Best friends in Philadelphia learn they are sisters after 17 years
HOLMES, Pennsylvania — “It was just God’s work, man,” said Kenneth Wimberly, who just learned he has another daughter.
This story takes us back 17 years to Sulzberger Middle School in Philadelphia. A 6th-grader, Ashley Thomas, would practice stylizing hair on her new best friend, Toya Wimberly.
Many said the pair from West Philly looked and acted like sisters. They grew up feeling that way, too.
Fifteen years ago, Ashley learned that her dad, Mike, was not her biological father. This never stopped Mike from being around and taking care of Ashley. Unfortunately, her mother passed away several years later.
Toya’s father, Kenneth, always joked that Ashley was his daughter, but it wasn’t until last week that he learned this was true.
It was a chain reaction that started on social media. Kenneth was pictured in photos of his daughter, Toya’s engagement party on Facebook.
Ashley’s late mother’s best friend recognized him as someone they used to hang out with. Kenneth remembered the women and started lining up the pieces.
This prompted the group to conduct a DNA test. Sure enough, Ashley, 31, and Toya, 29, are not-so-long-lost sisters. Both are the daughters of Kenneth Wimberly.
Although shocking, it is not a surprise given their similarities.
Both grew up having huge gaps in their front teeth and high cheekbones. Funnily enough, they both are currently wearing braces to fix the former.
They tout themselves as hustling entrepreneurs who both started their own businesses.
Toya owns a children’s transportation company, Global Rides Transportation, while Ashley created Hot Headz Hair Studio.
They recently planned a group trip to Miami, but ultimately they were the only two who carried out the vacation. This gave them an opportunity to deepen their bond further before even realizing they were related.
Both became pregnant at the same time and the fathers of their first children are brothers themselves. And now, they learn they have the same father.
The whole family is left to wonder, “why now?” after nearly two decades of successful friendships. There may not be any answers, but they know there is only room to become closer.
Photo Credit: 6abc.com
Straight-A student offers bonus points to classmate with lowest test score; helped turn a failing grade into a passing grade
(CNN) — An unusual request at the end of a student’s exam was quickly shared by thousands, thanks to a Kentucky teacher’s Facebook post.
Winston Lee, a teacher at Letcher County Central High School, was picking up exams about World War II in his 11th-grade history class when he noticed an asterisk with a small note toward the bottom of one exam.
It read, “If you could, can you give my bonus points to whoever scores the lowest?”
Lee said he was “taken aback” by his student’s request, especially when most are clinging to every extra point they can get to boost their grades.
“He wanted to give up what he had earned so blindly,” said Lee. “I took it as a really compassionate, loving and kind act from a young person that most people would consider rare.”
The unexpected ask touched Lee so much that he posted it to his Facebook page on February 21 in hopes of inspiring others. The post quickly did just that, with thousands of shares and comments praising the student.
Lee explained how “one of my guys” received an extra five points on the exam after doing well in the previous day’s review game. The straight-A student ended up scoring a 94 on the exam, and the points he gave away allowed his classmate to go from a failing to passing grade.
Although his generosity received a lot of positive feedback, some questioned whether giving a student who didn’t pass the extra points was the right thing to do.
One commenter suggested “an offer to help the struggling student(s) to learn the material would be better.” Another wrote, “The grades reflect that they learned something when they didn’t.”
But Lee said he has no regrets, and people “overthought” what took place.
“I tried to not let any of the negative comments affect any of the positivity that was coming from it,” said Lee. “I just wanted to honor what this student had asked for and felt he earned his right to give his points away because it was such an amazing gesture.”
He said he hopes his student’s spontaneous act of kindness serves as an even greater lesson outside the classroom.
“Never in my teaching experience have I heard of a student willingly give away something they had earned to allow an extra opportunity for someone else,” said Lee. “So, the ultimate message is to take from his example and pay it forward.”
