Massachusetts Anti-Bullying Legislation Passes

After the suicides of Pheobe Prince, 15 and and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, 11, Anti-Bulluing legislation has passed with unanimous agreement. The bill requires school employees to report and principals to investigate all cases of bullying. Read More

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/24/nyregion/24neediest.html?_r=2

An Illness Brings Hardship; a Diagnosis, Relief:

This article is about one families struggle with a son's illness. The mother spent $4,000 out of pocket on testings for the diagnosis since she did not have health insurance. Eventually he was diagnosed with thalassemia and thru his father's insurance he was able to be covered financially and is now doing well. This article not only addresses the hardship of dealing with the chronic illness of a child but dealing with the financial difficulties that occur with this child and how without healthcare it is incredibly hard to pay for treatment.

Mass. Senate Weighs Foreclosures Bill

The Mass. Senate is planning on debating whether or not to impliment a bill that plans to protect renters and old homeowners. The bill would prevent tenants from being evicted and would also toughen consumer protection. Foreclosures initiated by tenants went up from 8 percent from last year to 22 percent from the last month. To learn more: http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO140750/

Sex offender re-arrests fuel GPS debate

This article from the Boston Herald describes the debate over using GPS tracking bracelets to follow sex offenders. Eleven sex offenders who were removed from GPS monitoring last year have been re-arrested in recent months for crimes ranging from armed robbery to assault to failing to register as a sex offender. There is currently a debate going on as to whether level-3 sex offenders should be required to wear the GPS bracelets or if this is an "unconstitutional burden on their freedom". Personally, I would agree with Northeastern University criminologist who, in the article, proposes the idea that sex offender supervision should be handled on a case-by-case basis.

For Or Against Deval Patrick?

Many people adore Governor Deval Patrick, while many feel as if his time in office needs to end quick. With elections coming soon, many people have different views on who should hold the seat at the State House as the Governor of Massachusetts. In March 2007, during his campaign, Deval Patrick promised many a property tax relief, which would aid in lowering property tax. However, the people of Massachusetts have not yet seen a relief but instead seen a continuing increase. Though Patrick promised such relief, according to a budget specialist, budget cuts and the slow economy made it impossible in doing so. On the contrary, if the economy was in good standing, to make such plan work he would have to add billions and billions of dollars into his annual budget. So far in office, he managed to increase education funding, closed a tax loop hole for telecommunication companies, and gave cities and towns the power to raise restaurant meals and hotel rooms. He also made it easy for municipalities to join the state health insurance program. These improvements in society does not sway Patrick from the promises he has made that have not yet became a form of reality for many. Because Patrick failed to lower property tax during his term in office, this issue has become a major issue in his race. Voters and opponents are using it against him. In this economic downfall, many are suffering and only so much can be done to tackle these issues. However the ending results will show if he did enough to gain the votes from the people of Massachusetts.

Westfield State College takes aim at school bullying

The teacher education center at Westfield State College has created an anti-bullying program that will be implemented in local schools surrounding Westfield. The plan, called "Bully Proof Zones" is designed to bring teachers, administrators, counselors, and students together with the college students specifically being able to help the younger people change their attitudes about bullying. The college is planning a two-day seminar as well as workshops to help develop a model for the schools in what will hopefully be a successful program.

Personally, I think is this is a fantastic idea and would like to see other colleges follow in Westfield's footsteps if their model proves efficient and especially effective. I'm sure this will just be one of many other initiatives we will see being taken followed by the tragic suicides of Pheobe Prince and Carl Walker-Hoover.

Odgren Spoke of Suicide

In this article, John Odgren was hurt by all the teasing, he told his parents he wanted to get a gun and shoot his bullies as well as kill himself. At the time he spoke of this, John was nine years old. He has had a long history of mental disorders, all of which have played a role in John committing murder of a 15 year old boy who he stabbed to death in 2007. The trial is ongoing and he is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. If he is found not guilty, he will have to stay at a psychiatric hospital until "competent enough to stand trial". His parents described him as being very smart, but emotionally distraught and isolated. He had shown signs of being mentally ill early on and his parents had sought help from school guidance counselors who did nothing to stop John from committing acts such as drinking bleach. This will be a very critical trial in a step towards treating mental illness.

