Butler County is all too familiar with the tragedy that can ensue when a trailer or equipment breaks loose from the vehicle towing it.

In 2006, a Cranberry Township man and two of his three triplets were killed when their minivan was struck by a 5,000-pound woodchipper that had broken away from the truck pulling it.

That accident happened on Route 8, just south of the Butler County-Allegheny County line.

On Tuesday, also on Route 8 but just over the line in Middlesex Township, Butler County, a trailer hauling a skid loader and pavement roller broke loose from the commercial-sized dump truck that was pulling it, causing considerable damage on the property of Hoover's Olde Plank Restaurant. In addition, a number of other vehicles on the highway during the rush-hour incident were damaged.

Fortunately, no one was injured, although the potential for serious injuries or fatalities was clearly present.

Since the accident, investigators have concluded that negligence on the part of the company owning the truck and equipment — Rock Bottom Paving, Inc., of Fenton, Del. — was the root cause of Tuesday's incident. Investigators said a hitch had not been locked, and safety chains attached to the trailer that were intended to hold it in place in case of hitch failure were too small to support the load.

Middlesex police filed four traffic citations against Rock Bottom on Wednesday. If found guilty, the company deserves no leniency in connection with the penalties that are meted out.

It was an ugly scene at the 2006 accident, upsetting those who witnessed it. Tuesday's accident also could have produced tragic results to anyone moving items and people, but fortunately didn't.

Tuesday's accident should be a reminder to all companies that move equipment in a similar way during the course of conducting their operations. It's never a waste of time to ensure that all precautions are in place before beginning a trip.

The more than 260 Butler County residents who were inducted into the Pennsylvania Voter Hall of Fame on Sept. 13 truly are the foundation on which elections here have been built for the last half-century.Meanwhile, it's interesting to note that, of the 17,000-plus people who are Hall of Fame members statewide, nearly 900 hail from this county — an exemplary accomplishment.During the honors ceremony held at the Tanglewood Center, the new inductees able to attend were presented a certificate signed by Gov. Tom Corbett and Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele.Aichele was the main speaker at the ceremony.“Voting is the most basic means by which we, the people, keep control of our government,” she said.Over the past half-century, it was these inductees who traveled to the polls, in good weather or bad, in years with a small ballot and those with an extensive one, during elections that were exciting and those that were ho-hum, during elections when a low turnout was predicted and during those when a commendable turnout was anticipated.These were the people who lived the message that Charles Fuellgraf, 79, of Butler voiced at the ceremony: “Win or lose, I want to have a voice in my government.”The Sept. 13 ceremony was the first held here since the late 1990s, according to Shari Brewer, county elections director. Such ceremonies should be held every five years, if there are a number of new people eligible for the award.As part of those ceremonies, it would be well if more elected officials would make time to attend. Those in office owe their service in part to people such as this year's inductees.The new inductees are a source of pride not only to Butler County, but to the state and nation as well.

The Pittsburgh Pirates assured themselves of their 19th consecutive losing season when they lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept 14.That’s the longest losing streak in history among the four major North American sports.But to the Pirates’ credit, this season displayed strong promise for the future.Not only was the team in or fighting for first place for weeks leading up to the All-Star break, but it has a nucleus of young players who seem destined to become much better next year and beyond.This is a Pirates team that energized fans and bolstered game attendance. Meanwhile, this 2011 campaign demonstrated that the Bucs have, in Clint Hurdle, a manager capable of molding the team into a season-long pennant contender.There is an excellent chance that the Pirates’ losing-season record won’t continue beyond this season. It will be interesting to watch what Bucs management does over the winter months to strengthen some of the team’s weaknesses. It’s to be hoped that the team won’t make moves that it will be sorry about later.Management should keep in mind the attendance factor when considering off-season moves. People of Pittsburgh and its environs demonstrated this season that they won’t stay home when the Pirates organization fields an exciting team.Despite another losing season, the current team gave fans their money’s worth — as well as the promise of better things for 2012.