Latest news with #WalnutGroveHighSchool
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Recent Prosper graduates recall chaos, sickness at senior lock-in: "Dropping like flies"
Nick Wall vividly recalls the night when attendees at a Prosper senior celebration event became sick after ingesting THC-infused gummies. "It was like they were just dropping like flies," Wall told CBS News Texas. Wall joined fellow graduates Carter Gerhardt and Adam Shin in remembering the chaotic night, which left multiple students hospitalized and two classmates facing felony drug charges. Witnesses describe sudden illness CBS News Texas Wall, Gerhardt and Shin described the event as alarming and disorienting, recalling how students suddenly began collapsing or becoming violently ill. "Whenever I saw it happen, I was just a little bit confused," Gerhardt said. "I was like, 'What's going on?' I just saw a ton of people just dropping." "Some girl went up to the police officer — you could tell she was really sick," Wall said. "She was throwing up and asked the officer to call her parents. And then like more people started just getting sick." Police confirm hospitalizations, arrests According to Prosper police, the incident occurred during Prosper's Graduation Celebration — a senior lock-in event attended by students from all three district high schools. Police confirmed that at least seven students were transported to the hospital from the May event with symptoms consistent with a drug overdose. Two students — 17-year-old Kyle Muchineuta of Walnut Grove High School and 18-year-old Cesar Omana of Rock Hill High School — were arrested and charged with second-degree felonies for the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. Gummies allegedly purchased, shared According to arrest records, Omana allegedly purchased a package of THC-infused gummies from A&A Smoke Shop in Plano using money collected from other students. Investigators believe both Omana and Muchineuta distributed the gummies at the event. Shin, who witnessed the distribution, said he was offered the gummies but declined. "I saw most people get them at the party," Shin said, "and they asked me, you know, do you want to use this? And my mom told me, 'Don't do drugs.' So I never, ever." Smoke shop not contacted The owner of A&A Smoke Shop told CBS News Texas that neither police nor investigators have contacted him or requested surveillance footage related to the incident. Attorney defends accused student Omana's attorney, Jeremy Rosenthal, issued a statement on Friday defending his client: "Nobody feels worse about people getting sick than we do," Rosenthal said. "That said, I don't understand how purchasing something which appears to be perfectly legal, in packaging indicating it's perfectly safe, and then providing it to others is a crime at all — much less one worthy of publicly destroying the life of an 18-year-old and calling him a drug dealer." Reflection and ongoing investigation Reflecting on the night, Gerhardt said, "I think it was just a situation where a few people ruin it for everybody." As of Friday, Prosper police declined to comment on whether they have contacted A&A Smoke Shop, citing the ongoing investigation. Toxicology reports for the hospitalized students are expected as early as next week.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Walton County teen graduates after beating rare, aggressive cancer
A Georgia teen who was diagnosed with cancer during her senior year of high school is celebrating a momentous milestone this week. Aubrey Barnett, 17, graduated from Walnut Grove High School in Loganville on May 20, just five months after finishing chemotherapy and ringing the celebration bell at The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Walnut Grove Principal Lindsey Allen praised Aubrey's resilience and achievement in a statement to 'Good Morning America.' 'Aubrey Barnett's strength, courage, and uplifting spirit have inspired our entire school community,' Allen said. 'Her victory over cancer while continuing to excel as a student is a powerful reminder of what determination and hope can accomplish. We are very proud of her!' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Aubrey told 'GMA' she first noticed a lump on her neck last summer but never thought it would turn out to be cancer. At the time, she was leading a busy life, running cross country and track, cheering for her school and working, as well as embarking on her final year in high school. On Sept. 16, 2024, Aubrey received a life-changing diagnosis and learned she had Burkitt lymphoma, a rare and aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma that can cause rapid tumor growth in the head, neck, central nervous system and other areas of the body, according to StatPearls, an online library published in the National Library of Medicine, and the National Organization for Rare Disorders. 'I didn't really believe it,' Aubrey said. 'I was just living a normal life. I was like, there's no way I have cancer. I'm fine. And then when they told me, I was like, 'Are y'all serious?' Like, I didn't really know what to feel.' Chancey Barnett, Aubrey's mom, said it was 'heart-wrenching' to hear her daughter had cancer. 'It went from an unnoticeable little lump to the size of her jaw. And so, it was obviously something,' Barnett said. 'It was just heart-wrenching to hear when they told us what it was. But just looking at her, I knew that it was going to be fine, because she's such a fighter, and she's so strong. I knew she'd be OK.' MORE GRADUATION STORIES: Rain didn't stop Emory graduates from celebrating special day Commencement speaker donates $100K during Morris Brown College ceremony Perfect attendance! Westlake High School graduate never missed a day of school For three months, Aubrey underwent intensive chemotherapy, an aggressive treatment that included injections into the spinal cord, which caused her to have mouth sores and lose all of her hair. 