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Schools
Kindergartener Hands Out Alcohol In Jell-O At PA School: Superintendent Kindergartener Hands Out Alcohol In Jell-O At PA School: Superintendent
Kindergartener Hands Out Alcohol In Jell-O At PA School: Superintendent A Pennsylvania kindergartener handed out alcoholic Jell-O cups to classmates at school, alarming parents and prompting a hospital visit, school officials said. The incident happened at Johnstown Elementary School in Cambria County earlier on Wednesday, May 14, according to a statement from Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Dr. Amy Arcurio. Three students reportedly ingested alcohol from the Jell-O shots before staff intervened. All affected children were evaluated by the school nurse and then taken by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment. Parents met their children t…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Maryland Man Who Pointed Gun At School Bus Full Of Kids Avoids Additional Jail Time Maryland Man Who Pointed Gun At School Bus Full Of Kids Avoids Additional Jail Time
Maryland Man Who Pointed Gun At School Bus Full Of Kids Avoids Additional Jail Time A Maryland man who pointed a gun at a bus full of middle schoolers will avoid any additional jail time after a judge gave him credit for time served. Richard William Ellis, 48, of Newburg, was sentenced to five years in prison with all but 142 days suspended after pleading guilty to 19 counts of second-degree assault, the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Friday, May 16. Ellis had already spent 142 days behind bars since his arrest in December 2024. He will now serve five years of supervised probation and was ordered to remove all firearms from his home. The charges stem f…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
He Flunked Out Of Rutgers In 1957; At 85, Aerospace Engineer Graduates As Oldest Student Ever He Flunked Out Of Rutgers In 1957; At 85, Aerospace Engineer Graduates As Oldest Student Ever
He Flunked Out Of Rutgers In 1957; At 85, Aerospace Engineer Graduates As Oldest Student Ever Tom Maniscalco was 18 when he first stepped onto the Rutgers campus in 1957. Nearly 70 years later, he’s graduating. At 85 years old. The Garfield resident will earn a master’s degree in engineering this week, becoming Rutgers’ oldest graduate in school history, the university said. “It’s a sense of accomplishment at my age,” Maniscalco said. Maniscalco originally enrolled at Rutgers to study mechanical engineering, but flunked out after one semester. He got an A in calculus and a B in physics, but failed engineering drawing. “Of all things, engineering drawing! And I became a design engi…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Florida Man Left Loaded Gun In Car—9-Year-Old Took It To Maryland School, Sheriff Says Florida Man Left Loaded Gun In Car—9-Year-Old Took It To Maryland School, Sheriff Says
Florida Man Left Loaded Gun In Car—9-Year-Old Took It To Maryland School, Sheriff Says A Florida man who left his loaded gun in a car before a 9-year-old brought it to school — where it later discharged inside a Maryland classroom — is now facing charges, police announced. Phillip McRay Bright, 68, of Crestview, Florida, has been charged in connection with the April 10 firearm incident at Billingsley Elementary School in Waldorf, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say the 9-year-old student accidentally fired the gun inside a classroom after stashing it in his backpack days earlier.  No one was injured, but the incident sparked a lockdown an…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Former Catholic School Teacher In DMV Connected To Child Porn, Solicitation, Sheriff Says Former Catholic School Teacher In DMV Connected To Child Porn, Solicitation, Sheriff Says
Former Catholic School Teacher In DMV Connected To Child Porn, Solicitation, Sheriff Says A Virginia Catholic school teacher is behind bars after being arrested on multiple child porn and solicitation charges, authorities announced. Nicolas Martin Zimmerman, 35, of Chantilly, was arrested on April 7 and is facing multiple felony charges, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). Zimmerman, a former teacher at St. Veronica’s Catholic School in Chantilly, taught at the school from August 2015 through February 2025, officials said on Wednesday, May 14. He was arrested in April. Zimmerman is now charged with two counts of felony electronic solicitation, nine counts …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Lockdown Lifted At Maryland High School After Police Respond To Threatening Call Lockdown Lifted At Maryland High School After Police Respond To Threatening Call
Lockdown Lifted At Maryland High School After Police Respond To Threatening Call The lockdown at Bel Air High School has officially been lifted after police cleared the building following a threatening phone call that claimed someone inside planned to harm themselves, officials said. The scare started Friday morning when an unidentified person contacted the Bel Air Police Department claiming they were inside the school with the intent to do personal harm, according to Harford County Public Schools. In response, the building was placed on lockdown as officers, school safety liaisons, and regional security teams rushed to the scene and began sweeping classrooms and restro…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Maryland Schools, Fire Marshal Warn Parents About ‘Dangerous’ Viral USB Challenge Maryland Schools, Fire Marshal Warn Parents About ‘Dangerous’ Viral USB Challenge
