U.S.
District Considers Demolishing & Rebuilding Columbine High School
Published
2 years agoon
By
Sami Sherwyn
- 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.
U.S.
Ohio Police Fatally Shoot Black Teenage Girl
Published
21 hours agoon
April 21, 2021By
Lili Stenn
- Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old Black girl, was fatally shot by a Columbus police officer Tuesday afternoon.
- Police released body camera footage that appears to show Bryant lunging at two other women with a knife before the officer opened fire.
- Members of Bryant’s family disputed parts of the police department’s version of events, including Bryant’s aunt, who said the teen called police and was trying to defend herself from people who had come to her foster and threatened her with physical assault.
- The incident came just before a Minnesota jury convicted former officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, exacerbating frustrations over repeated police killings of Black people in America.
Ma’Khia Bryant Shot by Police
Columbus police shot and killed a Black teenage girl Tuesday, shortly before the verdict against Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd, adding tension to existing conversations about excessive use of force from police against Black people.
The girl was identified as 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant by a spokesperson for Franklin County Children’s Services, who said she had been in foster care.
During a news conference late Tuesday night, Columbus police said the shooting happened after they received a 911 call around 4:30 from someone who said that women were trying to stab them before hanging up.
The law enforcement officials also played segments of body camera footage from the officer who fired the shots, which they said showed the victim lunging at two others with a knife.
In the graphic video, the officer is seen getting out of his car as Bryant appears to chase someone who falls onto the sidewalk. She then lunges at another person, and the officer yells “get down” three times before quickly firing at least four shots at the teenager.
Bryant collapses on the ground, and the bodycam video shows a knife next to her as officers attempt CPR. People at the scene immediately start screaming, and one man can be heard yelling, “You didn’t have to shoot her! She’s just a kid, man!”
“She had a knife,” the officer responds. “She just went at her.”
Police officials said Bryant was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Notably, they did not identify the officer who shot her, though they did say he would be pulled off patrol duty while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducts an inquiry.
Some of Bryant’s family members contradicted elements of the police report. Her aunt, Hazel Bryant, told The Daily Beast that adult women had come to the foster home and started an altercation with her niece, who called the police.
Hazel claimed that Ma’Khia grabbed the knife to defend herself and was fending off a physical assault when the police arrived. She also told a local outlet that the teenager had dropped the knife before she was shot, but the slow-motion capture of the video shown by the police appears to show the knife in her hand at the time.
Protests & Response
According to local reports, shortly after the shooting, a group of roughly 60 people gathered at the site to demonstrate but dispersed around 10 p.m. Others protesters also took the streets of downtown, with many gathering in front of the Columbus Police Department headquarters.
Video from Legion Lane: pic.twitter.com/bdEdl0BUDo
— Marc Kovac (@ohiocapitalblog) April 21, 2021
Demonstrators march west on State Street to High Street by the Ohio Statehouse. pic.twitter.com/KpDsPnVA6Q
— The Lantern (@TheLantern) April 21, 2021
The shooting quickly sparked a widespread response on social media and #MKhiaBryant became a trending Twitter hashtag. Many argued that the shooting, which coincided so closely with the Chauvin verdict, shows that single instances of police accountability do not change systemic problems.
“The emotional contrast between the #DerekChauvinVerdict and the killing of #MaKhiaBryant is exactly why we must not use small wins to justify the end of large fights!” tweeted Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP. “We must stay steadfast in our pursuit of #PoliceAccountability WE NEED #PoliceReformNOW”
Other users also condemned the officer for immediately shooting Bryant instead of trying to de-escalate the situation or use other tactics like a Taser. Some asserted that if police can arrest white men who commit mass shootings without killing them, they can do the same for a Black teenager with a knife.
“In a world where the police can safely apprehend white male mass shooters. I would really like to know why a trained police officer assumed that the only way to deescalate a fight, where a 16 year old black girl had a knife, was to immediately shoot her dead,” one user wrote.
In a world where the police can safely apprehend white male mass shooters. I would really like to know why a trained police officer assumed that the only way to deescalate a fight, where a 16 year old black girl had a knife, was to immediately shoot her dead. RIP #MakhiaBryant
— London Hughes (@TheLondonHughes) April 21, 2021
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (The Daily Beast) (The Columbus Dispatch)
U.S.
USDA Extends Free Meals for All Students Through June 2022
Published
23 hours agoon
April 21, 2021
- The U.S Department of Agriculture will extend free meals for kids at schools and daycare facilities through the 2021-2022 school year.
- The move will bring much-needed relief to families across the country as an estimated 12 million children are experiencing food insecurity amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- The extension also gives schools time to prepare and improve their current meal distribution systems without having to scramble to process a massive influx of free lunch applications at the start of the year.
USDA Call for Free Lunch Extension
The U.S Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that it will extend free meals for children at schools and daycare facilities through the 2021-2022 school year.
In the early days of COVID-19 last March, the USDA implemented Child Nutrition waivers that cut through barriers to allow kids to eat free even outside of normal school settings and meal times.
Those waivers also allowed schools the flexibility to adapt their own programs to better meet the needs of their families. For instance, they allowed parents to do a curbside pickup of multiple days of food at once for students learning from home, even without the student being present. In many cases, they allowed for meals to be dropped off at a student’s home if they continue to learn virtually part- or full-time.
The USDA even increased the school’s meal reimbursement budgets to allow for healthier options and cover bigger costs that came due to added transportation and labor, as well as pandemic-related supply shortages for to-go boxes, Personal Protective Equipment, and more.