'She had mouth sores so bad that she couldn't open her mouth because they were around her mouth, throughout her mouth, and down her esophagus,' Barnett explained. 'It was hard for her to eat, it was hard for her to talk, it was hard for her to do anything.' Despite the difficult treatment, Aubrey never gave up, and her fellow classmates even voted her to be their homecoming queen while she was in the hospital. Aubrey is now in remission and plans on attending Emmanuel University in the fall, where she will continue running cross country and track. She said she plans to major in exercise science to become a pediatric physical therapist. Chancey Barnett said her daughter's cancer fight has changed everything for her and her family, but it's also proof of Aubrey's unshakeable will and strength. 'It was just a never-ending up-and-down battle. But she made it through all of it,' the mom of three said. 'When she says she's going to do something, she does it.' For Aubrey, her message to anyone facing a challenge is to look for the positive whenever possible. 'Whatever you're going through, you can get through it if your mindset is right,' she said. 'I feel like that's the biggest thing is to have a good mindset, because if you just think about all the negatives, you're never going to be able to get through it. So you just need to think about the positives and that everything happens for a reason.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
22-05-2025
- Health
17-year-old graduates high school after beating cancer
A Georgia teen who was diagnosed with cancer during her senior year of high school is celebrating a momentous milestone this week. Aubrey Barnett, 17, graduated from Walnut Grove High School in Loganville on May 20, just five months after finishing chemotherapy and ringing the celebration bell at The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Walnut Grove Principal Lindsey Allen praised Aubrey's resilience and achievement in a statement to "Good Morning America." "Aubrey Barnett's strength, courage, and uplifting spirit have inspired our entire school community," Allen said. "Her victory over cancer while continuing to excel as a student is a powerful reminder of what determination and hope can accomplish. We are very proud of her!" Aubrey told "GMA" she first noticed a lump on her neck last summer but never thought it would turn out to be cancer. At the time, she was leading a busy life, running cross country and track, cheering for her school and working, as well as embarking on her final year in high school. On Sept. 16, 2024, Aubrey received a life-changing diagnosis and learned she had Burkitt lymphoma, a rare and aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma that can cause rapid tumor growth in the head, neck, central nervous system and other areas of the body, according to StatPearls, an online library published in the National Library of Medicine, and the National Organization for Rare Disorders. "I didn't really believe it," Aubrey said. "I was just living a normal life. I was like, there's no way I have cancer. I'm fine. And then when they told me, I was like, 'Are y'all serious?' Like, I didn't really know what to feel." Chancey Barnett, Aubrey's mom, said it was "heart-wrenching" to hear her daughter had cancer. "It went from an unnoticeable little lump to the size of her jaw. And so, it was obviously something," Barnett said. "It was just heart-wrenching to hear when they told us what it was. But just looking at her, I knew that it was going to be fine, because she's such a fighter, and she's so strong. I knew she'd be OK." For three months, Aubrey underwent intensive chemotherapy, an aggressive treatment that included injections into the spinal cord, which caused her to have mouth sores and lose all of her hair. "She had mouth sores so bad that she couldn't open her mouth because they were around her mouth, throughout her mouth, and down her esophagus," Barnett explained. "It was hard for her to eat, it was hard for her to talk, it was hard for her to do anything." Despite the difficult treatment, Aubrey never gave up, and her fellow classmates even voted her to be their homecoming queen while she was in the hospital. Aubrey is now in remission and plans on attending Emmanuel University in the fall, where she will continue running cross country and track. She said she plans to major in exercise science to become a pediatric physical therapist. Chancey Barnett said her daughter's cancer fight has changed everything for her and her family, but it's also proof of Aubrey's unshakeable will and strength. "It was just a never-ending up-and-down battle. But she made it through all of it," the mom of three said. "When she says she's going to do something, she does it." For Aubrey, her message to anyone facing a challenge is to look for the positive whenever possible. "Whatever you're going through, you can get through it if your mindset is right," she said. "I feel like that's the biggest thing is to have a good mindset, because if you just think about all the negatives, you're never going to be able to get through it. So you just need to think about the positives and that everything happens for a reason."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
17-year-old graduates high school after beating cancer
