Adler Tree Service cleans up debris Friday on Robinson Run Road in Penn Township after Winter Storm Avery ripped through Butler County Thursday.Volunteers and others, like Sgt. Jack. D. Ripper, helped clear the roads using chain saws.

Penn Township police Sgt. Jack D. Ripper made good on his name Friday.

He proved deadly — for fallen trees blocking township roads.

But instead of a knife, he wielded a chain saw.

“I ran a chain saw for four hours,” he said. “Damned near every road in the township was blocked or closed.”

Penn's road department was out all day trying to hit as many roads as possible. Workers used their front-end loader to move the bigger stuff out of the way.

The fire department helped, too. So did Ripper.

“I went to the road crew and got a chain saw,” he said, “and went to work.”

East Airport, Winters and Lakevue roads were some of the roads he tackled between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Even a sort of citizen army sprung up, here and there, with residents taking up chain saws and taking matters into their owns hands.

“I appreciated that,” Supervisor Doug Roth said of the unprompted volunteerism. “But when that happened, I'm always hoping someone doesn't get hurt.”

There were so many blocked road that the township had to subcontract tree service businesses to share the load, said Roth, who also serves as public works director.

Read more in the Butler Eagle,