Maryland Schools, Fire Marshal Warn Parents About ‘Dangerous’ Viral USB Challenge School officials in the region are sounding the alarm after a disturbing social media trend has reportedly reached students — one that could cause fires, chemical exposure, or even explosions. Harford County Public Schools issued a warning to families on Thursday, May 8, after learning that some students may be trying a viral online challenge that involves sticking metal objects like paperclips or pencil lead into the USB ports of school-issued laptops. “This action can cause toxic chemical release if the battery is compromised, explosions, and more,” officials said in a message sent to all…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Loaded Gun Found On Student At Maryland High School, Police Say Loaded Gun Found On Student At Maryland High School, Police Say
Loaded Gun Found On Student At Maryland High School, Police Say A teenager was busted with a loaded handgun on a Maryland high school campus Thursday afternoon, officials said. Police in Gaithersburg arrested a 15-year-old student after they say he brought a loaded, privately manufactured firearm — also known as a ghost gun — onto school grounds. The incident happened around 1:11 p.m. on May 8 at Gaithersburg High School, located on Education Boulevard, according to the Gaithersburg Police Department. Officers were called to the school after administrators raised concerns, officials said.  During their investigation, a Community Engagement Office…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Millions To Have Paychecks Garnished As Federal Student Loan Collections Restart Millions To Have Paychecks Garnished As Federal Student Loan Collections Restart
Millions To Have Paychecks Garnished As Federal Student Loan Collections Restart Millions of Americans may soon have their wages garnished as the Trump administration resumes student loan collections paused since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 5.3 million borrowers are set to receive wage garnishment notices in the summer of 2025, according to the Department of Education. The federal government officially restarted student loan debt collections on Monday, May 5. Nearly 195,000 borrowers began receiving 30-day warning letters from the Treasury Department. Their Social Security or other federal benefits will be seized through the Treasury Offset …

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Cocaine Confiscated From Student At Maryland High School, Sheriff Says Cocaine Confiscated From Student At Maryland High School, Sheriff Says
Cocaine Confiscated From Student At Maryland High School, Sheriff Says An "adult student" in Maryland found out the hard way that bringing drugs to school is a bad idea — particularly if it’s cocaine. A Youth Engagement Advocate with Charles County Public Schools discovered a vaping device and suspected cocaine during an administrative search at a Thomas Stone High School on Monday, May 5, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office announced. The adult student was caught during the routine search and is now facing criminal charges.  “The student will face disciplinary consequences in accordance with the Charles County Public Schools Code of Student Conduct and …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Boonsboro School Worker Dies Days After Being Hit By Car Walking Dog After Softball Game Boonsboro School Worker Dies Days After Being Hit By Car Walking Dog After Softball Game
Boonsboro School Worker Dies Days After Being Hit By Car Walking Dog After Softball Game A beloved Maryland mother who captured the hearts of the DMV region in the wake of a devastating crash in Pennsylvania has died, her family confirmed. Margo Cook, 39, who recently started a new job at Boonsboro Elementary in Maryland, was hit by a car while crossing the road in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on Friday, April 25, according to police. She was walking with her dog, Mae, following a softball game when she was struck, her family said. Cook suffered severe head and leg injuries and was rushed to Meritus Medical Center before being transferred to the University of Maryland Shock Trau…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Record Student Loan Borrowers Face Default As Collections Resume, Grads Enter Weak Job Market Record Student Loan Borrowers Face Default As Collections Resume, Grads Enter Weak Job Market
Record Student Loan Borrowers Face Default As Collections Resume, Grads Enter Weak Job Market A record number of federal student loan borrowers are seriously delinquent as debt collections resume after a five-year pause, while new college graduates face tough employment prospects. The Education Department restarted collecting defaulted federal student loan debt on Monday, May 5. Collections were paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move threatens to seize tax refunds and garnish paychecks from millions of Americans in default on their loans. The Education Department said about 42.7 million people owe more than $1.6 trillion in student loan d…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Teens Charged As Adults After Loaded Gun Found In Banned Backpack At Maryland HS: Police Teens Charged As Adults After Loaded Gun Found In Banned Backpack At Maryland HS: Police
