The news is to help us become aware of issues good or bad. What a loss for the family. Nothing can replace a child. My love and prayers for them all.

I agree an age limit would be a better plan then just banning it all together. I don't drink alcohol or smoke this stuff but I enjoy the freedom to choose. After all this is considered a free country right? What I'm saying is; are you going to let them take your guns next? If we let them do this then what else are we just going to let them take away or ban? Just as soon as guns are banned the bad guys will still find a way to get them and the good people won't have them and therefor the bad people will know you don't. Banning Mr. Smiley will not stop anyone from getting it. People will always find a way to get something they want. It has been made legal by the government. Pot’s illegal yet I have known several people who still somehow find a way to get it.

Okay...Where was the friend at? My friends wouldn’t have had someone they didn't know or trust in their home. The story sounds a little weird and is lacking DRUGS, you just can't really be that stupid. It sounds like she needs to make some changes in her life. One, you don't go with someone you don't know who was already trying to rape you once/on top of you offering money for sex. Common sense tells you to call the cops. Two, maybe not hang out with people who have a lot of traffic in their home and just allow anyone to come crash at their place. Lastly, maybe some drug and alcohol classes wouldn’t hurt. None the less no one deserves to get raped but this could easily been prevented.

This is not an issue this is just being picky. Alcohol is legal, yet it has caused more deaths. At the same time you can’t blame the alcohol it’s just the individuals choice of how they consume it and you have to hope they are intelligent enough not to drive while intoxicsicated. So when do they ban alcohol sells; to prevent anyone from having a choice to drink and drive? This shouldn’t be their choice; it’s an individual’s choice. Just like you choose to drink alcohol or not. If they ban this then what’s next? Why are we going to let them tell us what we can have and can’t?

I understand the red flags mean danger but what can we do to make the beach safer for the future to help prevent this from happening to someone else? We all go to the beach on red flag days and see people swimming. Some people just don't understand the true risk involved and that in the blink of an eye you are no longer safe like you thought. Is there a way to make our beach safer? That is the question at hand. Can we mark a safe point off, attach a safety line, or have a life preserver attached to a long rope at different sections on the pier. Any of this would help aid in preventing a loss in the future. What solution to the problem can you offer that will aid the problem. Yes we have the flags but there has to be more ways. There have been too many lives lost there. We are human therefor we make mistakes. The key to mistakes is to learn and grow from them. Become part of the solution instead of another problem! I'm sorry for the suffering and pain the families will endure.

{Cont. 2} Shannon wasn’t a girly, girl she could do, and loved to do anything a guy could do. She took pride in being independent but always let you know you were still needed in her life. She lived her life to the fullest even though she was living everyday “One Day At A Time” with the pain from an illness Doctor’s couldn’t figure out. She is missed deeply, and we are lost without our Shannon but we can take ease in knowing she feels no more pain, and everyone of us are blessed to have our precious memories she gave to us.
We all have bad days, mistakes, problems, losses, worries, and mountains to over come. Just remember that if every day was pleasantly perfect, We would not know the value of true Love, friendship, and how precious life is! A wonderful gift from God all free of charge! I love you Shannon!
By, Carrie Pickett

{Cont.1} William & Camron are her Pride and joy. She watched movies, played video games, did crafts, board games, card games, colored, rode dirt bikes, camped, and just enjoyed hanging out with her sons. She loved them with no limits. I know she will still be with them and I’m sure they will grow up to make her a proud mother. Shannon was the type of person who could walk in a room and make you smile. If you were sad she would give you what we have all grown to call "Shannon hugs". She would hug you so tight and instantly make you feel better but you couldn’t pat her on the back, you had to hold her or she would tell you, you didn’t mean it and make you do it again.

The greatest challenge in life is: finding someone who knows all your flaws, diffrences, and mistakes yet still loves everything about you.
I have been blessed to call Shannon my best friend for 28 years. We have been through a lot together. Shannon is a Beautiful person and has made an impact on the lives of all who surrounded her. I remember when we were small children playing outside in the back yard, to when we were teenagers, and then became moms together. I have so many wonderful memories of her but my favorite one would be, being able to watch our children play in the same crib together and knowing that they will be able to have the same friendship Shannon and I shared. Through them our love will always continue to grow.
I know Shannon has a big family and a lot of friends she has brought into her life and made them all a part of her family and I thank her for considering me to be one. She loved everyone but don’t be the one who hurt her family because she wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she believed in. She was known as Aunt Shannon to every child she ever met. She gave everyone thier own nickname because we all had a special place in her Big heart. Mine was CareBear. Continued