Virginia
Virginia Department of Education issues its draft guidance for cell phone free education
RICHMOND, Va. (WHSV) – On July 9, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33, to embrace cell phone-free education.
Virginia Department of Education traveled around the Commonwealth to meet with parents and educators to talk about what cell phone-free education looks like.
The department has issued its draft guidance for cell phone free education.
Todd Reid, Senior Communications Advisor for the Virginia Department of Education, said the department has heard from almost 2,000 Virginians.
“Taking all of that input plus the research that has been done on the subject, we issued draft guidance on our website that people can view and comment on,” Reid said.
Based on the feedback the department has heard, most parents do not want cell phones in the classrooms.
“The draft policy says cell phones will not be on the student’s person during bell-to-bell instructional time. From the first bell in the morning to last bell at dismissal, cell phones should be off an put away,” Reid said.
The policy is a standard of what is expected in a Virginia classroom, but school districts can implement stricter guidelines if they wish.
The guidance has different rules for elementary, middle and high School.
“In elementary school, the guidance says if a parent wants a student to bring a phone to school, it needs to be off and away. It cannot be out anywhere in school or on school grounds,” Reid said.
The final guidance will be issued on September 16, and will be adopted by school divisions by January 1,2025.
On August 7, Staunton City Schools issued an Away for the Day cell phone policy, that allows high schoolers to have phones out at lunch and during class transition.
Harrisonburg City Public Schools also made changes to its cell phone policy, bringing its middle school policy to high schools.
Both policies could see changes with the new guidance.
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Virginia
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Virginia
Man shot, killed by Virginia trooper ID’d after crash ends in deadly stabbing attack
FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — Virginia State Police have identified the man who was shot and killed by a trooper after a crash ended in a stabbing attack on Interstate 495 Sunday afternoon.
Jared Llamado, 32, of McLean, died at the hospital on Sunday after he was shot.
RELATED | 2 dead, dog killed after stabbing spree, trooper shooting on I-495 in Fairfax County
Investigators said Llamado was confronted by the trooper who opened fire around 1:17 p.m. The trooper was responding to a report of a road rage incident and found Llamado with a knife, according to a news release.
Four stabbing victims, all women, were also found at the scene, along with a dog that was also stabbed.
Michelle Adams, 39, died from her injuries. The dog also did not survive. The three other women were all taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to VSP. 7News is not identifying the surviving victims.
Investigators said the stabbings stemmed from a crash in the southbound lanes of I-495.
The trooper who opened fire was not hurt and is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the use of force.
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Investigators said they do not believe the attack is connected to terrorism.
Virginia
Two dead after I-495 road rage incident leads to stabbing, Virginia State Police shooting – WTOP News
A road rage incident led to a shooting involving the Virginia State Police on Sunday on Interstate 495. Four individuals were also stabbed.
Two people are dead Sunday in Annandale, Virginia, after a road rage incident led to a shooting involving Virginia State Police on Interstate 495.
A release issued by the Virginia State Police said a trooper fatally shot a man after responding to a report of a road rage incident on the southbound lanes of I-495 just before 1:30 p.m. at exit 52, near the Little River Turnpike.
The man, transferred to a hospital with serious injuries, has been pronounced dead. VSP said the trooper shot in self-defense after the man confronted him with a knife.
The trooper did not suffer any injuries during the altercation.
Officials found four stabbing victims at the scene, but only identified a 39-year-old woman and a dog. Both the woman and the dog died.
Early findings suggest the stabbings took place after a crash on the Capital Beltway. The crash remains under investigation.
The VSP’s release comes after the main lanes of the Capital Beltway Outer Loop, before Little River Turnpike, were closed to traffic for several hours, only recently opening the express lanes. Main lanes between Arlington Boulevard and the Little River Turnpike remain closed.
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