Teens Charged As Adults After Loaded Gun Found In Banned Backpack At Maryland HS: Police Two 10th-grade boys will be charged as adults after a loaded gun was found hidden inside a banned bookbag at Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, according to Prince George’s County Police. The incident happened around 1:55 p.m. Thursday, May 1, when school security officers saw one student hand off a black bookbag to another student in a hallway.  Only clear backpacks are allowed on campus, police said. Security searched the bag and found a loaded firearm inside. Both students ran from the building before they could be detained. The two suspects — a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old — ar…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Student Scored $127K In Aid With University Application Full Of Lies — Now He’s In ICE Custody Student Scored $127K In Aid With University Application Full Of Lies — Now He’s In ICE Custody
Student Scored $127K In Aid With University Application Full Of Lies — Now He’s In ICE Custody A student who faked his way into Lehigh University and received over $127,000 in aid is now in ICE custody — marking the school’s third international student in recent years to face criminal charges, including one who poisoned his roommate and another who used a fake death certificate to win a full scholarship. All three have since been removed or are being deported. Cryilstan Sowah-Nai, originally from Ghana, pleaded no contest to securing execution of documents by deception on Monday, April 28, according to the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office. Investigators say he misrepresen…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Boonsboro School Worker Fights Back After Brain, Leg Surgeries: ‘Small But Mighty Miracle Boonsboro School Worker Fights Back After Brain, Leg Surgeries: ‘Small But Mighty Miracle
Boonsboro School Worker Fights Back After Brain, Leg Surgeries: ‘Small But Mighty Miracle A Maryland mother of two and school employee is fighting for her life after she was struck by a car while walking her dog in Pennsylvania.  Margo Cook, 39, who recently started a new job at Boonsboro Elementary in Maryland, was hit by a car crossing the road in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on Friday, April 25, according to police. She was walking with her dog, Mae, following a softball game when she was struck, her family said. Cook suffered severe head and leg injuries and was rushed to Meritus Medical Center before being transferred to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Balt…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
National Teacher Of Year Named As Woman Who Returned Home To Teach With Mentor National Teacher Of Year Named As Woman Who Returned Home To Teach With Mentor
National Teacher Of Year Named As Woman Who Returned Home To Teach With Mentor A Pennsylvania high school teacher has been named the 2025 National Teacher of the Year, education officials announced Tuesday, April 29. Ashlie Crosson teaches English and journalism at Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, where she also helps students publish a newspaper, magazine, and run social media accounts. She earned the national title after being selected as Pennsylvania’s 2024 Teacher of the Year by the state Department of Education. Crosson started teaching in Delaware in 2011, later returning to Pennsylvania to work in the Bellefonte Area School District while earning her m…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Maryland Substitute Teacher Removed After Child Pornography Arrest, Officials Say Maryland Substitute Teacher Removed After Child Pornography Arrest, Officials Say
Maryland Substitute Teacher Removed After Child Pornography Arrest, Officials Say A substitute teacher who briefly worked at two Maryland high schools has been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography, school officials announced. Thomas Miller was arrested by Baltimore County Police and is facing charges unrelated to his work inside Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) buildings, according to a statement released by officials. Officials said Miller worked only three days within HCPSS: Dec. 13, 2024 at Wilde Lake High School; Jan. 4, 2025 at Marriotts Ridge High School; March 7, 2025 again at Marriotts Ridge. Police confirmed that the criminal…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Gun Found In Maryland Student’s Backpack During Pot Investigation: Sheriff Gun Found In Maryland Student’s Backpack During Pot Investigation: Sheriff
Gun Found In Maryland Student’s Backpack During Pot Investigation: Sheriff What started as a search for cannabis turned into a much more serious discovery at a Maryland high school, when officials found a loaded handgun in a student’s backpack. A student at Westlake High School in Charles County is in custody after school staff and deputies investigating him for possessing cannabis found a handgun in his backpack, officials confirmed Thursday morning. The incident unfolded early on April 24, though authorities have not specified the exact time. No one was injured, and there were no threats of violence, the sheriff's office said. "The gun was not displayed, and th…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Saved by the Bell: Quaker Prep School In Maryland Will Stay Open In Surprise Move Saved by the Bell: Quaker Prep School In Maryland Will Stay Open In Surprise Move
