Voting is heroic; Waffle House grillers packing heat; $1.2 million in fajitas

The latest wack job with a semi-automatic landed at a Tennessee Waffle House.

The incident was tragic and reminded us of the worst that we can be.

Also, thanks to James Shaw Jr., it was heroic and showed us at our best. Since wresting the gun from the shooter, Shaw has helped to raise almost $200,000 to help the victims. Well done.

It also shows our hypocrisy. After a school shooting, we got a whole lot of folks lined up to arm teachers as a first line of defense, as if they already are not asked to wear a closet full of hats.

But since the Waffle House shooting, there has been not a smothered or covered peep about arming the all-night fry cooks or the hostesses.

THINKING AND DRIVING

Around these parts we all wring our hands about an 18-wheeler sooner or later.

The yahoo in the big rig in the left lane headed up the ridge cut. The twin tractortrailers rolling at 50 between here and the Interstate 59 split.

Well, outside of Detroit this week, the power of the Peterbilt extended beyond hauling.

Early Tuesday morning, a person was on an overpass above I-696 and threatening to end his life.

As the police tried to talk the man down, 13 crafty Michigan truckers stopped side-by-side to fill the road under the bridge.

Realizing that if he did jump, it was a 10-foot drop rather than a potentially deadly one, the man turned himself in.

Well done, good buddies. (And if you or someone you know are struggling with thoughts of suicide, know that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255.)

WANT CUFFS AND SALSA WITH THAT?

Gilberto Escamilla, a 53-year-old Texan who worked at the Cameron County Juvenile Justice Department, was sentenced to more than 50 years for theft of products worth more than $1 million.

His haul? He swiped $1.2 million worth of fajitas. Yes, fajitas. Escamilla apparently was out of the office when a delivery of 800 pounds of fajita ingredients arrived. The employee who handled the delivery said the juvenile facility doesn’t serve fajitas. The delivery person said he had been dropping off fajita supplies there for nine years.

If you are wondering about a comparison, that amount of coin would be worth 1 million Taco Bell bean burritos.

SATURDAY STAR

There are a lot of them, and we are happy to share the details of area folks doing good things for the right reasons.

But as we tippy-toe to Tuesday’s primary election here in Hamilton County, here is another one for you.

This weekend’s star is you, as long as you participate in the voting process.

There are a lot of opinions, and that makes for good conversation.

But if you want your opinion to make a difference, you have to make sure it is heard when the polls are open.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343.