When George Heiges stepped down from Director of the Office of Veteran Affairs for Lycoming County in June of 2019, I felt the position would be impossible to fill. In Director Heiges’ eight-year term, he had established Lycoming County as not only having one of the best Veterans Affairs Office in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
READ MOREThis month marks the third anniversary of the shutdowns from the COVID virus. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Almost immediately, Governor Wolf announced that Pennsylvania needed a two-week pause to ‘flatten the curve’ to help prevent the spread of the virus. Maybe it was because it was
READ MOREWhen I was in high school back in what seems like a million years ago, I had to study a 14th-century epic poem by Dante Alighieri entitled “The Divine Comedy.” It was no comedy in my book, as it poetically described a journey through Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Heaven). Inferno is what most
READ MORELike a lot of hunters in Pennsylvania, I do some bear hunting, but I’m not an overly dedicated bear hunter. I took a 200-pound cinnamon phase of a black bear in Montana years ago but have never killed a Pennsylvania black bear. I’ve seen bears on a few occasions while hunting in Pennsylvania, but good
READ MOREThe world of local music lost a great friend and leader last month. Albert J. Nacinovich, beloved music teacher and long-time director of Williamsport’s Repasz Band, passed away peacefully on Feb. 18. He is survived by two daughters, two granddaughters, a great-granddaughter and his wife of 62 years, Alice. Now nearing its 200th anniversary, the
READ MOREI wrote this column for the March 6, 2019, edition. This is prior to the DNC recognizing that Joe Biden was their best chance to win the Oval Office back. I understand there is a lot of water under the bridge since then and the world around us has gone mad in even more ways.
READ MOREThis week, your Webb movie-guy continues to focus on under-the-radar films; so here are a few lesser-known titles honoring Black History Month: “Belle” (2013) – Unbelievable real-life story of England’s Dido Elizabeth Belle. Illegitimate daughter of an African slave and an 18th-century admiral, Dido was raised a free gentlewoman in the upper-class household of her
READ MOREThe world faces many unique challenges in the decades to come, including a rapidly expanding global population. The United Nations estimates that the global population will reach 9.71 billion in 2050. That’s an increase of more than 1.7 billion people between 2023 and 2050. Food security is among the more significant challenges the world will
READ MOREHeart disease is a leading cause of death across the globe. According to the World Health Organization, ischaemic heart disease is responsible for 16 percent of the world’s total deaths. The WHO also points out that, between 2000 and 2019, deaths due to ischaemic heart disease rose by more than two million. Though not all
READ MOREJanuary 22, 2003, we published the first issue of Webb Weekly. As you can see on the cover, our cover story that was about the upcoming Super Bowl. Man, have we covered a lot since then. Going back through and looking at past issues this week has been a trip, to say the least. The
READ MOREWith Punxsutawney Phil’s hopeful early spring call nine days away and MLB’s pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training soon to follow, baseball was on the minds of the crowd gathered for the Williamsport Crosscutters 15th Hot Stove Banquet at the Genetti Hotel this week. For Crosscutters Vice President and Director of Marketing & Public
READ MORE“It’s a dangerous thing to mistake speaking without thought for speaking the truth.” That line from “Glass Onion” is so apt and memorable that it alone makes the film worthwhile. But the “Knives Out” sequel has a lot more going for it than just good dialog. Indeed, this new film offers everything needed to satisfy
READ MOREEven children know to dial 911 in an emergency. But not every crisis is a 911 emergency — some require a helper rather than a healer. This is when it is best to dial 988. In July 2020, the FCC adopted rules to establish 988 as the nationwide, easy-to-remember 3-digit dialing code for people in
READ MOREYesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. ~ Mark Twain I mentioned last week that
READ MOREIf the birth of a child is one of the happiest moments a mother and family can experience, the death of such a child in the first year of life would have to be one of the most horrible events imaginable. Tragically, each year there are about 3,400 sudden unexpected infant deaths that occur in
READ MORE“Till” is the best new movie I’ve seen this year — and unlike many films about race, it does not contain a “white savior.” Focused on the 1955 lynching of a 14-year-old black boy in Mississippi, the galvanizing “Till” scarcely has a single white character — with the notable exception of completely worthless jurors and