Photo Credit: kmov.com
L.A. County DA Jackie Lacey apologizes for husband pointing gun at Black Lives Matter demonstrators
Tensions between Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and Black Lives Matter heightened Monday after the prosecutor’s husband drew a gun and threatened to shoot an activist on the couple’s porch in Granada Hills.
About two dozen protesters had gathered outside the residence around 5 a.m. Monday, holding up Black Lives Matter signs and chanting their disapproval of Lacey on the eve of the March 3 primary, in which the two-term incumbent is facing two challengers.
One demonstrator shouted through a bullhorn. Another held a sign that read, “#ByeJackie.”
Just before 6 a.m., Melina Abdullah, one of the the most vocal Black Lives Matter organizers in Los Angeles, released video of Lacey’s husband David confronting her with a gun.
The footage opens with a man holding up a firearm at his door saying: “Get off of my porch, right now. Get off.”
A woman responds, “Good morning. Are you going to shoot me?”
The man replied: “I will shoot you. Get off of my porch. … Get off of my porch, right now. We’re calling the police, right now.”
He then shuts the door.
By around 7:40 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers were standing in front of Lacey’s home as protesters continued to shout, “Jackie Lacey must go.”
Later Monday morning, Lacey addressed the incident in a news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A.
Apparently distraught, she issued an apology, telling reporters that her husband responded in fear.
“And now that he realizes what happened, he wanted me to say to the protesters, the person that he showed the gun to, that he was sorry,” Lacey said. “That he’s profoundly sorry. That he meant no one any harm. That it was just him and I in that house and that we really didn’t know what was about to happen.”
She added, “I too am sorry if anybody was harmed. It was never my intent to harm any protester. I just want to live in peace and do my job.”
Activists have long criticized Lacey for her decision not to prosecute a number of high-profile, use-of-force cases involving law enforcement officers.
At Monday’s news conference, Lacey enumerated threats she said she’s received over the years. The protests ramped up in the time leading to Tuesday’s election, the DA said.
In an interview with KTLA, Abdullah said the activists went to her home early Monday “to catch her. We’ve been in front of her office demanding a meeting for 2 1/2 years.”
Lacey said they did not want to comply with her wish that a meeting be held one-on-one or in a small group setting.
“My hope is that one day that might change. …You can vote, that’s one way to speak your mind. But to publicly humiliate people, to say to them, ‘I hate you.’ That you’re a racist. What progress will we make in this world if that’s how we talk to one another?” Lacey said.
Soon after Lacey’s news conference, Black Lives Matter activists set up their own podium on the stairs outside the Hall of Justice.
Sherlyn Haynes held up a photo of her son Christopher Mitchell, who was fatally shot by Torrance police at a Ralph’s parking lot in December 2018.
Authorities said Mitchell, 23, had an air rifle and was driving a stolen car. The District Attorney’s Office found the two officers involved “acted lawfully in self-defense.”
Mitchell’s family said the officers did not need to shoot the 23-year-old.
“My son was murdered, officer still shot him with his hands up,” Haynes said on Monday.
She continued, “Jackie Lacey: You’re not doing your job. … I’m glad you didn’t kill none of our Black Live Matter people, like they murdered my son and the rest of our kids.”
Photo Credit: ktla.com
MO school responds after a racist meme was shared among students “Go be a n***** somewhere else.”
WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. (KMOV.com) — Hixson Middle School in Webster Groves said a student directly sent a racist meme to two classmates that impacted others in “very deep and profoundly hurtful ways.”
The Webster Groves School District said in a message on Facebook that staff members will be available for support for those affected by the image. The image has script saying “Go be a n***** somewhere else.”
The student’s parents, Shaun Swearengen and Yolanda Morris, said their 14-year-old told them about what happened during lunch when she got home from school Thursday.
“I’ve been crying on and off all day, all night, it was very… every time I see the picture I just immediately start crying because I just can’t believe someone would think that was okay to send to my child… to anyone,” said Morris.
Morris said she immediately emailed the principal and superintendent about the situation. Morris and Swearengen met with the Hixson Middle School principal and vice principal Friday morning.
