26 September—This morning’s Hearst RepublicanAmerican has a story on the local news page headlined “Former student admits egging teacher’s Southbury home after repeated vandalism.” The story mentions that “the warrant also noted five individuals had previously been caught for throwing eggs at the home.” Evidently the vandalism had been going on since 2024 because the perps didn’t like the Pomperaug High School teacher they victimized.

Not mentioned in any coverage of the vandalism is that one vandal—also a recent Pomperaug graduate—had been able to avoid arrest by getting himself killed (and nearly decapitated) when his motor scooter collided with a pickup truck in Middlebury just after midnight on 11 July, several hours after he had bought some unspecified alcohol—probably beer—at a local booze emporium by flashing a phony ID.

Sources are mum on the alcohol content of the personable and popular 18-year-old decedent’s blood and urine or whether they were even tested. Nor can we confirm that his backpack contained a quantity of vapes—electronic cigarettes, verboten to under-21-year-olds—or where he may have obtained them.

There’s always lots of graduation and school-vacation partying in early summer. Especially by teachers. And raising the legal drinking/smoking age to 21, like all too many laws here, there, and everywhere, was absolutely ridiculous, counterproductive, and largely unenforceable. Still, it’s the law and it’s enforced in Connecticut. And that’s worth noting because, while it may not be relevant in the late Pomperaug grad’s death, a retired cop is known to have stood by while booze was consumed by partying minors in his home. And no one did a thing about it.

It’s interesting—and in the circumstance ironic and sad—to note, moreover, that some photos of the decedent displayed at his wake showed him holding alcoholic beverages . . .