Three weeks missing (plus Silver Alert)

Today -- Tuesday 10 July -- my mother-in-law has been missing three weeks. Though search efforts continue, as of yet we have no information as to her whereabouts. We thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers and help you have given.

Since this happened, we learned that the Texas Congress passed Senate Bill 1315, and the Governor has signed it into law. It is supposed to be similar to the Amber Alert, and is called the Silver Alert. Some things the bill does: "provides that the public safety director is the statewide coordinator of the alert;" "sets forth the required actions of a local law enforcement agency regarding the assessment of the threat to a senior citizen’s health and safety caused by the senior citizen’s disappearance;" "requires DPS, in issuing the alert, to send the alert to designated media outlets in Texas;" "authorizes participating radio stations, television stations, and other media outlets, following receipt of the alert, to issue the alert at designated intervals to assist in locating the missing senior citizen;" and "requires a local law enforcement agency that locates a missing senior citizen subject to an alert under this subchapter to notify DPS as soon as possible that the missing senior citizen has been located." It becomes effective on September 1, 2007. Though it may not help us, I believe the Silver Alert will be a good thing that will help alert Texans to missing seniors who suffer from dementia.