Latest news with #AlfredHale
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's not safe;' Leaders meet, discuss transportation changes after student killed near bus stop
City, school and transportation leaders recently met to discuss ways to keep students safe as they're getting back and forth to school. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7's Amber Jenkins breaks down the long-term and short-term solutions LIVE on News Center 7 and 6:00. TRENDING STORIES: 2 local elementary schools to close at the end of the year; here's why 2 police officers, 1 firefighter injured while arresting man for domestic violence High school senior dies after house fire Changes are in the works after a Dunbar High School student, Alfred Hale, was shot and killed near the RTA Hub in downtown Dayton in April. >>RELATED: 18-year-old high school student killed in downtown Dayton shooting Dayton Public Schools students have been using RTA buses and their transfer hubs for school transportation. The district said it will take them 18 months to get new buses, not including drivers. 'Dayton has a unique set of circumstances. We have the Dayton Public School system responsible for transporting young people to some 90 different locations, in addition to the location that we have within Dayton Public Schools,' Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims said. Some city leaders have suggested changing transfer hubs to safer areas. 'Welcome Stadium was something they would do in the morning time. It would be a transfer point in the morning time. Honus could be a potential transfer point into the afternoon,' NAACP Dayton Unit President Derrick Forward said. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Concerns on how to get students to class after deadly shooting of high school student near RTA hub
There are concerns over the best way for high school students to get to class in Dayton. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] We hear from local leaders about why they believe the RTA hub is not the right spot for high school students today on News Center 7 Daybreak from 4:25 a.m. until 7 a.m. TRENDING STORIES: Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88 Human remains found by man picking mushrooms in Ohio Home sustains damage after being hit by car in Montgomery County neighborhood This comes just over two weeks after 18-year-old Alfred Hale, a Dunbar High School student, was shot and killed near the RTA hub in Downtown while transferring buses on April 4. As previously reported on News Center 7, calls for service at the RTA hub in Dayton have increased by almost 1,000 since 2022. It has people concerned about students. Community leaders are calling on Dayton's leaders to come up with solutions. 'It's going to take everyone to come up with evidence-based strategies and practices that these children deserve,' said Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, with Racial Justice Now. We will continue to update this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Community calls for investment in Dayton youth after fatal shooting of student
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Community groups held a press conference Friday — calling for more investment in youth safety after the death of a Dayton Dunbar student in downtown weeks ago. Racial Justice Now, Black Lives Matter Dayton and Neighborhoods Over Politics came together for a joint press conference, not only to demand action to address the violence that's happening to Dayton youth, but also to start investing in the future of this area. Dayton residents, students call for action after shooting death of DPS student 'One of the reasons why I decided to physically leave Dayton for myself and my children is because of the decades of divestment,' said Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, Racial Justice Now co-founder. The three organizations held the joint press conference in response to the death of Dunbar High School Student Alfred Hale, who was shot and killed while waiting for a bus transfer in downtown on his way to school. The groups are calling for action so that a situation like Hale's does not happen to another — they say it starts by investing in the community. 'We're tired of seeing Black youth being consistently and constantly dehumanized all over this country,' said Sankara-Jabar. 'Because I believe that budgets are moral documents, when you look at the City of Dayton's budget, when you look at even the county's budget, do you see where they love young people?' The press conference highlighted this lack of investment in Dayton youth. 'We can't say that we love and care for our youth if we don't have something that shows we actually love and care for them,' said Jamica Garrison, Neighborhoods Over Politics co-founder. 'We need people in place and leaders in place to have the right heart.' A push for the assembly of a multi-stakeholder team was also at the forefront of the discussion. The proposed team would address concerns of safety, transportation, mental health and more, all in an effort to help area youth. 'We urge leaders from Dayton Public Schools, the RTA, Dayton City Government and community stakeholders to convene for an open discussion about the future direction of our tax dollars and transportation funding,' said Carlos Buford, Black Lives Matter Dayton. The groups hope that this call to action brings officials to the table, to make a better and safer Dayton for future generations. 'Come to the table and not just come to the table Bring some dollars, bring some resources. Bring your time, you know, have a plan, have a solution,' said Garrison. Groups that were present Friday hope that a dialogue is started and also a coalition that will help address the concerns in Dayton. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Neighbors call for solutions on safety following deadly shooting of high schooler near RTA hub
