Well, here we are in the middle of the Christmas holiday season with just a dozen days to go before the main event.
That means the stores will be crowded with shoppers-many shopping locally-owned retailers, we are happy to say-as the time between buying, wrapping and sharing gifts winds down.
It also means that many will be out on the road. Some going from store to store, others heading out of town to spend precious time with loved ones in other towns and cities near and far.
Some other folks will be on the road, too, and the police will be on the lookout for them.
You see, all the good tidings and cheerful holiday spirit sometimes involves spirits of another kind. And starting today those who imbibe had better be sure to have a designated driver.
That's because Arkansas's annual "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign starts today and continues through the first of January.
Lt. Billy Bohannon of the Miller County Sheriff's Office said Monday in a
press release that the county will be stepping up patrols to keep the roads safe.
"With an increase in traffic on the roads, and people attending holiday parties, we will likely see an uptick in drunk driving. We'll be arresting anyone who breaks the law by driving impaired," he said.
Texas' campaign is under way as well and more patrols are already evident on that side of the line. And you can bet police from both Texarkanas will be cracking down as well.
This is nothing new. For a long time now drunken driving has been a big issue. It's dangerous, sometimes deadly. We all know it. But still some people haven't gotten the message.
This is supposed to be "the most
wonderful time of the year," as the
holiday standard goes. It would be a shame to let a DWI arrest spoil your Christmas. It would be even worse if there was an accident with injury or loss of life.