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District Considers Demolishing & Rebuilding Columbine High School

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2 years ago

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  • On Thursday the school district for Columbine High School asked the community their thoughts about tearing down and rebuilding the school.
  • The district says that since the mass shooting 20 years ago, the Denver area high school has been a “source of inspiration and motivation” for other school shootings.
  • Some argue that the decision might help survivors since staff members from schools that have experienced similar tragedies have said they find it difficult to return to the scene of the crime.

Community Considers Rebuilding

The school district for Columbine High School is considering destroying and rebuilding the school due to the increasing “morbid fascination” of the mass shooting that took place 20 years ago.

On Thursday, the superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, Jason Glass, published a letter to the community. Glass starts the letter acknowledging the horrific event that took place in April 1999 and how the Denver suburb high school became the “point of origin” for school shootings to follow.

“School shooters refer to and study the Columbine shooting as a macabre source of inspiration and motivation,” Glass wrote. “Called “Columbiners,” there are people across the globe obsessed with the Columbine shooting.”

He cites an incident from April, around the anniversary of the Columbine shooting. A Florida woman known to be obsessed with the massacre, made her way to the Denver area causing 20 schools to be locked down. Glass adds that within the past 11 months, people attempting to illegally enter Columbine High School have increased to “now record levels.”

“Today school safety experts recommend tearing down buildings where school shootings take place,” he explains. “Since the morbid fascination with Columbine has been increasing over the years, rather than dissipating, we believe it is time for our community to consider this option for the existing Columbine building.”

Glass also explains what changes would be expected if a new school is constructed. The school’s name, mascot, and colors would not change, and instead of completely relocating, the new building would be near the current location.

“The existing building would be demolished, replaced with fields, and controlled entry points,” the letter states. “The new building would have enhanced safety features, designed to provide greater monitoring and school privacy”

While the idea of building a new high school is “in the very preliminary and exploratory stages” as noted by Glass, he wants to know the communities thoughts. He also provided them a link to a survey at the end of the letter.

If the Proposal Passes

The letter lays out the financial implications that would affect the residents of the district, noting that voters would need to approve an additional $60 to $70 million for the construction. Glass uses the example of a $500,000 home in Jefferson County, to explain that property tax impact would be around one or two dollars a month.

In 2018, the county voted to pass a $567 million bond investment to improve schools throughout Jefferson County. Each school got a specific amount depending on the improvements needed. Columbine High School was alotted just under $15 million for their projects, including improving security cameras, locks, and entrances.

Glass states in his letter those funds could be used for the construction of a new Columbine or re-distributed to other schools in Jefferson County.

Why rebuild?

After tragedies like shootings, schools often remain closed until any physical damage, such as bullet holes or blood stains, are fixed. Schools will often permanently close any areas that were at the center of the violence in hopes to ease anxiety. Columbine closed their library, which was the epicenter of the 1999 shooting and opened a new one two years later.

Crisis-response team leader for the National Association of School Psychologists, Cathy Kennedy-Paine, explained that physically being in the area where a tragedy took place can trigger anxiety.

“Obviously going back into a room that you had been in during a shooting would be traumatic, your heart races, suddenly you’re back to the day [of the shooting],” she told the Atlantic.

Teachers from other schools and districts that experience shootings agree with Kennedy-Paine.

“It was an exhausting year,” Rancho Tehama elementary school teacher Ken Yuers told Slate. “Sometimes before I went in that classroom, I would be in that staff room just trying to get myself together.”

Mary-Ann Jacobs, who was a library clerk at Sandy Hook, also told the magazine that she had to put her own feelings aside in order to be there for the students.

“We had 11 children, 6-year-olds, who survived in the two classrooms where the shooters were…It meant, again, putting aside our own grief and trauma every day.”

For a new Columbine High School to be part of November 2019 elections, the county school board must approve the ballot issues by the end of August.

Editor’s Note: At Rogue Rocket, we make it a point to not include the names and pictures of mass murders or suspected mass murderers who may have been seeking attention or infamy. Therefore, we will not be linking to other sources, as they may contain these details.

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New COVID-19 Variant Could Become Dominant in the U.S. by March, CDC Warns

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5 hours ago

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January 15, 2021

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  • The CDC warned Friday that a new highly transmissible COVID-19 variant could become the predominant variant in the United States by March.
  • The strain was first reported in the United Kingdom in December and is now in at least 10 states.
  • The CDC used a modeled trajectory to discover how quickly the variant could spread in the U.S. and said that this could threaten the country’s already overwhelmed healthcare system.

CDC Issues Warning

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday that the new COVID-19 variant could become the predominant variant in the United States by March.

While it is not known to be more deadly, it does spread at a higher rate, which is troubling considering the condition the U.S. is already in. Cases and deaths are already on the rise in nearly every state and globally, 2 million lives have been lost to the coronavirus. 

The variant was first reported in the United Kingdom in mid-December. It is now in 30 countries, including the U.S., where cases have been located in at least ten states. Right now, only 76 cases of this variant have been confirmed in the U.S., but experts believe that number is likely much higher and said it will increase significantly in the coming weeks. It is already a dominant strain in parts of the U.K.

Modeled trajectory shows that growth in the U.S. could be so fast that it dominates U.S. cases just three months into the new year. This could pose a huge threat to our already strained healthcare system.

Mitigating Spread of Variant

“I want to stress that we are deeply concerned that this strain is more transmissible and can accelerate outbreaks in the U.S. in the coming weeks,” said Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the CDC told the New York Times. “We’re sounding the alarm and urging people to realize the pandemic is not over and in no way is it time to throw in the towel.”

