In other news

Parents are suing the Lynchburg School Board after its decision to close Sandusky and T.C. Miller Elementary in order to save money, according to WSLS. Parents have filed an appeal in the Lynchburg Circuit Court, pleading for the court to reevaluate and overturn the school board’s decision, according to WSLS. Due to the closures, almost 600 kids will need to be transferred to a new zone. 

“We believe that the school board’s decision to close T.C. Miller and Sandusky Elementary Schools was unjust and harmful to not only our children but to all elementary students in LCS,” Colleen Larkins said in the Save Our Schools Lynchburg press release. 

The previous date for closing the elementary schools was fall 2024, but it has been postponed to 2025 after the school board’s meeting Oct. 24, according to The News & Advance.

National

A new speaker of the House has been elected after former Speaker Keven McCarthy was voted out 21 days earlier. Republican Rep. Mike Johnson from Louisiana was sworn in by a 220-209 vote as the 56th speaker of the House Oct. 25, according to NBC News. 

Johnson has been an online adjunct professor for Liberty University’s Helms School of Government since 2019, and still teaches two undergraduate government courses, according to ABC13 News.

Currently, Johnson is under pressure to fund the government past the deadline of Nov. 17 in order to avoid a government shutdown, according to CNN.

“We need a speaker and a plan to keep government open and to pursue our conservative agenda,” Rep. Harriet Hageman said in a post on X, pictured with Johnson’s written plan. “Mike Johnson is the only one to present a roadmap for the remainder of the 118th Congress. 

National

The manhunt for the man accused of killing 18 people and wounding 13 in Lewiston, Maine on Oct. 25 has ended, according to CBS News. 

“With the news that the murderer responsible for Wednesday’s shooting has been found dead, the people of Lewiston and the surrounding communities can feel safe that this threat has ended,” Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden said in a statement on X. 

The gunman allegedly opened fire at a bowling alley around 7 p.m., and police received a call around 7:08 that shots were fired at a bar 4 miles away, according to CBS News. Police named Robert Card as a person of interest, and murder charges were filed shortly after. 

The Lewiston massacre marks the deadliest mass shooting this year, according to CNN. 

Denny is a News reporter for the Liberty Champion