The James Logan Courier

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

Union City police, working with the New Haven Unified School District, have arrested two suspects on marijuana charges after five James Logan High School students became ill on campus last week after investing brownies laced with marijuana.

Police also said that medical tests on two students who required hospital treatment indicated that although marijuana was present, no other illegal drugs were detected.

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

Administrators at James Logan High School are assisting the Union City Police Department’s investigation after five students became ill on campus last week, having ingested brownies or other baked goods apparently laced with ingredients that caused the students to become under the influence and/or sick.

Police issued a statement today noting that “although it is early in the investigation, at this point there is no verifiable evidence to substantiate the fact that anyone intentionally sold or provided controlled substances on campus.”

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

The Board of Education on Tuesday night heard a report on the governor’s budget proposal for 2010-11 and its effect on New Haven Unified. Interim Chief Business Officer Jim O’Connor told the Board that despite Gov. Schwarzenegger’s assertion that education is not being cut, “that is not the case.”

In fact, Mr. O’Connor told the Board, New Haven Unified will have to cut at least $3.2 million -- and perhaps as much as $4 million to $5 million -- under the governor’s proposal. The proposal includes ongoing targeted cuts, a negative cost-of-living adjustment, a statewide $1.2 billion cut to “school district administrative costs” and $300 million to follow from the reduced administrative costs.

By Laurel Brodzinsky, Courier Staff Writer

On Tuesday of last week, the country of Haiti (located near Florida) was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the afternoon. This was the largest earthquake to hit the island in over 200 years, and will have devastating effects on the population.

The quake originated close to the capital, Port-Au-Prince, which has about 2 million people living in it. The Associated Press put out an estimate of 50,000 dead, but agrees with President Rene Preval’s statement that it is too soon to really know how many are dead.

By Beatrice Esteban, Courier Staff Writer

James Logan High School’s nationally renowned Forensics team hosted almost 60 other schools, some from as far away as Minnesota, last weekend at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Invitational forensics tournament.

With the assistance of student volunteers, current team members, alumni and various assistant coaches, Director of Forensics Tommie Lindsey, Jr. runs the tournament on Logan’s campus every year on the weekend of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. This year, the MLK tournament (as the tournament has been dubbed informally) was run from Friday afternoon to Sunday.

By Steven Thomma
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

WASHINGTON — Racing to help save lives, U.S. ships and planes are rushing to the Caribbean as President Barack Obama vows that the U.S. will give its "unwavering support" to the people of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

"I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives," Obama said at the White House after he canceled a trip to nearby Maryland to spend more time on responding to a tragedy he called heart wrenching.

By Jacqueline Charles and Carol Rosenberg
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

MIAMI — A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck near the capital of Haiti Tuesday afternoon, crippling the poor island nation and knocking out most of its communication with the outside world.

There were no fatalities reported as of 8 p.m. EST, but there were growing reports of mass destruction — a hospital is believed to have collapsed and people heard screaming for help.
Sections of the National Palace have crumbled and there were reports of injuries.

"There are people injured in the palace," said Fritz Longchanp, executive director of the palace. "I'm calling for help and medical assistance for them."

By Howard Mintz
San Jose Mercury News (MCT)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — As of Monday morning, the epicenter of the national debate over gay marriage returns to the same few blocks in San Francisco where it catapulted into a major public issue six years ago.

This time, the same-sex marriage wars will unfold in the city's federal building, just a short walk from where San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom once riled the country by handing out marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples at City Hall. Now, the legal fight over gay marriage shifts into unprecedented territory with the first trial ever held over the constitutionality of a state's ban on the right of same-sex couples to wed.

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

Thanks to the generosity of a current Board of Education member, a past Board member and a local business, the New Haven Schools Foundation Thursday presented four more New Haven Unified School District teachers with “Innovations in Education” classroom grants, for special projects that promote learning.

Board member Kevin Harper, who has independently funded projects in each of the five years since the Foundation began the classroom grant program, gave $500 to Alvarado Middle School teacher Karen Stock to purchase educational software. The software will be used in a Resource Support Program (RSP) “mini-lab,” to help students improve their math, writing and study skills.

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

For families of children who were not quite old enough to attend kindergarten when the 2009-10 school year began, a few openings still exist in the New Haven Unified School District’s mid-year, full-day kindergarten program that starts in February.

To be enrolled in regular kindergarten in 2009-10, a child must have been born on or before Dec. 2, 2004. For children born between Dec. 3, 2004, and March 19, 2005, the District will offer the mid-year kindergarten program beginning Feb. 1 and continuing through June 17.

By Alyssa Pimentel, Courier Staff Writer

Logan administrators postponed the much anticipated James Logan Talent Show, scheduled for the last day of school before the holiday break, just hours before the assembly due to concerns about student safety and violance.

On the morning December 18, with teachers and students expecting to be on a special assembly schedule, Logan principal Amy McNamara made the announcement over the public address system postponing the annual talent show.