Pantagraph.com | News | 15-year-old arrested in threat at Dwight school

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Prairie Central Parent wrote on Sep 12, 2007 4:17 PM:

" You should be thankful that your school has plans that the children all have practiced for this type of disaster!! I have just found out from my son and daughter that our high school has NEVER practiced for this type of stuff!! It scares me to know this, so I have resorted to telling my childern what I think they should do if something happens!! I feel all schools should have drills for this like they do fire drills!! "

Class of 92 wrote on Sep 11, 2007 9:47 AM:

" Do you guys realize how many bomb threats were called into the schools I went too. I do think the person responsible should be punished but at the same time, stop living in fear. BTW there are guns in every school. Kids bring in the parents guns all the time. Most of them do not want to shoot anyone, they just want to look "cool" You want to stop guns in school? You need to make sure everyone properly locks up their guns. "

TO CYNIC and others too wrote on Sep 9, 2007 8:29 AM:

" TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING WE OVERREACTED! we did not over react they did what they did to keep us safe and you know what cynic i bet if your kid was in that school and a bomb was going to go off at 3:20pm and they didn't do anything about it then you would come get your kid from school and if you didn't then you are a HORRIABLE parent cuz your kid could of been BLOWN UP! and ik i am not a parent yet and you may be but you are a bad one if you were going to leave your kid in a school that a bomb might be set. so to all the people who are saying that we overreacted just stop cuz you weren't there and you don't know what it was like to be in lockdown then have to leave immeditaly. "

TJA wrote on Sep 8, 2007 7:44 AM:

" Joke? Tell me , just what part of this bomb threat was a laughing matter? Please enlightne me with the punchline.... "

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH '...STUPID PEOPLE" wrote on Sep 7, 2007 3:40 PM:

" i agree with "stupid people" just shut up and move on just be lucky that the bomb didnt' go off and to ppl who are saying that we are overreacting well then just SHUT UP!!!!! "

Stupid people wrote on Sep 7, 2007 3:01 PM:

" ...75% of these comments are people complaining and trash talking all the administration involved in this situation. Just because you're a stay at home parent, or you don't have a job that requires that much training, doesn't mean you have the right to talk about them the way you do. KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO YOURSELF. As many people have said before, nothing happened, its over...why keep dwelling on it? The faculty, administration and police forces did what they were trained to do and what they thought was necesarry with what they knew. If they didn't act on it like they did, and something did happen, you'd still be complaining. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't...Instead of sitting back complaining, pointing fingers, and talking trash, get off your butt and do something productive. Make sure YOUR kids aren't gonna be next. "

. wrote on Sep 7, 2007 2:23 PM:

" As a teacher and a father of two, I feel that the state of our educational system is in shambles. The teachers today do not get paid enough to sufficiently meet our needs. We are shaping the young minds out there, besides having to worry about our own personal safety. Personally, I am about to start looking at another profession. I love my job and my really great kids, but I don't get paid enough. "

Concerned citizen wrote on Sep 7, 2007 2:09 PM:

Lizzy wrote on Sep 7, 2007 2:07 PM:

" Well you know, kids will be kids.... This stuff has been happening for ages. Consequences need to be in place and for something like this they need to be heavy. If my kid did this, they'd be facing serious jail time. Six feet under. "

Cynic wrote on Sep 7, 2007 1:50 PM:

" Yes I am a parent with children in area High Schools. But when there is a threat at the school I am not going to over react and race down there to pull my child out of the school. I expect the situation to be handled with a little commen sense. Which seems to be lacking in all parties involved in these fiascos the last couple of years. "

Cynic wrote on Sep 7, 2007 1:45 PM:

" Can you say OVER REACT! Look at this it was a joke! The SWAT team shows up in full gear with assult rifles, for what they thought was a bomb threat. Did they think they were going to shoot it out with the bomb? Then we agree that it was a joke, but we want to send this kid to prison for it. Yes what he did was stupid, but being stupid is not illegal. If it was they would have to make more arrests over this. As for "error on the side of caution", also known as cry wolf! Everybody back off calm down and think about what happened and what they are doing about it. "

Graphing Calculator wrote on Sep 7, 2007 9:42 AM:

" What does Texas Instruments have to say about their involvement in this? "

WTH Does Chicago have to do with this incident?!?!?!? wrote on Sep 7, 2007 8:08 AM:

" Why everytime something happens in a rural area are they ready to blame Chicago????? It just so happens that this individual as lived in Dwight his entire life. He made a very bad decision that effected alot of people. Kudos to the Dwight Police Department and other law enforcement departments that were involved and especially to the staff of DTHS for handling the matter the way they did. Job well done to all. "

ugh chicago wrote on Sep 7, 2007 1:59 AM:

" Does anyone know if this kid recently moved hear from Chicago? Probably knows someone in the prison. But grate job DTHS staff & police, you kept everyone safe and as a member of the community I appreciate it! "

DTHS Christian wrote on Sep 6, 2007 11:14 PM:

" Anyone one who thinks the lack of "spanking" is the problem I want to let you know something my parents never did anything like that and I haven't nor will I ever consiter taking or endangering the life of anything other then a bug.To everyone who left a comment regarding the "changing of the times" some argue that it's always been like this or whatever but my arguement is that since the 1900's the role of God has been slowly drifting out of the American family life and even more rapidly leaving the american school system.I believe that there is a connection there.If you think about as God's presents in people's lives has decreased the adolesents crime rate has increased.But to sum it all up everyone who is or knows a student who was in that school yesterday stop complaining and pointing fingers right now and should drop down to their knees right now and Thank the Lord that nothing happened and that everyone is safe!! Thank You very much from the very bottom of my heart to the faculty, administration, and law enforcement agencies, for keeping me and my peers safe "

