Free Republic

Before a crowd of hundreds of school district officials and school board members in Milwaukee, Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday that recommendations from a variety of state education task forces will soon be solidified in formal legislation. The work of three main groups spearheaded by Walker over the past year - a reading task force, a team that's looked at how to design a statewide teacher and principal evaluation system, and a group figuring out how to rate school quality - will make up a reform package of education legislation, Walker said. Meanwhile, some critics questioned the governor's tone of...

Top Senate Republican leaders have chosen one GOP House member over another in a Panhandle Senate primary, saying Rep. Greg Evers has done a better job raising money and is simply more conservative than primary opponent Rep. Dave Murzin. The endorsement is the second major one in a week for Evers, following the announcement that he has the backing of the National Rifle Association, which is making the election of Evers to the Senate one of its top priorities. Some Republicans this year have expressed anger at party leadership for taking sides in GOP primaries, but Sen. Don Gaetz, one...

The Navy announced today the newest Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ship (T-AKE) would be named USNS Medgar Evers. The announcement was made by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus during a Jackson State University speaking engagement in Mississippi. Continuing the Lewis and Clark-class tradition of honoring legendary pioneers and explorers, the Navy's newest underway replenishment ship recognizes civil rights activist Medgar Evers (1925-1963) who forever changed race relations in America. At a time when our country was wrestling to end segregation and racial injustice, Evers led efforts to secure the right to vote for all African Americans and to...

Two Roosevelt Island Tram cars carrying dozens of people over the East River were left hanging Tuesday when the system lost power due to a mechanical problem, officials say. Rescue crews have begun the process of using cages and baskets to get the passengers off. Both cars stopped moving around 5:15 p.m., stranding about 80 people, officials say. The tramcars were still stalled after 7 p.m. while engineers worked to restore power. One of the tramcars had about 50 people, the other about 30. We are told that there are nine children on board. No injuries were reported. Eyewitness News...

<p>Four decades ago today, Medgar Wiley Evers, following a challenging day at the office, sought the sanctuary of his wife, family and home.</p> <p>Evers could surely feel the love and devotion emanating from his modest abode as he turned into 2332 Guynes St. Unfortunately, on that evening, June 12, 1963, Evers was forever suspended from his comfort and joy.</p>

<p>High school teacher Barry Bradford was 8 years old when Medgar Evers was assassinated in Jackson.</p> <p>"My dad sat down the three of us," recalled Bradford, who was living in suburban Chicago. "He was shaken by it. He told us Medgar was trying to do the right thing for the right reasons and that whoever killed him had great evil in his heart, which we later found out was true."</p>