May 9, 2025 2 min read

Jeer: After more than 20 years of delays, REAL ID requirements took effect Wednesday without much impact to the flying public. In the days leading up to the deadline, long lines were the norm at the state’s Department of Transportation license centers after people were told, ad nauseum, that they wouldn’t be able to get on a plane without the identification or a valid passport. It turns out that travelers with the proper documents to confirm identity won’t be denied boarding flights – at least for now – but it will likely cost extra screening time at the airport. Moral of the story: If you plan to fly, do yourself a favor and get REAL ID. It will save time and aggravation.

Cheers: Kudos to California senior Lee Qualk for showing the athletic prowess that made him one of the area’s best football players who can also transition over to track and field. Qualk won the long jump at Friday’s Baldwin Invitational meet with a leap of 23 feet, 5.5 inches. He was the lone local athlete to take home gold at the meet. What made his accomplishment even more impressive was that it came against some of the best WPIAL athletes from all classifications, not just Class AA, which is the level at which the Trojans compete. Next up for Qualk is next week’s WPIAL individual championships.

Cheers: It’s National Nurses Week, and we would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation for those compassionate men and women who selflessly spend their days and nights delivering health care. The first National Nurses Week was observed in October 1954, and President Richard Nixon proclaimed National Nurses Week in 1974. In 1990, the American Nurses Association extended the celebration to mark May 6 through 12 as Nurses Week. “Nurses are an integral part of care delivery. Nurses are at the heart of it, they are the heart of the care we provide,” said Jeff Alvarez, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services at UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. We couldn’t agree more.