Cheers to alert residents of the 300 block of Virginia Avenue in Butler. They spotted suspicious activity at a vacant house next door and called police.

Officers arrested David E. Baker, 48, of Butler, who they said was well on his way to stripping the basement of copper pipes and wires when they nabbed him Tuesday afternoon.

The officers searched the basement and discovered a large pile of wires, several pieces of copper pipe, and an electrical box and breakers on the floor.

The officers also found a pipe wrench and hammer that they allege Baker used.

Police said Baker confessed to the crime; he intended to sell the metal. Scrap dealers currently are paying nearly $3 a pound for copper.

Police already had an arrest warrant for Baker in connection with an Oct. 3 break-in of a vacant house in the 100 block of College Street.

But even with the warrant, police could not close the case — not until they caught their suspect, red-handed, with the help of alert neighbors who did the right thing.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane got a no-confidence vote last week from the individual considered by many to be the state's second-highest ranking law enforcement officer, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams.Kane gets our no-confidence vote as well.Williams, a black Democrat, condemned Kane for making repeated false statements to justify shutting down an undercover sting that Williams revived, essentially on a dare from Kane.Williams said Kane, a fellow Democrat and the first woman ever to hold the elected position, claimed the investigation had been marred by racial targeting. But the evidence contradicted her claim, Williams said. A grand jury convened by Williams determined from testimony and internal documents that Kane's own staff denied racial prejudice had affected the case.The grand jury recommended criminal charges of bribery and other offenses against state Reps. Vanessa Lowery Brown and Ronald G. Waters. Williams announced those charges Tuesday, along with the tirade of criticism for Kane.Brown and Waters, along with Reps. Michelle Brownlee and Louise Williams Bishop, and Traffic Court Judge Thomasine Tynes, were secretly recorded while illegally accepting cash and gifts from an undercover informant. Tynes recently pleaded guilty to charges brought by Williams.All five of the sting targets are Philadelphia Democrats.All five also are black, a point Kane raised in explaining her rejection of the undercover case.Williams said no evidence exists of a racial motive. He accused Kane of lying about an affidavit proving racial motive — the affidavit apparently doesn't exist.“As an African American and as a law enforcement official, I was disgusted that the attorney general would bring racism into this case,” Williams said. “It's like pouring gasoline on the fire for no reason, no reason at all.”It's clear the integrity of the Office of Attorney General is in shambles. It's time for Kane to go.

Cheers to Makayla McMasters. The Allegheny Township resident's newborn son, Maddex, made a dramatic entrance, although a week early.It was the afternoon of Dec. 5 — about a week ahead of Maddex's due date — when McMasters went into early labor. By the time April McMasters, Makayla's mom, realized and called Butler County 911, it was too late to get her pregnant daughter to a hospital — the closest hospital, in Clarion, is 22 miles away.But 911 dispatcher Mark Bell knew what to do. Bell instructed the grandma-to-be, walking her through the home delivery. She got to deliver her own, 7-pound, 2-ounce grandson.“No hesitation of any sort,” April McMasters said, adding, “He had a such comforting voice and demeanor.”She credits Bell with preventing her from giving in to anxiety during the process.Bell said McMasters did a good job following instructions.“She was definitely excited,” he said. “We got her calmed down. She did everything we told her.”Bell and his superiors at county emergency services laud the new county automated Emergency Medical Dispatch system for helping expedite the delivery. The electronic EMD is faster, more efficient and more thorough than the flip-card system it replaced earlier this fall. The county paid $105,878 for the system. Nearly half the expense was paid by the state's 2012-13 allocation from wireless funds collected from fees assessed to cell phone users.It was money well spent. Just ask the McMasters family.