December 22 – WILKES-BARRE – Let’s talk about impact.
Let’s talk specifically about the impact this newspaper has had on the community it serves for 117 years – now in its 118th year.
A strong key person or organization is crucial in the community; a company that can do it all, so to speak.
The Times Leader has been doing it all for this community for more than 117 years now, playing a vital role in the lives of every person, business and organization that calls Luzerne County home.
This newspaper has continued to report the news every day – providing local, regional, state, national and international stories day in and day out to keep readers informed.
This is a crucial role for the newspaper and the community – especially with impact.
As The Times Leader has been continuously committed to delivering news to the public, the company realizes the importance of providing all its services to each reader as they experience their individual pivotal events in their lives.
The same goes for businesses and community organizations; they all play a crucial role in enriching and expanding our community and making living and working here even more enjoyable.
An impactful role in something is a role that is extremely important and influences the success of everything.
A newspaper depends on the people it serves and the community depends on the services that newspaper provides. News, sports, community, social, opinion, politics, government, lifestyle, advertising – it’s all there every day.
The Times Leader has been doing that for 117 years.
That’s impact.
Central to the impact are the stories – especially the stories that create positive change in the community, the state, the nation and even the world.
We were asked to look at our stories from 2024 to see what had the biggest impact. Here are three that I felt had the most impact.
Paul Miller’s Law – June 2024
A few years ago, Eileen Woelkers Miller stood before hundreds of students at Greater Nanticoke High School and told the story of how her life changed forever on July 5, 2010, when her son, Paul Jr., was killed in an accident caused by a distracted driver .
It was a powerful, emotional message – one that Ms. Miller has delivered to thousands of students across Pennsylvania and the US
As Miller courageously spoke to the students, she said that on July 5, 2010, her son did everything right, but the driver of the tractor-trailer traveling in the opposite direction did everything wrong.
Miller’s son, Paul, was driving his vehicle on Route 33 in Hamilton Township when a southbound tractor-trailer crossed the center grass divider and struck his car head-on. At the time of the accident, the tractor-trailer was being driven by a distracted driver.
Paul died from injuries sustained as a result of the crash – he was 21.
This year, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 – known as Paul Miller’s Law – into law, which bans the use of wearable devices while driving. This bipartisan legislation makes Pennsylvania the 29th state in the nation to ban distracted driving.
After years of advocacy, Mrs. Miller achieved her goal of honoring her son by enacting the law. But the battle to convince students and adults not to drive while distracted continues.
“These tragedies are preventable,” Miller said. “These are crashes, not accidents.”
That’s impact.
Aimee’s Story – May 2024
Aimee Kearney shared her story for one reason and one reason only: to prevent anyone from having to go through what she went through in her battle with colorectal cancer.
Aimee says you shouldn’t delay your regular tests, such as routine blood tests and a colonoscopy.
“If you don’t get screened for yourself, do it for your family. They want you to be healthy and make many more memories with them.”
Aimee, 45, lives in Mountain Top. She has two daughters: Sydney, 22, a student at Penn State University; and Mackenzie, 17, a student at Crestwood High School.
Aimee is daughter of Mayor George and Marianne Brown, Wilkes-Barre.
“I’m normally a very private person, but if I can help one person avoid what I recently experienced, it’s worth every bit of vulnerability,” Aimee said.
Influence.
Tova Friedman – Holocaust survivor – May 2024
On a Wednesday evening in May, Tova Friedman, one of the youngest people to survive the Holocaust, told about 350 attendees at the Friedman Jewish Community Center about the night she arrived at Auschwitz.
Friedman said her mother always told her the truth.
“I asked my mother what the smell was and she pointed to the smoke coming from high stacks,” she said. “They burned people.”
Friedman, 85, captivated audiences with her graphic account of her experiences in Auschwitz and her survival and life over the past 80 years.
More than 150 members of Tova’s family were murdered.
Friedman described the horrific story of her time in Auschwitz through the eyes of a little girl. She said she is often asked how she, her parents and two aunts survived, and her only explanation is, “It must have been luck.”
But just as indelible as the tattoo on her left arm, so are Tova’s memories.
Influence.
That’s what The Times Leader and its sister newspapers are about.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