“They couldn’t hold the tears back. They were very apologetic. I really feel like they understood kinda what she was going through,” said Swearengen.
They feel this issue needs to be dealt with on a district level.
The Webster Groves School District declined News4’s request for an interview and said the district’s statement is what has been posted to its Facebook page.
“Upon learning of what had reportedly happened, the school’s administrators responded immediately,” the school’s statement read. “You can be assured that this kind of behavior has no place in our schools and will not be tolerated. We place great value on empathy and respect in our learning environment and have district policies in place that set high expectations for students.”
Morris and Swearengen feel the student who sent the meme should be suspended at the very least to set an example that this behavior is not tolerated. The district says it cannot comment on student discipline because it goes against privacy laws.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Houses frozen over near Lake Erie in New York due to cold temps
HAMBURG, N.Y. — Cold temperatures, gale-force winds, and 18-foot waves from Lake Erie created an ice spectacle at Hoover Beach in Hamburg.
Homeowners on South Shore Drive woke to the ice completely covering their doors and windows. In some cases, their homes were dark because of how thick the ice was.
Ed Mis, resident and homeowner in Hoover Beach, says he’s never seen conditions this bad before. The front of his home is completely covered in ice that is likely one to three feet thick.
“I actually had to go out a secondary door and then chisel my way back into the house by breaking the ice,” he told 2 On Your Side’s Karys Belger.
Mis says he spent the morning checking on neighbors when he wasn’t assessing his own home. He says there’s a woman living next door to him whose home is completely blocked. The ice almost reaches her roof.
He also said the ice is an additional hardship for a community that has already dealt with many harsh storms.
“This is like our sixth storm in a matter of a few months, and it’s kind of wearing on everybody,” he said.
As bad as the ice is, Mis says his biggest concern is the damage that could be left behind after the ice melts. When his home was hit last October, he had been remodeling his home. He had to begin again from scratch after the storm was over.
The ice accumulated Thursday and overnight into Friday as waves from Lake Erie pounded the shoreline. This winter storm also brought strong winds to the region, which allowed water to be blown over the homes and freeze to trees and power lines located behind them.
Besides property damage (the ice-covered homes), several power lines and trees collapsed due to the weight of the ice and fell.
2 On Your Side spoke with the Town of Hamburg’s Emergency Services Manager, Sean Crotty, he said the ice would have to thaw before he could send in a team to asses the damage.
2 On Your Side received several pictures of the homes and trees covered in ice.
Photo Credit: ktvb.vom
College recruiter fired after lining students up by skin color and hair texture at metro high school – “Okay, everyone now line up from darkest to lightest skin complexion” then “Nappiest hair in the back and straighter hair in the front”
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Metro high school students were forced to line up by the color of their skin, and then their hair was allegedly ranked from nappy to not.
A recruiter from Oklahoma Christian University was fired following an exercise he decided to implement at Harding Charter Preparatory in Oklahoma City.
“He barely talked about the school itself,” Rio Brown said.
At Harding Charter Preparatory High School, college recruiters stop by all the time, but this gym assembly was different.
“I could already see through his BS basically,” Korey Todd said. “He was a white man.”
A man representing Oklahoma Christian University left the 11th grade class stunned.
“He was like, ‘Let’s play a little game,’” Todd said. “He said, ‘Okay, everyone now line up from darkest to lightest skin complexion.’”
“He said, ‘Okay, who is going to line up the fastest,’” Brown said.
Then, the juniors were told to shuffle again.
“He told us nappiest hair in the back and straighter hair in the front,” Brown said.
“That’s when I felt uncomfortable like, ‘Okay, this isn’t right,’” Todd said.
“Teachers left,” Brown said. “They were crying and they were offended. Their faces just look disgusted. I know they had a talk with him after, like, ‘That’s not okay.'”