Saved by the Bell: Quaker Prep School In Maryland Will Stay Open In Surprise Move In a stunning twist that has left the community buzzing, Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) in Maryland is not closing after all. Just weeks after blindsiding families with the bombshell news that it would shut its doors after the 2025 school year, SSFS has officially reversed course — and it’s thanks to an outpouring of last-minute financial support and good old-fashioned community grit. In an urgent message sent Tuesday, April 23, the Board of Trustees announced that “a path forward” has been secured thanks to “substantial and meaningful funding guarantees” from a newly formed Coalition o…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Gun Fired In Maryland Elementary School Belonged To Visiting Relative, Police Say Gun Fired In Maryland Elementary School Belonged To Visiting Relative, Police Say
Gun Fired In Maryland Elementary School Belonged To Visiting Relative, Police Say A loaded handgun that went off inside a Maryland elementary school earlier this month belonged to a visiting relative, and potential charges are now pending, authorities said. Investigators in Charles County have wrapped their probe into the April 10 firearm incident at Billingsley Elementary School and confirmed the gun did not belong to the student who brought it. Instead, detectives determined the firearm “belonged to a relative of the student who was visiting from out of town,” the sheriff’s office announced on Tuesday, April 22. The gun went off during school hours, and although no on…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
150+ College Leaders Blast Trump For 'Unprecedented Overreach' On Higher Education 150+ College Leaders Blast Trump For 'Unprecedented Overreach' On Higher Education
150+ College Leaders Blast Trump For 'Unprecedented Overreach' On Higher Education More than 150 college leaders issued a scathing letter criticizing the Trump administration's escalating threats against universities. The American Association of Colleges and Universities released the public letter on Tuesday, April 22. The group of university presidents accused President Donald Trump of "unprecedented government overreach," warning that the crackdown could harm students and democracy. Trump has demanded that colleges eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, along with other orders aimed at limiting campus activism. The Trump administration has paused…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Maryland Teen Threatened School Principal, Religious Groups In Voicemail, Police Say Maryland Teen Threatened School Principal, Religious Groups In Voicemail, Police Say
Maryland Teen Threatened School Principal, Religious Groups In Voicemail, Police Say A Montgomery County student is facing hate crime charges after allegedly leaving a threatening voicemail targeting a local school principal and multiple groups, police say. Detectives with the Behavioral Assessment and Administrative Unit (BAAU) say the threat was made on Tuesday, March 18, prompting a swift response from Montgomery County Community Engagement officers. Investigators said a voicemail was left at a Montgomery County Public School (MCPS), where the suspect used threatening language aimed at the principal, as well as “various demographic and religious groups.” The 17-year-old…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
IRS May Withdraw Harvard's Tax-Exempt Status As Fight Between Trump, University Escalates IRS May Withdraw Harvard's Tax-Exempt Status As Fight Between Trump, University Escalates
IRS May Withdraw Harvard's Tax-Exempt Status As Fight Between Trump, University Escalates The Trump administration is weighing whether to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status—an unprecedented and aggressive move that has escalated tensions between the Ivy League institution and the federal government, according to reports from The Washington Post and CNN. According to two people familiar with the matter, the Internal Revenue Service is preparing to rescind Harvard’s long-standing nonprofit designation, CNN reported. A final decision could be announced soon. Related: Obama Calls Out Trump Over "Unlawful" $2 Billion Cuts to Harvard The effort follows the White House’s …

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by Josh Lanier
Schools
‘Unlawful’: Obama Defends Harvard Against Trump’s $2B Funding Threat ‘Unlawful’: Obama Defends Harvard Against Trump’s $2B Funding Threat
‘Unlawful’: Obama Defends Harvard Against Trump’s $2B Funding Threat Former President Barack Obama is lending his voice to support Harvard University after the prestigious Ivy League school dared President Donald Trump to follow through on his threatened $2 billion federal funding freeze if the school didn’t comply with his administration’s new guidelines. Among other demands, Trump wants Harvard to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; ban masks at campus protests; implement a merit-based admissions and hiring system; and reduce the influence of faculty and administrators he claims are “more committed to activism” than education, a letter …

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by Josh Lanier
Schools
Quaker Prep School In Maryland To Shut Down After 2024–25 School Year, Officials Say Quaker Prep School In Maryland To Shut Down After 2024–25 School Year, Officials Say