2 suspended in Mass. after prison release errors

The Boston globe reported that two state prison employees were suspended last week (with pay) when one inmate was released too early and a second inmate was released past his release date. Mistakes with both inmates occurred last Thursday at a minimum-security pre-release center located in Roslindale (Boston).

A convicted drug dealer was released 11 months early but was taken back into custody after only a a fewer hours once the mistake was discovered. The second inmate was release 2 months later than he should have been after completing his sentence for manslaughter.  For full article

A Great Law for Animals and Abused Victims

Advocates for domestic violence are pushing to pass a bill in which pets are included under restraining order. The bill was filed by D-Watertown Peter Koutoujian. The bill is insisted to help those who were in a domestic situation where the animal as well as the person was the victim. In other word judges are able to include pets in the restraining orders in the case of domestic abuse. Other states have passed a similar bill and Massachusetts will be tagging along in the days to come. Based on research, people are more prone to leave their animals behind and not seek help. “By helping insures the pet is OK, we’re really helping people, too.” said the director of advocacy for the MSPCA. In one incident, one victim stayed with her abusers because while she had a restraining order put on her former husband, her tabby cat and beagle were not on the restraining order. She stayed because she feared that her former husband was going to retaliate by putting her animals at risk. She eventually left the animals behind. After two months of leaving her husband, he began stalking her in which she later filed a police report on him. He then retaliated by killing them.

People who commit such horrendous acts of crime should pay because animals are seened as humans too and if they abuse others then they would have to pay also. It is crazy how far a person would go to retaliate on a person. Passing this bill will allow animals to be free of cruelty as well as seek the help in the case of domestic abuse they need.

Number of Homeless Families Living in Motels Decreasing

State statistics are showing that the number of homeless families living in motels throughout Massachusetts has declined since february, but it is costing the state close to $2 million a month to provide them places to live. State leaders are trying to prominently address homelessness after the death of a baby at a hotel in West Springfield and abuse of two children at a Westfield motel, both families were homeless. A way to address the problem would be to continue the the fight for more affordable housing to give families a new start.

The event Ending Homelessness in Western Massachusetts: A Progress Report, will take place at Holyoke Community College on April 26 from 9:30 to 11 a.m to discuss on the shift from shelter-living to housing in eliminating homelessness in Massachusetts.

Read the full article here.

Sex offender arrested after visit to high school

An unregistered Level 2 sex offender attempted to dismiss a 15 year old girl from Auburn High School and was arrested shortly after. According to police, Mr. Banfill was seeking the early dismissal of a 15-year-old girl and said he was her stepfather. The secretary refused Mr. Banfill’s request because he repeatedly mispronounced the student’s name. When Mr. Banfill left the building, a teacher saw him walking near a gym class that was being held outside, police said.
According to police, the teacher said Mr. Banfill appeared to be sending a text message or taking pictures of the students in the gym class with his cell phone. The teacher alerted the front office, which alerted Officer Kennedy. Police say they do not know if Mr. Banfill did take any photos of the students. Mr. Banfill was arraigned Tuesday in Central District Court in Worcester. Bail was set at $700, according to court documents. The state will seek mandatory lifetime parole if he is convicted. Full story.

Demand Growing for Family Services

As many families continue to suffer through the economic recession, the Massachusetts town of Westboro is finding that the demand for services at their youth and family services department has grown.

Services include counseling to the town's low-income and at-risk population, which many people have been seeking to help them deal with stress in the family, often due to financial reasons. The department has a small budget and strongly relies on donations. This high demand has led them to consider charging a fee, such as $20 per session, but the majority of people who use the services could not afford this and would not be charged anyways.

