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Scottsbluff High Schools SkillsUSA chapter recently competed in the 2023 SkillsUSA Nebraska Championships and achieved placements in several events that tested the students applicable career and technical skills.

Scottsbluff SkillsUSA students place second in Crime Scene Investigation at state competition. On second place podium: Kyra Brannan (left) and Jaron Lambertson (right). On floor to Brannan's left: Dien Nguyen.

The state competition held in Grand Island saw over 1,600 students from across the state who competed in over 140 career and technical competitions, including architecture and construction, arts, audio/video technology, business management and administration, education, health science, public safety, hospitality and tourism, leadership, manufacturing, science, technology, engineering and math, information technology, transportation, and more.

The following Scottsbluff High School students placed at the state conference:

Second place: Jaron Lambertson, Kyra Brannan, and Dien Nguyen, crime scene investigation; James Kihlthau, diesel equipment technology; Jacob Green, Metric 500 Jr.; Cameron Kinsey, Metric 500 Sr.

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Third place: James Kihlthau, drone technology basic; Meg Imhof, medical terminology; Keaton Kovarik, Metric 500 Jr. and drone technology basic.

In addition to these individual achievements, the Scottsbluff High School Skills USA Chapter was awarded the Quality Chapter Award. Furthermore, chapter adviser Rod Bussinger was named State Advisor of the Year.

Theres over 120 advisers and 92 chapters in the state of Nebraska, Bussinger said. Its really an honor, and Im still kind of in awe about it because there are so many really good advisers out there and I was fortunate enough to win the award.

Scottsbluff High School chapter adviser Rod Bussinger was named SkillsUSA State Advisor of the Year for 2023. Bussinger has taught skilled and technical science for 19 years, nine of which have been at SHS.

When Bussinger took over as the SkillsUSA adviser at SHS nine years ago, he said he had never even heard of the organization. Over the following years, he says he gained a deep appreciation for the program and its ability to prepare students for the workforce and grew the chapter from its initial size of four members to its current 44.

SkillsUSA is the best kept secret, he said. If theres only one CTSO (career and technical student organization) at a school, SkillsUSA covers them all. They do welding, FFA stuff, DECA, HOSA, ProStart they encompass all of those competitions. Theres something for everybody.

SHS senior and SkillsUSA chapter member Dien Nguyen explained that the organization has a strong focus on leadership in addition to career prep.

Its a club run by students that focuses on leadership skills and preparing leaders for the world of work, Nguyen said.

Nguyen competed alongside Kyra Brannan and Jaron Lambertson in the crime scene investigation event at the state competition, which Brannan said is exactly what it sounds like: a chance for them to test their knowledge of forensics by examining a mock crime scene.

Basically, what we did was go into a room and investigate a crime scene they built for us, Brannan said. We dont know what it is. There could be a dead body, a theft Its a great opportunity for us to learn.

Investigating a crime scene requires a lot of technical knowledge, such as the fingerprinting done by Brannan and sketching performed by Nguyen, but the team said that the key to performing well at a crime scene or in any other work environment is excellent teamwork.

You need to have good communication skills, Nguyen said. Throughout the entire process you have to tell everyone what youre doing. Its mostly teamwork skills.

Brannan plans to enter the criminal justice field in the future, making the experience gained through SkillsUSA a great sample of what shell be expected to do when she enters the workforce.

Scottsbluffs SkillsUSA chapter also does community service with the goal of developing highly versatile work skills, such as customer service, money handling, and networking skills that can be applied to nearly any career field the students ultimately find themselves working in. According to Bussinger, the true value of the program is in these little lessons learned along the way.

The most important part of being in SkillsUSA is not winning first or second place. It is building collaborative, strong, and productive relationships, and knowing how to handle adversities.

We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Scottsbluff students put career skills to the test at SkillsUSA ... - Scottsbluff Star Herald

Those living close to a park in east Manchester where a teenage boy was found seriously injured have spoken of their shock and horror. Police say they were called to reports of a 'disturbance' at Philips Park at around 9pm on Sunday night (April 23).

There they found a 15-year-old unconscious having suffered serious injuries. He was taken hospital to for treatment. A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily and remains in custody for questioning.

Police stress their enquiries to 'understand the full circumstances' are ongoing. Nearby residents said Fernclough Street on the border of Clayton and Miles Platting was blocked immediately afterwards with paramedics and officers shining torches seen making their way inside.

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And they now say they have been left upset but also taken aback and worried after confirmation of what happened.

Paul Shortman, 40, said: "The first I was aware was when I dropped my step-daughter off at school, there was a police van parked there. It was only when I came back I noticed there was more police activity and then my wife saw something on Facebook.

"It's shocking, it really is. It's normally really quiet around here. Clayton has got a bad reputation but round here especially, it's always very quiet. We don't normally have any trouble. I have two sons, one's 16 and one is 14, so it's worrying. Very worrying. It's not good at all.

"My kids play in the park all the time but it would you make you think twice about letting them now. It's sad. I just hope he makes a full recovery."

