Hits and Misses
Associated Press
Drivers should pay attention to road signs that denote areas that have high levels of deer activity; be especially careful in the early morning and evening, when deer tend to be on the move.
Observer-Reporter
North Strabane Township police Chief Brian Hughes is shown in his office in this file photo from 2014.
October is the month that brings us Halloween, falling leaves and football. It’s also when deer-vehicle collisions start to climb in Pennsylvania. The commonwealth is one of the states where the most deer-vehicle collisions happen, right up there with West Virginia, Montana and Missouri, so caution will definitely be in order in the weeks ahead. AAA Central recommends that drivers pay attention to road signs that denote areas that have high levels of deer activity; be especially careful in the early morning and evening, when deer tend to be on the move; use high beams when there is no oncoming traffic; and resist the urge to swerve and take your foot off the brake if a crash is imminent. There are about 1 million car accidents involving deer each year in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and following these useful tips could help reduce this number.
The inflation that has beset the United States and most other developed economies has been particularly hard on the elderly, who have to make every dollar of their fixed incomes count. So it’s good news that retirees will be receiving an 8.7% cost of living adjustment from Social Security, the largest such adjustment since July 1981, when an 11.2% increase was implemented. There will also be a 3% decrease for Medicare Part B premiums deducted from Social Security benefits next year. As Bruce McDowell, a Washington resident who is the board secretary for the organization Food Helpers, told the Observer-Reporter, “Will it have an impact on people? Absolutely. Is it needed? Absolutely. It benefits those who need it most and will help pay the bills, the heat, the things they need in their lives.”
North Strabane Township released its settlement agreement with police Chief Brian Hughes last week and has now embarked on a restructuring of its police and fire departments into one unit to be led by fire Chief Mark Grimm. A similar consolidation of the planning and code enforcement departments is being considered. According to the settlement, Hughes’ departure stemmed from the planned restructuring of the police department. Still, there are some questions that need to be answered about the agreement: Why was it enacted before the township’s supervisors even formally voted on the restructuring? Or revealed it to the public? Was Hughes offered a job in the restructured department? Was the township satisfied with Hughes’ performance over his eight-year tenure as police chief? North Strabane residents deserve more detail on why Hughes left and the timing of his departure.