Latest news with #ChrisMoore
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Moline High recognized as Project Lead the Way Distinguished School
Moline High School has been recognized as a 2024-25 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School, according to a news release. It is among a select group of high schools across the U.S. to be recognized for its commitment to inspiring and engaging students to unlock their potential through its PLTW Computer Science and Engineering programs. PLTW is a national nonprofit organization that creates transformative learning experiences and empowers students to develop in-demand knowledge and skills for future careers. 'Project Lead the Way has been an amazing partner in providing solid curricular support forour STEM programs,' said Chris Moore, principal of Moline High School. 'We are honored bythe recognition, and we continue in our commitment to providing quality STEM and career andtechnical education for MHS students.' The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing studentaccess, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, Moline High School had to meet criteria in the 2023-24 school year such asnumber of PLTW courses available to students, percent of students enrolled in PLTW, andpercent of students taking more than one PLTW course. Moline High School currently offers four engineering courses and two computer sciencecourses: Engineering courses: Introduction to Engineering, Principles of Engineering. Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, and Civil Engineering and science courses: Computer Science Essentials and Computer Science Principles. 'We are proud to honor Moline High School for their commitment to providing students withexceptional educational experiences through PLTW programs,' said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTWpresident and CEO.'This achievement celebrates their dedication to student achievement andtheir focus on empowering students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in school and a wide range of post-secondary opportunities.' PLTW high school programs prepare today's students for the careers of tomorrow, by not onlyincorporating STEM skills into their learning but also building students' collaboration, teamwork and communication skills so they can be ready for whatever path they take. For more information about PLTW's Distinguished Program Recognition, visit here. For more information on Moline High School's PLTW Computer Science and Engineeringprogram, contact MHS teacher Zachary Bostic, at 309-743-8879 or zbostic@ Bostic serves as Moline High School's industrial technology teacher, Project Lead The Way coordinator, and CNC & welding apprenticeship coordinator. About PLTW For nearly 30 years, Project Lead The Way (PLTW) has prepared PreK–12 students for careers,college, and life by equipping them with the STEM knowledge, credential preparation,transferable skills, and confidence to succeed. Its hands-on, real-world learning, deep industrypartnerships and clear, scaffolded curriculum guide students from early career curiosity topost-secondary readiness. With strong professional development taught by a national network of more than 116,000 trained teachers in 12,200+ schools across all 50 states, PLTW enablesschools to design scalable, future-focused programs that inspire students, empower educators,and connect learning to life after graduation. Visit here to learn more. PLTW Computer Science The PLTW Computer Science interdisciplinary courses engage students in compelling, realworld computer science challenges. As students work together to design solutions, they learnmore than just how to code, developing computational thinking and communication skills for the increasingly technology-based economy. PLTW Engineering PLTW Engineering empowers high school students to step into the role of an engineer and adopt a problem-solving mindset. Students engage in collaborative, real-life activities like working with a client to design a home, programming electronic devices or robotic arms, and exploring algae as a biofuel source. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Kincora: Britain's Shame by Chris Moore - Strong and unnerving, some accounts linger like a bad taste
Kincora: Britain's Shame Author : Chris Moore ISBN-13 : 9781785375545 Publisher : Merrion Press Guideline Price : €19.99 When Chris Moore started working as a journalist with the BBC in 1979, one of his first assignments was to report on sexual abuse of boys at the Kincora Boys' Home on the Newtownards Road in Belfast . That home was being run by three men, Joseph Mains, Raymond Semple and William McGrath, who were convicted of raping boys in their care. But from an early stage there were indications that the story was much wider than the predations of these three horrors. McGrath was the leader of an eccentric loyalist paramilitary group called Tara, which was interested in reviving Irish identity among Protestants with a view to uniting Ireland inside the UK . He was an evangelical preacher with a theology which endorsed his homosexual interests. Hadn't there been loving relationships between men in the Bible? Think Jesus and John. READ MORE McGrath's political connections raised suspicion that men in his wider circle were abusing children at Kincora too and, further, that the security services had an interest in suppressing the story and curtailing Moore's investigations. Moore is now in his 70s and an independent researcher and writer, free of some of the constraints he believes the BBC imposed on him. And remarkably, he has stayed with this story and travelled the world to meet the men whose lives were tarnished by McGrath and others. Much of Moore's approach is to extrapolate from evidence and in cases his extrapolations are strong and unnerving. There was interference from MI5. McGrath was an agent. MI5's interest was in exploring the connections between unionist politicians and loyalist paramilitaries. There are compelling witness accounts here of boys being taken from the home to servicemen with secret lives, most notably Lord Louis Mountbatten , identified retrospectively by boys as their abuser from his picture on television after he was blown up in his boat by the IRA at Mullaghmore in 1979. The book also reminds us of a time when McGrath's homosexuality was treated as criminal and sinful. The account of him being subjected on police orders to the discredited anal dilation test is one that, once read, lingers like a bad taste. But a word to his publisher: a book like this should have end notes and an index.