According to Oklahoma Christian University, the recruiter was fired shortly after. The university released the following statement to News 4:
“The OC admissions counselor who visited Harding Charter Preparatory Academy on Monday is no longer an Oklahoma Christian University employee. OC admissions leadership did not approve the inappropriate activity in advance and has communicated closely with Harding administration since the visit. Admissions staff are scheduled to visit the academy Monday to apologize to Harding students and staff on behalf of the University.”
The principal at Harding Charter Prep also admitted all of it was true, releasing this statement to News 4, saying:
“As you are aware, our school is visited by many college representatives each year to recruit the most hardworking students in the state of Oklahoma. Unfortunately, an incident occurred this Monday when a college recruiter from Oklahoma Christian University led a group activity with our students that involved inappropriate and hurtful statements.
The Harding Charter Preparatory High School governance board, administration, and staff does not condone any behavior and/or language that undermines our community’s values. Our community, from its inception, has valued diversity, inclusion, and a safe and supportive learning environment. We will continue to do so.”
“I hope it is a wake-up call because many people at the school need to hear how we feel,” Brown said.
Oklahoma Christian University officials also tells News 4 they will be making a personal visit on Monday to apologize to the entire campus.
Photo Credit: kfor.com
Man set fire to a trans woman’s apartment: “Anyone who is a tr***y offends me”
43-year old Lee Harrison has been sentenced to five years and ten months in jail for charges connected to a transphobia-fueled arson attack.
On August 15, 2019, Harrison of Sheffield, U.K. tried to pour gas through the victim’s mailbox and set the front door on fire, just a few days after telling her, “I’m going to burn you out.”
BBC reports that before setting the fire, Harrison regularly harassed the victim, a transgender woman. According to the prosecutor on the case, Robert Sandford, Harrison would deadname her in the street, and he also once told her, “Anyone who is a tr**ny offends me; it’s a lifestyle choice.”
On the night Harrison set the fire, a lock on the mailbox prevented the gas from getting through the door, and a neighbor was able to put out the fire before it spread.
The intended victim was not home when Harrison set the fire, but her roommate was there.
“I could not escape,” the roommate said. “I was trapped because the fire was coming from the front door and smoke was coming up the stairs. I truly believed I was about to die.”
The intended victim said, “I feel guilty that my best friend could have been killed because of someone trying to attack me.”
Harrison was sentenced by Judge Graham Reeds, who said he had put the lives of the apartment resident and the downstairs neighbors at risk.
“This was an offense aggravated by hostility towards the victim’s transgender identity,” Reeds said, “which is a very significant aggravating feature.”
via: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/02/man-set-fire-trans-womans-apartment-anyone-try-offends/
Photo Credit: lgbtqnation.com
Vets pull entire beach towel out of python
(Meredith/CNN) — A team of veterinarians pulled an entire beach towel out of a python in Australia to save it, and the intense moment was caught on camera.
The 18-year-old jungle carpet python, named Monty, ate the beach towel Saturday night at a home in Sydney, according to the reptile’s owners.
The following morning, the owners took Monty to the Small Animal Specialist Hospital, where vets performed a special procedure.
First, they placed a flexible endoscope down Monty’s gastrointestinal tract to find the end of the towel in her stomach. They then used long forceps to grasp the towel.
“Once we had a good grip, the towel was able to be carefully removed from the gastrointestinal tract with endoscopic guidance,” the animal hospital wrote on Facebook. “It was smiles all round, and we’re happy to report that both Monty and the beach towel have lived to see another day!”
Monty is back at home with her owners, who say she’s now back to her “happy and hungry self.”
Photo Credit: people.com
Some Americans aren’t buying Corona beer due to coronavirus, survey finds
(CNN) — Two surveys released this week show Corona’s brand is suffering from negative buzz.
The first survey, conducted by 5W Public Relations, said that 38% of Americans wouldn’t buy Corona “under any circumstances” because of the outbreak, and another 14% said they wouldn’t order a Corona in public. The survey encompasses polling from 737 beer drinkers in the United States.