These waivers were only supposed to last until Sept. 30, which left a ton of families uncertain about what to do after that as many continue to struggle financially.
Helps Remove Extra Burdens
Now, the extension will bring much-needed relief to families across the country because according to the USDA, an estimated 12 million kids are experiencing food insecurity amid the coronavirus pandemic.
While celebrating more free meals for students, school nutrition groups have also pointed to the fact that this gives schools time to prepare and improve their current meal distribution systems after the surge in need this current school term.
Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations for the School Nutrition Association, the trade group for school food-service manufacturers and professionals, told The Washington Post, “Schools aren’t going to have to scramble to collect applications from families that are eligible.
“At the start of every school year, this is a huge task for administrators to collect and process the applications, a task made bigger because during the pandemic there are more families eligible who may never have applied before.”
It also means fewer “touch points” like keypads that take pin numbers to prove free meal eligibility.
See what others are saying: (The Hill) (The Washington Post) (EdSource)
U.S.
Chauvin Trial Judge Says Rep. Waters Comments Could Be Grounds for Appeal
Published
2 days agoon
April 20, 2021By
Lili Stenn
- Judge Peter Cahill, who is overseeing the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, said on Monday that Rep. Maxine Waters’ (D-Ca.) suggestion that protesters “get more confrontational” if the jury does not return a guilty verdict could be grounds for the case to be appealed.
- Cahill’s remarks came after Chauvin’s lawyer moved for a mistrial, arguing that Waters’ comments, made this weekend, amounted to threats and intimidation. Cahill rejected the motion.
- Republican politicians quickly condemned Waters and claimed she was inciting violence, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.), who proposed a measure to censure her.
- Democrats defended the Congresswoman, arguing she was not encouraging unrest and accused McCarthy of hypocrisy. Others slammed Cahill, arguing he was undermining free speech and pointing to incidents where similar remarks were not considered grounds to appeal a case.
Judge Cahill Admonishes Rep. Waters
The judge overseeing the trial against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murdering George Floyd, said Monday that comments made by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Ca.) over the weekend could be grounds for the entire case to be appealed.
While speaking in Minneapolis on Saturday, Waters said that protesters should “stay on the street” and “get more confrontational” if Chauvin is acquitted.
Following closing arguments Monday afternoon, Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, asked for a mistrial, arguing that the Congresswomen’s remarks amounted to threats and intimidation against the jury.
Judge Peter Cahill, who ended every day of testimony by telling jurors “have a good night and don’t watch the news,” dismissed the request, arguing that he believed her remarks would not prejudice the jury, but adding a key caveat.
“I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned,” he said. “I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function.”
Response & Backlash
Immediately, numerous Republicans seized on Cahill’s comments, condemning Waters and accusing her of inciting violence.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.), announced on Twitter that he was introducing a resolution to censure Waters.
This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 19, 2021
Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waters’ behavior—that’s why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments.
Many also defended Waters, claiming she was not inciting violence. That includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) who said her colleague was talking “about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement.”
Others who took to Twitter echoed that, arguing that McCarthy was being a hypocrite because he himself spread false election claims promoted by former President Donald Trump. Those claims would later incite the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Have to point out the obvious.
— Jennifer Bennon (@jennobenno) April 19, 2021
Kevin McCarthy wasn’t concerned about the Big Lie which stoked a violent insurrection in our nation’s Capitol.
He perpetuated it.
No Republican lawmaker has faced any repercussions over it.#wtpBLUE#Freshhttps://t.co/efwsxpVt9s via @politico
Some additionally accused the minority leader of censuring a Black woman for speaking out against violence in her community but refusing to take any action against members of his party. Many specifically flagged Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fl.), who is being investigated for sex trafficking a minor, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who previously posted racist and antisemitic comments on social media and liked posts calling for Pelosi to be assassinated.
I went to bed with thinking about how Kevin McCarthy moved to censure a black woman standing up for her community but not the one who is an antisemitic conspiracy theorist that called for Speaker Pelosi’s execution, nor a child sex trafficker that’s being investigated by the DOJ.
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) April 20, 2021
Others took direct aim at Judge Cahill, arguing that he was undermining Waters’ right to free speech and that he was the one who warned the jury not to pay attention to the news but did not sequester them from the get-go.
Before this judge expressed his disdain with Rep. Maxine Waters exercising her first amendment rights, he better criticize his own lack of forethought by deciding not to sequester the jury from the start. If there is a hung jury it is the fault of the judge not the congresswoman.
— George#VotesBlueAlways (@Numbers28) April 20, 2021
That point was bolstered by some who pointed out previous incidents where similar remarks were not considered grounds to appeal a case.
“If a statement from Maxine Waters can be used as justification to overturn a guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin on appeal, then courts are gonna have to go back and revisit every single case where Donald Trump made a comment about pending trials for 4 years when he was in office,” CNN commentator Keith Boykin wrote.
If a statement from Maxine Waters can be used as justification to overturn a guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin on appeal, then courts are gonna have to go back and revisit every single case where Donald Trump made a comment about pending trials for 4 years when he was in office.
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 19, 2021
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (The Washington Post) (CNN)

