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Schools
School Bus Driver Mom Confronts Board Over Son’s Concussion After PSP Strangulation Probe School Bus Driver Mom Confronts Board Over Son’s Concussion After PSP Strangulation Probe
School Bus Driver Mom Confronts Board Over Son’s Concussion After PSP Strangulation Probe A tense confrontation over student safety unfolded at the Octorara Area School Board meeting on Monday, Nov. 17, as a school bus driver and mother challenged board members about her son’s concussion and the district’s handling of bullying in the wake of a Pennsylvania State Police investigation into a reported strangulation at the middle school. The meeting began with tributes to retiring members Koenecker and Hurley and moved quickly into salary approvals, including raises for several administrators tied to what officials described as years of “underpayment.” The board also completed first …

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Five Middle School Students Accused Of Strangling Classmate: Pennsylvania State Police (UPDATE) Five Middle School Students Accused Of Strangling Classmate: Pennsylvania State Police (UPDATE)
Five Middle School Students Accused Of Strangling Classmate: Pennsylvania State Police (Update) New details have been shared with Daily Voice on Monday, Nov. 17, after five Octorara Middle School students were accused of bullying and strangling a 12-year-old boy on campus, according to a Pennsylvania State Police release on Monday, Nov. 10.  Troopers from PSP Avondale were dispatched to the school along Highland Road in West Fallowfield Township at approximately 10:05 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, for a report of a bullying incident, according to the release. Read the full release in the screenshot below or by clicking here and going to page 8: The press release shared by PSP …