In another survey conducted by YouGov, the firm found consumers’ intent to purchase Corona fell to its lowest level in two years. The survey also showed that Corona’s buzz score, a metric that that measures favorability, has dropped significantly since the beginning of the year.
Still, Corona beer isn’t making any changes to its advertising despite the name’s unfortunate similarity to the deadly coronavirus.
Constellation Brands, which brews several variations of the popular lager, said in a statement that its customers “understand there is no link between the virus and our business.”
“Sales of Corona remain very strong and we appreciate the continued support from our fans,” Constellation Brands spokesperson Stephanie McGuane told CNN Business. “Our advertising with Corona is consistent with the campaign we have been running for the last 30 years and is based off strong consumer sentiment.”
The spread of the coronavirus couldn’t have come at a worse time for Constellation, which is spending $40 million to launch its new Corona-branded hard seltzer. Part of the promotion includes a sponsored tweet that has sparked criticism for using the phrase “coming ashore soon.”
Replies to the tweet say the ad is in “poor taste” and that the brand should “lay low for a few weeks.”
Online searches for “corona beer virus” spiked in early February, but have since declined.
Constellation Brands’ stock dropped 8% on Thursday, although the entire stock market has fallen sharply as fear grows about the spread of coronavirus. The number of cases have climbed to 83,577 globally Friday. Nearly 3,000 people have died from the virus.
Photo Credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images
School policy forbids kids from saying ‘no’ when asked to dance
Alicia Hobson’s 11-year-old daughter, Azlyn, was counting down the days until the Valentine’s Day dance at her Utah middle school.
“She was so excited she could barely sleep,” Hobson told TODAY Parents, noting that the 6th-grader picked out her outfit a week ahead of time.
“It was supposed to be the best day ever,” Hobson, 37, said.
But it wasn’t.
That afternoon, when Azlyn got home, she had an “emotional explosion” in the kitchen, while recounting how a boy who makes her uncomfortable had asked her to dance.
“She politely said, ‘No thank you,’” Hobson revealed. The problem? At Rich Middle School in Laketown, Utah, it’s against the rules to say ‘no,’ and principal Kip Motta allegedly intervened when he heard Azlyn decline the invitation at the dance.
“He said something like, ‘No, no. You kids go out and dance,’” Hobson revealed. “He basically shooed Azlyn and the boy off onto the dance floor.”
Azlyn told her mother she “hated every minute” and was “so relieved” when the song finally ended.
Motta and Rich School District superintendent, Dale Lamborn, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. But Motta stood by the school’s policy in a letter to Hobson.
“We do ask all students to dance. It is the nice thing to do and this will continue to be our policy,” Motta wrote on Feb. 15. “There have been similar situations in the past where some students have felt uncomfortable with others, and, as stated prior, the issues were discreetly handled. This allowed all students to feel welcome, comfortable, safe, and included.”
Motta added that Hobson always has the option to check Azlyn out of school during dances, which are held in the daytime.
Hobson isn’t satisfied with Motta’s response — she wants the policy revised and will go to the Utah Board of Education if it isn’t.
“Girls HAVE to learn that they have the right to say no and that those around them have to respect that,” Hobson wrote on Facebook. “I’m not going to quietly stand by while my daughter and all of her classmates are being wrapped up in rape culture. No way.”
Dr. Rebecca Schrag Hershberg, a New York City-based clinical psychologist, agrees with Hobson and believes the rule is “dangerous.”
“Policies like this one not only overlook, but completely fly in the face of, what we need to be teaching young children — of all gender identities — about the importance of consent,” Schrag Hershberg told TODAY Parents. “Essentially, it is saying that a child needs to say ‘yes’ no matter how they feel, as a blanket rule. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that such a message is very much in alignment with rape culture and, therefore, very dangerous if perpetuated.”
Kanesville Elementary School in West Haven, Utah, changed its policy saying kids must accept dance requests, after a parent complained in 2018.
via: https://www.today.com/parents/sixth-grader-utah-couldn-t-say-no-when-asked-dance-t174793
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