Latest news with #summer camp
Sky News
01-08-2025
- Sky News
Man, 76, charged with three counts of wilful ill treatment relating to three boys at summer camp
A 76-year-old man has been charged with child cruelty offences relating to three boys at a summer camp. Jonathon Ruben is accused of three offences of "wilful ill treatment of a child" relating to three boys. Police received a report of children feeling unwell at a camp in the village of Stathern, Leicestershire, on Sunday. Officers said paramedics attended the scene and eight children and an adult were taken to hospital as a precaution. They have since been discharged. Ruben will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Saturday. A statement from Janine McKinney, chief crown prosecutor for CPS East Midlands, said: "The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the prosecution of a 76-year-old man with child cruelty offences following a police investigation into a summer camp held at Stathern Lodge, Leicestershire. "This decision has been made after reviewing a file of evidence from Leicestershire Police. "Jonathon Ruben, will be charged with three offences of wilful ill-treatment of a child relating to three boys. He will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Saturday, 1 August. "This has been an extremely upsetting and shocking moment for the community, and especially for the children and parents most directly affected." Please refresh the page for the latest version.
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
This Philadelphia summer camp shows kids how to prepare and enjoy healthy foods
A summer camp in Philadelphia is helping students learn about healthy cooking and giving them a safe, structured activity that's fun and empowering. This "Recipe for Summer Stability" is about learning and being healthy — and having some fun with food. At Vetri Cooking Lab at Mastery Charter in South Philly, students get hands-on food education. Students on Wednesday made burrito bowls filled with healthy vegetables and got plenty of instruction on safe chopping techniques. The classes for students in third through 12th grade are run by Vetri Community Partnership. CEO Maddy Booth said the organization helps kids stay engaged in learning and eating well during the summer, which can be challenging. "We want to provide the education that will help us make … really thoughtful decisions about food," Booth said. Doctors say eating healthy can be challenging in underserved neighborhoods, where there are often high rates of obesity and diabetes. This aims to change that by empowering the next generation with knowledge about the importance of healthy eating. "What we're trying to encourage folks to do is to eat and enjoy fruits and vegetables as part of their lives," Booth said. Fourteen-year-old Taylor-Marie Freeman said she likes trying new foods, and she's been enjoying lots of carrots at camp. "I feel like I'm eating more healthy here, more than at home," Freeman said. The recipes come with measurements and cooking instructions, and students learn how combining certain ingredients creates different tastes. "When we come in these classes, they get math in a different aspect that's outside the classroom, so they're still learning while cooking at the same time," teacher Sean Kelly said. The free camp runs at 12 locations around Philadelphia through the summer.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
After Texas floods that killed campers, here's what to consider when sending your kids to camp
Death and destruction at a venerable Texas summer camp might have parents wondering about the risks of sending their kids away to any camp, even if it's in a much different setting and less vulnerable to a natural disaster. The stunning flood that killed more than two dozen campers and counselors along a river at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country was the result of extraordinary rain and walls of water. Nonetheless, experts agree that information about how a camp plans for emergencies is just as important as the lunch menu and the times to go swimming. Many summer camps, of course, are based around woods and water. Kids often stay in rustic cabins with bunk beds and no electricity, all part of the charm of being away from home, maybe for the first time. The American Camp Association, which accredits camps and has thousands of members, said parents may want to ask how a camp stays in touch with local emergency service teams. Two people with longtime connections to camps also offered suggestions about what families should be thinking about. What should parents ask about camp safety? In Michigan, Jim Austin, 69, has been around summer camps for decades, as a camper, staff member and grandparent seeing his grandchildren off again to Camp Hayo-Went-Ha on Torch Lake, founded in 1904. He said parents should ask how a camp handles any emergency, even an active shooter. 