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Space is next frontier for West Virginia engineer, author, TV host and mother
Engineer, TV host, author and mom Emily Calandrelli will make history when she becomes the first West Virginia woman to travel to outer space.
She’ll make the out-of-this-world journey as a citizen astronaut ambassador with Blue Origin, the Jeff Bezos-founded private spaceflight company, it was announced on Tuesday.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to fly with Blue Origin,” Calandrelli said in a statement. “I look forward to representing my home state in this way and show the world what kids from Appalachia can do, what women can do and what mothers can do. Country roads, take me to space!”
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In an Instagram post sharing the news, Calandrelli called space travel her “dream.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Calandrelli and her representative for more information about her upcoming spaceflight.
Emily Calandrelli will become the first West Virginia woman to go into space when she flies with Blue Origin as a citizen astronaut ambassador. (Jerritt Clark/WireImage; Patrick T. Fallon; AFP via Getty Images)
Calandrelli was selected by the nonprofit Space for Humanity to take part in its Citizen Astronaut Program.
Its website indicates the Colorado-based organization “serves purpose-driven leaders through a sponsored spaceflight experience to create a profound shift in perspective, so that each citizen astronaut returns with a grander perspective to address our most intractable challenges and their solutions.”
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The 38-year-old West Virginia native studied mechanical and aerospace engineering at West Virginia University. She then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned dual master’s degrees in aeronautics and astronautics, as well as technology and policy.
Calandrelli, who is known on social media as “The Space Gal,” is an advocate for girls pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Emily Calandrelli is a 38-year-old mother of two known on social media as “The Space Gal.” She has called space travel her “dream.” (Greg Doherty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
The mother of two and former NASA intern is a familiar face on TV.
She’s appeared in several episodes of Netflix’s “Bill Nye Saves the World.”
She has also served as co-executive producer and host of the Netflix science show “Emily’s Wonder Lab.”
Calandrelli was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2017 for her work on Fox’s “Xploration Station” educational programming.
Emily Calandrelli was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2017 for her work on Fox’s “Xploration Station.” (Jerritt Clark/WireImage)
She’s also the author of several children’s books, including the “Ada Lace” series, and the picture book “Reach for the Stars.”
“Space for Humanity is thrilled for Emily,” executive director Antonio Peronace said in a statement.
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“We’re also excited knowing that such a dedicated and gifted science communicator with a strong background in STEM is going to space. Emily Calandrelli has spent years opening up a world of possibilities in STEM for young people globally.”
“It’s about the countless others she will be bringing along with her.”
He added, “That’s why we know that this mission isn’t just about her traveling to space. It’s about the countless others she will be bringing along with her. We’re so proud to cheer her on.”
The first manned Blue Origin spaceflight took place in 2021.
It sent Bezos and three other citizens past the Kármán line, which is the boundary separating Earth’s atmosphere from outer space.
Jeff Bezos, second from left, founder of space tourism company Blue Origin, is shown posing for a photo with his crew in 2021. (Blue Origin via AP)
Katya Echazarreta was chosen earlier this year to become the first-ever citizen astronaut ambassador.
She will become the first Mexican-born female to fly to space.
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It hasn’t yet been determined when Calandrelli will strap on her spacesuit.
But she said on Instagram that she hopes becoming the first female astronaut from West Virginia will inspire “girls everywhere that they, too, can reach the stars.”
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Southeast
Illegal immigrant arrested after showing up to Florida Border Patrol office for contract IT work
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FIRST ON FOX: An illegal immigrant who reported to a U.S. Border Patrol site in Florida to perform some Information technology contractual work was arrested when authorities were made aware of his citizenship status, officials said.
Angel Camacho, a Venezuelan citizen, reported to a USBP center in Dania Beach, Florida, Jan. 6 to do some IT work when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials began vetting him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital.
During its investigation, it was revealed Camacho was in violation of U.S. immigration laws, authorities said.
