Darts & laurels: Great job on clearing snow
Published 6:08 am Thursday, December 13, 2018
- Crew leader Chris Hardin watches as a city dump truck returns from refueling in preparation for the upcoming snow event. The City of Salisbury Public Works Department was busy on Friday setting up their equipment in preparation of upcoming winter storm that has the potential of dropping 8 inches of snow and other frozen precipitation over the weekend. JON C. LAKEY / SALISBURY POST
Laurels to the crews that took care of area roads before, during and after Winter Storm Diego blew through North Carolina. Salisbury streets have never been cleared of snow more quickly after a snowstorm, thanks to the Public Services Department. There were more stubborn icy spots in the county; schools are running on a three-hour delay today. But when everything freezes up again overnight, precautions have to be taken.
Dart to the ongoing devastation the synthetic opioid fentanyl has brought to so many lives in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control confirmed on Wednesday what first responders have suspected for some time: Fentanyl is America’s deadliest drug. Of the 50 states, North Carolina had among the steepest increases in drug overdoses in 2017, largely driven by potent and cheap fentanyl and its derivatives.
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-Cabarrus, has been active in fighting the drug. “We’ve taken significant federal action to combat fentanyl — including cutting off foreign shipments and giving our local communities the resources they need to get these deadly drugs off our streets,” Hudson said Wednesday in response to the CDC report. “This report is a heartbreaking reminder that our work is not done.”
Laurels to people who have taken the time to learn more about the Rowan-Salisbury Schools’ proposed school consolidation plan by attending community meetings. Two have been held so far, and another is slated 5:30-6:30 p.m. today at South Rowan High School.
The meetings will only be meaningful, though, if the school board makes this truly a starting point in the consolidation discussion and not an empty exercise. Board members need to actively seek and listen to varying points of view. A survey posted online at ednc.org/RSS is a step in that direction. People can also address the school board during the public comment portion of its meetings, through letters and emails and through letters to the editor here at the Salisbury Post.
This is a big moment for education in Rowan County. Now is the time to get involved.