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School Safety

Police & Fire
Student Holding Water Pistol Prompts Police Response At Hudson Valley School Student Holding Water Pistol Prompts Police Response At Hudson Valley School
Student Holding Water Pistol Prompts Police Response At Hudson Valley School Police conducted an extensive investigation after a student was seen sitting in the parking lot of a Hudson Valley high school holding what appeared to be a gun, authorities said. The incident began in Putnam County on Friday, April 19 around 12:15 p.m., when a Putnam Valley High School student reported that she had seen a boy sitting inside a car in the parking lot while holding what looked like a gun, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. By the time the school resource officer was told, the suspect had already left the campus.  The Sheriff's Office then began an investig…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Police Conduct Drills At Several Schools In Mahopac: 'No Cause For Alarm' Police Conduct Drills At Several Schools In Mahopac: 'No Cause For Alarm'
Police Conduct Drills At Several Schools In Mahopac: 'No Cause For Alarm' An increased law enforcement presence was seen at several schools in the Hudson Valley as police conducted a lockdown drill.  The drill was conducted in Putnam County on Wednesday, March 13 at around 8:30 a.m. at Mahopac High School, Mahopac Middle School, and Mahopac Falls Academy, Carmel Police announced.  At the time of the drill, an increased law enforcement presence from the Carmel Police Department and Putnam County Sheriff's Office was seen in the Mahopac Central School District. However, police said there was "no cause for alarm and no threat to the community." The drill…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Woman From Region Nabbed With 3 Guns On School Grounds, Police Say Woman From Region Nabbed With 3 Guns On School Grounds, Police Say
Woman From Region Nabbed With 3 Guns On School Grounds, Police Say A woman from the region was allegedly nabbed with three handguns she had on a high school campus, according to police. Sullivan County resident Amanda Jones, age 38, of Monticello, was arrested by the Village of Liberty Police on Thursday, March 7. According to Chief Steven D'Agata of the Liberty Police, the investigation began when Jones was found to have three handguns during a traffic stop. Jones was a passenger in the vehicle and was found to have a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a loaded Ruger SR22 .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and a Glock 43 9mm semiautomatic&n…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Teen Accused Of Texting Threats To Girl In Region Teen Accused Of Texting Threats To Girl In Region
Teen Accused Of Texting Threats To Girl In Region A Massachusetts teen with a history of making bomb threats at a school has been taken into custody for allegedly texting threatening messages to a girl in New York. The incident began in Columbia County on Tuesday, March 5 when the Hudson Police Department received a report from a concerned mother and her juvenile daughter regarding disturbing physical threats received on the daughter's cell phone.  The unknown sender made threats to harm the 17-year-old and her friends, referencing a recent altercation on the school bus, the Hudson Police Department said. The girl received text messa…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Update: Student Attacks 16-Year-Old, Staffer With Knife At School In Region, Police Say Update: Student Attacks 16-Year-Old, Staffer With Knife At School In Region, Police Say
Update: Student Attacks 16-Year-Old, Staffer With Knife At School In Region, Police Say This story has been updated. A 16-year-old student and an adult staffer have been injured in a reported stabbing attack at a school in the region. Emergency crews in Rensselaer County were called to Troy Community School on 5th Avenue shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 for a stabbing inside the building. Troy Police said the juvenile victim and another male student got into a fight inside the school when the suspect pulled out a pocket knife and injured the other student. A member of the school’s security team responded with other staff members and attempted to break up the fight. A…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Man Charged With Making Threat Of Violence Against School District In Region Man Charged With Making Threat Of Violence Against School District In Region
Man Charged With Making Threat Of Violence Against School District In Region A 37-year-old man from the region was charged with making an alleged threat against a school district in the region. Sullivan County resident Steven Kelly, of Narrowsburg, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 2 for allegedly making threats against the Sullivan West School District in Jeffersonville.  According to Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, deputies received information shortly before 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, Kelly had made posts on social media expressing his dissatisfaction with the school district.  In his posts, he allegedly referred to a gun. He had also made verba…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Area Student's Hit List Leads To Criminal Charges Area Student's Hit List Leads To Criminal Charges
