Latest news with #ForestParkElementary
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Forest Park Elementary holds Indy 500-themed race for students
BRAZIL, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — It's the month of May, and the Indianapolis 500 is just around the corner. Monday, Forest Park Elementary school students got to experience the thrill and magic of the greatest spectacle in racing right here in the Wabash Valley. The race started like any other Indy 500 with driver introductions, the playing of 'Back Home Again In Indiana' and fans on the edge of their seats in anticipation. The drivers wrestling the wheel around the four turns in the Forest Park parking lot are student in their life skill class. 'So, it's our life skill students, our life skills classroom, so they have various needs. So we just wanted to make something accessible to them. So we had those students participate today…Really exciting to see those students be able to participate and have an event that was fully inclusive and allowed them to be the stars today,' said Dustin Jorgensen, Principal at Forest Park. Jorgensen says that due to some of these students' needs, they may not be able to experience the excitement of a race in person. 'The big thing is we want them to be able to experience what race day is like. Some of them may not be able to go to a race, so we wanted to have that experience,' said Jorgensen. Once the race began, Corbin Clingerman took the lead and didn't look back. 'Racing is pretty good cause cars go fast and I just like it so much,' said Corbin. Corbin's father, Anthony, said this race is something his son has been looking forward to. 'Well, he couldn't sleep last night cause he was ready to race, so I had to try to get him to go to sleep, but he was all pumped up and ready to go. So I think he's going to be the next NASCAR racer in the family,' said Anthony. Community members, Indy 50 Princesses and a professional racecar driver even came out to support. 'It's very cool. I really like what Forrest Park has done here with the kids. This is our first time attending the event, and they really made it special,' said USAC Driver Chase Stockton. 'It's so great to see the smile on these kids' faces. It really kinda represents and symbolizes why we are all here, and just seeing the smile on their face kinda gives you that moment of why we do what we do,' said Indy 500 Princess, Holly DeLong. As Corbin crossed the finish line, the crowd erupted in chants. Now, there was only one thing left a nice cold glass of milk to wash down his victory. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mom Speaks Out After School Employee Charged for Allegedly Hitting Her 6-Year-Old Son with Autism
The mother of a 6-year-old boy with autism has spoken out after her son was allegedly assaulted by an elementary school employee Kimberley Horen faces battery and assault charges related to the incident and could spend up to 93 days in jail if convicted The boy's mom said he hasn't been the same since the alleged incident took placeThe mother of a 6-year-old boy with autism is speaking out after her son was allegedly assaulted by an elementary school employee. Tabatha Woodward told local news station WXYZ-TV Detroit that she received a call from the principal of Forest Park Elementary School in Michigan in regards to an incident involving her son Ryder Sobieski and a worker at the school. 'The principal called saying that one of the paraprofessionals took a shoe to my son's head, a staff member has seen it, and they are going to investigate it," Woodward told the outlet. 'It hurts me a lot that somebody actually could do that to somebody that's autistic' she added, further explaining that her son is non-verbal. The paraprofessional at the school — who has since been identified as Kimberley Horen by the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office — now faces assault and battery charges related to the incident, according to WXYZ-TV, WDIV-TV and CBS News. If found guilty, Horen, 53, could face up to 93 days in jail, per the outlets. According to the prosecutor's office, Horen allegedly took the boy's shoe off and then intentionally struck him on the head with it, per WXYZ-TV and CBS News. The incident reportedly took place in October 2024, the outlets said. After the incident, Horen was placed on leave, and an internal investigation was conducted, according to WXYZ-TV. Horen's employment was terminated following the investigation. The Eastpointe Community School District, which oversees the educational institution, told WXYZ-TV in a statement: 'We have high expectations of our employees, and we absolutely do not accept or tolerate that kind of behavior in Eastpointe Community Schools.' The Eastpointe Community School District and the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, May 10. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido also issued a statement to WXYZ-TV, stating, "The defendant had a responsibility to provide a safe and focused learning environment for students. Instead, she violated that trust.' 'This behavior is unacceptable, and we are committed to pursuing justice to ensure that such misconduct has no place in our schools," he added. Woodward told WXYZ-TV that she had hoped that Horen would face harsher punishment, including a felony charge of child abuse. She said that her son has not been the same since the incident. 'He's been throwing himself on the floor, and he's been having a hard time spending time with his other nieces and nephews,' Woodward explained. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
CBS News
09-05-2025
- CBS News
Macomb County elementary school paraprofessional accused of assaulting student with shoe
Siblings charged in deadly Foot Locker shooting, road closures in Metro Detroit and more top stories Siblings charged in deadly Foot Locker shooting, road closures in Metro Detroit and more top stories Siblings charged in deadly Foot Locker shooting, road closures in Metro Detroit and more top stories An Eastpointe, Michigan, elementary school paraprofessional is accused of assaulting a first-grade student. Officials say a parent reported that her 6-year-old son, who is autistic, was reportedly assaulted by a staff member at Eastpointe's Forest Park Elementary in October 2024. Macomb County prosecutors allege that Kimberley Horen, 53, of Eastpointe, took the boy's shoe off and then intentionally struck him on the head with the shoe. Horen worked at the school as a paraprofessional. Following an internal investigation by the school, Horen resigned. "As a trusted educator, the defendant had a responsibility to provide a safe and focused learning environment for students. Instead, she violated that trust. This behavior is unacceptable, and we are committed to pursuing justice to ensure that such misconduct has no place in our schools," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido in a news release. Horen was charged Thursday with misdemeanor assault and battery.
