Kutztown University's Rock Ensemble I just earned top honors in a major music contest—the 2026 DownBeat Student Music Awards, beating out college groups across the country in the Blues/Pop/Rock category. This isn’t a one-time win though. Over the past decade, KU’s commercial music program has claime
School districts in Maine are facing a sharp rise in health insurance expenses. In one district with more than 600 staff members, premiums have climbed by over $1 million, pushing the total employer outlay to nearly $10 million. These figures only represent the portion paid by schools; employees the
High gas prices are hitting rural Colorado hard. Amy Van Duyn, who works at Stubs liquor store in Wiggins, now pays 50% more to fill up than she did when Trump returned to office. She used to spend $36 for a full tank. Now, that money buys barely half. Her coworker Tonyah Bruyette feels the pinch to
High school athletes across Southwest Michigan are putting up numbers that turn heads this spring. From softball sluggers to track stars, the latest Athlete of the Week poll highlights athletes who are pushing their teams forward with performances that stand out. Baseball diamonds are seeing some s
Highlands High School’s assistant principal, Kaitlyn Selfridge, stepped down in April after a year of growing frustration. She wrote that the district’s leadership had turned her job into a hostile environment, citing repeated principal changes and what she described as demeaning remarks about appea
Schools often focus on structured lessons, but a new study suggests something simple might help kids more: free play. Researchers looked at 125 elementary students in a high-poverty area. The kids were split into groups that got 12 weeks of 45-minute free play sessions either in fall or spring. The
Schools today aren’t just teaching algebra or history—they’re preparing students for a world where phones are everywhere. A complete ban on these devices might seem like an easy fix for distractions, but it ignores a bigger issue: teaching responsible use instead of avoiding technology altogether. T
Schools used to be places where adults actually worked with kids, not battlegrounds. Teachers once had room to teach without constant fear of insults, threats, or budget cuts. Now many quit because the job has become harder than it needs to be. Some parents and politicians seem to think teaching is
High-ranking officials from Iran, Russia, and Belarus recently held separate discussions about conflict resolution in the Middle East. A Russian defence minister met Iran’s deputy defence chief in Kyrgyzstan, stressing that diplomacy—not military action—should settle disputes in the region. The same
Highland Park is rolling out a new summer plan to give kids better options than trouble. Police report youth crime has jumped nearly one-fifth in the past year, with theft and fights involving teens on the rise. Some worry adults might be taking advantage of lighter juvenile penalties by pushing you