Area Student's Hit List Leads To Criminal Charges A middle school student from the region is facing criminal charges after allegedly threatening to harm fellow students or teachers. In Albany County, administrators at Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland contacted police on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 1 saying a student had been found with a list threatening “serious harm” to school members. Following an investigation by Guilderland Police, the school district, and the student’s family, the teen was arrested and charged with making a threat of mass harm, a misdemeanor. The student was taken to a crisis center under the state’s Mental Hygi…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Increased Police Presence Scheduled For Several Hudson Valley Schools: 'No Emergency' Increased Police Presence Scheduled For Several Hudson Valley Schools: 'No Emergency'
Increased Police Presence Scheduled For Several Hudson Valley Schools: 'No Emergency' Several schools in the Hudson Valley are scheduled to have an increased law enforcement presence as part of a drill, police announced.  Three schools in the Putnam County will have an increased police presence on Thursday, Jan. 11 as part of a lockdown drill, the Carmel Police Department announced.  The three schools with increased presence will be Mahopac High School, Mahopac Middle School, and the Mahopac Falls Academy, the department said.  As part of the drill, officers and deputies from Carmel Police and the Putnam County Sheriff's Office will be at the school propertie…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
13-Year-Old Brings Loaded Gun To School In Region, Police Say 13-Year-Old Brings Loaded Gun To School In Region, Police Say
13-Year-Old Brings Loaded Gun To School In Region, Police Say A teenager is facing charges after allegedly bringing a loaded gun to a school in the region. Employees at Schenectady’s Oneida Middle School contacted police at around 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8, after reportedly finding a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in a 13-year-old student’s locker. The teen was arrested on suspicion of criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies. Authorities did not release the boy's name due to his age. “At this time, the City of Schenectady School District has been in contact with students and family from Oneida Middle School and is…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
New Update: Classes Canceled For Day At School In Hudson Valley After Violent Attack New Update: Classes Canceled For Day At School In Hudson Valley After Violent Attack
New Update: Classes Canceled For Day At School In Hudson Valley After Violent Attack New update: A school in the Hudson Valley has been closed for the day following a violent attack in which two students were injured in a reported stabbing. Click here for an updated story: 13-Year-Old Charged For Monhagen Middle School Stabbing In Middletown The incident occurred in Orange County around 8 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Monhagen Middle School in Middletown. "We have just completed a full physical grid check of the entire Monhagen Middle School campus," said school officials. "The situation was isolated to one area of the building." All roads leading to the school wil…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
High School In Hudson Valley Closed After Student Brawl Breaks Out High School In Hudson Valley Closed After Student Brawl Breaks Out
High School In Hudson Valley Closed After Student Brawl Breaks Out A physical altercation involving students has resulted in the closure of a high school in the Hudson Valley. In Orange County, Middletown High School will be closed on Friday, Nov. 17 following the fight on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 16. The closure for grades 9-12 only. All K-8 campuses will be open. There will be no after-school or evening activities on Friday for grades 9-12. Creeden said in a statement to the community that Superintendent of Schools Amy Creeden said in a statement to the community: "The high school closure is being implemented out of an abundance of caution an…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Bobcat Sighting Results In Police Response At School In Hudson Valley Bobcat Sighting Results In Police Response At School In Hudson Valley
Bobcat Sighting Results In Police Response At School In Hudson Valley A bobcat sighting reported by staff resulted in a police response at a school in the region. The incident happened in Northern Westchester County on Wednesday, Nov. 8 just before 3 p.m., when staff members at the Coman Hill Elementary School at 558 Bedford Rd. (Route 22) reported a possible bobcat that was seen behind the building, according to North Castle Police. Officers then responded to the school and checked the grounds and surrounding area for a bobcat. However, the animal was not spotted by authorities.  Police then stayed at the school to monitor the area during dismissal, au…

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by Ben Crnic
News
