Friday, January 25, 2013
A 5-year-old kindergartener was suspended for 10 days for what school officials labeled a “terrorist threat.” Her crime: saying she wanted to shoot a classmate and herself with a Hello Kitty bubble gun. Have we gone too far, Tampa Bay?
Making sure public schools across the Tampa Bay area are safe, welcoming places where learning is priority No. 1 is a concern on most parents’ minds – especially in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in December. Bay Area residents have spoken out on the need for enhanced security in schools. And, they’ve weighed in on gun control issues. But, as we rush to shore up our schools’ defenses to prevent a repeat of Sandy Hook from happening here in our backyard, is anyone asking how far is too far? The story of a 5-year-old girl’s suspension from a Pennsylvania elementary school after she said she wanted to shoot a classmate and herself with a Hello Kitty pink bubble gun puts a spotlight on just how serious some adults are …
Monday, January 14, 2013
Conservative groups are asking people across the nation – and right here in Tampa Bay – to show their support for the 2nd Amendment on Jan. 19. Will you support the movement?
As politicians line up to support stricter gun control measures in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, conservative groups have joined forces to draw a line in the sand. The result: Gun Appreciation Day. Set for Jan. 19 – not coincidentally two days before President Barack Obama’s second inauguration – the observance is meant to be a national show of force in favor of gun owners’ rights. Support for the movement has come in from such sponsors as the Second Amendment Foundation, Special Operations Speaks, the Women Warriors PAC and others. The groups are asking people around the country, and right here in the Tampa Bay area, to “go to your local gun store, gun range or gun show with your Constitution, American flags and your ‘…
Friday, January 11, 2013
Increasing security around the district's campuses is not off the table.
As Hillsborough County considers a $4.1 million proposal to add 130 security guards to its staff to cover elementary campuses, Pasco is taking a softer approach. That, however, doesn’t mean the issue of enhanced security in local schools is off the table. “I will be meeting with our law enforcement agencies soon to explore the options that might be explored for Pasco County,” Superintendent Kurt Browning wrote in an email. Like Hillsborough, Pasco provided a law enforcement presence at elementary schools in the days following the Dec. 14 Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Newtown, Conn. Twenty children, ages 6 and 7, died when an armed gunman stormed the campus. Six adults and the shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, also perished. Unlike …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Whether a criminal background check is done may depend on whether firearms are bought in retail stores on from online private sellers.
If someone is breaking into your home, do you want to be armed with a handgun or an assault rifle? That's the question that Alex Jackson, who sells guns at Stan's Pawn Shop in St. Petersburg, poses to people who bring up gun control. For Jackson, the answer is easy. "You want the fire power of an assault rifle for self-protection." In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, some politicians and groups are urging reforms that include a ban on assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips, as well as background checks for anyone who purchases a gun. The gun that killed the 20 first-graders and seven adults in Newtown, Conn., was a Bushmater assault rifle. Currently, bricks-and-mortar retailers, such as Stan's Pawn Shop…
Monday, December 17, 2012
People all over the world want to know how to help Sandy Hook residents following Friday's horrifying mass shooting. Post "I want to help" in this comment thread to get updates on what you can d
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In the wake of the unimaginable tragedy at Sandy Hook School Friday people from all over the world—in Connecticut, Florida, California, Canada and much farther away in Australia and India—sent an outpouring of support and want to know how they can help. If you want to be notified via email of ways to provide comfort and support during this difficult time, please post in the comments section: "I want to help." New Port Richey Patch will continue to update this article with ways to help—posting updates to the story as well as in the comments thread, triggering an email notification to commenters—and if you know of an organization or fundraiser providing assistance, let us know in the comments section, too. Already the United Way of Western …
Phil Cooper
12:28 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
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