A patriotic cheer for Cole, Cory and Caden Ferguson, the sons of Mars School Board President Dayle Ferguson.

The Ferguson brothers, all students of Mars School District, will carry on the 9-11 Never Forget program each September at the high school by placing more than 3,000 small American flags in the school's lawn along Route 228. School board members at their Monday meeting gave the ritual their ongoing blessing.

Cole, a junior, Cory, a freshman, and eighth-grader Caden Ferguson will place the flags in the grass near the electronic sign each September until Caden graduates in 2018.

The Fergusons will carry on a tradition initiated by the Thomas brothers — Bryan, Kyle and Tyler — the youngest of whom graduates this year.

“We ran out of brothers,” Bryan Thomas said.

The flags represent each victim of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Somerset County on Sept. 11, 2001.

“It's an important thing to continue because it's hard to forget such a tragic event,” Cole told the board — noting that he and his brothers are too young to actually remember the attacks.

Ferguson abstained from the vote, but not the praise of her boys. “I am proud of my sons every day, but I'm especially proud of them this evening,” she said.

She has every reason to be proud.

Jeers to the scrappers who stole a ton of steel — and Joe Rogers' livelihood — from a rental storage unit along Route 68 in Connoquenessing Township.Rogers, of Butler, operates a professional wrestling promotion company that he co-founded in 2010 with Anthony Celender. The unknown thieves stole, among other things, the 2,000-pound steel frame for his portable wrestling ring.Without the ring, Rogers says, he's essentially out of business.State police continue to investigate the heavy metal theft, which was discovered last weekend. Given the size and weight of Rogers' 16-foot-by-16-foot wrestling ring frame, investigators believe a burglary crew of some sort is involved.Rogers and the troopers believe the theft was done by scrap metal thieves who sell their loot for quick cash. Area scrap yards have been asked to be on the lookout for the ring, which is valued at about $4,000. Rogers has offered a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest or the return of his ring; as of Friday, there have been no leads in the investigation.Anyone with information can reach Rogers at 724-256-1774.

Cheers to the charitable organizations that provide a warm place for homeless or heatless Butler residents to get out of the cold.Demand for their free service is growing. A lack of affordable housing, a still-stumbling economy and some super cold weather are bringing record numbers of people to their facilities.The Winter Relief Center at 100 Center Ave., which is Butler County’s only overnight warming center, has sheltered 681 visitors so far this winter; last winter it had 629 people between November and March, said Bill Halle, shelter founder and director of the Grace Youth and Family Foundation.In addition to a cot for the night, the center provides dinner, breakfast and some packed lunches.The center, now in its fourth year, is averaging about 10 people a night and has hit as many as 17 in a night.It’s noteworthy, Halle said, that while a percentage of the visitors suffer mental health or drug issues and have chronic housing issues, they’re only a small percentage. The majority are people who are employed and have run into situations that caused problems. Many go on to find permanent housing.Other shelters include the Light of Life Community Outreach at North Street Christian Church, 220 W. North St., which is open to everyone from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays; and the Grapevine Center, 140 N. Elm St., which opens at 10 a.m.Together they provide a necessity that many of us take for granted.