Laurel: To healthy commitment. The Highmark Foundation is putting its money where its mission is by pouring funding into schools to support health and fitness programs.

Across Pennsylvania and West Virginia, 81 schools are sharing in a $454,400 pool from the foundation’s School Grants and Awards program. In the Tribune-Review’s footprint, those districts include Highlands, Fox Chapel Area, Kiski Area, New Kensington-Arnold, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem and Norwin, as well as the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit 7 and Queen of Angels Catholic School.

Some of the supported programs include things on the sporty end of the spectrum, like the updated fitness room at Highlands Middle School. The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit’s money will go toward improvements at the Wolf Den Cafe at Clairview School in Hempfield and supporting life skills programs as well as healthy nutrition for all students.

Overall, the grants are a way to take non-taxpayer money and let schools use it to find innovative ways to develop student well-being — in body and mind.

Lance: To not enough information. Hempfield Township supervisors and manager Jason Winters aren’t opening up about what “improvements to township property” are included in an application for $3 million from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant.

Why? Why shroud something in secrecy when there is enough of a plan to ask for state money? It is public property and the township is seeking public funds. This should not be classified information. In fact, having the plans out there might encourage other donors to step up and participate.

The grant application is due Aug. 19, so maybe after it is filed, the state will reveal what Hempfield officials have kept secret. And if we are relying on the state to be more transparent than local government, that’s a sad commentary.

Lance: To being completely oblivious. Charles Jason Hunter of Greensburg was sentenced in April to 84 to 168 years in prison. In an appeal this week, his lawyer argued that the de facto life sentence was just too long.

Really?

Hunter was convicted of 22 counts, including rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and child pornography. He was charged after his own mother turned over video evidence.

“The aggregate sentence is unduly harsh, considering the nature of the crimes and the length of imprisonment,” wrote defense attorney Douglas Sepic in court documents.

Exactly what does the defense consider an appropriate sentence when the nature of the crime is raping a 5-year-old child? Many would argue the crime itself was what was unduly harsh, not the punishment.

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