HTN Foundation, Articles of Interest

OC Register, "Unparalled academics drive top O.C. high schools"

2011-12-19T18:52:40Z

The Orange County Register published its annual ranking of top Orange County schools with Oxford Academy magnet high school in Cypress taking top honors for the fourth time in five years. Middle College High, which allows students to complete coursework at Santa Ana College while still in high school, was ranked No. 2 in the county, and Orange County High School for the Arts in Santa Ana was ranked No. 7. The newspaper found poverty rates strongly correlated with success, with top-ranked schools showing an average poverty rate of 17%, compared with an average rate for the other schools of 55%. - HTN Foundation

Unparalled academics drive top O.C. high schools

By FERMIN LEAL and SCOTT MARTINDALE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Oxford Academy continued its dominance among Orange County's high schools, claiming the No. 1 spot in the Register's ranking for the fourth time in five years.

Unparalleled academic scores and a phenomenal rate of college-ready graduates, along with other factors, again propelled the Cypress magnet to the top.

Oxford's 2011 Academic Performance Index of 989 out of 1,000 is the second highest of all high schools in the state.

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Hartford Courant, "Victim's Family Stiffed At Killer's Release Hearing"

2011-12-06T05:07:19Z

A case in Connecticut underscores the need for Marsy's Law to become a U.S. Constitutional Amendment. The state's Psychiatric Security Review Board, which oversees the release of violent mentally ill patients, recently refused to allow the family of a victim, murdered by her husband in a extreme psychotic episode, from speaking before the board through legal counsel. David Messenger, who was committed to a mental institution in 1998 for bludgeoning his pregnant wife to death, is seeking a transfer to a group home in Hartford. Messenger, who is described as narcissistic and highly intelligent and manipulative, bludgeoned his wife, Heather Williamson and her unborn son while Messenger's son, then five years old, watched and begged him to stop. - HTN Foundation

Victim's Family Stiffed At Killer's Release Hearing

By JOHN KLAR

The Hartford Courant

December 4, 2011

The Psychiatric Security Review Board, which oversees the release of violent mentally ill patients in Connecticut, recently demonstrated a bias against citizen awareness and involvement.

David Messenger, who was confined in 1998 for bludgeoning his pregnant wife to death as a result of an extreme psychotic episode, asked the board on Nov. 18 to transfer him to a Hartford group home with eventual release to unsupervised travel for 16 hours daily. The board refused to permit the mayor of Middletown to object at this hearing to Messenger's release. The board also prevented the victim's family from speaking through legal counsel.

I am writing as the attorney for the family in this case, for the rights of other victims and their families and also for the public's safety.

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MSNBC, "NamUs: Where missing people can be found"

2011-10-18T11:08:24Z

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, known as NamUs, allows relatives, victims’ rights advocates, law enforcement as well as the general public scan records and search for information to help locate missing persons. The website is run by the National Forensic Science Technology Center, part of the U.S. Dept. of Justice’s R&D arm. There are more than 8,800 cases on NamUs, of which 75% remain open. - HTN Foundation

NamUs: Where missing people can be found

You can search online database to help solve missing and unidentified person cases

By Gabriel Falcon

NBC News

updated 10/15/2011 7:36:04 AM ET

There is a place where the lost can be found.

Long before Lisa Irwin vanished from her Kansas City home, there was another desperate search in Missouri for a little girl. Her name was Elizabeth Gill. On the afternoon of June 13, 1965, Elizabeth was in her family's front yard in Cape Giradreau. It was the last time the 2-year-old was seen alive.

Scott Kleeschulte also disappeared in Missouri. On June 18, 1988, the 9-year-old freckled face boy was walking down a street in St. Charles County. To this day, nobody knows what happened to him.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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LA Times, "Gov. Jerry Brown signs Dream Act for state's illegal immigrants"

2011-10-09T06:41:27Z

Gov. Jerry Brown signed the second part of the “Dream Act,” making undocumented immigrants eligible for government financial aid to attend the state colleges and universities. Under AB 131, these students can receive Cal-Grants starting in 2013. Last year, the program made grants to more than 370,000 low-income students. Brown earlier signed AB 130, which makes undocumented students eligible for private aid. - HTN Foundation

Gov. Jerry Brown signs Dream Act for state's illegal immigrants

-- Patrick McGreevy and Anthony York, reporting from Sacramento

October 8, 2011 | 12:27 pm

Declaring the need to expand educational opportunity, Gov. Jerry Brown announced Saturday that he has signed legislation making illegal immigrants eligible to receive state financial aid to attend California universities and community colleges.

Brown said he signed the California Dream Act because it makes sense to allow high-achieving students access to college financial aid.

“Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and creative thinking,'' Brown said in a statement. "The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us.''

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LJWorld.com States lose track of some sex offenders

2011-09-19T13:17:48Z

A sex offender who moved to California from Kansas never showed up as being registered in his new home state, according to an investigation by the Journal-World of Lawrence, Kansas. He was among 161 registered sex offenders who left Kansas since 2006 but never turned up on a registry in a new state because, once authorities in the new state are notified, it’s up to them or the offender to ensure registration occurs. - HTN Foundation

States lose track of some sex offenders

By Shaun Hittle
September 18, 2011

The state of Kansas and county sheriff’s offices keep pretty close tabs on the more than 4,500 registered sex offenders in Kansas. Only 8 percent of registered sex offenders currently are not complying with registration requirements, which include verifying home addresses four times a year.

But when a sex offender moves out of state, it’s a different story.