READ MOREIt’s not an original thought; in fact, the term has been referenced many times previously. Included in its usage was a 1954 book authored by Martin Ralbovsky about the Schenectady, New York Little League World Champions; a 1960 New York Times article about the Pittsburgh Pirates World Series victory over the Yankees; and Brent Musburger’s
READ MOREEach November, people across the United States and its territories honor the brave men and women who serve and have served in the various branches of the country’s military. Veterans Day is observed annually every November 11 and honors the service of all U.S. military veterans. The day should not be confused with Memorial Day,
READ MOREThe Cadillac Cats, Neil Tapp, Ben Brandt and Soul Miners Union, and Chris LaRose and the Hex Highway Blues Band are all set for the Billtown Blues Association’s annual fundraiser Sunday, November 6th, at the Genetti Hotel in downtown Williamsport. The music kicks off at 4:00 p.m. and will parallel the organization’s silent auction, where
READ MOREI’ll be honest; writing about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is not necessarily a story I enjoy penning. I know I wrote about CWD in a column back in September, but I was again reminded of the disease as my wife and I pursued antlerless deer during the special three-day season this past Thursday, Friday, and
READ MOREThe brutal battle of the Ardennes Forest took place more than 80 years ago during World War II; there aren’t many men still alive who fought and served during those freezing weeks late in 1944. But one of them will conduct a concert at the Community Arts Center on Oct. 9. Still active at the
READ MOREBest-selling author Elin Hilderbrand is the featured speaker for the Library’s 19th annual Author Gala on the main stage of the Community Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. October 13. Hilderbrand is the proud mother of three, a dedicated Peloton rider, an aspiring book influencer, and an enthusiastic at-home cook (follow her on Instagram @elinhilderbrand to
READ MORE2022 is known as a midterm election year. Midterm elections are quite different from any other because they include a wide variety of political races — local offices, of course, as well as races for state offices and US Representative and Senate seats. This vast field results in the national media featuring a race here
READ MOREPeople venture into the great outdoors for many different reasons. The Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act was developed in part to analyze the outdoor recreation economy of the United States. In 2018, its report showed outdoor recreation contributed more than $412 billion to the U.S. economy and 4.5 million jobs. In 2019-2020, Parks
READ MOREPoisons are all around us, and notably in our homes. The Health Resources and Services Administration says that more than 90 percent of poisonings happen at home — with many occurring in the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that the 55 poison control centers across the United States
READ MOREIt is hard to believe though our country is 235 years old, we have only been taxed on our income for 109 years. It was not until the 16th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1913, that an income tax was instituted. Before that, the US federal government funded itself for
READ MOREAn appearance by baseball Hall-of Famer, Rickey Henderson is the highlight of the annual Williamsport Welcomes the World celebration to be held in downtown Williamsport on Friday, August 26 from 5 to 9 p.m. In addition to an appearance by Henderson, the event will also feature a wide variety of food vendors, kid zones and
READ MOREThe one government official that I have the most admiration, as well as the most sympathy for, is Lycoming County Director of Voter Services Forrest Lehman. Listening to Forrest is like sitting in a college classroom and hearing a brilliant professor explain a complex system in such clear terms that even a freshman would be
READ MOREI would personally like to congratulate the 20 teams who made it all the way to Williamsport for the 2022 Little League World Series. This is my favorite time of year as our lovely backyard provides the backdrop to one of the greatest sporting showcases. I love the entire tournament and can’t wait to head
READ MORETwo weeks ago, I rhapsodized over “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” the new release about a widowed British cleaning woman; then, in our last issue, I reviewed the online documentary, “What Is a Woman?” Noticing a trend, I decided this week to continue focusing on females — with a half-dozen films from my book on
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