Hits and Misses
Courtesy of Autism Open
Shown here is a Project Lifesaver transmitter on the wrist of Emmett Bolin, 7, who has autism. The silver box is a Project Lifesaver personal locator system that his parents, Lyndsay and Chris Bolin of Mononagela use to keep track of his whereabouts. Washington County Sheriff’s Department is working to make Project Lifesaver availaible in the county.
Courtesy of Best Defense Foundation
Brownsville native and WWII veteran Andy Negra meets with a four-star general of the 82nd Airborne Division in Normandy during the D-Day commemorative events.
MISS: Back in 1958, Johnny Cash released the song “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town.” If the Man in Black were still here, he might want to amend that to, “Don’t Take your Guns to Town or to the Airport.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this week that 2023 could see a record-breaking number of firearms seized at security checkpoints at Pittsburgh International Airport. So far, 22 have been confiscated from carry-on baggage this year. And Pittsburgh is not alone – last year, more than 6,000 guns were seized at airports around the country. On Monday, a 9mm handgun loaded with 11 bullets was taken from a Canonsburg man at one of the airport’s checkpoints. Apparently the most common excuse is simple forgetfulness, but a mistake like that could be costly – fines can go as high as $15,000. The best advice, if you own a gun and want to bring it with you on your trip, is to put it in a checked bag, in a case and unloaded. That’s the responsible thing to do, and it will help speed you on your journey and spare you a steep fine.
MISS: If you are decades removed from your teens or 20s, the nonstop party atmosphere on Pittsburgh’s South Side on a weekend night, with its traffic and commotion, can seem more than a little daunting. Lately, though, the South Side is also developing a reputation for being dangerous. This past weekend, a man was fatally shot near the bars and restaurants of the neighborhood, and it apparently was the last straw for the owners of one of them. The Carson City Saloon, a sports bar that has been on Carson Street for 17 years, is temporarily closing because of all the shootings, fights and mayhem that have unfolded around them in recent months. In a Facebook post, the proprietors said they made the decision for “the safety of our staff and our patrons alike,” and cited the “careless activity that continues to go unchecked on Carson Street.” They say the sports bar will remain shuttered “until some action is taken by city leaders.” Although Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and other officials have met with business owners on the South Side and have pledged to tackle violence on the South Side, more clearly needs to be done, and quickly.
HIT: A loved one with cognitive disorders wandering away is one of the most frightening ordeals a caregiver can endure. The minutes – or hours – until they are found are filled with the worst kind of stomach-churning uncertainty. The Washington County Sheriff’s Department and the organizers of the annual Autism Open golf outing are hoping to bring Project Lifesaver to the county. It’s a system that fits children or adults with a bracelet that can be worn on the wrist or ankle, and if they wander away the sheriff’s department can find them using tracking equipment. Right now, the sheriff’s department and Autism Open are trying to raise the funds to start the program, and they are hoping to pull in at least $10,000. This is not only a good cause, but something every community should have. Washington County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Elizabeth Davidson explained, “The quicker we get them, the better chance they have of survival.”
HIT: Andy Negra, a 99-year-old Brownsville native, made his first visit to France in 1944 when he landed on Utah Beach in Normandy. Along with fighting in France during his 29-month stint in the U.S. Army during World War II, Negra fought in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg and was part of the forces that liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp. Negra was finally able to return to France in June when he traveled there through the Best Defense Foundation, which offers all-expense-paid trips to veterans so they can revisit the places where they put their lives on the line to defend democracy. Though he’s not far from the century-mark, Negra said that if other elderly veterans could make the trip, then why couldn’t he? And in keeping with the optimistic approach to life that has taken him close to 100, Negra is planning a return trip to France next year.