Local Columnists

It took me some time to find the right words to share, but I feel this needs to be said. First and foremost, this is meant to be educational and bring...

Remember sitting outside under a tree on a hot summer day, listening to the chirping of the bugs and songs of the birds while a light breeze ruffled t...

Memorial Day and its observance have never been more critical than today — critical in that we as a nation are losing sight of what the day means, wha...

I am so tired! But it is a good tired. Yesterday on the road, I wanted to call it “exhaustion,” but that’s such a negative word, especially where ther...

There is much to do in regard to veteran support initiatives. My wife and I fully support our veterans and their families and will continue in our eff...

Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature’s Democrat majorities may be touting that they’ve finally finished work on a new state budget. Make no mistake, ...

President Trump made headlines recently for suggesting that Alcatraz, the infamous prison in San Francisco Bay, should be reopened to house the worst ...

The term “wasteful spending” is bandied about a lot today. I don’t want to talk about underlying controversies, or who should or should not be the one...

ALBANY — A glitch in state insurance law is allowing doctors to collect Medicaid fees that are sometimes hundreds of times higher than the program nor...

It is troubling to hear the return of outdated rhetoric concerning the makeup of our military forces. The idea that the military should only consist o...

Last month, Olean Food Pantry received the kind of news that keeps me up at night: a projected 13% federal funding cut to our food distribution capaci...

New York’s volunteer firefighters have long demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting our communities. Whether responding to a fire, natural...

Writers always hope for readers and for columnists, that hope is someone will identify with what they offer. This is known as “the universal element,”...

Step outside — in person if you can, or in your mind. You’ll be delighted by a spring symphony of bluebirds and finches, robins, redwings, peepers and...

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, one of seven small agencies ordered to reduce its workforce in President Donald Trump’s March 15 execu...

No surprise to read that Congressman Nick Langworthy was unhappy with the coverage of a Tesla protest, fearful that it would escalate “harassment” of ...

On Saturday, I joined with more than 120 local people protesting President Trump and his administration. We were part of thousands of protests that oc...

Sometimes there’s just no explaining Albany. That’s really been true over the past six years of New York state government under one-party control. Tak...