A Journal-World investigation identified 161 registered sex offenders who have moved out of Kansas since 2006, but who do not show up on offender registries in the states they moved to.

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LA Times, "Local campuses named national 'blue ribbon' schools"

2011-09-16T19:13:04Z

Four Orange County schools and four in LA County are among 21 statewide named national “blue ribbon” schools by the U.S. Department of Education. Orange County’s are: Santa Ana elementary schools Muir and Thorpe, Emery in Buena Park and Allen in Fountain Valley. LA County’s are: Carson’s Math and Science Academy, Newhall’s McGrath Elementary and West Covina’s Merced Elementary, and LA’s Gertz-Ressler High School. - HTN Foundation

Local campuses named national 'blue ribbon' schools

Howard Blume

September 15, 2011 | 11:50 am

Twenty-one California schools, including four in Los Angeles County and four in Orange County, have been named national "blue ribbon" schools by the U.S. Department of Education.

The L.A. County schools are the California Academy of Mathematics and Science in Carson, McGrath Elementary in Newhall, Gertz-Ressler High School in Los Angeles and Merced Elementary in West Covina.

The Academy of Math and Science is a magnet high school that serves high-achieving students from several nearby school systems. Gertz-Ressler is a charter high school run independently of the local school district by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. It's located in the University Park neighborhood south of downtown.

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AP, "SAT reading scores fall to lowest level on record"

2011-09-16T18:54:10Z

The College Board said 2011 SAT reading scores nationally were the lowest on record and combined reading and math scores fell to their lowest level since 1995. The reason, it said, is the growing number and diversity of test-takers, especially an increase in Hispanic participants. Test-takers from non-English-only homes grew to 27% from 19% a decade ago. As more students aim for college, average scores tend to drop. - HTN Foundation

SAT reading scores fall to lowest level on record

Chart shows mean SAT scores since 1972.

SAT reading scores for the high school class of 2011 were the lowest on record, and combined reading and math scores fell to their lowest point since 1995.

The College Board, which released the scores Wednesday, said the results reflect the record size and diversity of the pool of test-takers. As more students aim for college and take the exam, it tends to drag down average scores

Meanwhile, other tests taken by more representative groups of high school students have shown reading skills holding steadier. And in the context of the 800-point test, the three-point decline in reading scores to 497 may seem little more than a blip.

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Sacramento Bee, "Report: Violent crime drops in California"

2011-09-15T17:31:07Z

The California Department of Justice’s annual report on crime in the state found that incidences of violent crime declined by 6.9% in 2010 to the lowest level since 1968. It was the fourth consecutive year that violent crime decreased. The report also showed the crime rate falling in every category of violent or property offenses last year. Homicides fell by 7.8%, robbery by 10% and motor vehicle theft by 7.6%. - HTN Foundation

Report: Violent crime drops in California

The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- State officials report that incidences of violent crime decreased 6.9 percent in California last year, reaching the lowest level since 1968.

The annual "Crime in California" report released Friday shows that the crime rate went down in every category of violent or property offenses in 2010.

It was the fourth year in a row that violent crime decreased.

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Sacramento Bee, "California Assembly approves student aid for illegal immigrants"

2011-09-06T00:03:33Z

The state Assembly voted today to accept amendments approved a day earlier by the state Senate, clearing the way for Gov. Jerry Brown to sign the second part of the California Dream Act. The latest bill would enable undocumented college students to receive publicly funded financial aid. Brown signed the first bill in July, which gave undocumented college students access to privately funded aid. - HTN Foundation

California Assembly approves student aid for illegal immigrants

Posted by Laurel Rosenhall

The state Assembly voted today to send Gov. Jerry Brown a bill that allows undocumented immigrant college students to receive publicly-funded financial aid.

After a lengthy debate, Assembly Bill 131 -- the second part of the controversial measure known as the California Dream Act -- cleared the lower house on a 45-27 vote.

"Today is a wonderful day," said Assemblyman Manuel Perez, D-Coachella. "Today is a day of hope. Today, there are many students throughout the state of California who are saying, 'It's about time.'"

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OC Register, "Mom: Murdered son will always be in her heart"

2011-09-01T01:15:56Z

The mother of an Orange County Register newspaper delivery boy who was murdered in 1981 marked the 30th anniversary of his death by telling family members, friends and dignitaries of the need to maintain California’s death penalty. Kay Brenneman’s 12-year-old son, Benjamin, was kidnapped by recently paroled sexual offender Robert Jackson Thompson as the boy made his daily rounds. Thompson died on death row in 2006. - HTN Foundation

Mom: Murdered son will always be in her heart

By LARRY WELBORN / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Published: Aug. 26, 2011 Updated: Aug. 30, 2011 12:43

Kay Brenneman, mom to Benjamin Brenneman, talks to the audience about the importance of maintaining the death penalty in California because her son was abducted 30 years ago by a man who had been recently paroled. She's juxtaposed here with photos of Benjamin shortly take shortly before his murder. ROD VEAL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERANAHEIM – Kay Brenneman stood before a gathering of family members, friends and dignitaries Friday and told them that a repeat child molester may have murdered her 12-year-old son in 1981, "but he did not take (my son) out of my heart."

A day after the 30th anniversary of Benjamin Brenneman's kidnapping and murder, his mother told 50 guests at a memorial tribute that "evil may come, but we can overcome."

With Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, and Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas in the small crowd at Modjeska Park – where her son celebrated his 12th and last birthday in 1981 – Kay Brenneman thanked her friends for continuing to remember him, and for their continued support for strong pro-victim and anti-crime legislation, particularly regarding the death penalty.

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