Editorials

Uncertainty prompts me to write that as a doctor, I do not know what to tell Pennsylvania patients when they ask me if hydraulic fracturing – fracking – in their neighborhood or region might affect their health.

I've seen anecdotal stories in the media. I've read as much as I could find about how the hydraulic fracturing process works. But I'm still uncertain because we lack data and research on the matter.

During the winter it can be easy to get so busy with work and your kids' activities that by the time you go to bed you've barely seen the sun. The lack of exposure to the sun, shorter days and colder weather can cause some people to feel the winter blues, known medically as seasonal affective disorder.

If you think you suffer from a major attitude change during the winter months, use these tips from USA.gov to learn the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and possible treatment options.

Recognize the symptoms:

Last week was an important one for those who believe in capital punishment or that persons under attack have the right to defend themselves with justified force under the law.

In a regional case, a 65-year-old man was riding his bicycle on a trail in West Reading last Wednesday when three teenage boys knocked him off his bicycle in an apparent robbery attempt. The trio, two aged 15, and the other 16, had skipped school that day and reportedly went on a crime spree, robbing two pedestrians before attacking the bicyclist.

This time, they targeted the wrong victim.

For Pennsylvania voters, the presidential primary comes too late.

The primary election in the Keystone State isn't held until Tuesday, April 24. By then, 33 states will have already held their primaries or caucuses.

There's a slim chance that two GOP candidates may still be in the running but most likely, the Republican party's presidential candidate will already be known.

Either way, Pennsylvanians will not have the same options that voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida have.