Cheer

Forward Township resident Thomas Zoelle, who pulled off a seriously close call of a belly landing at Butler County Airport on Tuesday, deserves a big round of applause.

The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into what went wrong with the single-engine 1977 Pipe Cherokee Arrow that Zoelle was flying when its landing gear malfunctioned and forced him into an emergency landing on a runway.

In the meantime let’s recognize Zoelle for the skilled and focused pilot he proved himself to be. He rescued himself and an unnamed passenger from a life-threatening situation and, in the process, wowed emergency responders and airport officials with his ability to cope with an enormously stressful situation.

That’s not a skill you can learn in a simulation or flying classes; you’ve either got what it takes, or you don’t. Mr. Zoelle showed that he’s got it in spades.

Jeer

What’s playing out in a Pittsburgh courtroom over the alleged conduct of Perry O’Malley, the former executive director of the Butler County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, is deeply troubling.

O’Malley was fired in March by the authority’s board amid allegations that he abused authority resources and his sick and vacation leave time. He appealed to the state, claiming that he was fired because of his age and political affiliations.

Attorney Neva Stotler, hired by the authority to investigate, testified Thursday at a hearing on that appeal that there was “no question” O’Malley had acted improperly.

O’Malley’s attorney hasn’t had a chance to cross-examine Stotler yet, but the details don’t paint a flattering portrait: $900 in roaming charges on O’Malley’s government-issued cell phone during a personal trip to the Bahamas isn’t a good look.

Neither is being out of the office 45 percent of the time over a two-year span — another part of O’Malley’s alleged conduct about which Stotler testified Thursday.

It seems as though we read about government corruption, nepotism and abuses by public employees more and more frequently. Now it’s hitting close to home in a way those other stories never could.

Cheer

Thousands of people once again inundated downtown Butler last weekend, for the 37th annual Fall Festival, which was an unqualified success. That’s because of the dedicated people working behind the scenes to make it happen.

Volunteers work all year to plan the festival, said organizer Sheri Hershberger. It’s good to see their hard work rewarded with big crowds.

The festival is a high point for many groups, from the county’s trail council to nonprofit organizations like Butler Relay for Life, which kicks off its annual campaign at the event.

At its core the festival is good, old-fashioned family fun that promotes connecting with people from communities around the county.

Butler is greatly enriched by their dedicated work, which helps to strengthen those connections each year.