West
Growing chorus of parents demand Los Angeles put police back in schools: Violence has 'become the norm'
The Los Angeles Unified School District is facing growing pressure from parents to reinstate police officers in schools.
Two LAUSD parents spoke out on “Fox & Friends First” Wednesday on the increasing concerns about their children’s safety and exposure to violence and drugs while at school.
“High school, middle school students, they bring home videos that the kids have taken on campus of fights – very, very, intense fights – with groups of kids fighting and a kid on the ground, other kids jumping on top of them, for example,” L.A. mother Maria Luisa Palma explained.
FRUSTRATED PARENTS, TEACHERS DEMAND SCHOOLS BRING BACK POLICE TO CURB VIOLENCE: 911 CALLS ‘ALMOST EVERY DAY’
The school board voted unanimously in February 2021 to do away with officers stationed in schools, but a safety board is now asking that individual schools be allowed to make the decision for themselves.
However, the school board already rejected a similar resolution in September 2021.
“This has become the norm here,” Palma said. “The district is normalizing this type of violence, and we hear it from our kids. And now we have the data that was just released in mid-April that confirms what we’ve been hearing anecdotally from our children.”
LAUSD reported significant increases in reports of violence, illegal substances, threats and weapons brought onto campuses in the 2022-2023 school year.
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The Los Angeles United School District reported increases in incidents involving violence, threats, drugs and weapons in the 2022-2023 academic year.
The release of the latest data prompted parents to voice their concerns at a school board meeting Tuesday, again calling for additional safety measures.
“How many students have to die so that you are able to do something? We need to have the school police in all the schools,” one parent said.
“How long before you come down to our level from your ideological castles in the sky, and listen and act in the best interest of our community? The communities that put you in these positions. How much longer? What else is it that we have to do?” Palma said at the meeting.
Shiva Bagheri, another parent in the Los Angeles Unified School District, said the “defund police” movement is to blame for the “lawlessness” in both schools and the state as a whole.
“It’s just a bunch of crazy people that are ruining our streets,” she said. “My daughter saw two armed robberies in broad daylight. So, of course we need the police there. That’s the only way as parents are going to feel that our kids are safe at school.”
POLICE DEPARTMENTS WARN HIGH SCHOOLERS’ ‘SENIOR ASSASSINS’ GAME COULD TURN DEADLY: ‘SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES’
Palma has launched an online petition demanding the return of police officers in schools.
“It’s heart-wrenching to feel that we take such pains, we make huge investments in our children to keep them safe at home. Everything we do for our kids, just to think that at school they’re going to be exposed to drugs in the bathrooms, which is what the kids tell us. That they’re going to be witnessing close up the violence and the fights that are out of control,” she said.
The key, Palma explained, is discipline and consequences.
“That’s what’s missing.”
“As [LAUSD] moved from a suspension discipline environment to what they call now a restorative justice and positive behavior support discipline policy, which we believe is not working. So there are no deterrents to keep the kids from acting out,” she said.
Palma believes students, including her own son, are suffering academically as a result.
“How can kids concentrate on developing their academic capabilities when the schools are not safe?”
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Montana
Belgrade tap water named best in Montana
BUTTE, Mont. — The city of Belgrade has earned some serious bragging rights.
The city of Belgrade’s tap water won a blind taste test on Thursday morning at a joint conference of the Montana Section of the American Water Works Association (MSAWWA) and the Montana Water Environment Association (MWEA).
Belgrade now moves onto the national AWWA annual conference in Washington D.C. in June, where they will compete for the People’s Choice and Best of The Best Awards.
Montana tap water has scored well at the national conference in the past. In 2015, the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District won the Best of the Best award. In 2019, Bozeman won third place in the Best of the Best competition.
Water is judged based on taste, clarity, aftertaste, and odor.
“It is definitely a point of pride and a little bit competitive between communities around Montana. It’s pretty fun to see the operators that work so hard on their water sources and bringing that into their communities to be able to take that to even the state level and the national level, and take home a prize for that,” said Carrie Gardner, national director for the Montana section of the AWWA and a water/wastewater regional team manager for Great West Engineering. “So, it’s truly important to everyone here just to deliver clean, safe, water. But that’s also a fun aspect, to be able to have some bragging rights, too.”
Belgrade was one of only three cities that provided samples of their water to the conference this year, joining Missoula and Kalispell.
Thursday’s taste test was part of the final day of the conference, where operators, engineers, consultants, and regulators from across the state work together to protect Montana’s water resources.
This year’s conference theme was Resiliency and Risk.
“All of us are here because we care about the communities we live in in Montana and being able to have drought resistant systems,” said Gardner. “Water is a critical resource. So our focus is delivering clean water, public health, and safety. Making sure we have sources available, and, that we’re cleaning that water going back so we can have less environmental impacts and be able to reduce the issues that drought causes.”
Nevada
CIS Western Nevada hosts Concert with a Cause
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The non-profit, Communities of Schools in Western Nevada is hosting its second annual Concert with a Cause featuring Yachtley Crew.
The seven-piece SoCal sensation who’ve sparked a nationwide Yacht Rock craze since bursting onto the scene in 2017. They’ve earned a reputation for selling out venues, delivering unforgettable live performances, and bringing soft rock hits from the late ’70s and early ’80s to life.
They are performing at the Grand Sierra Resort on May 15th, 2026. For tickets, visit www.grandsierraresort.com/entertainment/concerts-and-shows/yachtley-crew
CIS of Western Nevada is also looking for sponsors for the event. To learn more go to www.cisnevada.org/locations/western/
Copyright 2026 KOLO. All rights reserved.
New Mexico
New Mexico AG Slams Meta’s Threat to Exit Over Age Verification
New Mexico’s attorney general slammed
“Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety,” New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement Thursday. “This is is not about technological capability. Meta simply refuses to place the safety of children ahead of …
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