom and I had the opportunity to get the facts about the COVID-19 pandemic from Coroner Kiessling this past week. You can view the interview at webbweekly.com.

I will cover the key points of our conversation with the following disclaimer, the information regarding the pandemic changes very quickly. Please remember the following information was as of Friday, April 24th.

Back to the importance of questioning information provided by the government and government agencies, that’s exactly what Coroner Kiessling has been doing. When two COVID-19 deaths were supposedly confirmed in regards to residents of Lycoming County, Coroner Kiessling was quick to question the who, what and where of this report. Obviously, he was not notified, which is required under Pennsylvania’s statute.

Coroner Kiessling, as well as coroners around the state, have questioned the manipulation of the Coronavirus numbers as well as the change in Pennsylvania policy when it comes to reporting them. Any death caused by an infectious disease, or that poses a public safety hazard, must be reported to the county coroner. The Department of Health with Governor Wolf’s knowledge has changed this policy, which now allows hospital administration and doctors to directly reported deaths to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

This is just completely unacceptable for many reasons. First and foremost, it is the coroner’s responsibility to notify EMS and all those that have come in contact with the deceased that they have been exposed to. By circumventing the county coroner, you’re eliminating this most important and timely aspect of controlling an infectious disease. Secondly, you are not collecting proper data to address not only the current situation but a future pandemic. This is most crucial in making the proper decisions to protect the citizens of Lycoming County and Pennsylvania based on fact.

It also slows down the ability for families to show their respect for loved ones in the event of a death. The Department of Health in Harrisburg must confirm the death and notify the hospital for the release of a loved one. This is not what you want to be doing any time, but especially during a pandemic.

Now, are you ready for the really unthinkable? The procedure the Department of Health implemented is for the county coroner to be made aware of a death not reported to him is to request and file a seven-page report, pay $9 and then wait for notification. This is wrong and unacceptable on so many levels I’m not even going to take the space to explain it. I will just say this is in no way in the best interest of public health and safety.

I trust and respect Coroner Charles Kiessling; he will do everything in his power to protect and serve the citizens of Lycoming County. This, to me, is a smoking gun example of the attempted manipulation of the numbers in regard to COVID-19, as well as an attempt to remove authority from a locally elected official.

Thanks to the voice of Coroner Kiessling, for and standing up for what is best for We the People, the two deaths originally listed under Lycoming County have been removed, as have 228 deaths statewide.

Closing fact — Lycoming County has more deaths (3) by suicide related to the stress of COVID-19 than the actual virus. These prompted by the Department of Heath’s closure of what they deemed elective medical procedures and offices.

Please do everything to stay safe, be healthy, and look out for one another.

God Bless America.