Nov 22, 2024 3 min read

Cheers: A severe summertime drought is typically not good news, but it has had one unexpectedly good side effect in this region – it has lowered the water level in Yough Lake to such an extent that it has allowed a 206-year-old stone bridge to emerge from the depths. Thousands of visitors have been flocking to see the Great Crossings Bridge, which opened July 4, 1818, with President James Monroe in attendance. It had until recently been under 50 feet of water. The 375-foot span, located on the border of Fayette and Somerset counties, was once part of the National Road and it was in use until the 1940s, when the creation of the nearby Yough Dam put it and the town of Somerfield underwater. Along with the bridge, remnants of the little town have also resurfaced, such as sidewalks and the foundations of homes. Rostraver resident Michelle Hinerman said, “I’ve seen it low before, but nothing like this. (The bridge is) beautiful architecturally. It’s beautifully built. Just something neat to see.”

Cheers: Cheers to the reemergence of Laurel Highlands graduate Keondre DeShields. The two-sport star who had a huge impact on the Mustangs’ football and basketball teams in his high school career spent last year playing NCAA Division-I football for St. Francis as a wide receiver but saw little action and eventually made the decision to transfer to Penn West California. He now is a member of the Vulcans’ NCAA Division-II basketball program and made a successful return to his hometown area when he came off the bench to sink three of four 3-point attempts and five of seven shots overall in scoring 14 points in a 115-76 win at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus last week. DeShields helped Laurel Highlands’ football team win its first conference championship and its first playoff game along with its first home playoff game during his junior and senior seasons. In basketball he played a starring role on LH’s 2022 WPIAL championship team.

Jeers: Today is the 61st anniversary of the murder of President John F. Kennedy, a fact that will likely be noted in passing by some media outlets, but won’t be given a whole lot of attention. This is understandable, since this is not an anniversary that ends in a 0 or a 5. Plus, there is also the simple and sad reality that there are fewer and fewer Americans who are alive today who remember hearing the awful bulletins from Dallas on that Friday afternoon in November 1963. It’s estimated that only about 20% of Americans have any recollection of it. To even faintly recall it, you would have had to have been about 5 years old, which means you are now about 66, and either retired or rapidly heading toward it. Of course, Kennedy remains an object of fascination for historians, and the Kennedy family continues to make headlines, but the number of Americans who remember “Camelot” is shrinking by the day. This should serve as a reminder to hear the recollections of older relatives, whether it’s about American history or their own lives, while they are still here to offer them.