I don't want bad things to happen to the students who made my 14 years as a classroom teacher. I think of them as I knew them, nearly all of them basically good kids, with some being more mischievous than others.
When one of my former Diamond students committed a murder, I posted the story. Several former students have popped up on the lists of arrests, usually not for major felonies, but still nothing anyone would want to see publicized.
And sometimes, the charges, including the murder conviction of my former Diamond student are felonies.
Such was the case this morning when I posted the Webb City Police Department's news release about the arrests of two people after a SWAT team was called in following an investigation into an armed robbery report.
One of those arrested was one of my East Middle School students.
I was sympathetic to the Facebook commenter who could not believe I wrote about her relative because I was the girl's favorite teacher. She saw the post as a betrayal.
I understand why she holds that view.
That being said, I cannot allow my connections to those who get into trouble to ever become a deciding factor in what gets printed and what does not. Basically, the decision was a simple one= would I have posted the story if it involved someone I did not know.
When the answer to that question is yes, as it was in this case, the decision, while painful, is an easy one to make.
***
Even more difficult than the stories about my former students who break the law are the ones that deal with the deaths of my former students.
Thankfully, that has not happened many times in the 20 years since I first stepped in front of a classroom, but from time to time it happens.
This week, I was saddened to learn of the death of 27-year-old Rachel Britt, who was Rachel Huddleston when she sat in my classroom, in a traffic accident
Twenty-seven is far too young
***
Since my earliest days as a newspaper reporter and editor more than 40 years ago, I have hated it when people ask why I never print or post any good news.
While there is always a place for good news, many times news is what you don't want to hear but you need to hear.
This week, however, the number one post on the Turner Report is a positive story, or at least it could be.
You can't get much more positive than having the possibility of Carthage High School and Missouri Southern State University graduate Janet Kavandi becoming the first woman to step foot on the moon.
This week's Top 10 posts for the Turner Report, Inside Joplin and Inside Joplin Obituaries and links to each of them are featured below:
The Turner Report
1, NASA head: Janet Kavandi may bae the first woman to step on the moon
2. Anderson man arrested on federal meth trafficking charges
3. Grand jury indicts Joplin man who allegedly molested seven-year-old, showed child porn to two children
4. Probable cause affidavit: Golden City man, 31, asked underage girl for sex, sent her obscene photo of himself
5. Joplin man sentenced to five years on felony child abuse charge, still won't admit he beat four-year-old
6. Golden City man indicted on child pornography charge
7. Federal grand jury indicts Sarcoxie man on weapons charge
8. Driver who killed Jessica Mann, Jim Dodson bound over for trial on latest DWI charge
9. Josh Hawley asks contributors to send President Trump a birthday card
10. Preliminary hearing Tuesday for latest DWI charge against driver who killed Jessica Mann, Jim Dodson
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Inside Joplin
1, SWAT team called in after Webb City armed robbery investigation results in standoff, two arrested
2. Joplin Police Department Weekend Arrests
3. Sarcoxie Kum N Go thieves came and went, but then they came back and were arrested
4. Joplin Police Department Arrests June 10-11
5. Sarcoxie Police High Street stop leads to arrest of Carthage, man, woman on drug charges
6. Jasper County Dissolution of Marriage Petitions
7. Jasper County Sheriff's Office Arrests
8. Newton County Dissolution of Marriage Petitions
9. Carl Junction woman injured in collision near Webb City
10. Joplin Police Department Arrests June 12-13
Inside Joplin Obituaries
1, Ryan Vaughn
2. Rachel Britt
3. David Peggram
4. Jayma Barlett
5. John Dages
6. Trong Pham
7. Michael Blizzard
8. Carl Boyd
9. Donnie Lowery
10. Donna Sageser
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