Laurels & lances: Stay sober & pay up

Laurel: To recognizing a reality. Not everyone drinks alcohol or indulges in other substances.

Some people don’t drink because they’re in recovery from alcoholism or other substance abuse. Some people can’t drink because of a medical condition, like pregnancy, diabetes or liver disease. Some may have an emotional or psychological reason to abstain. And some people just don’t like to be drunk or high or around others who are.

But that can be hard for society to accept. Whether it’s a wedding with an open bar or a tailgate with a free-flowing keg, it can sometimes seem like not drinking means not just abstaining from alcohol but going cold-turkey on fun.

Stage AE, the North Shore entertainment venue, has recognized that not all concertgoers want to drink and designated a portion of the site for them.

“We are proud to offer the Sober Sanctuary to ensure everyone enjoying a concert continues to feel included and fully enjoy their time here,” said Scot Steindecker, president of PromoWest and Stage AE.

The space is sponsored by nonprofits John’s Echo and Sage’s Army. It can be a safe location to watch a concert or just a place to take a break from less sober activities. That can meet the needs of music fans and those dealing with sobriety for whatever reason in whatever capacity they need.

It’s important to accept that going out doesn’t have to mean getting drunk or high. People who don’t want that should be accommodated and encouraged.

Lance: To an unsurprising ruling. Imagine our shock to find that Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services violated U.S. labor law.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV ordered the company — which operated 15 nursing homes in the region — to pay almost $36 million.

This was money the company owed to nearly 6,000 employees. It was $17.9 million in back pay and the same in damages.

Was it a mistake? Was it a computer glitch or a clerical error? The judge was explicit in saying it was done “willfully — if not maliciously.”

But what makes it so utterly predictable is how regularly Comprehensive appears in court accused of the willful and/or malicious.

In December 2023, Comprehensive was found guilty in criminal court of health care fraud — though five executives including owner and CEO Sam Halper were acquitted. Comprehensive was the owner of Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness in Beaver County, the nursing home that was a hot spot for covid deaths in 2020 and has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

Comprehensive has been fined for abuse and neglect, cited for not protecting patients from a sex offender, singled out by federal authorities for continuing deficiencies with no improvement and found guilty of fraud. Why would anyone be surprised the company owes employees millions in back pay?