Dec 22, 2018 3 min read

MISS: Who knew that a few Hershey’s Kisses missing their curly chocolate tips could cause such a truffle kerfuffle? But a local Facebook page devoted to baking has cooked up a controversy about an apparent manufacturing problem that is causing the candy to come out slightly defective. The Wedding Cookie Table Community’s Facebook page purportedly has posts by people from across the country complaining about issues with the candy’s tip and foil wrapping. “I know it sounds so crazy,” said Monongahela baker Laura Magone, who operates the social media page. While the Kisses might not be as aesthetically pleasing while perched atop their peanut butter blossoms, the real test will be how they taste. We’re guessing just as good as ever … sans tip.

HIT: It shouldn’t have taken this long, but credit is due the Trump administration for its move to ban “bump stocks,” the devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to be fired like automatic weapons. The stocks came under scrutiny after they were used by the madman who killed 58 people and injured hundreds more at a country music show in Las Vegas nearly 15 months ago. Of course, gun advocates are whining about this “infringement” on their rights and are threatening legal action. What foolishness. No civilian in this country needs a device that allows them to turn an already deadly rifle into a machine gun. Now, if we can just get some action on high-capacity magazines and the gun show loophole.

MISS: All too often, we run stories on the pages of this newspaper about people who mistreat animals. Most recently, there was a report about two Washington women accused of abandoning a pair of dogs in Nottingham Township. Having a cat or dog or some other animal as a pet is a commitment. There are the basics such as food and clean water and proper shelter, but folks who are considering pet ownership also need to remember that, like humans, our pets need good medical care, both preventative and emergency, and it’s definitely not cheap. These expenses and responsibilities should be on the minds of anyone who is considering, at this time of year, getting a pet as a gift for a child. If you’re not willing to commit to caring for a pet for its whole life, please don’t get one.

HIT: Walk into almost any library nowadays, and you’re certain to find people sitting at banks of computers. It’s a timely reminder than not everyone wants – or can afford – to have a smartphone in their pocket or a computer in their home. But not everyone can make it to a library during business hours, and that means those patrons could well end up missing out on opportunities to scan job boards, do work to further their education or look for housing. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is partnering with Google to help bridge this gap by making laptops and Wi-Fi hotspot devices available for patrons to check out for up to three weeks. Right now, the library system has the equipment at three branches, including its main branch in Oakland, and officials hope laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots will be available at all 19 branches by the end of March. Library budgets are tight, but this is an endeavor other library systems should look to emulate.