CNN
4 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Justice Department drops criminal case against Boeing, sparking outrage from crash victims' families
The Department of Justice has decided to drop its criminal case against Boeing despite the company agreeing to plead guilty last year to its role in two fatal 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people. The decision to drop the case against Boeing is another sign the Trump administration has been going easier on prosecuting corporate misdeeds than the Biden administration. The decision sparked harsh criticism from some of the families of victims of the two fatal crashes. 'The Department of Justice is trying to sweep the errors and mistakes of Boeing and the FAA under the rug,' said a statement from Chris Moore, who lost his daughter Danielle in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash. 'It is said that Justice is supposed to be blind for it to be fair, but the prosecutors are blind to the facts of this case. Boeing has already admitted their criminality - it's a no-brainer in terms of prosecuting Boeing in a court of law.' The Justice Department did not respond to CNN's request for comment but said in its filing that the decision to drop the criminal case against Boeing and instead reach a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) was the right decision given what could be proved in the case. 'After careful consideration of the families' views, the facts and the law … it is the government's judgment that the agreement is a fair and just resolution that serves the public interest,' the Justice Department said in the filing. 'The agreement guarantees further accountability and substantial benefits from Boeing immediately, while avoiding the uncertainty and litigation risk presented by proceeding to trial.' The NPA includes Boeing agreeing to pay an additional $444.5 million in victim compensation, on top of the $500 million it had already paid. But it freed Boeing from having to plead guilty to defrauding the Federal Aviation Administration during the process of seeking certification for the 737 Max to begin carrying passengers. A design flaw in the 737 Max that was not revealed during that process has been tied to the two crashes. It also frees Boeing from being under the oversight of a federally appointed monitor who would have ensured the company was making promised improvements in the quality and safety of its aircraft. That federal monitor would have been part of the guilty plea Boeing agreed to in July. Instead, Boeing itself will hire an outside contractor to oversee its operations, rather than having one chosen for it. Boeing said Thursday it is committed to improving in its safety record and company culture. 'We are deeply sorry for their losses, and remain committed to honoring their loved ones' memories by pressing forward with the broad and deep changes to our company,' Boeing said in its statement. In the final days of the first Trump administration, Boeing agreed to a 'deferred prosecution' settlement on the same charges that could have relieved it of ever facing criminal prosecution. But in January 2024, days before a three-year probationary period on that original agreement ended, a door plug blew out of the side of a 737 Max flown by Alaska Air. While no one was killed in that incident, it opened the door for the Justice Department to again resume prosecution of the company. Six months later, Boeing agreed to the guilty plea. But even while agreeing to the plea agreement, the company said it did not feel it had violated an earlier deferred prosecution agreement. In December, a federal judge rejected that earlier plea agreement. He objected to the agreement that called for the Justice Department to pick the monitor, and not the court itself. 'It is fair to say the government's attempt to ensure compliance has failed,' Judge Reed O'Connor wrote in his opinion. 'At this point, the public interest requires the court to step in. Marginalizing the court in the selection and monitoring of the independent monitor as the plea agreement does undermines public confidence in Boeing's probation.' But once he rejected that plea agreement, Boeing decided to move forward with challenging the case in court rather than agreeing to plead guilty. The Justice Department cited the lack of an agreement to plead guilty in its decision to drop the criminal case. In a statement two weeks ago, the Justice Department also said it had met with a broad range of the victims' families while considering what to do next. 'While they are all experiencing grief, they hold a broad set of views regarding the resolution, ranging from support to disagreement,' the Justice Department said in that earlier statement. Many of the families had not been happy with the original plea agreement, seeking to have criminal prosecution of individual executives at Boeing, and much steeper financial penalties than the $487 million in fines that Boeing had agreed to pay, an amount that is included in the NPA. The attorneys for the family said that they will seek to have the judge reject this NPA. 'This kind of non-prosecution deal is unprecedented and obviously wrong for the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history. My families will object and hope to convince the court to reject it,' Paul Cassell, one of the attorneys representing the families, said in a statement.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Stop light at local intersection could go away
