School Board Candidates Debate Restructuring of School System

Colin Hart
Staff Writer


LENOIR, NC — Senior citizens in Lenoir School District worry that a proposal for year-round schooling might hit them in the pocketbook.

School board candidates took opposing stands on the proposal at the Lenoir center Tuesday night.

Some believe the plan for a 12-month school schedule could eliminate the need for trailers that now house the overflow of students. Candidate Henry Lane argued that year-round schooling would help decrease overcrowding and would reduce daily student attendance by 25 percent.

Candidate and Board President Elton Fay argued that the new schedule would be costlier than adding permanent buildings. Paying faculty and utilities year-round would cost more than putting up new buildings.

“What Mr. Lane fails to tell you is that if we are to avoid erecting additional buildings, to save on construction costs, the cost of educating our children would go up substantially.”

Fay added that the plan would put schools on different schedules. And no one in the community, he says, wants the schools to be on different schedules.

Incumbent Kerry Corino put the argument into perspective saying that the battle between a growing population and cost of education is a difficult one.

Corino stated that it wasn’t fair to compare private schools to public schools after comments about private education doing a better job at maintaining the balance.

“Private schools can pick who they want; public schools cannot…”

Another important issue discussed was problems of teacher unionization.

Responding to one senior’s question, Fay said teachers cannot, by law, bargain collectively. Corino added to Fay’s statement saying, “The teachers are anti-union. That tells you a lot of things about how this city operates.”

Audio courtesy of Colin Hart.

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Further Reading exploring Lenoir School District:

Lenoir School District: click here

Profile of Lenoir County Public Schools: click here

Reader responses welcome!

Gunman Robs Local Liquor Store

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD—A gunman with a pillowcase over his head pointed a pistol at a clerk and then fled down an alley with $2,845 seconds before the police arrived at the Black Derby Liquor Store at 2311 Ripley Way on April 26th.

A man with a pillowcase over his head entered the store at 7:12 p.m. He pulled out a pistol and demanded that the clerk, Steve Bellinos age 28, empty the contents of the cash register into another pillowcase.

Bellinos, realizing what was happening, was able to trigger a silent alarm within minutes of the robber entering the store, police said.

Police Officers Anne Fulgham and Jose Lopez answered the alarm and arrived at the store at 7:19 p.m. as the gunman was exiting.

When the man saw the police car he started to run, police said, Officer Fulgham acted quickly, shouting a warning and firing a shot at the man. The shot missed, and the man ran down an alley, escaping.

A witness, John Reinicke, 35, was walking down Ripley Way when the incident occurred. “The officers did a great job,” he said. “The guy ran so fast he looked like a track star.”

The Police Internal Security Squad will make a routine investigation of the incident, according to Police Chief Antonio Grasso. Grasso said that such investigations are conducted each time an officer fires a service revolver.

The clerk described the robber as about 6 feet tall and weighing 155 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans and a dirty white T-shirt with a torn right sleeve. Those with any information about the suspect are asked to call the Springfield Police Department or local authorities.

Audio courtesy of Colin Hart

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Sidebar stories:

• Upsurge in Gun Related Crimes in Springfield: click here

Are you worried about a rising crime rates? Comment below.

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Atlanta, GA

Photos taken of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Atlanta Georgia are from freestockphotos.biz

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Tell us your story! What did you do on St. Patrick's Day? Comment below.

Shooting in St. Joseph, Missouri Kills Police Officer and Gunman

Colin Hart
Staff Writer



SAINT JOSEPH, MO — A shooting rampage killed a police officer and the gunman, injuring three others near 22nd and Frederick Street here yesterday.

The fallen officer, 28 year-old Bradley Arn, was a first responder to calls about the shooting. As he drove toward the scene, the shooter opened fire, rattling off seven shots from his semi-automatic rifle. One of the seven bullets shattered a window, striking the back of the officer’s head, killing him.

The gunman was described by police officers as a Caucasian male with a Mohawk haircut. He wore camouflage, had pockets full of ammunition, a hunter’s knife on his belt and a loaded shotgun strapped to his back, police said. One eyewitness said it looked like he might have been chanting.

St. Joseph is not a city that often sees violence toward police. The last officer that was killed was in 1991 when he was hit by a car and the last officer shot was in 1944.

After a bullet struck Officer Arn, eyewitnesses saw him slump, obviously no longer manipulating the steering wheel, and then lose control of his vehicle

Roger Liberty, an area resident, said that before police arrived the shooter had been firing repeatedly and randomly. Hearing the police cars coming down the street caused him to turn around and open fire on them.

