Laurels & lances: Results, delays and education

Tribune-Review | Friday, December 30, 2022 5:01 a.m.

Paul Guggenheimer | Tribune-Review

A long line of passengers, many of whom had their flights cancelled, waits to speak with Southwest Airlines representatives Tuesday morning at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Laurel: To finishing up. The 2022 election is officially complete, as far as the state of Pennsylvania is concerned.

The Department of State announced this week that the acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman has completed certification of results.

That process was delayed because of recounts and challenges in 27 of 67 counties. While most petitions were dismissed, judges in 19 precincts across six counties did authorize recounts.

This paves the way for legislators — state and national — to be sworn in next week and for Josh Shapiro to trade his place as Pennsylvania’s attorney general for a new role as governor on Jan. 17.

And all of that is just in time for special elections for three Allegheny County seats in February, and as candidacy for city and county races in 2023 is being announced.

Lance: To failure to lift off. Southwest Airlines has thrown holiday travel into a tailspin with thousands of canceled flights nationwide.

Dozens of those were out of Pittsburgh International Airport. Even more had Pittsburgh as a stop or a final destination, leaving hundreds of people confused about how and when they would get where they were going.

The weather was definitely a factor, as the frigid winter storm created problems for other airlines, too. But those issues were more obviously pinned to the snow and affected many fewer flights. The huge disparity in the number of affected flights for Southwest is prompting the Department of Transportation to investigate.

Southwest can’t be held accountable for the temperature or precipitation. The company should be held accountable for other business decisions or breakdowns if they contributed to the difference between a few canceled flights and a few thousand.

Laurel: To a proactive plan. A nonprofit has created an online course to address opioid addiction where it often starts — with a prescription.

The Rothman Opioid Foundation for Opioid Research & Education is using an Appalachian Region Commission grant for almost $2 million to create the free online program.

Narcotics are a medical necessity for many people, and that has to be acknowledged. But addressing the reality of prescriptions and their role in addiction is an important part of a multi-pronged effort to fight opioid addiction and its deadly fallout.