Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

June 26, 2025

A Farewell to Our Local Treasure: Remembering 78 Years of Community Journalism Through the Penn-Franklin News

As I sit down to write this column, a wave of nostalgia washes over me. Today, we bid farewell to a cornerstone of our community, the local newspaper that has been a part of our lives for 78 years. It’s hard to articulate the profound impact this institution has had on our families, our friendships and our town as a whole.

I remember flipping through the pages, seeing the faces of my friends and their families captured in photographs and stories that celebrated our milestones. Proms, graduations, school plays – each event remembered in ink and a testament to the lives being lived right here in our community. It was a place where we all felt seen and where our stories mattered. You held a mirror to our community, reflecting not just the triumphs but also the challenges we faced together.

Sharing my own column in these pages was also a privilege where I reviewed ongoing events in Harrisburg and local happenings. It has been an honor to connect with you through my words, to shed light on the issues that matter most to our community. If you've enjoyed reading my column, I invite you to join my email list. Every Friday, I send out updates and insights, and you can easily sign up through my local office by calling 724-387-9113 or at RepJillCooper.com.

What I will miss most is the connection that came with each edition. My favorite part was, of course, the letters to editors, to see what ignites people’s passions. The newspaper was more than just a source of information; it was a thread that wove us together, a reminder that we are part of something greater than ourselves. Whether it was a local sports team scoring a last-minute victory or a heartbreaking story of loss, the paper chronicled our shared experience and brought us together in both joy and sorrow.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to this incredible institution through the years. Your dedication to our community has not gone unnoticed and your unwavering commitment to journalism has kept us informed, engaged, and connected, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

Best of luck to the current staff in your future endeavors. Though the physical pages may no longer grace our doorsteps, the spirit of your work will live on in scrapbooks and the hearts of our community members.

Here’s to 78 remarkable years – a journey that will forever be etched in our memories.

On another topic, and as today is June 30, the legal deadline for a budget for the upcoming year to be passed into law, I am again reintroducing my No Budget, No Pay proposal.

The annual budget includes legislation that not only prescribes how much money will be appropriated and for what use, it also directs Pennsylvania’s Office of the Treasury to distribute those funds. Not having a budget in place to begin a fiscal year, some of Harrisburg’s core services, such as programs for special needs populations, education and food banks, are at risk of being disrupted.

When a budget deadline is missed, my proposal is that compensation to the governor, lieutenant governor and members of the General Assembly would be suspended.

This is not to suggest that I believe the budget process should be rushed. However, the budget is late far more often than it is on time. Members of the General Assembly need to begin budget discussions much earlier and be confronted with the same disruption as those whose lives they may be impacting.

Finally, I want to invite you to my Community Health, Wellness and Career Fair next month. It is scheduled for Friday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Knead Community Café, located at 1011 Barnes St. in New Kensington. This is a free event to make it easy for residents throughout the 55th District to meet the organizations that serve our neighborhoods! Food will be available for purchase. Any organizations seeking to participate as an exhibitor should contact my New Kensington district office at 724-472-4102. 



Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
RepJillCooper.com / Facebook.com/RepJillCooper