Oxford school officials are coming under scrutiny for what they did, and didn’t do, following disturbing interactions with the 15-year-old suspect before the shooting spree.
Ron French
Ron reports on a variety of subjects across the state. Ron came to Bridge in 2011 from The Detroit News, where he was a project reporter. Born and raised in Indiana, Ron graduated from Purdue University. He reported for newspapers across Indiana before moving to Michigan in 1995. Ron lives in Okemos, and like the true Michigander he’s become, he now has a family cabin Up North. You can reach him at rfrench@bridgemi.com or 517-214-3636.
Posted inTalent & Education
Scores of Michigan schools close amid threats following Oxford shootings
School districts are working with local law enforcement to probe the credibility of the online threats, with some school leaders saying it is not yet possible to keep up.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan House seeks $50 million for school police after Oxford shooting
The extra money would be used for additional school resource officers across the state. The state has no idea how many officers already are in Michigan schools. Not everyone agrees more police are necessarily better.
Posted inTalent & Education
Oxford Michigan school shooting shows limits of heightened security
School leaders say students and staff executed their training when an active shooter struck. But a teen was able to get a handgun into Oxford High to launch a rampage. ‘Everything worked,’ said one official, ‘and it’s still a tragedy.’
Posted inTalent & Education
Shooter drills. Anxious teachers. Flying staplers. Michigan schools prepare.
It’s been 20 years since two students killed 13 people at Columbine High School. Today, Michigan schools use hockey pucks, hornet spray and gun sensors to train for the unthinkable. Are they ready? And at what cost?
Posted inTalent & Education
COVID school outbreaks skyrocket; more Michigan schools close
Some Michigan students are getting a week-long Thanksgiving break, the result of COVID outbreaks and school staffing shortages. Outbreaks are up 61 percent in one week.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan schools are closing because of staff shortages. Get used to it.
School buildings are closing for the same reasons as restaurants, and there doesn’t appear to be a quick solution to not enough bus drivers, teacher aides and other workers
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
COVID shots for young kids adds confusion to Michigan school mask mandates
Some local health departments plan to rescind mask orders over the holidays, while others have mandates that will stick around until COVID transmission levels drop.
Posted inMichigan Government
Whitmer vetoes tax breaks for private schools. Petition drive coming next.
The veto sets the stage for a petition drive Republicans hope to use to circumvent the Democratic governor’s objections to an effort critics say would drain money from public schools and violate the state’s constitution.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Child COVID vaccines are available in Michigan. Now comes the hard part.
More than 800,000 Michigan children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible for Pfizer’s COVID vaccine. But a good portion of parents who are otherwise supportive of COVID vaccines are hesitating. Their doctors are ready to talk.