A resident on Stuart Street East who didn't want to be named said: "I saw the police, all the blue lights last night. There were about five or six police cars, and what looked like paramedics with backpacks and they blocked the road off.

"It's a shock. A 15-year-old boy being seriously injured, I just don't know what's happening with young people at the moment. It's such a shame. I just hope he pulls through.

Another man who lives nearby agreed. He said: "I believe they were there last night but the first time I saw them was first thing this morning. It's very quiet here, we don't normally have any problems so it's definitely a bit of a shock. You do kids hanging around in there but that's it really."

However, a neighbour said: "It's definitely a shock to have something like that happen so close and I hope he's okay. But it's never a nice park in the first place. You get a lot of people hanging around in there, especially at night. I wouldn't walk through it. In the day I would but definitely not at night.."

A cordon remained until around 3pm today (Monday) with two police tents initially erected as forensic crime scene investigation (CSI) officers combed the area for clues.

Inspector Charlotte Quinn said the force 'believe this to have been a targeted attack and are treating it as an isolated incident.'

"We are still trying to understand the full circumstances and are keen to speak to anyone who may have been in the area of Philips Park last night between 8:40pm and 9:10pm and may have seen or heard anything," she said.

"Likewise if you have footage that could assist with enquiries - including mobile, CCTV or dashcam - please get in touch. You can make a report by calling 0161 856 1146 quoting incident number 3098 of 23.04.2023, or via the LiveChat function on GMP's website: http://www.gmp.police.uk.

"Alternatively you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

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Locals' shock after 15-year-old boy found unconscious and seriously injured in park - Manchester Evening News

The Rockland County Legislature has recognized the Rockland County Sheriffs Office for successfully achieving reaccreditation by New York State.

The Rockland County Sheriffs Office has reached a true and impressive milestone the reaccreditation of all four of its divisions: the Police, Civil Enforcement, Communications and Corrections Divisions, Rockland County Legislator Aron Wieder said. Its an impressive achievement because of the 62 counties in the state of New York, the Rockland County Sheriffs Office is one of only four counties that have all divisions within their departments accredited.

The Rockland Sheriffs Office had to undergo a rigorous professional assessment and had to demonstrate that each division complied with the professional standards of law enforcement established by the New York State Sheriffs Association and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.

In addition to the reaccreditation of each division, the Corrections Divisions Medical Care Services has earned accreditation from the National Commission On Correctional Health Care, again, only after meeting strict standards.

When we talk about these achievements, we need to understand that there are real people men and women who have worked tremendously hard under the leadership of Sheriff Louis Falco III to rise up to these standards and to continue to abide by them, Legislator Wieder said.

The department also includes multiple specialty units Crime Scene Investigation, Bomb Unit, Fire Investigation, K9, a Mounted Unit, Marine Patrol, Tactical Response and Computer Crimes Investigation.

The Rockland County Sheriffs Office is one of 165 out of a total of 546 law enforcement agencies in the state that are accredited, Sheriff Louis Falco III said. He also said accreditation was important because it led to greater administrative and operational effectiveness; promoted public transparency; diminished the vulnerability to lawsuits; offered assurance of fair recruitment and promotions; and promoted greater public confidence in the Sheriffs Office.

This recognition is truly a testament to the hard work, dedication and professionalism of the men and women of the Rockland County Sheriffs Office, Sheriff Falco said. These accreditations are arduous undertakings done by individual divisions and individual members of the divisions that were assigned to achieve this goal and meet the standards.

Among its work, the Sheriffs Office annually removes hundreds of drunk drivers from our roads and goes into schools with driving simulators to teach students about the dangers of drinking and driving and texting and driving.

When you call 911, its a Sheriffs Dispatcher who answers that lifeline and sends help, whether its because a senior citizen has fallen, a group of hikers is lost in the woods, theres a car accident or as happened Friday, a massive brush fire has broken out and quickly spread. When a stranger attacked a group of innocent people celebrating Hanukah several years ago, the Sheriffs Office was there to help aid victims and to search for the attacker.

We are all better off because the Rockland County Sheriffs Office actively engages in ways to be as professional and efficient as possible, with the good of the community always in mind, Rockland County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr. said.

In honor of their efforts and in recognition of achieving reaccreditation, the Rockland County Legislatures highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, was presented to the Rockland County Sheriffs Office.

The Communications Division was also cited with a Proclamation as part of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. Dispatchers do not simply answer the phone and then send someone else to actually help. Repeatedly, the Sheriffs 911 dispatchers have provided instructions over the phone that have helped save lives.

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County Legislature Recognizes Rockland Sheriff's Office For ... - Rockland County Times

Danny Bonaduce recently posted pictures of himself visiting the house from his old sitcom.

By Chad Langen| Published 24 hours ago

Danny Bonaduce, the former child star known for his role in the 1970s television show The Partridge Family, recently took to Twitter to share a bundle of photos of himself visiting the iconic Partridge Family house a few years back. The images were posted in response to several of his followers messaging him about the demolition of the home. In his caption, Bonaduce wrote, I was lucky that I got to see it for the last time before lockdown in early 2020.

