A CAT’S NOSE KNOWS
A FLUFFY GUARDIAN ANGEL
When a Virginia family of five decided to temporarily foster a dog in 2023, they weren’t expecting it to be a life-changing event. But they might not be here today if it weren’t for the Great Pyrenees named Moose that they took home for the weekend. Christopher Cushna and his partner, Sheila Janes, were looking for something fun and unique to do with their three children when they learned about the Paws Around Portsmouth program. This program allows people to foster dogs from the local Humane Society for a short time. They fell in love with big, fluffy Moose and decided to take him on a field trip around town. The family visited their own music shop, where Moose met potential adopters at an event sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard. The friendly dog later accompanied them to a farmers market, a community band concert, and a flea market, where they met a woman who wanted to adopt him. Moose returned to the family’s houseboat for the evening since the adopter could not bring him home that day. As everyone slept, Moose suddenly woke Christopher and one of their daughters, Anya. Though everyone figured the energetic dog wanted to go outside, he was persistent, and they quickly noticed a neighboring
houseboat engulfed in flames. As the fire began to spread, the family evacuated safely just minutes before the fire reached their boat.
“If Moose hadn’t gotten Anya and Chris up, we would not be here, as we were all sound asleep, and the fire spread very quickly,” Sheila said.
The family lost their houseboat and everything inside, but thanks to Moose’s heroic act, they are alive and grateful today.
“What I like to think about is that we saved Moose from the situation Moose was in, and Moose saved us on the boat,” Christopher said.
Moose’s life-saving actions made big news, and a local woman adopted him. Now, the hero dog is living his best life on a 5-acre farm, complete with a swimming pool. For this family, who had no idea just how transformative a doggy day out could be, Moose will always be their knight in fluffy armor.
No Safe Stops
Drivers Face Perilous Shortage of Parking
Commercial trucks lined up along highway exit ramps or idling in store parking lots are a common sight. They are also a safety hazard and a sign of an increasingly serious problem for professional drivers — a shortage of safe, legal parking spaces. Parking shortages for commercial trucks exist in every state and region of the country. Some 98% of commercial truckers regularly have difficulty finding safe parking. Drivers who park along exit ramps often don’t have a better option. Federal safety rules require drivers to stop for rest after a certain number of hours at the wheel, and most drivers sleep in their cabs. To avoid
being penalized, they must find parking when they are due for a break.
according to a survey by the American Trucking Associations, a trade group. Truckers lose driving time looking for a spot for a rest stop, costing them an average of $5,500 a year, the equivalent of a 12% pay cut. Bipartisan legislation is pending in both houses of Congress to provide $755 million in grants to expand commercial truck parking capacity. If you receive a moving violation in connection with searching for a safe, legal parking space, or for any other reason, don’t hesitate to call our firm. We will be happy to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to plan the best possible strategy for your defense.
In California, parked trucks were involved in 1,628 crashes between 2014 and 2018, and 131 of those incidents led to at least one fatality, according to a 2022 study by Caltrans. That doesn’t account for the crashes that might happen because a fatigued driver is searching for parking. In one example in Illinois, three passengers were killed last year when a Greyhound bus pulled off a highway in the middle of the night and collided with three tractor- trailers parked along an exit ramp.
An average of only one truck parking space exists for every 11 truck drivers,
2 | www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator