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The off-duty New Jersey cop charged with home invasion targeted the house of a former boyfriend, breaking in and going on a violent and destructive rampage before threatening to burn it down, court documents revealed Tuesday. Toms River police officer Rebecca Sayegh allegedly used her baton to smash through the front door of her ex’s Berkeley house around 11:20 p.m. Friday, confronting him and a woman who was also in the house, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by NJ.com. The cop, 32, got into an argument with the pair before she started pushing and shoving both of…

Santa Clara County wants to help homeless people on probation avoid extra jail time by bringing legal services to encampments. People on probation are required to attend regular meetings with a probation officer and court hearings. But for homeless people who lack transportation, making these appointments becomes an obstacle, which can lead to longer probation periods or going back to jail. The county aims to reduce these barriers by having a mobile probation service center. Inside one of the outreach vans, which can transport up to five probation officers and includes hygiene kits. Photo by Joyce Chu. The county has purchased two…

A woman working as a notary public is accused of using her position to commit deed fraud and steal more than 20 homes throughout Philadelphia, the District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday. Gwendolyn Schell, 67, of Germantown faces the following charges: Criminal Conspiracy, Corrupt Organizations, Theft by Unlawful Taking, Theft by Deception Identity Theft, Forgery, Tampering with Records, Securing Execution. According to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, Schell forged signatures on documents to illegally transfer the deeds of properties in various parts of the city. The scheme began in 2017 and in some cases, Krasner’s office said Schell backdated notarized documents.…

Three people sitting on the stoop of a home were hurt in a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia on Wednesday night, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. The shooting unfolded on the 1700 block of South 55 Street in the Kingsessing section of the city, according to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. Léelo en español aquí When officers arrived to the scene, they found three victims, a 19-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old man, police said. All three were taken to a nearby hospital. The 19-year-old victims were each shot in the arm, according to Small. The 20-year-old…

The first YWCA branch in Indianapolis opened its doors in 1895, but was segregated. Five prominent women leaders including Madam C.J. Walker formed a committee to create a center specifically for Black women and girls in the city.The Indianapolis Phyllis Wheatley YWCA opened in 1921 in a building on California Street. It is named after the first published African American woman poet in the U.S. Due to an increase in enrollment the “Wheatley Y,” moved into a new, three-story building at 653 N. West in 1928. The organization closed in 1959, after 35 years once YWCAs were desegregated.On April 26,…

California’s childhood vaccination rates have been falling in recent years. That’s not entirely surprising given the deep politicization of vaccines during the pandemic. If some people are convinced vaccinations amount to microchipping or the “mark of the beast,” it follows they’d be less likely to subject their children to it. The trend is, however, deeply troubling, especially against the backdrop of the resurgence of diseases once virtually extinct. A massive measles outbreak in Texas, for example, has sickened nearly 700 and led to the death of two children. A new EdSource project presents a fascinating overview of vaccination rates at California schools.…

Will I be able to update my birth certificate? Will I get to retire on time? Will I be able to vaccinate my kids?These are just a few of the questions Indy residents might be asking themselves after the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.The pace of the changes has been relentless, and Mirror Indy and other local news organizations have been working to understand how those changes are affecting our community.We’ve compiled the following list of stories, focusing on issues that can be tangibly measured — for example, we tried to find specific people or programs.Think…

Teacher Gene Simmons snapped his fingers each time after asking a question.“What sound is this?” Simmons asked his class of first and second graders as he pointed to a sheet of paper listing vowel combinations taped to a mirrored wall.Simmons is a literacy specialist. Not for a school district. Instead, he works for the city of Fort Worth assisting with the municipal government’s after-school and summer reading programs. City officials see the programs, plus new dyslexia screenings, as their way of tackling Fort Worth’s literacy crisis head on.Thud. Thud. Simmons rested his left index finger near the vowel digraph ie. “Eye!” nine…

D.C. is particularly vulnerable to the Trump administration’s actions because the District isn’t a state, and some of the president’s actions either targeted D.C. or impact D.C. uniquely. But a threat the president repeated on the campaign trail hasn’t happened, at least not yet: taking control of D.C. away from the mayor. That continues to be a constant threat hanging over the District like a black cloud. Mayor Muriel Bowser has said publicly that she feels the need to temper her public criticism of President Donald Trump because of those threats to take control of the city. When asked about…

Navigating the U.S. immigration and citizenship process can be difficult. An upcoming event at the Immigrant Welcome Center may offer some assistance for people wanting to apply for citizenship. The center is offering a free citizenship workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 2 at Immigrant Welcome Center’s offices, 2049 N. Meridian St. Immigration professionals will be on site to help attendees complete their naturalization applications.You must register in advance by calling 317-808-2326 or emailing [email protected] Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with…