CRITICAL ROLE EXPOSED! Demi Lovato Freakout, Marisha Ray, & What Actually Happened w/ Ma’Khia Bryant

TikTok Faces Billion Dollar Lawsuit in U.K. Over Children’s Data Collection Practices

L.A. Frozen Yogurt Shop Addresses Online Rumors After Demi Lovato Slammed It for Offering Sugar-Free Options

Ohio Police Fatally Shoot Black Teenage Girl

Raiders Owner Says He Won’t Take Down Controversial “I Can Breathe” Tweet

USDA Extends Free Meals for All Students Through June 2022

Mark Rober Faces Backlash Over NEXT For Autism Fundraiser

Netanyahu Loses Key Vote in Knesset, A First Step in Losing Power

Chauvin Trial Judge Says Rep. Waters Comments Could Be Grounds for Appeal

Elon Musk Claims Autopilot Wasn’t On, But Feds Are Now Investigating a Driverless Tesla Crash

All U.S. Adults Officially Eligible for COVID Vaccine

Mia Khalifa Shuts Down Death Rumors, Sparks Conversations About Plastic Surgery and Adult Film Industry

Cosplay Instagram Star Belle Delphine Trolls Followers With PornHub Account

Instagram Users Tell Skai Jackson to Stop Posting About Cameron Boyce

Billie Eilish Fans Call Out Twitter User for Sexualizing the Underage Singer

Ace Family’s Austin McBroom and Team Accused of Rape

YouTuber MrBeast Responds to Criticism of Massive Tree Planting Project

Man Kills 17-Year-Old Bianca Devins and Posts Photos Online

Joe Rogan Denies Spotify Censorship Rumors, According to Alex Jones

Netflix Apologizes and Changes Marketing Materials for “Cuties” After Backlash

YouTuber Coffee Break Accuses Kurzgesagt of Being Untrustworthy, Founder Responds

Why Twitter Tried to Cancel Lil Nas X

DISGUSTING! New Footage Exposes A Lot, The Truth About Ludwig, Pentland, Chauvin, & Today’s News

