Justin Angerette, 32, of 340 Virginia Ave. should have considered all of the possible negative ramifications before opening himself to a third drunken-driving conviction in less than 10 years.

Instead of becoming combative after Judge Timothy McCune handed down his sentence, which includes three months in the Butler County Prison followed by 9 months on house arrest with electronic monitoring, Angerette should have accepted his fate in a quiet spirit of determination not to get in trouble again, rather than protest paying the penalty he was assessed for his crime.

In objecting to the prison time, Angerette said he feared the time behind bars would jeopardize his employment as a plumber's apprentice. If that happens, it would be unfortunate.

But delivering a stern message to Angerette because he didn't heed two previous court DUI messages is more important than Angerette's job situation, since innocent people are at heightened risk anytime an intoxicated driver gets behind the wheel of a vehicle.

McCune merits praise for not giving Angerette "just one more chance" and hoping for the best. That didn't work the first two times.

Angerette told the judge that he is determined to be an upstanding citizen, and that represents hope for the future. But first Angerette must learn his lesson the hard way and recognize that the penalty for a next offense, if one were to occur, would be even more unpalatable.

Whatever he loses in the months ahead will be his own fault. He should have thought of that before he risked becoming a three-time DUI offender — and lost.

The state Department of Transportation merits praise for its work in keeping the Wayne Street Viaduct project in Butler on track.Construction has taken another step toward getting under way with PennDOT's selection of a contractor for the new span.And for county residents who prefer that locally based companies land contracts for local projects, they got their wish with PennDOT's selection of Mekis Construction of Fenelton to build the bridge.Mekis won the contract on the basis of its low bid of $9.5 million. Seven other contractors sought the construction pact.According to PennDOT Engineering District 10, which is based in Indiana, project work is expected to get started in early August. PennDOT expects the existing viaduct to remain open to traffic until spring, when detours will be posted.The project's completion date has not yet been set; that date won't be available until after Mekis submits its construction schedule to the state transportation agency.The viaduct will complete modernization of access to the downtown business district from the south.Coupled with the new General Richard Butler Bridge, the Wayne Street span not only will improve efficiency of travel inbound and outbound and be a safety asset, but also will erase deterioration that had projected a rusty, city-in-decline image that had worked against Butler's efforts to be attractive to new enterprises.The new Wayne Street Viaduct will be a major partner of other redevelopment efforts envisioned for the city. PennDOT gets a thumbs-up for how it has kept the project moving in the right direction without delays, despite all of the concerns about highway money that have evolved over the past couple of years.Awarding of the contract is a giant step forward that many of the people who travel through the city regularly have eagerly awaited since plans to build a new span were announced.

Too often, stories about school bus drivers and their passengers involve disrespect, bad behavior, even physical violence. No doubt, the bad relationships between some drivers and the students they transport are not the norm, but they do make news.So it is worth celebrating the special relationship between Greg Fittinghoff, a driver for A.J. Meyers & Sons, and the students he has transported to and from Connoquenessing Valley Elementary School in Evans City for eight years.Approaching his retirement as a driver, Fittinghoff sent letters to the parents of the kids on his bus, thanking them for allowing him to take their children to and from school.It turns out that Fittinghoff's appreciation of the children was a mirror-image of the appreciation the children, and their parents, had for him. Last month, on the final day of the extended school year, Fittinghoff was greeted on his final route by a banner stretched across the street at his South Jefferson Street stop proclaiming "Happy Retirement" and signed by the children on his bus.His response of "Oh my goodness gracious," seems to reflect the man perfectly — goodness and graciousness.School bus drivers, depending on the character and temperament of the children they transport, can have a challenging or a rewarding job.The relationship between a bus driver and his or her students is, naturally, a two-way street. Both parties have to do their part to make a special relationship. In Fittinghoff's case, he knew all the children by name and offered them regular hugs and handshakes. He held holiday coloring contests and featured the kids' art in the bus.With that sort of love and attention, it's no wonder one mother gushed, "The kids just absolutely adore this man. He's just a kind, kind soul."And one of the children on his bus paid him the ultimate compliment, saying, "He's awesome."