Knoch High School teen dies texting while driving
By Natalie Paonessa, senior
Alexis Summers, 17, of Knoch High School in Jefferson Township died in a car accident on November 1st while texting. A witness saw Summers swerve off of Hannahstown Road into two trees before calling the police for assistance.
Although police found Summers’ phone with the typed message, friends and relatives of Summers refuse to believe that she would ever attempt texting while driving. Her grandfather, Dick Madison, believes that a deer may have distracted Summers according to dailymail.co.uk. A neighbor near the sight of Summers’ crash, Pam Poston heard the accident and was the first to call 911. Although the paramedics came quickly, when Posten checked on Summers, she wasn't moving.
Though there are controversies over the reason for the crash, Summers’ family is struggling through their second loss of a child. Summers’ two year old brother died 9 years ago and the family was just starting to recover from that loss. Summers’ mother, Tammy, advises parents, “Just love your children. Hold them in your arms tonight, tightly. Don't ever say goodnight without hugging and kissing them and loving them,” according to dailymail.co.uk.
While Knoch High School students mourn the loss of Summers, they remark on the benevolence of Summers’ attitude and her great spirits. On the Wednesday following Summers’ death, friends and family held a gathering at the tree where Summers was killed in grievance and remembrance of her.
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Among the group that came together were Summers’ fellow cheerleaders and friends that had to come to say goodbye. Classmates like Abby Beck, Luke Pelkofer, Ashley Cheek, and an array of other students had only nice things to say about Summers’s effect on the people around her. According to pittsburghlive.com, Abby Beck, a high school friend, claimed that Summers “didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She was the biggest sweetheart.” Another friend of Summers’, Cheek, commended her fellow cheerleader for “her talent in cheerleading and gymnastics. She took a lot of pride in being competitive.” Pelkofer remarks that Summers was “the seniors’ guardian angel.”
Although Summers will always be remembered for her benevolent nature and loyalty to her friends, she will also be remembered by her church as a religious young woman who kept her faith close to heart. Rev. Chris Marshall recalls his Summers being her attendance at church every Sunday with her family and her contribution to Bible study. Summers’ family is now depending on their “faith to sustain them” and guide them through this tragedy reported by dailymail.co.uk.
Just eight hours before the car accident occurred, the state Senate of Pennsylvania developed a bill to outlaw texting while driving. Although the bill is not in effect yet, police hope that drivers take Summers’ death into account before they attempt to text and drive.
The governor, Tom Corbett, felt very strongly that this bill should be passed and was eager to get it into effect. Corbett states, “No text message is worth a human life. The message of this legislation is drive now and text later.” The bill will go into effect in early March according to handsfreeinfo.com which informs readers of the $50 fine that police intend to impose on texting drivers.
Peters Township dead teen rememberedBy Natalie Paonessa, senior
On October 26th 1981, Christine Guenther disappeared after leaving Peters Township High School early for a doctor’s appointment. Her body was found 5 days later on Halloween and the community still remembers and honors her, according to the observer-reporter.com. Her friends and family honor the memory of Guenther all ways possible and hope to raise awareness of the safety dangers in the community.
Although experts were able to recognize that the cause of death was due to small axe wounds, everyone is still puzzled to this day of who murdered Guenther. Due to the lack of resolution for Guenther’s death, friends and family continue to mourn this tragedy in recognition of their deceased friend. Guenther has a facebook page and website dedicated to the solving of her death and convicting the murderer that was never found. An organization called “Friends of Guenther” plans on holding a memorial for her on the 29th starting at St. Benedict the Abbot Church in McMurray and ending with a billboard message displayed at the meeting of Valley Brook and Washington Roads.
Through the use of the billboard, the police hope to pressure the murderer into guilt while “Friends of Guenther” hope to keep the memory of Guenther alive in the community. "I'm hoping that by looking at the billboard, someone will remember; but people don't like to remember bad things that happen in good places," states Christine Patrizio Wallace, childhood friend of Guenther, according to the observer-reporter.com.
By having these memorials, not only does it keep the memory of Guenther in the mind of the citizens but also raises the awareness of the dangers that can happen in the community. Ptcrimewatch.blogspot.com monitors events like this one so that people can be reminded of the safety that children of the community need even when it appears all is safe. An anonymous participant of the “Friends of Guenther” states that “fear still exists in us, only now we're adults and more empowered to do something about it,” according to ptcrimewatch. The community hopes to prevent tragedies like Guenther’s case to ever happen again.
Pittsburgh “makes strides against breast cancer”
By Natalie Paonessa, senior
On October 29th, Americans all over the nation will be attempting to make a difference by participating in the “Making Strides against Breast Cancer” 5K walk. Pittsburgh will be hosting the 2nd annual walk by the North Shore at 7:30am. By volunteering to walk as an individual or joining a walking team, citizens can make a difference by raising money and awareness in the local area.
Through visiting the website makingstrides.com, people are able to sign up to walk and play their part in the community to raise money for breast cancer. Last year citizens were able to raise almost $200,000. This year, participants hope to gain even more entrants and raise $100,000 more from last year.
With no registration fee, volunteers can walk a 5K along the river ending across from Heinz stadium and raise money for breast cancer from donations. Through their efforts, volunteers contribute their time and money to promote a worthy subject in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Companies can participate also as “teams” and donate large amounts while advertising their businesses. Volunteers and companies have the opportunity to become a “pacesetters” if they donate large amounts of money.
By participating in this event, walkers are representing themselves or anyone they may know who has been affected by breast cancer. The money raised goes to encouraging women to live healthy lives and lessen the risk of breast cancer, to regular testing of breast cancer for all women, to providing physical and emotional help to those who are struggling with breast cancer, to the research of preventing and stopping breast cancer and to support laws that implement changes for breast cancer testing accessibility according to makingstrides.com.
Anyone willing to step up and represent their community for breast cancer awareness can go onto makingstrides.com to sign up to participate in the free event.