Teens Charged with Arson

Two Pittsfield teenagers have been charged with arson for allegedly dousing a house in gasoline and settting it on fire on April 12th, 2010. The teens, Liam Culver and Jordan Errichetto, have denied these charges but evidence is working against them. Apparently these two boys have had made several online threats towards a teen residing in the house over an ex-girlfriend and have been known to bully the resident.
As previous articles on this blog have stated bullying has become a serious issue in our society today. Teenagers are taking it to new fars threatening the lives of many, leaving police officers baffled.
To read the full article visit The Berkshire Eagle at http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_14886636?source=most_viewed

Lack of Bank Accounts Cost "Gateway Cities" Big Time

Something as seemingly simple as having a bank account would have saved Gateway cities, like Springfield, Worcester, Holyoke and Brockton, an estimated $72 million a year. Recent research shows that these cities are less likely to have traditional bank accounts and more likely to use check cashing services. These services tend to have high fees, which add more financial strain on already struggling communities. Read more.

Witness: Odgren watched violent Internet video before slaying

I decided to blog about an article I found in the Boston Globe. This article is about the 2007 stabbing of a 15 year old male at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury. New evidence shows that John Odgren watched a violent video on the internet before stabbing his class mate. This article interested me because I think there is a lot of problems with violence on t.v internet and comics especially within the last few years. I believe parents need to monitor what their children are watching reading and listening to even if they are of high school ages. It is important for parents to know what their children are doing so stabbing and shooting in school systems can be prevented.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/04/odgren_daily.html

Just because it's sunny doesn't mean the storm is over...

The Patriot Ledger featured this article today that reports 17,216 residents in Massachusetts have filed official claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The March rainstorms may be over weather-wise, but there are lasting and damaging repercussions. The overwhelming rains caused widespread flooding, wiping out many basements and yards across the state. FEMA employs inspectors to visit the houses and decide how extensive the damage is and the amount of funds available. The article is helpful in providing the website and a phone number to call if people have not contacted FEMA yet. Full article

$20 Million Hike in Budget for Boston

In the new healthy care system Boston will have to increase the budget by $20 million in order to afford the new system. The increase will have to come from tax dollars, a very large lump sum. This has made many people angry because now money that needs to be spent on programs will be going towards the budget for health care coverage. The director of Boston's administration and finance, Lisa Signori, said "It crowds our ability to spend money on other services. Something's got to give". The money that could be spent on programs and services for the greater good of the residents of Boston, now is being put towards one large budget. However, the city is limited on what changes they can impose. The budget increase is a start down a long rocky road that could have an effect on Boston's other programs. For more, read the article from the Boston Globe.

Judge denies insurers' request for injunction

According to a recent article in the Boston Globe, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Stephen E Neel denied a request for rate increases by some of the largest private health coverage providers in the state. This ruling to deny these rate increases help sure up the recent decision made by the Department of Insurance to block 265 proposed rake hikes for insurance for individuals and small businesses. Governor Deval Patrick backed this decision, stating

I appreciate the court's decision. It's a welcome decision for small businesses and working families who need immediate relief from excessive and unreasonable increases in their health care costs.

This decision will prove to be a great asset to families struggling in today's tough economic climate.

Russia furious over adopted boy sent back from US

An 7 year old adopted boy from Russia was sent back to Russia by his American adopted family with a note that stated he had psychological problems. Russian officials were furious about this mistreatment of a child. When he arrived in Russia, a social worker talked to him and he was sent to a medical center to be medically checked. The boy said that the mom was bad, didn't love him, and used to pull his hair. The American family claims that the boy was psychologically unstable and threatened to burn the house down so they became concerned for their safety. Russian officials and social workers are investigating the case. In the meantime, there is a threat that Russia wants to freeze the process of adoption by American families due to several prior incidents, including the deaths of 3 Russian kids by American adopted families, as well as several abuse cases.

Immigrant students seek meeting with Brown

A coalition of undocumented immigrant students is seeking a meeting with US Senator Scott Brown, saying they hope to better acquaint him with their issues since the loss of one of their strongest advocates and Brown’s predecessor, the late Edward M. Kennedy. Representatives for the groups, Harvard Act on a Dream and the Student Immigrant Movement, said yesterday they believe their online petition and letter-writing campaign eventually could lead to a private meeting between them and Brown before immigration overhaul is debated in Congress. Click the link to read the full article http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/09/immigrant_students_seek_meeting_with_brown/