Eighteen year-old Meghan Obendorfer was speeding down a wet road in East Brandywine Township, PA. As the road began to curve, she suddenly lost control and directly collided with a school bus that was rounding the same turn on the opposite side of the road. Obendorfer was not seriously harmed, but her passenger who had been nine months pregnant was killed at the scene along with her unborn baby. The details aren't as important as what caused the crash. The fatal craze that took her life and is sweeping the nation, particularly among teens, is texting behind the wheel.
Just last year, there were 1,298 car accidents in Pennsylvania due to cell phone use, nine of which resulted in death. Teens may be easily fooled when it comes to this statistic, because they think that a few seconds of distraction will do no harm. However, the Pennsylvania state government would most certainly advise them to think again.
This past July, the state Senate passed a bill making texting a secondary offense, meaning that it would carry a $100 fine, but only if the driver has already been cited for another violation. Although this is an improvement toward stopping the harmful trend, AAA Central Perm is working toward creating laws that ban texting in all 50 states, hopefully, to be in action by 2013. KeepTheDrive.com will give you more info. Truthfully, this generation of youth is a whole new breed of hi-tech teenagers who has to be communicating at all times. Cell phone within reach and hands on the wheel, all teens feel the pulsating desire to tap the shiny keyboard with their thumbs and, every so often, to glance down at the radiant screen, thus making it necessary to take their eyes off the road.
Texting while driving is a fad that no statistic will ever be able to terminate. However, with a ban initiated, many people will adhere to the law. Teenagers find it tempting to answer a text as they sit behind the wheel. But consider the consequences. Are a few typed words worth the damage to your car or the taking of a life? A text can wait five minutes.
CBC News said, a driver who is reaching for his cell phone is 1.4 times more likely to experience a fatal car accident. A Royal Automobile Club Foundation survey says reaction times are slowed by 35% when texting while driving. Teens can see all the statistics in the world and still remain unaffected, but with a law in place, the cell phones will remain in the glove compartment and lives will be spared in the process.

District journeys began smoothly for the Beaver boys' and girls' basketball teams. The boys hadn't made it to states in the past four years, so winning the first two district games was on their mind. The girls, however, after having a successful season, had great confidence going into playoffs. Both teams won their first district games with ease. The boys went on to play New Hope, which was seeded higher in districts than LC. What did LC do? They put their heads to the grindstone and the result was a 12 point victory over New Hope, and a ticket to states. All the hard work the boys put into practice had paid off. They played hard and never gave up, and they deserved that win. Sadly, the girls lost their game against Camp Hill. They played hard; they couldn't help it if the referees held them up. That loss put them out of the race, but even though the LC girls came up short, they had a fantastic season. It's really unfortunate for the girls and senior Hailey Carangelo that they could not win another district title. With that, Carangelo ends her career at Lebanon Catholic, and what a career it was! The girls have no reason to hang their heads, and the boys just kept working hard and headed to states.
The U.S.A. men's hockey team hasn't won a gold medal in the Olympics since its historic run in 1980. Every four years the best players in the country laced up their skates to go out on the ice and came up short of the gold. This year, was different. The United States started its rout with a 3-1 victory over Switzerland, which then led to a 6-1 victory over Norway, which brought up the game versus hockey powerhouse Canada. Though the Canadians were certainly favored to win against the Americans, the Americans didn't see it that way. The United States led the game all the way through the second period, and in the third period, U.S.A. scored two goals to defeat the Canadians 5-3 in a huge upset. Was this victory a sign of gold in the future?
Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette entered the Olympics with high hopes, after being instructed by her coach, number one fan, and mother Therese Rochette. Shortly after arriving in Vancouver, Rochette's mother had a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead in the hospital in the city, days before Rochette's routine. Rochette, shocked and distressed, stepped onto the ice Sunday, February 21, and performed in front of millions of people despite the loss of her mother. For many, that was the most Inspirational moment of the Olympics. The simple fact that Rochette went out in front of all of those people on an emotional rollercoaster and still completed her entire routine is simply amazing. Dreams often come with a price.