WHO IS LYING?! Jake Paul Threatens Accuser with Lawsuit & Denies Allegations, KallMeKris & More News

WOW! YouTube Is Killing My Channel, Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause Explained, & More News

DISGUSTING! Jake Paul Assault Allegations, Daunte Wright, Cops Caught On Bodycam, & More News

What The Khloe Kardashian Leaks Really Expose, PewDiePie, MrBeast, COVID Scammers, Biden & More News

I Lied BUT I Can Explain… Valkyrae, Pokimane, America’s Religion “Problem”, & More News

WOW! Stokes Twins Exposed After Disgusting Prank, Lil Nas X Hit, Wasted Vaccines, NFTS, & More News

What The Trisha Paytas James Charles Controversy Exposes, PizzaGaetz, Biden Infrastructure News

PLEASE YOUTUBE DON’T DO THIS!… More James Charles Accusations, Vaccine Passports, & More News

WOW! Lil Nas X Exposed, Montero, Satan Shoes, David Dobrik Fallout, Derek Chauvin Trial, & More News

WHO IS LYING?! Viral Cinnamon Toast Crunch Saga Goes Very Very Wrong, Cody Ko, Liza Koshy, & More

Khloe Kardashian Sparks Conversation About Beauty Standards After Unapproved Bikini Photo Circulates Online

Mark Rober Faces Backlash Over NEXT For Autism Fundraiser

Soldier Charged With Assault After Shoving Black Man in Viral Video

Texas Students Created Snapchat Group To ‘Slave Trade’ Black Classmates

Lil Nas X Responds To Outrage Over New Music Video and Satan Sneakers: “i hope u are mad”

New Streaming Metrics Highlight Staggering Gap Between Male and Female Gamers

Ohio Police Fatally Shoot Black Teenage Girl

Jake Paul Accused of Sexual Assault By TikToker Justine Paradise

Asian Woman Attacked in San Francisco To Donate All Funds Raised for Her

New Healthcare Benefits Available To Tens of Millions of Americans Starting April 1

Celebrities Join Michelle Obama To Support Sweeping Voting Rights Bill

CRITICAL ROLE EXPOSED! Demi Lovato Freakout, Marisha Ray, & What Actually Happened w/ Ma’Khia Bryant

TikTok Faces Billion Dollar Lawsuit in U.K. Over Children’s Data Collection Practices

L.A. Frozen Yogurt Shop Addresses Online Rumors After Demi Lovato Slammed It for Offering Sugar-Free Options

Ohio Police Fatally Shoot Black Teenage Girl

Raiders Owner Says He Won’t Take Down Controversial “I Can Breathe” Tweet

USDA Extends Free Meals for All Students Through June 2022

Mark Rober Faces Backlash Over NEXT For Autism Fundraiser

Netanyahu Loses Key Vote in Knesset, A First Step in Losing Power

Chauvin Trial Judge Says Rep. Waters Comments Could Be Grounds for Appeal

Elon Musk Claims Autopilot Wasn’t On, But Feds Are Now Investigating a Driverless Tesla Crash

All U.S. Adults Officially Eligible for COVID Vaccine

DISGUSTING! New Footage Exposes A Lot, The Truth About Ludwig, Pentland, Chauvin, & Today’s News

WHO IS LYING?! Jake Paul Threatens Accuser with Lawsuit & Denies Allegations, KallMeKris & More News

WOW! YouTube Is Killing My Channel, Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause Explained, & More News

DISGUSTING! Jake Paul Assault Allegations, Daunte Wright, Cops Caught On Bodycam, & More News

What The Khloe Kardashian Leaks Really Expose, PewDiePie, MrBeast, COVID Scammers, Biden & More News

I Lied BUT I Can Explain… Valkyrae, Pokimane, America’s Religion “Problem”, & More News

WOW! Stokes Twins Exposed After Disgusting Prank, Lil Nas X Hit, Wasted Vaccines, NFTS, & More News

What The Trisha Paytas James Charles Controversy Exposes, PizzaGaetz, Biden Infrastructure News

PLEASE YOUTUBE DON’T DO THIS!… More James Charles Accusations, Vaccine Passports, & More News

WOW! Lil Nas X Exposed, Montero, Satan Shoes, David Dobrik Fallout, Derek Chauvin Trial, & More News
