Cheers to Paul and Shannon Thomas and their four children. The family has maintained an attitude of thanks, regarding every new day together as a blessing, even knowing that two of their sons suffer from a debilitating disease that eventually will take their lives.

“Enjoy each day you are given,” Paul Thomas said in an interview for a story in Thursday's Butler Eagle.

Their two oldest children, Isaac, 12, and Jordan, 10, are terminally ill with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Even so, Paul and Shannon celebrate each sunrise. They say they've done so before they knew the boys were sick. They have no intention of ending the custom, even as the boys gradually lose their motor skills.

The Shannons credit their friends, family and faith — and the children themselves — for making each day worth relishing. They say friends and classmates help with the ever-changing routine as the boys' condition progresses. They have experienced the goodness of others who have helped them or made donations.

Shannon's sister, Julie Dutko of Georgia, recently described the family this way:

“Shannon and her husband, Paul, are blessed with an eternal perspective that comes with accepting God's sovereignty in all situations. They are thankful for each new day that they have to spend with their sons.”

Their example should inspire all of us to count our blessings.

It's all in the timing, unfortunately.Herman Oil and Gas, based in Clearfield Township, one of the smallest utility companies in Pennsylvania, is seeking a 149 percent base rate increase for its 419 customers. Herman has asked the Public Utility Commission's permission to raise its residential rate to $17.58 per thousand cubic feet. The current rate is $7.05Owner Andrew Smith points out Herman Oil and Gas has not raised its rates in 32 years, that its current rate is far below the Pennsylvania average, and the increase is needed to continue providing competent, reliable and safe service. These are all important factors for the PUC to consider when reviewing Herman's request.Too bad the company didn't file six years ago, when the state average retail price for natural gas was $16.22 per thousand cubic feet, according to the federal Energy Information Administration — not all that far from Herman's target. But since 2008, utility deregulation and increased competition in the form of customer choice have lowered the average price in Pennsylvania to $11.67.This is not a jeer for Smith or Herman Oil or the rate increase, since none of this is Smith's fault. He acquired the company in August 2013. Rather, it's a jeer for the PUC that was founded to protect small utilities, but now presents roadblocks and red tape to the smaller utilities, which can't afford the attorneys and research staff their larger counterparts employ. So they have to raise rates they've held in check for decades, and inevitably some customers will switch to lower-cost competitors as a result.And deregulation designed to enhance competition might actually be doing in some of the smaller competitors.

Cheers to a sustained focus on reducing traffic-related fatalities in Pennsylvania. PennDOT this past week reported the number of highway deaths on the state's highways fell to 1,208 during 2013. That's the lowest number since record-keeping began in 1928.In Butler County, fatalities fell by 36 percent, from 18 deaths in 2012 to 10 deaths in 2013 — a year during which there was just one DUI-related fatality, compared with nine in 2012.Announcing the decrease, PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch noted a significant decrease in unbuckled, speeding and single vehicle run-off-the-road related deaths. Unbuckled fatalities dropped from 503 in 2012 to 425. Speeding-related fatalities fell from 262 in 2012 to 193 last year. Deaths attributed to single-vehicle, run-off-the-road crashes declined to 566, down from 648 in 2012.Most heartening is the decrease in fatalities in crashes involving alcohol consumption, with 342 reported in 2013, compared with 377 in 2012.That's still 342 too many.As satisfying as these trends are, there are other trends that are disturbing. Fatal crashes involving distracted drivers are up — 64 deaths in 2013 and 57 in 2012. Fatalities in crashes involving drivers ages 75 and older also increased — 126 in 2012 and 142 last year. Scoch indicated PennDOT will continue to press its program of educating older drivers how to drive safely as their reaction times slow with age. PennDOT also is expected to continue a media campaign warning drivers about the dangers of texting while driving.Our state's highways are becoming safer, thanks to hard work and a focus on safe driving. The success is measurable, and we hope to see a continuation of it in coming years.