'Do they have a buddy check in the swimming area? Do they have a procedure when somebody is missing? Do they have things in place for severe weather?" Austin said. 'If you're in Florida, you're looking at hurricanes. Anywhere in the Midwest, you're looking at a tornado, even thunderstorms. 'If they have to make it up,' he added, 'that's a big red flag.' Mike Deen, who operates Camp Ao-Wa-Kiya in Michigan's Oceana County, faced a crisis a year ago when part of a tree fell and destroyed a cabin with more than a dozen people, mostly girls, in the middle of the night. An adult was trapped in her bed for 90 minutes. Any injuries were minor. 'Our policies worked. Personnel were on hand very, very quickly,' Deen said. 'Parents should ask a camp: What's your relationship with local emergency services? How long does it take to get here? Parents should be able to go into camps and ask wise questions but also trust the camps are doing a good job.' Austin hopes the rare event in Texas doesn't discourage families from sending kids to a camp. 'Your kid is going to come back with more independence, with more responsibilities, with the ability to make conversations as opposed to texting with their thumbs all the time,' he said. 'They're going to make lifelong friends and develop bonds.' Camps reach out to soothe any anxiety The headlines in Texas led some camps to reach out to their camper families even if the camps were nowhere near danger. Henry DeHart, interim president of the American Camp Association, said it's a good idea, noting that "tragedies anywhere can be felt everywhere." Adirondack Camp in New York expressed sorrow about the Fourth of July tragedy at Camp Mystic and emphasized that safety at its camp along Lake George is 'our top priority.' 'Our camp is not located in a flood zone. ... We receive real-time alerts for storms, high winds, or other threats,' Rikki Galusha, vice president of camp operations, said in an email. Camp Balcones Springs in Texas is more than 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) away from Camp Mystic and located on a hill to avoid flood risk. Staff sent at least five emails to families over the weekend to say campers were safe. It would be impossible under current conditions for the closest body of water, Lake Travis, to affect the camp, staff said. The camp director's cellphone number was shared because of problems with phone lines. 'We kindly ask that you refrain from mentioning the recent tragedies or weather-related challenges to your children. Our goal is to maintain a positive, safe and uplifting environment for everyone,' the camp told families. Jim Sibthorp, a professor at the University of Utah who has studied the life-changing impact of camps on children, said parents can't foresee every catastrophe. 'Getting kids immersed in nature has many benefits, and nature is unpredictable. ... However, when the unpredictability ends in tragedy, it is difficult to swallow,' he said. ____ Associated Press writer Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this story.
Associated Press
07-07-2025
- General
- Associated Press
After Texas floods that killed campers, here's what to consider when sending your kids to camp
Death and destruction at a venerable Texas summer camp might have parents wondering about the risks of sending their kids away to any camp, even if it's in a much different setting and less vulnerable to a natural disaster. The stunning flood that killed more than two dozen campers and counselors along a river at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country was the result of extraordinary rain and walls of water. Nonetheless, experts agree that information about how a camp plans for emergencies is just as important as the lunch menu and the times to go swimming. Many summer camps, of course, are based around woods and water. Kids often stay in rustic cabins with bunk beds and no electricity, all part of the charm of being away from home, maybe for the first time. The American Camp Association, which accredits camps and has thousands of members, said parents may want to ask how a camp stays in touch with local emergency service teams. Two people with longtime connections to camps also offered suggestions about what families should be thinking about. What should parents ask about camp safety? In Michigan, Jim Austin, 69, has been around summer camps for decades, as a camper, staff member and grandparent seeing his grandchildren off again to Camp Hayo-Went-Ha on Torch Lake, founded in 1904. He said parents should ask how a camp handles any emergency, even an active shooter. 'Do they have a buddy check in the swimming area? Do they have a procedure when somebody is missing? Do they have things in place for severe weather?' Austin said. 'If you're in Florida, you're looking at hurricanes. Anywhere in the Midwest, you're looking at a tornado, even thunderstorms. 