Quaker Prep School In Maryland To Shut Down After 2024–25 School Year, Officials Say Sandy Spring Friends School will close for good following the 2024–2025 academic year due to what officials described as an “untenable financial position,” the school’s Board of Trustees announced Monday. In a message sent to parents, students, staff, and alumni, board members said they made the “extremely difficult but necessary determination” to shut down the historic Quaker school after efforts to stabilize enrollment and fundraising fell short. “Regrettably, despite an immense effort to shore up the school’s financial foundation, we simply do not have the financial wherewithal to meet o…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Drug Bust Near Maryland Elementary School: Crack, Xanax, Cash Seized, Sheriff Says Drug Bust Near Maryland Elementary School: Crack, Xanax, Cash Seized, Sheriff Says
Drug Bust Near Maryland Elementary School: Crack, Xanax, Cash Seized, Sheriff Says A Maryland man is facing serious drug charges after deputies say they caught him parked with crack cocaine and prescription pills just feet from a Calvert County elementary school. Deputies responded to Beach Elementary School in Chesapeake Beach at 7900 Old Bayside Road recently, after receiving a report that a suspicious truck was striking curbs in the parking lot, according to the sheriff's office. The vehicle eventually pulled away from the school but stopped again in the 3900 block of Old Bayside Road. When deputies made contact with the driver, identified as 39-year-old Derek James W…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Gun That Fired In Maryland Elementary School May Belong To Visiting Relative: Sheriff Gun That Fired In Maryland Elementary School May Belong To Visiting Relative: Sheriff
Gun That Fired In Maryland Elementary School May Belong To Visiting Relative: Sheriff A 9-year-old student accidentally fired a gun inside a Maryland elementary school classroom on Thursday morning, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. It happened around 10:24 a.m. at Billingsley Elementary School, where the student reached into their backpack during class to grab a paper, authorities said.  The book bag was on the student’s lap at the time when the gun discharged. No one was hurt. A teacher and a nearby school resource officer rushed to the student and recovered the loaded gun from inside the bag. Investigators said it is not yet clear who owns the gun or …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation
Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation A Villanova University student who recorded another student’s sexual assault will not walk at the school’s graduation ceremony following intense backlash, the victim's attorney told Daily Voice on Wednesday, April 9. Juan Eguiguren, a Villanova senior, was present during the assault of a female classmate, according to a lawsuit and campus petition. Rather than intervening, Eguiguren allegedly took photos of the incident and later slept in the same room, organizers of the campaign allege. In the underlying case, Elijah Joseph Katzenell, 22, of Camp Hill, PA (according to the Pennsylvania S…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Johns Hopkins Students Lose Visas Amid Federal Immigration Push: Reports Johns Hopkins Students Lose Visas Amid Federal Immigration Push: Reports
Johns Hopkins Students Lose Visas Amid Federal Immigration Push: Reports About a dozen international students at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore had their visas revoked, according to officials. Several students and recent graduates who had F-1 visas through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System had their information pulled amid the Trump administration's ongoing push to deport immigrants. The F-1 visa allows students to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training program. Accor…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Parents Charged After Gun Fires In Third Grader’s Backpack, Sheriff Says Parents Charged After Gun Fires In Third Grader’s Backpack, Sheriff Says
Parents Charged After Gun Fires In Third Grader’s Backpack, Sheriff Says A Virginia third grader brought a loaded handgun to school — and it went off inside his backpack, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said.  Now, his parents are the ones facing charges. The gun went off inside a classroom at Lee Hill Elementary School around 10:50 a.m. on Monday, April 7, according to investigators.  There were no injuries, and the student did not appear to have intended to harm anyone, officials said. Deputies say the 8-year-old had found the unsecured firearm at home, stuffed it into his backpack, and accidentally pulled the trigger while reaching into t…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Maryland Woman Called In Bomb Threat To Virginia Elementary School, Police Say Maryland Woman Called In Bomb Threat To Virginia Elementary School, Police Say
Maryland Woman Called In Bomb Threat To Virginia Elementary School, Police Say A Maryland woman is at large after allegedly calling in a bomb threat to a Northern Virginia elementary school, triggering a police investigation and arrest warrant, officials said. The Prince William County Police Department says officers responded just before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2, to Covington-Harper Elementary School in Dumfries after receiving a report of a phone threat. The caller — later identified as 32-year-old Nidera Fortune of Fairmont, Maryland — allegedly called in a bomb threat to the building, prompting school officials to contact police. Investigators quickly determ…

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by Zak Failla