A traffic light in Springfield could be removed, and getting rid of it could save the city over $300,000. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30, city officials are making plans for the intersection of Lagonda Avenue and Sherman Avenue. TRENDING STORIES: 18-year-old killed in shooting in Dayton neighborhood identified Ex-morgue manager at Harvard Medical School admits to trafficking stolen human remains One of the deadliest plants in North America is spreading in Ohio 'We have the option to replace it because it's aging and traffic signals right now are running about $330,000, or study it and see if it can be removed,' Chris Moore, Service Director with the City of Springfield, said. City officials say 300 cars need to drive through the intersection every hour to meet the requirement for a traffic light. The city has also placed signs at the intersection saying, 'signal under study for removal.' They have also set the traffic lights to flash at the intersection, to let drivers know it could look different very soon. 'Once that flashing period is over, the signals will then be bagged and covered up and stop signs will be put up on Sherman Avenue, and we will then continue to monitor to see how folks navigate,' Moore said. Moore says this intersection does not have enough traffic to need a light. He says his department is looking to use their resources more effectively. 'We also look at older signals. Just because it's always been there doesn't mean it needs to,' Moore said. Since putting up the signs on Monday, the city has gotten feedback from the community, and they say they want the light gone. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Sunday World
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Sunday World
MI5 covered up Belfast child sex ring to protect British establishment, book claims
Chris Moore says a British state cover-up of serious child sex abuse carried out by Lord Mountbatten and others at Kincora makes the UK look more like a 'banana republic'. Arthur 'Arty' Smyth, who has alleged that he was sexually abused by Lord Mountbatten in Kincora. An MI5 cover-up of Lord Mountbatten's sex attacks at Kincora makes the UK look like a 'banana republic', says the author of a new book about the scandal. Chris Moore, who says MI5 covered up sex abuse at Kincora Boys' Home to protect members of the British establishment including the late Queen's second cousin, says his new book 'feels like a last stand for justice' for the survivors of the east Belfast home. Moore's new book, Kincora – Britain's Shame, comes 45 years after the former BBC, UTV and Sunday World journalist started reporting on the home where boys were systematically abused in the 1970s. Speaking this week as the revelatory book was released, the award-winning reporter says a British state cover-up of serious child sex abuse carried out by Lord Mountbatten and others in the home makes the UK look more like the 'banana republics led by dictators'. The 74-year-old admits he won't be alive when secret Kincora files are supposed to be unlocked in 2065 and then again in 2085 – an inexplicably long time for such files – but hopes his investigation into the British state cover-up at least gives a voice to the survivors of Kincora. Lord Louis Mountbatten. Photo: Keystone/News in 90 seconds - 21st May 'After 45 years chasing the truth this feels like a last stand for some kind of justice for survivors of a terrible injustice,' he told the Sunday World. 'Britain portrays itself as a democracy with parliament as the mother of democracy. But in truth it secretly behaves in much the same way as the banana republics led by dictators. 'It (the book) pulls together the evidential strands of Britain's criminal conspiracy to conceal something about their knowledge and action relating to Kincora that they do not want us to know. 'It exposes the detailed means used by Britain to undermine every whistle-blower by legal or illegal means. 'This book reveals how the British establishment protects its own – within or without the law. I'm proud to be able to give voice to Kincora survivors and to survivors of the Catholic Church who covered up the rapes of children by priests like Belfast-born Fr Brendan Smyth.' Moore has previously written about the first major paedophile priest scandal to rock Ireland when he exposed the cover-up carried out by the Catholic Church who repeatedly failed to report Brendan Smyth to the authorities and instead moved him from parish to parish where he committed further crimes of abuse. The scandal which followed indirectly led to the fall of the Fianna Fáil-Labour coalition government in the Republic and exposed the true scale of the paedophile priest scandal. Kincora Britain's Shame by Chris Moore However, the British state has proved even more determined to cover up the truth about Kincora than the Catholic Church was. Moore says: 'Like the British, the Catholic Church chose to use the same weapons – obfuscation, untruths, constant court adjournments – and fixed inquiries by giving them restricted terms of reference or even fixing employment tribunals or as the Ministry of Defence did for 15 years simply told lies about the employment status of a troublesome whistle-blower. 