The Partridge Family, which aired from 1970 to 1974, followed the lives of a family band and their misadventures on the road. The show was a hit with audiences and helped to launch the careers of several young actors, including Bonaduce. He played the mischievous middle child Danny Partridge on the show and has remained a beloved figure in pop culture.

Following his turn on The Partridge Family, Danny Bonaduce went on to have a successful career in radio hosting several popular talk shows. He also made appearance in numerous TV shows and films over the years, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Monk, and Dr. Dolittle 3. In recent years, he has continued to work as a radio host, actor, and reality television personality.

Along with Danny Bonaduce sharing the photos of his visit to the Partridge Family home on social media, his wife Amy wrote chronicled the trip to the house in her personal blog, The Clipboard of Fun. In her blog post, she recounted the couples experience during the visit, supplemented by more pictures of the home. After writing that Danny is frequently approached by fans of all ages to express their love of the show, she added, What a legacy.

The Partridge Family house, which served as the exterior set for the familys home on the show, was located on the 40-acre backlot of Warner Bros. Studio Ranch in Burbank, California. It remained largely unchanged since the shows original run. However, the property has been sold several times over the years and was demolished to make way for a new development.

For fans of The Partridge Family, the razing of the iconic home is bittersweet. The show, which captured the spirit of the 1970s with its upbeat music and colorful fashion, remains a beloved part of pop culture. While the show itself will always live on, the loss of the Partridge Family home is being felt by fans around the world.

Despite the sadness surrounding the demolition of the home, the images of Danny Bonaduces visit to the Partridge Family house are a reminder of the enduring legacy of the series and its cast. The actor, who has remained an adored personality in the entertainment industry, continues to connect with his fans through his social media presence and public appearances. Bonaduce sharing the photos from his visit to the iconic home is just one example of the special bond that exists between fans and the actors who bring their favorite characters to life.

In the end, the demolition of the Partridge Family house is a reminder of the fleeting nature of the entertainment industry. While TV shows and movies can capture our hearts and imaginations, they are ultimately just temporary artifacts of our time. However, the memories and connections made through cultural touchstones like The Partridge Family can last a lifetime, and for its fans, the show and its iconic home will always hold a special place in their hearts.

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The Partridge Family House Was Just Demolished, See Danny ... - Giant Freakin Robot

David Barer and Avery Travis

7 hours ago

Austin (KXAN) The U.S. Supreme Court sided Wednesday with Texas inmate Rodney Reed, with the majority of the justices agreeing that a lower court had wrongfully dismissed a lawsuit Reed filed seeking further DNA testing of crime scene evidence, such as the murder weapon, in his death-row case.

For years, Reeds defense team has fought for additional DNA testing. The latest Supreme Court decision relates to a lawsuit Reed filed to ultimately get more testing done.

You can read the full Supreme Court opinion here.

The issue before the Supreme Court traced back to a 2014 motion Reed filed in Texas state court requesting DNA testing on certain evidence, including a belt believed to have been used to strangle the 1996 murder victim, 19-year-old Stacey Stites. Reeds motion was denied by a state court, in part because the evidence was not well preserved. Reed later sued in federal court, arguing that the laws stringent chain-of-custody requirement was unconstitutional, according to the opinion.

A federal district court dismissed that lawsuit, and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal on the ground that the claim was filed too late, according to the Supreme Court opinion. Reeds argument to the Supreme Court, which the court agreed with, was that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong in saying the claim was too late.

This opinion today means that (Reed) has the opportunity to continue to fight to get DNA testing. It means that he can go back to the Fifth Circuit and hopefully get more arguments and get more of an opportunity to argue that he is entitled, under the Texas post-conviction DNA testing statute to get DNA testing, said Jane Pucher, a senior staff attorney with the Innocence Project representing Reed.

Pucher said one of the most basic things in crime scene investigation, when someone is killed, is testing the murder weapon.

Thats all that Mr. Reed has been asking to do here, and the state has routinely refused to agree to that testing, and hes been shut out of court until this moment, she said.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the opinion and was joined by justices John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissenting opinion, and Samuel Alito also wrote a dissenting opinion joined by Neil Gorsuch.

In his dissenting opinion, Alito said the statute of limitations on Reeds claim, which was filed on August 8, 2019, was two years. The critical question was when the 2-year statute of limitations began to run or accrued. Alito disagreed that statute of limitations began to run after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied a rehearing on Oct. 4, 2017.

There is room for debate about exactly when Reeds DNA testing claim accrued, but in my view, the notion that this did not take place until rehearing was denied is clearly wrong, Alito wrote.

Reed has been on death row since his conviction in Bastrop in 1997, but he has maintained his innocence. Reed is represented by The Innocence Project. His defense teams continued work on the case has unearthed new evidence that, they say, warrants a new trial.

Aside from the Supreme Court opinion, Reed has two petitions still pending in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

KXAN has also requested an interview or statement by email from Bastrop District Attorney Bryan Goertz, a prosecutor in the case. Goertz did not immediately respond.

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U.S. Supreme Court sides with Rodney Reed in case related to DNA testing - KXAN.com