A group of community activists wants to see change after saying kids are put in danger too often when they're simply trying to get to and from school. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] This comes two weeks after 18-year-old Alfred Hale, a Dunbar High School student, was shot and killed near the RTA hub in downtown Dayton while transferring buses. Since then, there has been blame thrown around, but not many agreed-upon solutions have been heard since then. Community activists said that it has to change. TRENDING STORIES: Son of Ohio megachurch leaders charged with rape after sexual abuse investigation Ohio student arrested after assaulting teacher, another student with Stanley cup, police say 1 dead after school bus flips due to blown tire 'We really need to come together and get all stakeholders involved in solutions,' Jamica Garrison, co-founder of Neighborhoods Over Politics, said. Garrison was joined at a press conference Friday by representatives of Black Lives Matter Dayton and Racial Justice Now. As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, the groups believe Dayton's adult leadership is failing and young people are paying the price. 'It's going to take everyone to come up with evidence-based strategies and practices that these children deserve,' Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, with Racial Justice Now, said. Hale was shot and killed on April 4 on his way to school. It's not the only recent gunfire near the spot where thousands of high schoolers transfer. On April 1, a shooting at Main and Fourth Streets injured a 46-year-old man, and last October, another man died after a shooting in front of the Boost Mobile store next to the RTA hub. City and state leaders held a news conference after the shooting, proposing changes because they believe the hub is not the right place for high school students. The activists said this is too important to rush. 'When it comes to what we're trying to accomplish, we do want a coalition of stakeholders from the city of Dayton,' Carlos Buford, founder of Black Lives Matter Dayton, said. RTA leaders said they've tried to help in a situation they didn't expect to be put in. 'We even put extra buses out every afternoon to make sure we can handle the rush of students, but, you know, we can't be a solution to a school's transportation needs,' Bob Ruzinsky, CEO of Greater Dayton RTA, said. Dayton Police Department data showed that calls for service in the area of the RTA hub increased by almost 1,000 since 2022. It was in August of that year that Dayton Public Schools (DPS) began using RTA to bus high school students to their schools. Assistant Dayton Police Chief Eric Henderson said it only takes a few misbehaving teens or badly-intentioned adults to create a dangerous mix. 'I think that's what we need to try to deal with to try and limit the interactions of our youth with adults when they should focus on going to school,' Henderson said. Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein told News Center 7 that in 2022, neither they nor RTA leaders were given a heads up that DPS would start putting students on RTA buses downtown. As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Dickstein said the safest transportation for high school students is traditional yellow buses. She also said that hundreds of unsupervised teens being dumped in the middle of the city's business district makes it tough to attract and retain companies in the area. 'You know, this is our economic engine and it needs to be strong and healthy,' Dickstein said. She also said the central business district generates the revenue to pay for 75 percent of city services for every neighborhood. Dickstein still believes the city, school, and RTA leaders can find a solution for everyone. One of those might be using RTA limited service routes to bus high school students. 'Routes open to the public, but they were specifically designed to better meet the needs of school transportation,' Ruzinsky described. 'So they went more from schools to neighborhoods.' City leaders said there have been exploratory talks with RTA and school district representatives about a limited service model that would avoid downtown for transfer, but it has not materialized into a solid plan. School board leaders have said finances are an issue since the state of Ohio requires them to transport all charter and private school students as well. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
18-year-old high school student killed near bus stop; Community gathers to remember him
A community is gathering to remember an 18-year-old high school student who was killed in a shooting last week. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7 Taylor Robertson attends a balloon release for the teen and will hear from the community LIVE on News Center 7 at 6:00. TRENDING STORIES: 'Destroy them before they hatch;' Invasive pests making return to Ohio Former MLB pitcher, World Series champ among those killed in Dominican Republic nightclub collapse Proposed bill would halt public funding for Ohio pro sports teams with losing records The shooting occurred at 27 S. Jefferson Street, near an RTA bus stop, around 7:25 a.m. on April 4. Alfred Hale, 18, a student at Dunbar High School, died from his injuries. >>PHOTOS: Officers investigating after 1 shot in Downtown Dayton As previously reported by News Center 7, Dayton police arrested a 23-year-old in connection to the shooting after 'utilizing all available technological resources.' Online jail records indicate that 23-year-old Julius Maurice Williamson Jr. was arrested Saturday morning by Dayton police and is being held on suspicion of murder and a parole violation. However, police have not formally identified a suspect. 'This senseless event is hard for us all to comprehend,' Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims said. 'Incidents like this are exactly why we are involving the community in reducing violence and building a peaceful city. We have zero tolerance for violence in our neighborhoods, downtown, and across the city.' [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
