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Shining rays of sun on some good news:
Two local school teachers are being credited with helping to save a man confined to a wheelchair from a potentially hazardous fire.
Jess Zorger and Joy Finochio were dropping off their children at local care centers when Zorger's daughter, Anna, noticed smoke coming from a home on Byron Avenue in Altoona.
Zorger and Finochio knew each other. As they quickly approached the home, they saw two wheelchairs on fire and a roof over the porch melting.
They hollered inside, and a man, Jason Muro, answered, "I'm handicapped, and I can't get out."
Muro said he heard his father, Tony, yelling as well.
As the teachers summoned help, Altoona police officer Nick Tartalone arrived and helped carry Muro out of the house and to safety.
The Altoona Fire Department brought the blaze under control in five minutes, quelling a situation that could have been a lot worse.
Kudos to Zorger and Finochio for their poised response.
A pair of longtime community leaders who passed away have been recognized for their service.
Rick Geist served the 79th District as a state representative for 34 years and was on the state transportation committee most of that time.
At the urging of state Rep. Lou Schmitt, who now occupies the 79th seat, the 17th Street bridge that crosses I-99 is now called The Honorable Richard A. Geist Memorial Bridge.
Geist, 74, died of a heart attack in 2019.
The tribute to Geist was held Friday -- the same day Altoona Mayor Matt Pacifico announced that the Altoona Transportation Center is being named the Patrick M. Miller Transportation Center in honor of the late executive director of the Altoona Parking Authority.
Miller, 69, died suddenly on Nov. 10.
In addition to his role on the Altoona Parking Authority, Miller served as the executive vice president of Altoona Blair County Development Corp. and as executive director of Greater Altoona Economic Development Corp.
The fitting gesture was made at the ABCD's annual meeting.
Tyrone Area High School senior Mario Grugan will compete in the national Poetry Out Loud finals in June after competing in the national semifinals May 1.
Grugan won the Pennsylvania championship and is one of nine students to make it to the national finals, which will be streamed Sunday on arts.gov. The winner of the annual competition will receive a $20,000 prize.
To make it this far, Grugan competed against more than 50 other state and jurisdictional finalists in the last round. Good luck to Tyrone's outstanding poet.
Hollidaysburg Area High School's Marin Miller and Central High School's Jeff Hoenstine were named the Mirror's 2022
athletes of the year. The awards, along with several others, were presented during the 2022 Mirror Athlete of the Year banquet on May 23.
Hollidaysburg Area School District Superintendent Robert Gildea was presented the Outstanding Superintendent Award by the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association this year.