School Swatting Attacks In Hudson Valley: Rep. Lawler Proposes Longer Prison Sentences School Swatting Attacks In Hudson Valley: Rep. Lawler Proposes Longer Prison Sentences
School Swatting Attacks In Hudson Valley: Rep. Lawler Proposes Longer Prison Sentences In response to a rise in school swatting attacks across the country, including in the Hudson Valley, US Rep. Mike Lawler is introducing legislation that would increase the prison term for those who threaten students.  Lawler, who represents New York's 17th congressional district which includes all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester counties, announced his proposal on Wednesday, Oct. 25.  The proposed legislation, called the Schools Want Accountability for Threats (SWAT) Act, would increase the penalty for a school swatting attack targeting a school t…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Drone Seen Flying Over School In Region Perfectly Legal, Police Say (Poll) Drone Seen Flying Over School In Region Perfectly Legal, Police Say (Poll)
Drone Seen Flying Over School In Region Perfectly Legal, Police Say (Poll) A drone that was seen flying over several schools in the region sparked concerns among parents and prompted a police investigation. The unusual sight was spotted in Albany County on Thursday, Oct. 12, in the town of Bethlehem. Several people contacted the Bethlehem Police Department saying a drone was flying over Slingerlands Elementary, Eagle Elementary, and Bethlehem Central High schools. Officers responded and found the drone’s pilot, who identified himself as an employee of the CoStar Group who was taking commercial real estate photos. He also gave officers his Federal Aviation Admin…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Swastika Found Carved Into Table At High School In Hudson Valley Swastika Found Carved Into Table At High School In Hudson Valley
Swastika Found Carved Into Table At High School In Hudson Valley District officials are seeking information after a swastika was found carved into a table at a Hudson Valley high school.  The hate symbol was found at a school in Putnam County on Tuesday, Oct. 3, when the Carmel Board of Education was alerted that a swastika had been carved into the leg of a lab table at Carmel High School.  According to district officials, this most recent incident followed the discovery of a swastika and the words "Adolf Hitler" written on the same school's tennis courts in September.  "We, as the Board of Education, recognize that these are not isolated…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Bullet Found On Hudson Valley School Bus Bullet Found On Hudson Valley School Bus
Bullet Found On Hudson Valley School Bus A bullet was found on a Hudson Valley school bus after students exited the vehicle. The incident occurred in Orange County in Washingtonville, a village in Blooming Grove, on Tuesday, May 16. According to Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zaccaro, both the Washingtonville School District and the police department worked together to identify the student that was responsible for bringing the bullet onto the bus. No other bullets were found and no weapons were found on school property, Zaccaro said. A criminal investigation was conducted with the assistance of the state police and any poten…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Student Threatened To 'Shoot Up' High School In Region, Police Say Student Threatened To 'Shoot Up' High School In Region, Police Say
Student Threatened To 'Shoot Up' High School In Region, Police Say A juvenile is facing charges after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at a high school in the region. The Schenectady City School District contacted police shortly before 7 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3, to report that a threat had been made against the high school. According to Schenectady Police, district officials were alerted by the software Gaggle, which monitors students’ school-issued devices for harmful content, about a threatening email it had uncovered. In the email, the juvenile suspect threatened to “shoot up the school,” police said. Community engagement officers f…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Hudson Valley Was High School Student On Spring Break 18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Hudson Valley Was High School Student On Spring Break
18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Hudson Valley Was High School Student On Spring Break New update - Murder Of Teen In Westchester: 33-Year-Old Suspect Apprehended An 18-year-old who was fatally shot in Westchester was a high school student who had been on spring break, school officials said.  Tomani Turner, age 18, died on Thursday night, April 6 after he was shot twice in the chest in Mount Vernon on Garden Avenue just south of East 4th Street just after 12:30 p.m. earlier in the day, according to city officials.  Earlier Report - ID Released For 18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Mount Vernon; Suspect On Loose Turner was a student at Mount Vernon High School …

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Violent Threat At School In Carmel Prompts Wide Police Response Violent Threat At School In Carmel Prompts Wide Police Response
