Columns
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Some Positive Takeaways from Our Pandemic Year
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The last few weeks, as COVID restrictions have eased around Pennsylvania, people’s spirits seem to be lifting a bit. With the exception of some masking requirements, all mitigation orders were lifted in our state two weeks ago, meaning businesses can open up at full capacity. The state also has announced that those last masking requirements will be…
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For Penn State Athletics, Labor is at the Heart of Rising Expenses
in Columns, Latest Penn State News, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports—
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When all is said and done, the immediate financial impact of the pandemic on Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics will result in a deficit of $18 to $20 million. That’s for the fast-closing fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2020 and ends on June 30, 2021. It includes the 2020 football season. Those numbers are…
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College Sports Transfer Rules Don’t Have to Be All or Nothing
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As an old-school college football fan and former coach, if I never hear the word “transfer portal” again, it won’t be a moment too soon. But the use of the transfer portal as the first resort for unhappy players is a sign of the times. We’ve seen the erosion of loyalty, commitment and the urge…
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Watching Winslet: Good Nightmare
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Like a lot of people, I just watched “Mare of Easttown,” a seven-part HBO series set in a Philadelphia suburb where drug use, shootings, kidnappings, statutory rape, teen pregnancies, suicide, incest, life-threatening illnesses and betrayals of all sorts are rampant. No wonder the wonderful Kate Winslet, as police Detective Mare Sheehan, is exhausted. Plus, several…
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A Pandemic Pivot Leads to a Boom in Business for a Boalsburg Boutique
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Pam Bair has owned and operated A Basket Full gift and clothing boutique for over 30 years. She thought she had seen it all from a small business owner’s perspective until spring of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After the initial panic set in, Pam and her teammates, Maggie Markle and Robin Brouse, decided…
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The Basics of Investments
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With the disappearance of pensions, people are becoming more dependent on their investments for their retirement. Understanding the basics for investing your 401k, SIMPLE IRA or Roth IRA is important. I am going to review some basics but not all investments are right for everyone.
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After 51 Years Apart, State High Classmates Find Elixir of Youth Through Old Friendships
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Some looked like they belonged on the injured list for a senior softball team. Others looked fine but described multiple joint replacements, past or future. But whether they limped, hobbled or walked a bit more nimbly, arrivals at last weekend’s event in The Penn Stater Hotel shared the same expectant smile. There’s just nothing like…
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PennDOT’s Interstate Bridge Tolling Proposal Raises Concerns
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A recent email from our state senator, Jake Corman, notified me that today, June 1, is the last day for us to get in our comments on funding options that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation wants to use to fill our transportation funding gap. One of those funding options already received the necessary board approval…
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Rate Changes Don’t Have to Derail Your Retirement Plans
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For those nearing or living in retirement, the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates lower for longer may trigger a hunt for yield. In this environment of ultra-low interest rates, investments like Treasury bonds aren’t yielding much, with CDs and money market accounts following suit. However, there are still opportunities available for those eyeing…
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100 Days to the Start of Penn State Football ’21: 21 Numbers to Know
in Columns, Latest Penn State News, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State, Penn State Football, State College—
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One hundred days and counting. Penn State opens its 2021 football season in exactly 100 days on the road at Wisconsin. The Sept. 4 contest will test the Nittany Lions early. But, if they beat the Badgers, they have an amazingly long stretch at home in Happy Valley to find their footing before heading to…