'If they have to make it up,' he added, 'that's a big red flag.' Mike Deen, who operates Camp Ao-Wa-Kiya in Michigan's Oceana County, faced a crisis a year ago when part of a tree fell and destroyed a cabin with more than a dozen people, mostly girls, in the middle of the night. An adult was trapped in her bed for 90 minutes. Any injuries were minor. 'Our policies worked. Personnel were on hand very, very quickly,' Deen said. 'Parents should ask a camp: What's your relationship with local emergency services? How long does it take to get here? Parents should be able to go into camps and ask wise questions but also trust the camps are doing a good job.' Austin hopes the rare event in Texas doesn't discourage families from sending kids to a camp. 'Your kid is going to come back with more independence, with more responsibilities, with the ability to make conversations as opposed to texting with their thumbs all the time,' he said. 'They're going to make lifelong friends and develop bonds.' Camps reach out to soothe any anxiety The headlines in Texas led some camps to reach out to their camper families even if the camps were nowhere near danger. Henry DeHart, interim president of the American Camp Association, said it's a good idea, noting that 'tragedies anywhere can be felt everywhere.' Adirondack Camp in New York expressed sorrow about the Fourth of July tragedy at Camp Mystic and emphasized that safety at its camp along Lake George is 'our top priority.' 'Our camp is not located in a flood zone. ... We receive real-time alerts for storms, high winds, or other threats,' Rikki Galusha, vice president of camp operations, said in an email. Camp Balcones Springs in Texas is more than 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) away from Camp Mystic and located on a hill to avoid flood risk. Staff sent at least five emails to families over the weekend to say campers were safe. It would be impossible under current conditions for the closest body of water, Lake Travis, to affect the camp, staff said. The camp director's cellphone number was shared because of problems with phone lines. 'We kindly ask that you refrain from mentioning the recent tragedies or weather-related challenges to your children. Our goal is to maintain a positive, safe and uplifting environment for everyone,' the camp told families. Jim Sibthorp, a professor at the University of Utah who has studied the life-changing impact of camps on children, said parents can't foresee every catastrophe. 'Getting kids immersed in nature has many benefits, and nature is unpredictable. ... However, when the unpredictability ends in tragedy, it is difficult to swallow,' he said. ____ Associated Press writer Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this story.
Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Telegraph
Cabin of children swept away in flooding at Texas summer camp pictured
An entire cabin of young girls are either dead or missing after they were swept away in flash floods in Texas. At least nine of the children staying in the Bubble Inn cabin at theChristian summer camp lost their lives in the flooding, according to reports. The girls, aged between eight and 10, were staying in a cabin located a short distance from Texas's Guadalupe River, which burst its banks in the early hours of Friday. Towns across central Texas were devastated by the floods. The county where the summer camp is located previously rejected plans to install a flooding alarm system because it was seen as 'too extravagant'. More than 100 people were killed across the state after the Guadalupe River surged by 26 feet in the space of 45 minutes on July 4, authorities said on Monday. Girls and counsellors staying in Camp Mystic's Bubble Inn cabin were located less than 500 feet from the river and were quickly swept away. The once idyllic retreat with green-roofed cabins with names such as 'Wiggle Inn' has been devastated by the flood, with the huts uprooted and destroyed alongside discarded vehicles. Of those pictured, the bodies of nine of the girls and Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old counsellor, have been located. The children who have died have been named as Janie Hunt, Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Sarah Marsh, Linnie McCown, Wynne Naylor, Eloise Peck, Renee Smajstrla and Mary Stevens. Katherine Ferruzzo and the three remaining campers remain missing, according to reports. In total, 27 campers and counsellors from Camp Mystic have been killed, while 11 more remain missing. Childress's family said in a statement that she 'lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith.' They added: 'Returning as a counsellor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic.' The family of Eloise Peck said that their daughter had died alongside her best friend Lila Bonner. 'Eloise was literally friends with everyone. She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals. She passed away with her cabinmate and best friend Lila Bonner who also died,' her mother, Missy Peck, told Fox. 