Cheer

A bank robbery suspect is in custody and nobody got hurt.

Nice job.

Butler police apprehended Kevin Franklin on Friday, about 24 hours after Franklin was alleged to have held up the NexTier Bank at Diamond Park. Franklin, 35, of Butler, is being held on two felony counts of robbery.

Police officers said they identified Franklin from surveillance cameras in the bank at the time of the 9:32 a.m. robbery.

They said the suspect entered the bank and demanded, “Give me all the hundreds you have and twenties and fifties too.” The clerk complied, handing him $2,260 from the teller’s drawer.

Franklin was seen running south on South Main Street before police lost track of him — until he was found the next day — walking south on South Main Street.

Jeer

Pushing a $14.8 million sewage system in Connoquenessing Township is a lot like playing SimCity in the Woodlands.

For the uninitiated, SimCity is a computer video game in which players build and manage a modern metropolis. The objective is to grow your city while keeping its residents prosperous, safe and happy.

It’s what the Connoquenessing supervisors and engineers want to accomplish with a proposed sewage treatment plant — while using the residents’ money to build it.

Unfortunately — and also for the uninitiated, the township includes pockets of population like the Woodlands neighborhood, where residents would rather demand donations of bottled water than come together and discuss practical solutions for their bad water wells.

About 100 residents showed up for a public hearing on Thursday to tell the supervisors what they can do with their sewer plan.

The residents won’t be persuaded that municipal water and sewers will lay the groundwork for future growth. The potential for commercial development is not why they chose to live in Conno. They don’t want to be bothered.

You want SimCity? Go to Cranberry.

Cheer

It’s the polar opposite of divide and conquer. Unite and prevail.

After more than 30 years of dormancy, an ecumenical ember glows again in Butler. Six downtown congregations are conducting Wednesday evening Lenten services together — St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran, St. Paul Roman Catholic, St. Peter’s Anglican, Covenant Presbyterian. Saint Andrew Presbyterian and First United Methodist — are taking turns hosting the 45-minute services and following receptions.

“This allows us to come to know each other, encourage each other and share the common witness of God’s grace and service to the Butler community,” says the Rev. Alden Towberman, pastor of St Mark’s, which hosted the first service on Feb. 17.

That doesn’t mean the denominations agree on everything — nor should they. After all, some doctrinal rifts go back 500 years and have been the subject of wars.

But it’s no big challenge finding common spiritual foes in the mission field of Butler. And as the Rev. Andrew DeFusco, pastor of St. Peter’s Anglican puts it: “In many ways we have more in common than we do differences.”

The church is still working hard at being the church. That’s worthy of a cheer.