“It was awful what he did,” said Liberty. He stood talking on his phone on his back porch when he heard what sounded like gunshots, he said. He ran out to Calhoon Street and saw the gunman firing several times and reloading. After he shot the police car being driven by Officer Arn, he ran inside grabbing his 30/30 Winchester rifle. By the time he got back outside and started taking aim, police brought down the gunman.

“This just doesn’t happen in St. Joseph,” said Officer Connors with a tired face. After a heavy sigh he continued, “Officers are shocked to say the very least. Counselors will be made available to them.” Kansas City is sending its own crisis counselors to help officers and witnesses deal with the traumatic events of the past day, police said.

This quiet town has been reeling from the shooting. For some, it’s been a sad wake up call, Liberty said, “It’s awful that’s for sure. I’m sorry it happened. That’s the world we live in now. Even in St. Joe.”

Audio courtesy of Colin Hart.

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Further Reading Related to Officer Arn:

Officer Bradley Arn Profile: click here

Officer Bradley Arn Honor Run: click here

Local Fires put Property and Firefighters in Danger

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD —The recent heat spell and dry weather that has held the area in its grasp for the last few weeks is taking its toll on the grasslands and firefighters of Springfield.

On Saturday, in the wake of 15 and 25- mph winds and high temperatures of around 99 degrees, fire protection agencies from across the area responded to 16 different calls.

At the largest of those, a 24-acre grass fire near Peabody Road north of Prathersville and west of Route 19, burned out of control for an hour before it was contained. Paramedics treated at least five of the 35 firefighters called for heat exhaustion, said county fire Chief Debra Schuster.

Three more of the heavily clad firefighters were later hospitalized for heat exhaustion and two of those had to be helicoptered to Springfield Hospital. The three were treated and released later that same day.

Dennis Sapp, fire captain of Station No. 1, said a trash fire probably started the blaze at Peabody Road. The blaze endangered nearby

property and farmland but was extinguished before anything but grass was burned.

Schuster said fires like the one near Peabody Road had been starting all day, especially in the northern part of the city and county. Schuster said some of the fires could have been the work of an arsonist, but careless burning is more likely.

“We don’t have any evidence there is an arsonist,” Schuster said. “We sure hope we don’t have someone running around starting fires on purpose, but there is that possibility.”

Photo caption: (see above) This is an image taken at night of the fire near Peabody Road outside of Springfield.

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Sidebar stories:

• Property Damage Caused by Local Fires in Millions: click here
• Are Springfield's Fire Fighters Salaries High Enough?: click here

Are you effected by the fires? Worried about your home? Share your story by commenting below.

2,400 High School Football Injuries Resulted in Permanent Disabilities

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

REDMOND, CA— Pete Stenhoff, former high school football player, never expected that one play would confine him to wheelchair for the rest of his life.

That, however, was not the case. While playing for the Chula Vista High School football team, Stenhoff rammed his head into an opposing ball carriers chest fracturing a vertebra in his spine.

The result? He was unable to graduate with his class, lost 38 pounds, and is now confined to a wheelchair for life.

Chula Vista High school football players stand on
the sidelines during practice.

He’s not bitter; “I knew the risks involved when I decided to play.” While he may have known there were risks, did he really understand what they were? Each year there are 20,000 injuries in high school football. 7,000 of those are to the head or neck and 2,400 of them result in permanent disabilities to the players.

Last year alone, 13 high school students died from football related injuries. Many critics blame the helmet design for these numbers.

For students like Stenhoff, injuries are something that comes with the territory. “But,” he adds, “I wish I would have known just how bad it could be.”

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Further Reading on Helmet Reform:

Does Football Have a Future?: click here

It's the Concussion Crisis: click here

Tackling Head Trauma: Safety Guidelines for Football Helmets: click here

What do you think? Should the government mandate helmet reform to protect our children? Comment below.

Michael Jordan Ranks Number 20 in Forbes' Celebrity List

Colin Hart
Staff Writer




The towering basketball hero is an even bigger giant in advertising. He was recently ranked #20 in Forbes’ celebrity list due entirely to his 30-year success and his agent David Falk.

Michael Jordan was considered to be the most expensive of all athletes earning a total income of $40 million a year. He now makes around $55 million a year, according to Forbes.

His success is not on the decline. His endorsement portfolio continues to grow.

Falk was a large factor in orchestrating this success. Falk’s first major endorsement deal between Nike and Jordan is widely considered to be the most successful sports endorsement in history.

Jordan endorsed such memorable products as Nike, Wheaties, Chevrolet, and Coca-Cola along with many others with the help of Falk. Nike’s ‘Brand Jordan’ alone continues to make $1 billion dollars in sales business.

Jordan is still considered to be one of the most powerful endorser’s of products in sports history.

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Sidebar stories:

• Tiger Wood's Rise and Fall: The Endorsement King: click here