Laurels and barbs
Laurel: Randy Cox, who recently retired early from his job as Somerset Borough’s police chief as he fights cancer, was honored Monday as a professional, community-minded leader with integrity. Somerset Area School District Superintendent Krista Mathias said Cox has made a point of building relationships with students, teachers and staffers: “Under the chief’s leadership … they know our schedules and our routines, and they know when something is out of place.” Earlier, Somerset Mayor Fred Rosemeyer said of Cox: “He is very much involved in community policing. His officers are trained in areas that a lot of borough officers are not trained for, including mental health. That’s because of Randy. And by law, police must be yearly tested with their weapons at a gun range; Randy makes sure his officers are tested twice a year. It’s an added expense, but it shows his commitment.”
Laurel: Also on Monday, three Somerset police officers – Kevin Huszek, Eric Grus and Sgt. Stephen Borosky – received medals of valor and merit. Huszek ran into a burning home in March to rescue a woman from the basement, and Borosky and Grus lifted her to safety through a broken window, then pulled Huszek out of the basement.
Barb: A new study details a “severe” shortage of teachers in this region and across Pennsylvania. The state coalition #PANeedsTeachers says Cambria and Somerset counties each need at least 30 more qualified teachers, that 16% of teachers in Cambria County and 15% in Somerset County are novice teachers, and that attrition rates in both counties are high. Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Amy Arcurio said she can’t remember another time when there were so many vacant teaching jobs and so few applicants.
Barb: Speaking of shortages, the plummeting number of child care providers in Pennsylvania is “crisis-level,” said Leah Spangler, head of The Learning Lamp, which closed its Northern Cambria center in April due to a lack of staff. That closure added to the loss of about 400 child care spots in Cambria County over the past four years; roughly 38 seats have been lost in Somerset County. Spangler attributed the problem to low pay for child care workers, who make about $12 per hour on average in Pennsylvania; she has pushed for more state support for the industry. “I think the pandemic has really shone a light on what was a problem before,” said Jen DeBell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children. “Frankly, things are just not getting better.”
Laurel: On a brighter note, The Learning Lamp last week showed off upgrades to its Somerset child care center that increased its capacity to 121 children and added room for kids in each age group to have their own space. “The work that happens in this building and every early childhood program in Somerset is the foundation on which the future of our community rests,” Spangler said. “Early childhood educators like those in this building are literally shaping the Somerset County of tomorrow.”
Barb: Former Somerset County District Attorney and current SCI-Waymart inmate Jeffrey Thomas entered a no-contest plea Tuesday to a misdemeanor simple assault charge in Cambria County court. Prosecutors said a witness, through the video-calling app FaceTime, saw Thomas repeatedly punch his wife in 2021. He was sentenced to two years of probation, which will run concurrently with the 2 1/2- to seven-year state prison term he is serving on his conviction for strangulation with sexual violence, criminal trespass and other counts in a separate case.
Laurel: The Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership and other downtown boosters worked this past weekend to neaten downtown Johnstown and get it ready to welcome visitors as a slate of spring and summer events nears. “We need to redd up because company is coming,” said Visit Johnstown head Lisa Rager. “For some people, this will be their first impression of our community, and whether it’s positive or negative can impact whether they decide to come back or not.”
Barb: The Turks and Caicos government detained a Somerset County man, Bryan Hagerich, and several other Americans on charges of bringing ammunition into the British overseas territory. Hagerich, the administrator of The Patriot care home in Somerset, had been facing criminal charges that could result in a 12-year prison sentence. He has told national media that the act was a “simple mistake” and that the shotgun shells discovered in his luggage were likely left there after a previous hunting trip. Fortunately, on Friday he received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a fine of $6,700, which means he can leave the islands after he pays the fine.