The CDC advises that health officials use this time to limit spread and increase vaccination as much as possible in order to mitigate the impact this variant will have. Experts believe that current vaccines will protect against this strain.

“Effective public health measures, including vaccination, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation and quarantine, will be essential,” the CDC said in their report.

“Strategic testing of persons without symptoms but at higher risk of infection, such as those exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or who have frequent unavoidable contact with the public, provides another opportunity to limit ongoing spread.”

See what others are saying: (Wall Street Journal) (New York Times) (NBC News)

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Former Michigan Gov. and 8 Others Charged Over Flint Water Crisis

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1 day ago

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January 14, 2021

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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. (Al Goldis/AP)

  • Ex-Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty Wednesday for his role in the Flint water crisis
  • By Thursday, eight more former state and city officials were charged with crimes ranging from involuntary manslaughter to extortion.
  • Flint residents have long awaited this news. In 2019, prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against 15 officials and said they would start the investigation from scratch, citing concerns about how the special counsel had conducted its probe.

Rick Snyder Charges

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office said Thursday that it had filed 41 charges against nine former state and city officials for their role in the Flint water crisis.

The most high-profile figure to be charged was former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. On Wednesday, he was hit with two counts of willful neglect of duty.

He was the state’s top executive when local officials decided to switch the city’s drinking water source to the Flint River in 2014.

The switch was supposed to be a temporary cost-saving measure while a pipeline was being built to Lake Huron. However, the water wasn’t treated properly for corrosion, so lead-contaminated water was released into the homes of people all over the city. Because of that, 12 people died and at least 90 were sickened with Legionnaires’ disease.

Snyder appeared in court this morning via Zoom, pleading not guilty to the two misdemeanor charges. If convicted he could face up to a year in prison and as much as a $1,000 fine.

His charges alone are significant because they make him the first governor or former governor in the state to ever be charged with a crime for alleged conduct while in office.

8 Others Charged

Along with Snyder, eight others were charged, including a former state health director Nick Lyon. Lyon received nine charges of involuntary manslaughter, among others.

Richard Baird, one of Snyder’s closes advisors was changed for extortion, perjury, and obstructions of justice. Others who were charged include:

  • Jarrod Agen, Snyder’s former chief of staff and Vice President Mike Pence’s former communications director.
  • Dr. Eden Wells, a former chief medical executive for the state Department of Health and Human Services. 
  • Darnell Earley, former Flint finance director and state-appointed emergency manager.
  • Gerald Ambrose, former state-appointed emergency manager.
  • Howard Croft, former Flint Public Works Director.
  • Nancy Peeler, the state’s director of maternal, infant and early childhood home visiting for the health department.

Flint residents have waited a long time for justice over the water contamination issue. Prosecutors previously dropped all 15 criminal charges tied to the Flint case in 2019 and said the investigation would begin again from scratch.

At the time, they cited concerns about how the special counsel had conducted its probe.

It also wasn’t until last year that the state reached a $600 million settlement with victims, establishing a fund from which residents can file for compensation.

See what others are saying: (NPR) (The Detroit News) (Detroit Free Press)

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Three Lawmakers Test Positive for COVID-19 Following Capitol Attack

Published

3 days ago

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January 12, 2021

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  • At least three Congressmembers have tested positive for COVID-19 following Wednesday’s pro-Trump attack on the Capitol. 
  • Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) believe they contracted the virus after locking down in close quarters with numerous Republican lawmakers who refused to wear masks.
  • Jayapal and Schneider are calling for those who did not wear a mask to face consequences.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman Tests Positive

At least three members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19 after locking down in close quarters with other House members during Wednesday’s pro-Trump attack on the Capitol. 

Congress’ attending physician, Brian Monahan, warned that members may have been exposed during the lockdown. He recommended that everyone who was isolated inside should get tested for the virus. 

On Monday Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) became the first to announce that she tested positive. Watson Coleman believes she was exposed while in the Capitol lockdown. In her statement, she cited the multiple Republicans who refused to wear masks while inside. Video footage from Punchbowl News shows a Democratic lawmaker handing out masks and a handful of Republicans declining to take one. 

Watson Coleman is a 75-year-old lung cancer survivor. While she said she is only experiencing cold-like symptoms, she tweeted that per a doctor’s suggestion, she headed to a local hospital for antibody treatment. She also encouraged those who sheltered in place to get tested. 

More Cases Follow

Later on Monday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said she too had tested positive, also blaming a lack of mask-wearing in the Capitol. In a lengthy Twitter thread, she said Republicans created a superspreader event and demanded consequences for their actions. 

“Many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic—creating a superspreader event ON TOP of a domestic terrorist attack,” she wrote. 

“Any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable,” Jayapal added. 

“I’m calling for every single Member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol to be fined and removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms.”

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) echoed her frustrations on Tuesday after releasing a statement saying he has become the third House member to have tested positive following the lockdown. 

“Today, I am now in strict isolation, worried that I have risked my wife’s health and angry at the selfishness and arrogance of the anti-maskers who put their own contempt and disregard for decency ahead of the health and safety of their colleagues and our staff,” he wrote.

Like Jayapal, he is calling for sanctions against those who opted to not wear masks. 

Many health officials feared that this lockdown could lead to a surge in cases. They also worry that the mob itself could lead to a superspreader event as most of those who attacked the Capitol were not wearing masks and were crowding together both inside and outside of the building.

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (NPR) (NBC Chicago)

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