Violent Threat At School In Carmel Prompts Wide Police Response Updated story: Person Accused Of Making Threat Against Current Student At High School In Hudson Valley Authorities are keeping close watch over a middle school in the Hudson Valley after a reported threat of violence that led to an arrest of a juvenile student. The threat was made in Putnam County at the George Fischer Middle School in Carmel around midnight on Thursday, March 23, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.  The incident caused the school to delay its opening by two hours and also prompted an investigation conducted by the Sheriff's Office.  One j…

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by Ben Crnic
News
School District In Hudson Valley On Heightened Alert After Unspecified Threat School District In Hudson Valley On Heightened Alert After Unspecified Threat
School District In Hudson Valley On Heightened Alert After Unspecified Threat A Hudson Valley school district is on heightened alert after receiving information about a "non-specific" and out-of-town threat. Schools in the Orange County Valley Central School District in Montgomery will be on heightened alert on Friday, March 3, and have an increased police presence, according to Valley Central Superintendent Evette Avila. Avila said the threat, which was brought to their attention by a concerned parent, was aimed at New York schools.  The notice to parents.Valley Central School District "We take the safety of our students and staff with the utmost importance," A…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Beacon School Threat Deemed Unfounded, Police Say Beacon School Threat Deemed Unfounded, Police Say
Beacon School Threat Deemed Unfounded, Police Say A threat against a Hudson Valley middle school caused an area-wide lockdown of schools and a large police response. The threat took place in Dutchess County on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Rombout Middle School in Beacon. According to Det. Sgt. Jason Johnson of the Beacon Police, the school received a call from an individual who made a specific threat. Department members immediately responded to secure Rombout Middle School as well as the other schools in the city and began coordinating with School District administration as well as the Town of Fishkill Police to ensure that all of the…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security' Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security'
Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security' Gun control advocates will tell you that not much has changed since a 20-year-old gunman walked into a Connecticut elementary school and murdered 20 students and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012. Since that day, another 279 people have died in 189 different shootings that have occurred at schools across the United States, BBC News reports. Among them are the 19 students and two teachers who were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022. What has changed, though, is the technology that’s available to schools to help keep students a…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Student Stabbed During Fight At High School In Region Student Stabbed During Fight At High School In Region
Student Stabbed During Fight At High School In Region A high school student from the region is recovering after being stabbed by another student during an altercation on campus. The incident happened Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 6, at Schenectady High School, a district spokesperson told Daily Voice. During an altercation between two students inside a campus bathroom, a male student pulled a kitchen knife out of his pocket and cut the other student before fleeing the school, according to a district message sent to parents. The injured student required “minor” medical treatment and went home with a parent, officials said. Immediately following the…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Several Middle School Students In Region Exposed To Marijuana Edibles Several Middle School Students In Region Exposed To Marijuana Edibles
Several Middle School Students In Region Exposed To Marijuana Edibles A school district in the region is warning parents after several middle school students were exposed to marijuana edibles. The incident occurred at North Albany Middle School, Principal Andrea Piper said in a statement to parents Thursday, Nov. 17. “I am writing to let you know of a situation involving several students in our school community who reported exposure to, or ingestion of, suspected marijuana edibles Thursday,” Piper said. The students were evaluated by the school’s nurse and none were found to show symptoms while in their care, she said. It was not immediately clear how many…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Gun, Loaded Magazine Found Buried At Hudson Valley School: Police Gun, Loaded Magazine Found Buried At Hudson Valley School: Police