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Penn State ‘Explosion’: Person Trapped, Students Evacuated When Floor Drops In New Building Penn State ‘Explosion’: Person Trapped, Students Evacuated When Floor Drops In New Building
Penn State ‘Explosion’: Person Trapped, Students Evacuated When Floor Drops In New Building A loud noise inside Penn State’s new Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building sparked an evacuation and emergency response after a floor suddenly shifted and trapped a person, university officials announced on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. The incident happened on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when the floor in the $128 million building dropped about 2 inches, fire officials told WTAJ at the time. The movement created a crack as wide as 1 1/2 inches stretching from the second floor to the roof, according to first responders. Fire crews rushed to the scene after receiving reports of what sounded like an ex…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
$61K In School Funds Stolen By Philadelphia Mom Meant For Her Kids’ Care: AG $61K In School Funds Stolen By Philadelphia Mom Meant For Her Kids’ Care: AG
$61K In School Funds Stolen By Philadelphia Mom Meant For Her Kids’ Care: AG A Philadelphia mother is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars meant to support her own children’s therapeutic services, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Laurel Schullere, owner of a Germantown-based company called Missing Pieces, turned herself in that morning in Philadelphia County, according to the release. Schullere is charged with Felony Theft By Deception, Felony Criminal Attempt – Theft By Deception, and Misdemeanor Provider Prohibited Acts, investigators detailed. Schullere has two children who require therapeutic care provided through the Ph…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Relentless Bullying Led To Death Of Pennsylvania Teen, Federal Lawsuit Says Relentless Bullying Led To Death Of Pennsylvania Teen, Federal Lawsuit Says
Relentless Bullying Led To Death Of Pennsylvania Teen, Federal Lawsuit Says A Pennsylvania family has filed a federal lawsuit claiming their son endured months of unchecked bullying before taking his own life at his East Berlin home on Monday, Dec. 4, according to court documents filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jonathan “Jonny” M. Tomasello, a 15-year-old student at Bermudian Springs High School in Adams County, died by suicide after what his parents describe as “relentless, extreme, and intolerable” bullying, they say the district failed to stop, as stated in the lawsuit. Nick and Natalie Tomasello filed the complaint on Monday, Nov. 11, nearly two y…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Juvenile, Adult Victims Dragged, Beaten After Leaving PA High School: Police Juvenile, Adult Victims Dragged, Beaten After Leaving PA High School: Police
Juvenile, Adult Victims Dragged, Beaten After Leaving PA High School: Police Two Glenolden women are accused of following and assaulting a juvenile and an adult female after school dismissal in Sharon Hill, police announced on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The incident began on Wednesday, Nov. 5, when the victims were followed from Academy Park High School by 34-year-old Lashay Simpson-Sheppard, 18-year-old Dashay Sheppard, and their juvenile daughter, according to the Sharon Hill Borough Police Department. The trio exited their vehicle in the 1100 block of Chester Pike, dragged the victims out of their car, and assaulted them before fleeing the area, police said.  Simp…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says
Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says An Albany elementary school is mourning the death of a young student who died after an accident at home reportedly linked to a dangerous TikTok challenge. The incident occurred Saturday night, Nov. 8, and involved a student from Arbor Hill Elementary School, Principal Rosalind Gaines-Harrell said in a message to families. She called the loss “profoundly sad” and warned parents about the serious risks tied to viral online challenges, which are often promoted as harmless entertainment. District officials said the accident appeared to be connected to a TikTok trend, though no additional deta…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
WATCH ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One WATCH ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One
Watch ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One Starbucks fans couldn’t bear the disappointment after the company’s surprise newest holiday item — the viral “Bearista Cold Cup” — sold out nationwide within hours of its release. The Seattle-based coffee chain issued a public apology after the launch turned chaotic, with viral videos showing customers fighting in stores and scrambling to grab the limited-edition item that sold out within hours on Wednesday, Nov. 6. “The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” Starbucks said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to coffeehous…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
North Penn High School Grad Hits the Jeopardy! Stage: Here's How He Did North Penn High School Grad Hits the Jeopardy! Stage: Here's How He Did
North Penn High School Grad Hits the Jeopardy! Stage: Here's How He Did The champ is here.  North Penn High School graduate and longtime Montgomery County educator Joseph Evans will be back in the bright lights after a stirring win in his first Jeopardy! appearance on Tuesday night. The Takoma Park Middle School teacher who hails from Beltsville went into Final Jeopardy! with a modest $9,000, behind Long Island stay-at-home-dad Aaron Himmel's $15,000 and ahead of defending champion Joyelle McSweeney's $3,600. Then came the final category: "Literary Characters."  Perfect for a teacher (Evans technically teaches World Studies at Takoma Park Middle School, but i…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
North Penn Grad, Maryland Teacher Rings In His ‘Jeopardy!’ Debut Tonight North Penn Grad, Maryland Teacher Rings In His ‘Jeopardy!’ Debut Tonight
North Penn Grad, Maryland Teacher Rings In His ‘Jeopardy!’ Debut Tonight Question: This North Penn High School graduate and longtime Montgomery County educator is competing on Jeopardy! on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Answer: Beltsville resident Joseph Evans. Evans is set to make his debut on the quiz show Tuesday night, where he will challenge returning champion Joyelle McSweeney, a poet and English professor from South Bend, Indiana — and Long Island stay-at-home dad Aaron Himmel. According to the North Penn School District, Evans graduated in 2001 after growing up in North Wales and attending North Wales Elementary and Pennbrook Middle School.  He received his undergra…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Manga, Anime ‘Death Note’ Trend Sparks Suspension Warnings At PA Schools Manga, Anime ‘Death Note’ Trend Sparks Suspension Warnings At PA Schools
Manga, Anime ‘Death Note’ Trend Sparks Suspension Warnings At PA Schools A disturbing trend has surfaced in the Central Dauphin School District, prompting a warning from administrators after students were caught imitating a popular Japanese anime series, officials announced on Friday, Oct. 31. Two students were found in possession of “Death Notes,” referencing the anime and manga series "Death Note", where characters die after their names are written in a supernatural notebook, according to a statement from Superintendent Eric Turman. Following an investigation, district staff determined the students appeared to be mimicking what they had read and viewed it “as …

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-DEI Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-DEI Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds
Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-dei Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds Students, alumni, and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania received a vulgar, inflammatory email from a hacker on Friday, Oct. 31, the university confirmed. The fraudulent message, which appeared to come from Penn’s Graduate School of Education, contained offensive language attacking the school’s diversity and admissions policies. Some recipients said they received the vulgar message multiple times. The full message was shared on reddit: The email allegedly sent by hackers from UPenn. Reddit/r/philadelphia @bpt1047 In a statement posted to its website, Penn said its Office of Info…

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by Jillian Pikora