Angel Camacho reported to a Florida U.S. Border Patrol center to perform contractual work when he was arrested, a Department of Homeland Security official said. (Getty Images )
“CBP vets all external visitors before allowing them to enter secure facilities to ensure safety and operational integrity,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“During the vetting process, CBP uncovered this individual was a tourist visa overstay in the country for over five years.”
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This photo shows a U.S. Border Patrol patch on a border agent’s uniform in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 15, 2019. (Suzanne CordeiroAFP via Getty Images)
Camacho was arrested and transferred to ICE custody, Bis said.
His criminal history includes theft and resisting a Florida Highway Patrol officer, officials said. Federal authorities have nabbed several illegal immigrants in the process of trying to obtain employment in law enforcement and education.
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One Sierra Leone citizen was recently arrested as he was training to become a Pennsylvania corrections officer.
Another illegal immigrant, Ian Roberts, served as the former superintendent of Iowa’s largest district, Des Moines Public Schools, before he was arrested by ICE.
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Southeast
High school teacher arrested in alleged sex case involving student
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A Georgia high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegations of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a minor student surfaced at Lee County High School.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).
Lee County High School requested the Leesburg Police Department investigate the allegations on Feb. 3, and the GBI was called to assist the following day.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, Ga., is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators identified Weaver as the “subject,” and identified the victim as a student under 18 years old at Lee County High School, according to officials.
GBI agents continued the investigation along with the Leesburg Police Department, and arrest warrants were obtained for Weaver on Tuesday.
A Google Maps street view photo of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. (Google Maps)
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Weaver turned herself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, and was later released on bond, according to a report from WALB News.
This investigation is active and ongoing, according to the GBI.
The incident allegedly happened at a high school in Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Once complete, the case file will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Leesburg is located in South Georgia, and is about an hour and a half north of Tallahassee, Florida.
Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Southeast
Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms
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A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, lifting a lower court block and reigniting debate over religion in public education.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 12-6 to lift a block first imposed in 2024, finding it was too early to determine the constitutionality of the law. Critics argue the requirement violates the separation of church and state, while supporters say the Ten Commandments are historical and foundational to U.S. law.
The court said in the majority opinion that it was unclear how schools would display the poster-sized materials, noting that the law allows additional content, like the Mayflower Compact or the Declaration of Independence, to appear alongside the Ten Commandments.
The majority wrote that there were not enough facts to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation” when evaluating potential First Amendment concerns.
A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court block on Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom law, bringing the measure closer to taking effect. (John Bazemore/AP)
In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge James Ho, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the law was constitutional and “consistent with our founding traditions.”
“It is fully consistent with the Constitution, and what’s more, it reinforces our Founders’ firm belief that the children of America should be educated about the religious foundations and traditions of our country,” Ho said, adding that the law “affirms our Nation’s highest and most noble traditions.”
Circuit Judge James L. Dennis, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a dissenting opinion that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms would amount to “exposing children to government‑endorsed religion in a setting of compulsory attendance.”
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A federal appeals court ruling on Feb. 20 allows Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom mandate to proceed for now. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
“That is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent,” he added.
The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups representing the plaintiffs said they would pursue additional legal challenges to block the law.
“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district,” the groups wrote in a joint-statement. “Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights.”
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the appeals court decision on Feb. 20 allowing the Ten Commandments classroom law to move forward. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday praised the court’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Common sense is making a comeback!”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement following the ruling, saying schools “should follow the law.”
“Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally,” she said.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said schools should follow the Ten Commandments display law after a federal appeals court lifted a lower court block on Feb. 20. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Joseph Davis, an attorney representing Louisiana in the case, celebrated the court’s decision.
“If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from the fabric of our public life,” he said in a statement. “That position is at odds with our nation’s traditions and our Constitution. We’re glad the Fifth Circuit has allowed Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in its public school classrooms.”
Friday’s ruling came after the full court agreed to reconsider the case, months after a three-judge panel ruled the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
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A similar law in Arkansas faces a federal court challenge, while Texas implemented its own Ten Commandments classroom requirement last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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