A Georgia teen who was diagnosed with cancer during her senior year of high school is celebrating a momentous milestone this week. Aubrey Barnett, 17, graduated from Walnut Grove High School in Loganville on May 20, just five months after finishing chemotherapy and ringing the celebration bell at The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Walnut Grove Principal Lindsey Allen praised Aubrey's resilience and achievement in a statement to "Good Morning America." "Aubrey Barnett's strength, courage, and uplifting spirit have inspired our entire school community," Allen said. "Her victory over cancer while continuing to excel as a student is a powerful reminder of what determination and hope can accomplish. We are very proud of her!" Teen cancer survivor scores winning shot in last high school basketball game Aubrey told "GMA" she first noticed a lump on her neck last summer but never thought it would turn out to be cancer. At the time, she was leading a busy life, running cross country and track, cheering for her school and working, as well as embarking on her final year in high school. On Sept. 16, 2024, Aubrey received a life-changing diagnosis and learned she had Burkitt lymphoma, a rare and aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma that can cause rapid tumor growth in the head, neck, central nervous system and other areas of the body, according to StatPearls, an online library published in the National Library of Medicine, and the National Organization for Rare Disorders. "I didn't really believe it," Aubrey said. "I was just living a normal life. I was like, there's no way I have cancer. I'm fine. And then when they told me, I was like, 'Are y'all serious?' Like, I didn't really know what to feel." Chancey Barnett, Aubrey's mom, said it was "heart-wrenching" to hear her daughter had cancer. "It went from an unnoticeable little lump to the size of her jaw. And so, it was obviously something," Barnett said. "It was just heart-wrenching to hear when they told us what it was. But just looking at her, I knew that it was going to be fine, because she's such a fighter, and she's so strong. I knew she'd be OK." For three months, Aubrey underwent intensive chemotherapy, an aggressive treatment that included injections into the spinal cord, which caused her to have mouth sores and lose all of her hair. "She had mouth sores so bad that she couldn't open her mouth because they were around her mouth, throughout her mouth, and down her esophagus," Barnett explained. "It was hard for her to eat, it was hard for her to talk, it was hard for her to do anything." Despite the difficult treatment, Aubrey never gave up, and her fellow classmates even voted her to be their homecoming queen while she was in the hospital. California teen tearfully rings bell after finishing cancer treatment Aubrey is now in remission and plans on attending Emmanuel University in the fall, where she will continue running cross country and track. She said she plans to major in exercise science to become a pediatric physical therapist. Chancey Barnett said her daughter's cancer fight has changed everything for her and her family, but it's also proof of Aubrey's unshakeable will and strength. "It was just a never-ending up-and-down battle. But she made it through all of it," the mom of three said. "When she says she's going to do something, she does it." For Aubrey, her message to anyone facing a challenge is to look for the positive whenever possible. "Whatever you're going through, you can get through it if your mindset is right," she said. "I feel like that's the biggest thing is to have a good mindset, because if you just think about all the negatives, you're never going to be able to get through it. So you just need to think about the positives and that everything happens for a reason." 17-year-old graduates high school after beating cancer originally appeared on
Miami Herald
10-04-2025
- Miami Herald
Teacher seen writing racial slur on classroom board is fired, GA officials say
A teacher at a Georgia high school was fired after a video showing him writing a racial slur on a classroom whiteboard went viral on social media, according to school district officials. Adrianne Wyatt, a parent of a student at Walnut Grove High School in Loganville, where the incident happened, shared the video in an April 5 post on Facebook. 'This happened at my daughter's school,' Wyatt wrote in the post. 'It must be seen and know what's going on in these schools our kids go to when we rely on them teaching our kids.' The teacher is seen in the video smiling as he fills in the last letter of the slur on a whiteboard after students yell it out. Once the word is complete, students can be heard cheering. 'This should never be brought up in a classroom, like ever,' Wyatt told WSB-TV. A spokesperson for the Walton County School district told McClatchy News in an April 9 email that the teacher involved no longer works for the district. 'The behavior captured in the video does not reflect the values of Walnut Grove High School or the Walton County School District,' school officials wrote in a statement on their website. The incident drew significant backlash from community members, including an online petition calling for a change in leadership. The petition, started by alumnus Brandon Walker, garnered nearly 300 signatures in less than a week. Walker also shared a letter to district leaders on social media in which he said the teacher was 'encouraging students to engage with the word' during what looked like a 'classroom word game.' He called the incident a 'clear violation' of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs funded by the federal government. 'The use of this historically violent and dehumanizing slur in any educational setting is completely unacceptable, and its use by a teacher in front of students is inexcusable,' he said in the letter. 'The students of WGHS — particularly Black students — deserve to learn in an environment that respects their humanity and affirms their dignity.' Loganville is about a 35-mile drive northeast from Atlanta.
