[img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Was she trying to scare a bunch of 5 year olds?
Mother who pointed toy gun at Church Hill kindergartners charged with assault
Published 04/19/2007 By JEFF BOBO
The mother who brought the toy gun to Church Hill Elementary School and pointed it at kindergarteners has now been charged with misdemeanor assault. Heather Nicole Berg, 26, 149 Country Lane, Church Hill, faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. She is also banned from school property for one calendar year.
CHURCH HILL - There's really no acceptable time to walk into a school with a toy gun, point it at kindergartners and start pulling the trigger.
But of all days to pull a stunt like that, one Church Hill mother allegedly chose Tuesday, the day after the Virginia Tech campus massacre.
Church Hill police and officials with the Hawkins County school system will be meeting with the woman this morning at the Church Hill Police Department to determine if there will be a criminal charge.
Church Hill Elementary School Principal Jean Heise said Wednesday she's already conferred with the director of schools and elementary supervisor, and they've agreed to ban the woman from entering the school building for one calendar year.
Heise told the Times-News on Wednesday the woman entered the school about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday and walked to her child's kindergarten classroom without obtaining a visitor's pass from the office.
The mom paid the teacher for an upcoming field trip, and the alleged incident occurred while the teacher had her back turned logging in the payment.
"The mom walked in toward the middle of the classroom, and the teacher heard this click, click, click, click - like four to six times" Heise said. "A teacher's assistant witnessed her take a gun and point it directly toward four to five kids. With everything that's happened the last couple of days, she (the assistant) was just in shock and was upset.
"(The assistant) froze and was kind of in terror because it took a few seconds for her to realize it was a toy."
The mom then left with a small child who was accompanying her and took the gun with her. Heise said she didn't see the toy gun, but is was described as metallic silver and western style, possibly like a cap pistol.
Heise contacted the police immediately upon being told of the incident by the teacher and assistant Tuesday afternoon. She spoke briefly to the mom Wednesday morning to set up the appointment with police for this morning.
The mom reportedly apologized to Heise, told her it was the small child's toy, and said, "I didn't mean any harm."
Church Hill Police Chief Mark Johnson said Wednesday he can think of no logical excuse for the mom's alleged behavior. But if there is a good excuse he said he's willing to listen to it when they meet this morning.
Heise said her request to the police is that there be a criminal charge if possible.
"The only possible charge would be aggravated assault, and that still may be charged," Johnson said Wednesday. "It's just going to depend on the meeting tomorrow and the DA's recommendation."
Johnson added, "Even before Virginia Tech you would think that the average adult in America today would know you don't bring any type of gun to school - toy or not. Second of all you wouldn't go around pointing at kindergartners making shooting noises. That's juvenile at the very least."
Neither the school system nor the police are aware of any motive for the alleged behavior, although they'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and hope that it was just playfulness.
Heise said counselors and school psychologists have been made available to the students and parents, and a counselor from Frontier Health will speak to the class about feeling safe in school.
Heise said one little boy seemed very shocked after the alleged incident took place, and he didn't come to school Wednesday.
"Two kids described it as a toy gun, and two kids described it as a gun," Heise said. "That's pretty scary."
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and more less-than-intelligent behavior
Sullivan teens treated for rabies after one bitten by bat
Published 04/19/2007 By J.H. OSBORNE
BLOUNTVILLE - Two Sullivan County teenagers are undergoing preventative treatment for rabies after a run-in with a bat that later tested positive for the potentially fatal disease.
One teenager was bitten by the bat, which the two picked up after finding it on a sidewalk at Sullivan Central High School, said Dr. Stephen May, regional medical director with the Sullivan County Regional Health Department (SCRHD).
The other teenager handled the bat, May said.
The bat was captured, euthanized and sent to the Tennessee Department of Health State Lab, where it tested positive for rabies, May said.
The teenager who was bitten, along with the second teenager with a possible exposure to the rabid bat, are currently receiving rabies preventive treatment per guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Rabies is a viral disease of mammals that affects the central nervous system and when untreated can ultimately lead to death, May said.
After a person is exposed to rabies - through a bite or in some cases just by being in close proximity to a rabid animal, or its waste - the incubation period can be from a few weeks to a year, May said.
The closer the exposure occurs to the person's head, the quicker the disease progresses - a bite on the face will result in a shorter incubation period than a bite on a finger or leg, for example.
According to information released Wednesday by the SCRHD:
"?According to the CDC, over 90 percent of rabies cases occur in wildlife such as skunks, raccoons, foxes and bats.
"?Domestic animals account for less than 10 percent of rabies cases. Most often reported domestic rabies cases include cats, dogs and cattle.
"?The last reported case of rabies in Sullivan County was bat rabies in 2002.
"This recent local case highlights the importance of staying away not only from wild animals but also sick animals that we may encounter," said Jennifer Williams, communicable disease director for the SCRHD.
"And it also emphasizes the need to have your dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies," May said.
The Tennessee Department of Health has scheduled a series of rabies clinics across Sullivan County on May 3. The cost will be $8 per vaccination. A complete list of locations will be printed in the Times-News before May 3.
Rabies Prevention Tips
"?Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. "Love your own, leave other animals alone" is a good principle for children to learn, health officials say.
"?Wash any wound from an animal thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately.
"?Have all dead, sick or easily captured bats tested for rabies if exposure to people or pets occurs.
"?Some bats live in buildings, and there may be no reason to evict them if there is little chance for contact with people. However, bats should always be prevented from entering rooms of your home. For assistance with "bat-proofing" your home, contact an animal control or a wildlife conservation agency. If you choose to do the "bat-proofing" yourself, here are some suggestions.
"?Carefully examine your home for holes that might allow bats entry into your living quarters. Any openings larger than a quarter-inch by a half-inch should be caulked.
"?Use window screens, chimney caps and draft-guards beneath doors to attics, fill electrical and plumbing holes with stainless steel wool or caulking, and ensure that all doors to the outside close tightly.
"?Additional "bat-proofing" can prevent bats from roosting in attics or buildings by covering outside entry points. Observe where the bats exit at dusk and exclude them by loosely hanging clear plastic sheeting or bird netting over these areas. Bats can crawl out and leave but cannot re-enter. After the bats have been excluded, the openings can be permanently sealed.
"?During summer, many young bats are unable to fly. If you exclude adult bats during this time, the young may be trapped inside and die or make their way into living quarters. Thus, if possible, avoid exclusion from May through August.
"?Most bats leave in the fall or winter to hibernate, so these are the best times to "bat-proof" your home.
May said that if a person wakes up and there's a bat in the room near their bed, health officials consider the person at risk for exposure to rabies.
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