Free Republic

A massive fire engulfed a nursing home facility in New York during the early morning hours on Tuesday, and video posted online showed that the building had at least partially collapsed. “One firefighter is missing and residents are unaccounted for in a fire at a residential senior center in New York City’s northern suburbs,” CNN reported. “It wasn’t immediately clear how many residents couldn’t be located amid the blaze in Spring Valley, Trooper Steven Nevel of New York State Police’s Troop F said around 4 a.m. ET.” “Numerous injuries from both firefighters and residents were reported,” a Spring Valley police...

About 100 students at a South Carolina high school walked out of class briefly Friday to show support for a school resource officer fired after video showed him throwing an uncooperative black female student across the floor, according to local media and Twitter feeds. The students walked out of classes at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, S.C., around 10 a.m. and gathered in the atrium to express their views on the firing of Deputy Ben Fields. Some in the crowd — which included both black and white students — wore T-shirts reading "Free Fields" or "#BringBackFields."

(Newser) - A twist in the story of the South Carolina school resource officer fired after a classroom arrest turned violent - and went viral: About 100 Spring Valley High School students peacefully walked out of class Friday morning and gathered in the school's atrium to show support for former deputy Ben Fields and ask that he be given his job back. The school principal called the protest "an orderly student-led activity" and noted, "I addressed the students to let them know that we understood their need to make their voices heard. Then I reminded them that Spring Valley high...

He Was Held On Contempt Charge Over Day Camp Dispute A judge has freed Spring Valley’s mayor, who had been jailed since Friday over a dispute involving a children’s day camp. Mayor Demeza Delhomme had been jailed on a contempt-of-court charge. As WCBS 880’s Sean Adams reported, Delhomme emerged from the Rockland County jail with stubble on his face and an open shirt collar Tuesday saying there had been a misunderstanding. “I have no grudges against anyone, no hard feelings,” Delhomme said. “The reason we’re all here, it’s all about the kids,” the mayor added. “We wanted a day care...