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Reader responds to schooling article

A local parent gives his opinion on schooling article. What do you think?

I agree with Elton Fay that year-round schooling would not work but I don’t know what he would really do to fix the problem. I think he just wants to be in office to gain power and he’s going to bring the education system down. He’s always talking about what can’t be done and not talking about what can be done. He’s always tearing down proposals for solutions but what does he have to propose instead. If you’re going to criticize an idea for fixing the problem, you should at least come up with your own idea. Shooting down every idea isn’t going to solve anything.

Hot weather leads to grass fires

A wildfire burns a forest.

The spell of hot, dry weather that has held the area in its grasp for the last few few weeks is taking its toll on grasslands and fire fighters.
In the wake of 15- and 25-mph winds, Saturday, in the wake of 15- and 25-mph winds and had a high temperature of 99 degrees. Fire protection agencies from across the area responded to 16 calls.
At the largest of these, a 25-acre grass fire on Peabody Road, north of Prathersville and west of Route 19, paramedics treated on site at least five of 35 fire fighters for heat exhaustion, county fire chief Debra Schuster said.
Three more of the heavily -clad fire fighters were hospitalized for heat exhaustion, and two of those were flown to Springfield Hospital by helicopter. All were treated for about one1 hour and released.
Dennis Sapp, fire captain of station no. 1, said the blaze at Peabody Road, which burned out of control for an hour before it was contained, probably was started by a trash fire. The blaze endangered a nearby barn and surrounding farmland and the barn on it, but was extinguished before anything but grass was burned.
Schuster said fires like the one on Peabody Road had been starting were being started 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 was is a more likely cause.
“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.”

Myrtle Beach Wildfire

California Wildfires

Gunman robs liquor store, takes $2,845

Springfield—A gunman is on the loose after robbing the Black Derby Liquor Store of $2,845 at gunpoint, at 2311 Ripley Way.
Steve Bellinos, 28, was working as the clerk at the store that evening when a man with a pillowcase over his head entered the store at 7:12 p.m. The man pulled out a gun and ordered Bellinos to put the money in the cash register in another pillowcase, police said.
Bellinos described the robber to the police as about 6 feet tall and weighing 155 pounds, wearing blue jeans and a dirty white T-shirt with a torn right sleeve.
Bellinos triggered a silent alarm at 7:16 p.m., police said. Police officers Anne Fulgham and Jose Lopez answered the alarm and arrived at 7:19 p.m.
The man fled as he saw the police car roll up. Officer Fulgham warned the robber as he fled and fired at him but missed, police said. The officers pursued him into an alley where he eventually escaped.
John Paul Reinicke, 35, witnessed the event as he walked down Ripley Way. “The officers did a good job,” he said. “The guy ran so fast he looked like a track star.”
Ralph Martinson, 53, is the owner of the store and confirmed that $2,845 was taken in the robbery.
Police Chief Antonio Grasso said a routine investigation of the incident would be made by the Police Internal Security Squad. This is standard procedure whenever an officer fires a service revolver, he said.

Gunman robs bank

Former U.S. Air Force Lt. Col dies at 67

Springfield—Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ronald H. Lache died Monday at his home here after a long with battle lung cancer. He was 67.
Graveside services are scheduled for 2 p.m. at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
Lache was born on Nov. 3, 1943 in Philadelphia to Harry and Thelma Curry Lache. (After high school, Lache attended the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1961 where he began his lifelong career in the Air Force. He graduated in 1965 and served in Vietnam as a fighter pilot. After seeing action in Vietnam, he continued to serve in the Air Force, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He retired in 1997.)
(His involvement in the military required him to move across the country. He finally moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1996, where he and his family would live there for several years.)
He and his family moved to Springfield from Dayton, Ohio five years ago. Lache was a member of the Newman Center and the Rock Bridge Lions Club.
His wife, Delores Carney, preceded him in death on March 7 of this year (from a heart attack).
Lache is survived by his mother, Thelma Lache; his son, Ronald Lache; and one granddaughter, Jennifer C. Peck, all of Springfield. He is also survived by three daughters, Barbara Ann Peck of Dayton, Ohio; Patrice Louis Wylie of Indianapolis, Ind., and Cynthia Lache of San Mateo, Calif.
A viewing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Parker Funeral Service at 606 Washington Ave. The Rev. Michael Finney will conduct the services.

A mass shooting leaves two dead

St. Joseph, Missouri—A shooting rampage killed a police officer and the gunman and injured four near 22nd and Frederick Streets in St. Josephs yesterday.
At 5:11pm, a police officer, Bradley Arn, was responding to the scene was killed when bullets hit the back window of his car seven times, striking him in the back of the head and killing him. Officer Bradley Thomas Arn was 27 years old and married with three-year-old twin daughters.
Another officer arrived at the scene and shot the gunman in the head, killing him. (Witnesses grieve over shooting.)
The shooter was a white male with a Mohawk haircut, dressed in a camouflage outfit with pockets full of ammunition, a backpack, a loaded shotgun and a knife. The gunman had no ID Investigators are trying to use fingerprints to identify him.
The shooter started firing randomly at 22nd and Frederick and headed south to Calvary Baptist Church at 22nd and Union before he was subdued.
This is the first time a St. Joseph police officer died in the line of duty since 1991.
Witnesses George McFeat and Norma Guthrie lived in the area that the gunman rampaged through. They were driving home from the grocery store when they saw Officer Arn hit by the gunman.

21 shot in Netherlands

Candidates express views on schooling

School board candidates took opposing stands on the proposal for schooling at the Lenoir Retirement Center Tuesday night.

The senior citizens asked the candidates what they would do in regard to year-round schooling, teacher unionization, overcrowding and other changes, instead of the $35 million bond appearing on the April ballot.

Candidate Henry Lane proposed multiple schedules for year-round schooling to help decrease overcrowding by reducing the amount of students attending school every day.

Board President Elton Fay said he doesn’t believe that year-round schooling is realistic. He thinks year-round schooling would mean separate schedules for students of different ages.

“This community does not want schools on totally different schedules,” Fay said.

Candidate Larry Dorman stated that he would work to get rid of overcrowding and increase salaries for teachers.

Incumbent Kerry Corino pointed out that the increasing population leads to larger class sizes.

One senior citizen asked about teacher unionization in the district.

Fay said teachers cannot bargain collectively in this state.

“The teachers are anti-union,” Corino added. “That tells you a lot of things about how this city operates.”