When Hamlet was musing, “to be or not to be,” he hesitated because death is the “undiscovered country”. Charles E. “Chuck” Kiessling Jr. is one who stands in the threshold of that mystery. As the Lycoming County Coroner, his duty is to determine the manner and cause of deaths that occur in his jurisdiction. But
A couple of weeks ago it was noted in this column that there were several hot-button issues that the Lycoming County Commissioners would have to deal with in 2018. The White Deer Golf Course is one of those that will be closely watched throughout the year. The County Commissioners have made it clear that this
The County Commissioner’s Meeting on Thursday, January 25th was memorable in many ways. Last week’s column featured the awarding of the day reporting center contract, which was almost a year in the making. But the meeting had some other interesting aspects that also deserve mention. At the 10:00 a.m. start time, the meeting room was
When Mayor Gabe Campana went to work at City Hall on Friday, January 19th, the last thing he was expecting was an invitation to visit the President at the White House. Yet, the phone rang, and the offer was extended to be one of 75 mayors from around the nation to meet with President Trump
Every newly elected governmental body inherits the problems of the past administration plus the new ones that arise. This was true when Tony Mussare, Jack McKernan, and Rick Mirabito began as a new board of commissioners for Lycoming County in January 2016. The one big elephant in the room was the problem of budget deficits.
Everyone knows about calling 911 when there is an emergency requiring the police, fire, or ambulance services. What is not nearly as well known is calling 211, the number for information on available social services. At a recent County Commissioners Meeting, Jack McKernan distributed pamphlets to the “Help Line” serving North-Eastern Pennsylvania, including Lycoming County.
Yes, it is a new year, and we are all thinking about the future, but for the moment, take a trip back in time with me. Imagine that I am meeting myself twenty years ago. 20th Century Larry (20C Larry) meets me (21C Larry), and we start talking about communications. “Oh, look at this,” 20C
What started as a one-day demonstration project on World Food Day in 1981 to address the needs of families struggling with hunger, has now turned into the largest non-profit food distribution organization in central Pennsylvania. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (under the umbrella of Feeding America and Feeding Pennsylvania) serves 27 counties from the border
After several severe storms that depleted the federal insurance programs, a law known as the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 was enacted. The idea was to require flood insurance premiums to actually reflect the real risk of flooding. At the time of the enactment, the National Flood Insurance Program was $24 billion in
Social work is a profession that concerns itself with individuals, families, groups, and communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being. That is a noble-sounding ideal, and it attracts idealistic young people with a strong moral purpose. Some years ago, a South Williamsport native by the name of Heather Wood was an
Look great and support an excellent cause by purchasing a special Diabetes Destroyers t-shirt now to show support for Jennifer Kershner, a Montoursville resident who needs a lifesaving kidney/pancreas transplant. Jennifer Kershner is described by her family as a “vibrant 46-year-old” who has been fighting end-stage renal disease for more than 6 years. She grew