'Eloise had a family who loved her fiercely for the eight years she was with us. Especially her Mommy.' Dick Eastland, the owner and director of Camp Mystic, also reportedly died while trying to rescue campers. Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, said 700 girls were in residence at the camp when the flood hit. The girls staying at Camp Mystic were generally not allowed access to their phones or other electronic devices, per 2025 summer policies and procedures. Sniffer dogs, drones and helicopters from state and local agencies have been drafted in to continue the search for survivors. Officials in Kerr County, which bore the brunt of the floods and has reported at least 75 deaths, had previously decided against installing sirens along the river despite the region of Texas being known as 'Flash Flood Alley'. Tom Moser, a former county commissioner, pushed for creating a warning system in 2016 but told The New York Times it did not materialise over budget concerns. A commissioner who voted against approving a study for the project reportedly said: 'I think this whole thing is a little extravagant for Kerr County, with sirens and such.' The county also applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) for a $1 million (£735 million) grant to build a warning system in 2017, but was not selected. A Kerr County hazard mitigation plan from the autumn designated installing sirens along the river a 'high priority' and stated they would cost as little as $1,000 per device. Instead, residents were dependent on text alerts sent out by the National Weather Service which arrived shortly after 1am and 4am on Friday morning, when most would have been asleep. Ted Cruz, the Texas senator, warned on Monday that the death toll would continue to climb as the state braces for continued flooding. Mr Cruz, who said he had picked up his own daughter from the camp last week, told reporters that the disaster had 'broken the heart of our state'. 'The children, little girls, who were lost at Camp Mystic – that's every parent's nightmare,' he said. Just last week, Heidi and I were picking up our daughter from camp in Hunt, Texas. The pain and shock of what has transpired these last few days has broken the heart of our state. Pray for Texas. — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 7, 2025 He added: 'There's still 10 girls and one counsellor from Camp Mystic that are unaccounted for. And the pain and agony of not knowing your child's whereabouts, it's the worst thing imaginable. 'If we could go back and do it again, we would evacuate... the young children in the cabins closest to the water,' Mr Cruz said. 'We would remove them and get them to higher ground.' Democrats are demanding an investigation into whether cuts by Donald Trump's administration, overseen by his former ally Elon Musk, left Texans unprepared. Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate, formally called for a probe in a letter to the commerce department's inspector general, writing: 'We must do everything possible to provide answers as to why the community was not alerted sooner that dangerously high floodwaters were imminent.' However, experts have largely said that although positions were unfilled in local National Weather Service stations, staffing levels were adequate and the issue lay in local warning systems. Residents in central Texas were warned of a 'moderate' storm at about 1.18pm on Thursday, with the NWS initial flood watch predicting 5-7in of rain. This was the first in a series of bulletins that grew increasingly serious in the early hours of Friday before a 'threat to life' was issued at 4.03am. As the situation escalated, harrowing footage showed a large cabin floating down the Guadalupe River in Hill County, with yellow lights flickering from within as panicked voices echoed in the night. 'Oh my God, there's so many people in it,' a bystander was heard saying as the cabin disappeared into the current. Mr Trump on Sunday fiercely rejected the suggestion that cuts had led to needless deaths, while the White House labelled the claim 'disgusting'. Mr Cruz accused Democrats of 'partisan finger-pointing' and claimed their arguments were 'contradicted by the facts'. 'Just immediately trying to use it for either side to attack their political opponents, I think that's cynical and not the right approach, particularly at a time when we're dealing with a crisis and we're dealing with grief,' he said. The National Weather Service warned of further flooding on Monday until 7pm local time and said some areas could expect up to 10 inches of 'very intense' rainfall. 'There remains a threat of flash flooding from slow-moving heavy rains overnight and through the day on Monday,' it said. Gregg Abbott, the Texas governor, on Sunday warned Texans to be 'extraordinarily cautious' over the following 48 hours over the risk of potential floods.
