Laurels & lances: New job, big loss
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Lance: To a terrible grief. The line-of-duty shooting of Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire is something that should never have happened. It’s more than the family should have to bear, and it’s a sorrow that spreads to a community not only robbed of an important leader but also of a sense of safety.
Because of that, counseling resources are being offered to Highlands School District students and the community at large.
But, if there is anything people don’t need at a time like this, it’s confusion about what is and isn’t a way to help. On Wednesday, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office warned of a GoFundMe page that was purporting to raise money for McIntire’s family but was unconnected with any known legitimate efforts on their behalf.
Although spokesperson Mike Manko said there is no active investigation of the incident, people were advised not to donate. GoFundMe took the page down and banned the organizer.
Laurel: To a new job. While state Sen. Kim Ward of Hempfield is embarking on the new role of Senate president pro tempore, she also has been tasked with a second — albeit temporary — job.
The pro tem is the highest office in the state Senate, elected from the ranks of the majority. As a Republican in the GOP-led Senate, Ward briefly will have the job of second-in-command to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.
Austin Davis stepped down from his role as state representative after being elected lieutenant governor, but he won’t be able to do that job until he and Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro are inaugurated Jan. 17. Former Lt. Gov. John Fetterman had to step away from his state responsibilities to take on his new office as U.S. senator.
That means, for two weeks, Ward will be the first woman to serve as both pro tem and lieutenant governor.
She won’t be the first Senate head to do the job. Her predecessor, Jake Corman, did it after Fetterman had a stroke in May. Joe Scarnati did the same after the death of Catherine Baker Knoll in 2008 and Robert Jubelirer after Gov. Tom Ridge resigned to become the first Homeland Security adviser in 2001.
But none of the men who have done that job had it dropped on their plate at the beginning of their tenure leading the Senate. It might just be two weeks, but it’s quite a weight to carry.