bildergalerie Daily News

by Bronson Winslow

Over two years removed from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio students are still struggling to succeed in the classroom, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The latest release of state test scores shows that 51% of students were unable to pass high school algebra in 2022, compared to 39% before the pandemic, according to state test data reported by the Dispatch. In addition to math scores, reading scores fell below pre-pandemic levels at a 33.5% proficiency.

In Columbus, only 13% of public-school students were considered “proficient” in math, the Dispatch reported. Across all state tests only 28% of students scored above proficient.

“Due to the pandemic, students have paid dearly and may remain off track in math and reading. It’s time we give them back their lost year of learning – and much more,” said Aaron Churchill, research director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

Most states have experienced struggles to boost student test scores; Nevada, for example, reports less than 30% of its students are proficient in math. Though scores are 3.5% over pandemic numbers, they are still 7% lower than pre-pandemic numbers, according to the Nevada Current.

How Ohio test scores fell with new tests, expectations #OhioEd #K12 https://t.co/HTIG0bv7cM

— Ohio School Boards (@OHschoolboards) September 19, 2017

“We are pleased to see that Nevada’s statewide proficiency rate in both [English Language Arts] and Math have shown an increase from the 2020-21 school year,” Ebert said in a press release. “This demonstrates that the tremendous efforts made by our educators are having a positive impact on student outcomes. These results are moving in the right direction, and we need to invest and accelerate what is working.”

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Bronson Winslow is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. 

Middletown 23, Coventry 13

ABC6 Sports Reporter Natalie Noury interviews Primetime Performer, Islanders quarterback Julian DeLaCruz

Richland Co., SC (WOLO) –One man is in jail and two others suspects remain on the run following an officer involved shooting that took place just before 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Investigators with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department say the trio led them on a chase ending when deputies say the truck they were going after crashed into at Firetower Road and Western Lane. Authorities say two of the three suspects managed to run off , but deputies say 19-year-old Darreun Miller wasn’t able to dodge them and according to deputies reached for a gun. A deputy fired a missing shot at miller who was later arrested.

Officials say neither Miller or the responding Deputy were injured as a result of the incident.

Miller who is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center is charged with conspiracy to commit attempted murder, pointing and presenting, and unlawful carry. if you have any information on the two other suspects call Crimestoppers at

1888-CRIME-SC

During the first half of this year, 94 Vermonters died of an accidental opioid overdose, reflecting the sustained increase in such deaths since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

Eighty-eight of the deaths between January and June involved fentanyl, according to a recent report by the Vermont Department of Health. 

Fentanyl, which has dominated fatal opioid use in the state since 2016, is a powerful drug that’s relatively inexpensive to produce and widely available. Authorities said these factors have led illicit drug manufacturers to mix fentanyl with other substances — with or without the knowledge of users.

Addiction recovery professionals point to fentanyl as a major factor in the overdose deaths in Essex County — which posted the state’s highest opioid death rate, at 32.5 deaths per 10,000 residents, during the first half of 2022. It was followed by a rate of 28.4 in Windham County.

Two people died of fatal overdoses in Essex County within this period, a significant number because Essex is Vermont’s least populated county, with fewer than 6,000 residents.

“People are really struggling with it, and we need more support,” said Lila Bennett, director of the Journey to Recovery Community Center in Orleans County, which serves a portion of Essex County.

Essex is only one of two Vermont counties that doesn’t have its own recovery center. Orange County is another, according to the Vermont Recovery Network.

Bennett said that because of Essex County’s remote location in the northeast corner of the state, residents don’t have quick access to social services such as hospitals, emergency responders and recovery support groups.

Right now, her recovery center in Newport is doing outreach work in Essex County, along with Kingdom Recovery Center in neighboring Caledonia County. The centers are between 25 and 35 miles away from Brighton, for example, one of the county’s larger towns.

On top of these factors, Bennett said, her center has received reports of increased drug activity in Essex County during the past six months.

Vermont State Police confirmed the center’s observations. Its narcotics investigation unit “has indeed seen an increase in drug activity in Essex County this year,” state police spokesperson Adam Silverman said.

The rise has primarily been with fentanyl and the stimulant crack cocaine, Silverman said, mirroring information from the Newport recovery center.

The state’s opioid overdose death toll for the first six months of the year is four fewer than in the same period last year. But it’s also 22 more than that of 2020, when fatal overdoses began rising during the pandemic, which upended people’s lives with fear, anxiety, depression, stress, isolation and loneliness.  

