Charges dropped against Newton County homebuyers

Source: Atlanta Journal constitution

Charges have been dropped against a couple arrested at the home they had just purchased, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Jean Kalonji, an immigrant from the Congo, said that being confronted by armed neighbors brought back painful memories.

Jean Kalonji and his wife, Angelica, had just closed on a foreclosed home and were told by their real estate agent they should go over to the house and change the locks. But while they were at the home last week, they were confronted by gun-wielding neighbors who refused to believe the couple had purchased the home.

Instead, the neighbors called deputies to the home and the couple was arrested and charged with loitering and prowling. The Kalonjis didn't have the closing paperwork with them at the time deputies arrived and were forced to spend the night in jail after the arrest.





Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/charges-dropped-against-newton-1424231.html

I Would Like DU's Opinion Of the Film, "Race to Nowhere", if You All Would Be So Kind!

About the Film

Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

"Race to Nowhere" is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

In a grassroots sensation already feeding a groundswell for change, hundreds of theaters, schools and organizations nationwide are hosting community screenings of the film nationwide. Tens of thousands of people are coming together, using the film as the centerpiece for raising awareness, radically changing the national dialogue on education and galvanizing change.

Featured in the film:

Dr. Madeline Levine, Clinical Psychologist and author of the best-seller, The Price of Privilege
Dr. Wendy Mogel, Clinical Psychologist and author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Adolescent Medicine Specialist, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Deborah Stipek, Dean of the School of Education at Stanford University
Dr. Denise Pope, Co-Founder, Challenge Success, Stanford University
Sara Bennett, Founder, Stop Homework

"We Need to Test These Kids on What They Know; Not What We Want Them to Know"

"Ha Ha Funny" or prescient?

When I first watched this clipped I thought, "Yeah, there's a lot of truth here."

Kids are experts in their own experience and by high school know a LOT about what they need, even if we don't think they do.

If we (teachers, admins, schools, and others) think WE know everything that THEY need to learn, then we've failed from the start.

VERY cool!

wow!

One day after enrollment freeze, Cal State trustees OK pay hikes for 2 presidents

Hat tip to newsjock who posted this in GD.

One day after enrollment freeze, Cal State trustees OK pay hikes for 2 presidents
Source: Associated Press

The California State University trustees on Tuesday approved 10 percent pay hikes for two campus presidents after administrators outlined a grim financial forecast calling for sweeping cuts that will deny admission to thousands of students.

Students, faculty members and unionized employees criticized the board for the salary increases, saying they were excessive in light of a looming $750 million cut in state funding for the next academic year. Administrators are planning to halt most spring 2013 admissions to cope with the cut, a move that will affect some 16,000 students.

"They're forcing us to make cuts because they don't have the money to pay for academic services," said Antoine Wilson, a senior at Cal State Dominguez Hills. "But they're approving salary increases. It shows you where their priorities are."

CSU administrators say the increases are necessary to attract and retain top executive talent. The trustees approved a base salary of $303,660 for CSU East Bay President Leroy Morishita and $324,500 for CSU Fullerton President Mildred Garcia, as well as $12,000 car allowances and $60,000 housing allowances for each.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/20/4353407/cal-state-trustees-decry-enrollment.html

IDEA: Turn Homeless People into 4G Wireless Hotspots!!! Users Make Donations!!!

Win! (I think) Also, kind of creepy.

Turning The Homeless Into 4G Hotspots
'Homeless Hotspots' A Hit With South By Southwest Visitors
By Stacy Cowle
POSTED: 2:43 pm EDT March 12, 2012

AUSTIN (CNNMoney) -- It sounds like a headline from the The Onion, but it's true: A project called "Homeless Hotspots" is turning homeless Austin residents into mobile wireless hotspots outside the South by Southwest convention center.

It's part marketing stunt, part genuine charitable initiative -- and it's generating lots of double-takes and chatter from those who pass by.

"I'm Melvin, a 4G hotspot," reads the T-shirt of participant Melvin Hughes. "SMS HH Melvin to 25827 for access."

Hughes is carrying a Verizon MiFi 4G hotspot. Texting his code sends back his network password, which the recipient can use to suck down a few minutes of fast broadband access -- a scare commodity at SXSW, a tech/film/music gathering that has drawn more than 20,000 visitors to Austin.

http://www.wcti12.com/technology/30661362/detail.html

I am due beer and travel money and many experiences.

These are just my RandomThoughts.



I miss him...

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=437&topic_id=3505&mesg_id=3505

Race to Nowhere. Read this, watch this, rent this, spread this. Change the world.

Ya'll know I'm an educator.

I haven't seen it, but I'm intrigued.

Your thoughts?

Are we killing kids?

K/R and DAMN, there's a LOT of misinformation in this thread...

I'm an energy guru, it's sad to see how little people know.

You are correct...

"Welcome to my Ignore list, troll - n/t" and "Gee Thanks Troll" are acceptable now...

Hi DU!



This is my whine for the week.

Called to jury duty on "Welcome to my Ignore list, troll - n/t", I discovered another personal insult and alerted on it.

In our new community, both replies are allowed to stand.

That being the case, I just want to call cliffordu a pootiepants lurker booty!

That's right.

I'm trying to gauge the grade level of the name-calling and I'm coming up with 3rd to 5th, which is being, I think, generous.

Stay classy, DU.