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Diamonds to coffee roasting entrepreneur Todd Carmichael for donating more than $24,000 to pay off lunch debts owed to Wyoming Valley West School District, and to the district for reversing the initial rejection of the money and finding a way to accept it graciously, and to the Wyoming Valley West Educational Foundation for stepping up and serving as the conduit through which the money will flow into the district coffers. This seems a win-win-win way to settle the problem and, hopefully, put the issue to bed.
Coal to Luzerne County for the ongoing delays in recovering from a cyber attack. It’s important to fix everything correctly, and officials deserved the benefit of the doubt when they announced a longer delay than first predicted. But this is starting to have serious ripple effects throughout Luzerne County, with school districts still waiting to send out property tax bills, and one starts to wonder about the backup system that should have been accessible by now.
Diamonds, on the other hand, to Luzerne County managers for keeping the county on the path of a growing — rather than shrinking — fund balance. Taxpayers may grumble that a government surplus just means taxes and fees should be lower, but having a reasonable surplus available makes sense for large government budgets, where a single unexpected problem or emergency can wipe out millions. Besides, it wasn’t that long ago when the annual budget news was another big increase in debt or deficits.
Coal to Christopher Michael Rodriguez of Edwardsville for having the chutzpah to plead guilty to felony counts and misdemeanor counts of indecent assault, then ask that his sentencing be delayed so he can enjoy summer vacation. Yes, it’s easy to empathize with a father wanting to share the end of summer with his young children, but the case is more than a year old, and his request is both ironic and egregious considering police say he sexually assaulted a woman who begged him to stop. He did not abide her request, the judge should not abide his.
Diamonds to state Attorney General Josh Shapiro for bringing his effort to reduce gun violence and gun suicides to Luzerne County. Shapiro held a roundtable discussion with interested parties at Wilkes University on Tuesday. While hard line gun rights activists likely disagree, much of what he is doing or proposing is a simple matter of enforcing laws already on the books, or streamlining processes already required. When it comes to cutting the access to guns for those attempting suicide, it seems like a cause that gun advocates themselves should readily embrace.
Coal to Wilkes-Barre City officials for letting the City Hall fire escape deteriorate to the point of being a hazard rather than a safety feature. According to staff writer Jerry Lynott’s story, it is not a major problem thanks to a change in state codes, but it is still an unflattering development, considering fire protection and safety is a primary service of municipal governments.