If the Butler High School student responsible for the shooting threat in the Mars School District during the past week thought he was just having fun, that student faces a rude awakening.

Whether the information enabling police to solve the incident resulted from a tip provided anonymously or otherwise, authorities got the right piece of information to bring the investigation to what appears to be a successful conclusion.

According to a news release from the Middlesex Township Police Department received by the Butler Eagle Friday afternoon, the suspect will be charged through Butler County Juvenile Court and is in the court's custody.

"There is no longer a threat to any student of the Mars Area School District," the news release said. "It is believed, after the interview (with the suspect) that there was no intent to harm any Mars Area School District student(s)."

Fortunately, it has been determined that a purported threat aimed at the Seneca Valley School District, also during the past week, was the result of the "rumor mill," not any real intent to harm anyone.

The Mars case involved the threat of a shooting at the high school Wednesday. A high school student told administrators Monday that a caller last weekend had threatened to shoot the student Wednesday.

The threat apparently was the cause of a high absentee rate at the school on Wednesday, as parents and students understandably feared what might occur.

The Seneca Valley case, which was said to have originated on a MySpace account online, allegedly indicated use of a gun but did not identify specific targets.

Gone are the days when threats of any kind involving schools are taken lightly. Since that apparently hadn't sunk in as of the past week for the youth responsible for the Mars threat, he is now hearing the message loud and clear.

School authorities and police departments in the two school districts handled the situations responsibly. But humor was the last thing on anyone's mind.

For about a year, three burglars who stole about $3,000 in golf clubs, other equipment and beer from the Serene Valley Golf Course in Summit Township might have thought they had committed the perfect crime.What they didn't count on was the determination of the state police to solve the burglary, which occurred about Aug. 20, 2006. That persistence paid off Wednesday when the police arrested Travis James Clyde, 19, of Ellwood City, who was implicated by two youths who also allegedly took part in the crime.One of the youths, who lives in Jackson Center, had emerged as a suspect last summer, and last August the police obtained a confession from him that implicated the other youth and Clyde.In October, the police interrogated the other youth, who already was being held in the Mercer County Jail on other charges. He implicated the Jackson Center youth and Clyde.It's commonly thought that the longer a crime remains unsolved, the less likely it will be solved. To the credit of the state police, this case is an exception.It must be acknowledged that Clyde, who has refused to cooperate with police in the investigation, must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Nevertheless, by Clyde's arrest, the police have delivered an important message that other criminals — or individuals contemplating a crime — should consider.That is never to feel too secure that a crime committed or contemplated is, or will be, the "perfect crime."

The Grove City Area United Way's fundraising team deserves praise for exceeding its $220,000 goal.People who have followed the annual campaign's progress over the years are surprised and excited about how soon the goal was met and exceeded this time. The amount collected was reported as $223,000, and Amy Foley, executive director, said some donations remained to be counted. According to Foley, more than 100 businesses and organizations contributed to the current campaign and there were more than 170 individual contributions.What should not go unnoticed is the campaign gift by General Electric employees, who increased their giving by 20 percent over last year.Ernie May, a campaign co-chair, said, "I would say, this was a very proactive campaign with the division chairmen, the board and all the volunteers working hard to make it successful."The agencies and people who depend on the United Way's services should be thankful that there are such dedicated people working hard on their behalf.