Larry W. Stout has worn lots of hats over the years; a decorated military veteran, ordained pastor, university professor in Europe, and missionary to the former Soviet Union. He has authored textbooks on human resource management and leadership that have been translated into six languages as well as had published two novels. He currently invests his energies as a foster parent and board member for eight different community organizations. He is a native of Montgomery, graduating from Montgomery Area High School in 1970, who married his high school sweetheart Debbie, and together they have raised two sons and two daughters, one of which is adopted, but they cannot remember which one.
Since 2020 is a presidential election year, and what happens in Washington, D.C. significantly impacts what happens in our area, I am going to periodically present an outlook from a higher view than local politics. The year 2020 promises to be like few others in American history. Both sides of the political spectrum predict a
In political parlance, an election year that does not have any gubernatorial or national offices on the ballot is considered an “off” year. This means that the turnout will be expected to be low, as all the races are for the most local, and these generally do not arise much passion in the general electorate.
As Lycoming County voters noticed at the recent election, there was a new voting system introduced to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It involves a paper ballot that is inserted into a scanner — a verifiable and auditable ballot. While we might blame our Harrisburg bureaucrats for this, the blame should be pointed further south, all
American democracy has a rich heritage and one that we woefully take for granted. Marvel for a moment that since 1900, only six countries in the world have NOT changed their form of government. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the insights of our Founding Fathers in crafting such an amazing document as
I featured Judge Marc Lovecchio in a LION (Leaders In Our Neighborhood) article several weeks ago, and not long after I received an email from a reader who stated that they seriously disagreed with my article honoring the judge. The substance of the argument was based on a recent ruling on his part, releasing a
Very few people can make it to the Executive Plaza in downtown Williamsport on a Tuesday or Thursday morning to attend a County Commissioners Meeting. Not many more have the extra time and energy to go to a public location to review a proposed county budget. But good news is here! The county is as