'This led Maggie Thatcher to lie to parliament and the British people for all of those 15 years.' The investigative journalist says his latest book, which was launched this week, is dedicated to all victims of sexual abuse. He says: 'I'm grateful to all the courageous survivors of rape and the sexual torture that goes with being the sex toys of disgusting men who don't care that they destroy forever young children when they satisfy their hateful lust by stealing innocence that can never be replaced. 'But after almost half a century, the witnesses to Kincora are – like those who invaded their lives and young bodies – dying and many are taking their pain to the grave with them. 'They kept it all to themselves – too ashamed to find voice to speak out. This book is dedicated to all survivors of child rape and sexual assault.' The book largely came about after Moore – who started covering the Kincora scandal as a young BBC reporter in 1980 – spoke to victims of Kincora who said they had been raped by Lord Mountbatten, who was a father figure to King Charles when he was younger and second cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth. 'I joined the BBC during the late summer of 1979 and my first day was to be Monday, August 27, 1979,' Moore said. 'But because it was a Bank Holiday Monday the BBC told me to take the day off as they had a reduced news bulletin.' He was walking in the Mournes with his young family when he heard two massive blasts – he only found out on returning home that he had heard the Narrow Water bombs. 'That was the day the IRA used bombs to kill 18 soldiers near Warrenpoint in the north and four people in the south including Lord Mountbatten when his lordship's booby-trapped boat exploded in the sea off the Sligo coast at Mullaghmore,' Moore said. 'Mountbatten brought about my eureka moment in the spring of 2023 when I travelled to Australia to speak to Arthur Smyth – a man from Northern Ireland who said he was raped twice in a week by Lord Mountbatten as an 11-year-old Kincora resident. 'Arthur Smyth was the second person to make this claim against Mountbatten – the first was Richard Kerr. I spoke to a third person in February this year (2025). 'This individual was now living in the Republic of Ireland and he told me he was sexually assaulted by Mountbatten in London when he was a boy. 'In all, five boys claim Mountbatten sexually abused them – three of them were residents of Kincora in the summer of 1977 – Richard Kerr, Stephen Waring and Arthur Smyth. 'I'd spoken personally to three of the five. Waring allegedly committed suicide in November 1977. Kerr told me about how he and Waring were driven to their sexual rendezvous with Mountbatten in Sligo by Kincora warden Joe Mains just a couple of months earlier.' Moore reveals how back in the 70s a cop secretly photographed VIP sex abuse tourists visiting Kincora and logged their car registrations. Kincora Boys' Home in east Belfast. That detective discovered some of those visiting included NIO officials who worked for MI5, lay magistrates, police officers and businessmen. But instead of being given extra resources to investigate the shocking discoveries further, he was told to cease what he was doing. In the 45 years of Moore reporting on Kincora, he has uncovered a horrific catalogue of failed opportunities to put an end to the sadistic activities of the men who were running the home, in particular those of prominent Orangeman and MI5 source William McGrath. For the new book Moore spoke to new witnesses, whistle-blowers and gained access to documents which he says proves Kincora victims were forced into a countrywide paedophile ring, whose members included Lord Mountbatten. 'Kerr also contradicted the dismissal by the police and the British of a paedophile ring at Kincora,' he says. 'He said Mains took photographs of boys posing naked to show to his clients so they could pick and choose the boys they wanted. A kind of 'male order' service. 'It's interesting to note that when Britain's secret services were first created in 1909, one of their principle aims was to protect the monarchy. Could this explain the extraordinary lengths the British government and MI5 have taken to quash details of their links Northern Ireland's most infamous sex scandal? 'I hope this book illustrates the 'linguistic contortions' used by the British authorities to conceal their dirty Kincora secrets whilst accusing others of dishonesty,' says Moore. 'They've locked Kincora files away until 2065 and 2085. I won't be here when and if they ever actually release them.'