Gun, Loaded Magazine Found Buried At Hudson Valley School: Police Police found a handgun and a loaded magazine buried nearby an elementary school in Westchester County.  On Tuesday, Nov. 1 around 12:40 p.m., police responded to Daniel Webster Elementary School in New Rochelle at 95 Glenmore Dr. after school staff reported a partially buried firearm in a dirt area by a tree that could be seen through the schoolyard fence, according to New Rochelle Police.  When they arrived, police uncovered an unloaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun along with a fully loaded magazine next to it that had been buried in dirt and leaves, police said.  Ac…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Police Investigate Reported Firearm Threat At High School In Hudson Valley Police Investigate Reported Firearm Threat At High School In Hudson Valley
Police Investigate Reported Firearm Threat At High School In Hudson Valley Police said that "no credible life safety threat" was found after responding to an incident suspected of involving a firearm at a Westchester County high school.  On Friday, Oct. 14 at 12:30 p.m., Greenburgh Police responded to a dispute between two students at Woodlands High School in the Hartsdale section of the town after receiving an "alleged statement involving firearms," police said.  Upon arriving at the school, the threat was determined to be not credible, and the hold-in-place status put on the school was lifted, police said.  Police have also lifted the lockout sta…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says
This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says A high school in Westchester County is among the top 20 in New York, according to a new ranking from the school review site Niche.  Scarsdale Senior High School, in the Scarsdale Union Free School District, was ranked No. 13 out of 1,255 public high schools in the state with an overall grade of A+. It was also ranked No. 1 in best public high schools in Westchester County. Scores are based on a variety of school statistics like math and reading test scores, in addition to reviews from students and parents, according to Niche. Scarsdale High earned top marks in several categories, in…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: Health Dept. In Hudson Valley To Distribute 5,600 Air Purifiers To Area Schools COVID-19: Health Dept. In Hudson Valley To Distribute 5,600 Air Purifiers To Area Schools
Covid-19: Health Dept. In Hudson Valley To Distribute 5,600 Air Purifiers To Area Schools Health officials in Westchester County are set to distribute thousands of air purifiers to area school districts this month in an effort to protect students, teachers, and staff from COVID-19. The Westchester County Department of Health will distribute more than 5,600 air purifiers to 31 school districts in October, county officials announced on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The health department purchased Fellowes AeraMax Pro AM3S PC Air Purifiers, which health officials reported are "proven to remove over 99.99% of COVID-19 particles from the air." The department used $5.2 million in federal fun…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Woman Found With Loaded Gun Near School In Area Woman Found With Loaded Gun Near School In Area
Woman Found With Loaded Gun Near School In Area A Hudson Valley woman has been arrested for allegedly having a loaded gun on school grounds. Ulster County resident Sarah Schatzel, age 35, of Kingston, was arrested around 10 a.m., on Wednesday, July 6, during an investigation. During the investigation the department said there was a brief pursuit of Schatzel in which she ran onto the property of the Kingston Catholic School with the loaded gun, police said. After being caught, police recovered a loaded 9mm handgun and a substantial amount of crack cocaine from Schatzel, police added. She was charged with: Criminal possession of a weap…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Bottles With Explosive-Making Materials Found Outside NY School Bottles With Explosive-Making Materials Found Outside NY School
Bottles With Explosive-Making Materials Found Outside NY School Several bottles containing explosive-making devices were discovered just outside a New York elementary school. Officers on Long Island responded to a call for a suspicious item in the rear parking lot of Levy Lakeside School in Merrick, located on Babylon Road at around 9:30 a.m. Friday, June 24. The multiple plastic bottles containing explosive-making materials, one of which contained BBs, said police.  The items were tested, made safe and then transported off school grounds, according to police.  Police conducted a further investigation at surrounding schools in the area …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Student With Air Soft Gun Caught At Dutchess County School, Police Say Student With Air Soft Gun Caught At Dutchess County School, Police Say
Student With Air Soft Gun Caught At Dutchess County School, Police Say A male student in possession of an Airsoft-type gun was captured by police at a Hudson Valley school. The incident took place around 11:20 p.m., Thursday, June 9, at the Dutchess County BOCES school, in Hyde Park. Hyde Park police responded to the school located at 49 Boces Road after receiving a report of a male on school grounds who might be in possession of a gun, said Chief Robert Benson, of the Hyde Park Police. Officers from Hyde Park, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, and the state police responded to the school and were able to secure the student, Benson said. The student was …

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by Kathy Reakes