State health officials are encouraged that this year’s numbers are lower on average than those of 2021, though they’re cautious about drawing conclusions from the preliminary data.

“We are careful to not infer a trend because the data can change significantly on a month-to-month basis,” said Cynthia Seivwright, director of the health department’s substance use programs division. “The department is continuing our work to address overdoses statewide.”

The opioid overdose death count can change as outstanding death certificates are processed. For instance, the health department initially reported a record-setting 210 fatal opioid overdoses last year. As of this month’s report, that count has jumped to 217.

Nationwide, Vermont ranked No. 9 in opioid overdose deaths last year, according to a VTDigger analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state posted a rate of 39.1 deaths per 100,000 people.

West Virginia, which had the highest rate of overdose fatalities, recorded 76.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

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Speaking to GB News, Sam Ashworth-Hayes, Director of Studies at the Henry Jackson Society, argued that Ms Truss could effectively give Tory MPs an ultimatum due to the growing lead Labour have over the Conservatives. According to the Spectator columnist, Ms Truss could tell backbenchers that the only way to win the next general election is to improve the economy by cutting inflation and stimulating growth. 

According to the Oxford University graduate, Ms Truss could well argue that the policies outlined in last week’s mini budget offer the best and possibiy the only way to bring about such growth and the only alternative is losing Tory leadership to Labour.

He said: “The one thing I will say is that the case for being optimistic about getting some of these growth orientated reforms through is that their now 30 points behind Labour in the polls.

“So Truss can basically turn round and say if you want to win the next election you’d better have that economy growing because that’s what’s going to be what gets us over the line.

“So she’s sort of put a gun to the party’s head and said vote for the reform or collapse into turmoil and lose to Starmer.”

It comes as Ms Truss has admitted “there has been disruption” to the UK economy following last week’s mini budget.

Since Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced £45 billion in tax cuts the value of the pound has plummeted almost half of mortgages have been pulled and the Bank of England launched a £65 billion bailout to save pension funds from collapsing.

Speaking to Sky News, the Prime Minister said that the policies were necessary to combat the rising cost of living caused by the war in Ukraine.

She said: “It was very, very important that we took urgent steps to deal with the costs that families are facing this winter, putting in place the energy price guarantee for which we’ve had to borrow to cover the cost… but also making sure that we are not raising taxes at a time where there are global economic forces caused by the war in Ukraine that we need to deal with.

READ MORE:Starmer hit with devastating resignation just hours after facing Truss

She said:”It was important we acted quickly, in that timescale there couldn’t be a full OBR forecast.

“But we are committed to the OBR forecast.

“We are working together with the OBR.

“There will be an event on 23 November where the policies are fully analysed by the OBR, but it was a real priority to me to make sure we’re working to help struggling families.”

MISSOULA – Two days after Hurricane Ian first came ashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the extent of the damage is becoming more apparent.

Aerial images reveal a wide path of destruction that has left over 20 people dead. U.S. officials say it’s going to take months, even years, to rebuild.

But right now, rescue groups and organizations are doing what they can to help — including first responders from Montana.

A team from Western Montana is stationed in Sarasota County, providing aid to those who have been affected by Hurricane Ian.

“There’s no electricity down there,” said Missoula County Disaster and Emergency Services Deputy Coordinator Nick Holloway. “Some of the roads and bridges are out, they’re seeing river flooding that is still going up. They’re still doing search and rescue operations. So those are the kinds of things we’re seeing. A lot of wind damage as well.”

The Western Montana All Hazards Team has helped with all kinds of natural disasters, and this isn’t their first time providing relief to Florida following a hurricane.

“We were down here for hurricane Michael, which was a Cat 5 hurricane in 2018,” said Holloway.

The team made its way to Florida not only because they want to help people, but because its hazard system is a universal one when it comes to providing aid in natural disasters.

WEB EXTRA: Nick Holloway discusses helping out in Florida following Hurricane Ian

WEB EXTRA: Nick Holloway discusses helping out in Florida following Hurricane Ian

They are there to support and bolster ongoing efforts including cleanup and search and rescue.

“We all experience disasters from time to time and right now, Florida is experiencing a significant disaster,“ Holloway told MTN News.

Holloway and his team are going to be in Florida for a total of 14 days. They are currently on day two.

MTN News also confirmed that 20 hotshot firefighters from the Flathead National Forest have been mobilized to help with Hurricane Ian relief.

For resources on how you can help, you can click here.

Western Montana team helping out after Hurricane Ian hits Florida