Four years ago, actor Chris Farley died at the age of 33 from the same tragic death, at the same age of his comedic hero John Belushi.

Webster's dictionary defines a hero as an illustrious warrior; a man with great strength and ability; one that shows great courage.

A hero does not necessarily have to be a person that is known by all of the world or a person whose face flashes on television at any given hour of the day.

A hero is a warrior, whether it be in life or in death, that shows the strength of the greatest of men or women.

Heroes can be neighbors, leaders or even family members. They can be admired for the simplest of things like teaching children good values and beliefs, or even for leading a city to progress.

We are fortunate that we live in a town where there are many heroes among us. These are the people who watch out for our community, keep the town beautiful and constantly are working to improve the quality of life in Butler County.

Take notice of your neighbors, family members and friends that you see on an everyday basis. Step back and think about the qualities that make a hero.

Many men and women in Butler County have these qualities and we should be thankful that we have so many heroes among us.