Current Jr. of DTHS wrote on Sep 6, 2007 10:53 PM:

" I was in the 5th hour math class where the the graphing calculator with the threat on it was found. Yesterday as we stood aroung the tennis courts and sat inside the Parish Hall my classmates and I didn't get to enjoy the blissful ignorance that most of the other students and even some teachers got. But our wonderful math teacher was constantly reminding us that the Law Enforcement and Administrators would take care of us, telling us to stop dwelling on it and not to worry , she reasured our class that they were going to do everything in their power to keep us safe. And as far as putting blame on someone or something (i.e. the studcomment I want to make that's somewhat about pointing a finger is this everyone who was talking about the corpral punishment and spanking my ents) like so many of these comments are so focused on I think it's a pointless waste of time. What's done is done the past is the past lets move on to the future and pray that it's a better one. "

Dwight Parent wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:50 PM:

" To the administrators and staff at DTHS, and to all the law enforcement agencies involved in this, thank you so much for your professional in this matter. it doesnt matter if it was just a threat or real, what matters is that you did everything you had to do to get those students staff. i was impressed with the way things were handled. thank you! "

he wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:32 PM:

" wast old enuf to know the consequences "

response to JEEZE wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:17 PM:

" i've read just about every comment on here and your comment is right up there with some of the other comments that have been dubbed DUMB!!! joke or no joke about the bomb threat, it had to be taken seriously because nobody knew (except for the knucklehead making the threat) if it was real or not. granted - most people that want to see loss of life would NOT call and forewarn someone ahead of time but how is other people to know that? you saying that it was all a joke and it shouldn't of taken so seriously is about as dumb as the person making the threat to begin with. maybe all you people that is so hell bent on telling others to calm down because it was just a joke needs to be put into a room and maybe have the phone ring every couple of hours and tell you that the room is going to be blown up - ALL YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO IS TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHICH CALL IS FOR REAL OR THE JOKE!!! "

DTHS 06 wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:28 PM:

" Wow, I am extremely disappointed in half of the people who made comments on this topic. DTHS is not perfect, no school is, but if they can handle a situation like this, calmly and efficiently, then they deserve an applause. Yes, some students do not act right and should be taught better by their parents, but something like this is not the parents, teachers, PD, or other students fault. It is solely the one who was dumb enough to make the threat. I think those of you who are looking for someone to blame need to open your eyes and realize that just because one person is stupid enough to place a false bomb threat, doesn't mean that everyone else is going to do the same. Especially if they just want a day off. Give me a break people, the students at DTHS are smarter than you think. GREAT JOB TEACHERS, FACULTY, DPD, and other agencies who helped. Unlike some other commentors on here, I think you do your job ALL the time, and you did an outstanding job yesterday! THANK YOU!!! "

Jeeze wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:23 PM:

" The whole situation was just a big joke people.Not every little thing has to be blown out of preportion like this.The induvidual who did this was not a bad kid.A joke should not be turned into years of jailtime.I do realize that this could have been a serious situation but it wasnt.When has a school actually ever been blown up?ever????How many times has a bomb actually been found? All im saying is that this is blown way bigger than it should be.And thats all there is to it. "

to dwight school worker wrote on Sep 6, 2007 5:42 PM:

" I am 100% in agreement with you and wish to commend everyone involved. Im tired of parents complaining that they weren't "personally contacted" the second the threat was made. Oh and they also had to wait an agonizing 30 minutes in line. Quit complaining. It is not the school's job to personally see to the comfort of each student and their parent. Their job was to evacuate students and search for w/e threat was made. EXCELLENT JOB DTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "

calm down wrote on Sep 6, 2007 5:09 PM:

" I went to high school in Champaign, graduating in the mid-1970s. We had repeated bomb threats during that time. The difference is that they were taken less seriously back then. The police would do a cursory search, but no one was evacuated. Bomb threats, unfortunately, are nothing new. The world is not going to heck in a handbasket. The youth of today are no worse than we were back then. Let's all take a deep breath and try to calm down. "

schoolworker, cont. wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:50 PM:

" Then, you look for a bomb. How many of you have to do that at your job? Prank or not, you go locker by locker, room by room (EVERY ROOM) and look for a bomb. (While everyone else is picking up their kids.) DON'T talk to me about taking anything seriously. You don't have the luxury of not taking it seriously. We are all thoroughly trained for these exact events. Everyone involved in this event followed protocol exactly. Mr. Adams, Mr. Richardson, Mr. Reamer, teachers, staff, Dwight PD, Liv. Co. PD, Pontiac K-9, Champaign K-9, all deserve our thanks for their response in this event. Special thanks to Officer Gary Beier for his training, planning, and handling of this event. Thanks students for following your plan calmly and efficiently. You can't completely prevent these kind of things, but you HAVE to be prepared. Dwight Public Schools are. "

JAIL TIME for this kid.. wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:43 PM:

" It is time to start putting them in jail for a LONG, LONG time! Bring back the old reform schools. Since parents won't teach their children right from wrong and schools aren't allowed to discipline - someone has to do it. OLD FASHIONED REFORM SCHOOLS WORKED FOR KIDS I KNEW BACK IN THE 50's. "

B wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:38 PM:

" there is no problem. Just some people do stupid things. This is not a "change of times". And you older people are complete hypocrites that say "back in my day kids showed respect and wouldn't do stupid things", well back in your day, there was racism, kids were beaten, and all other types of "stupid" things. The point is search all you want but there is no where to put the blame. AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS "

schoolworker wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:37 PM:

" Your boss comes to you and says "we're going on lockdown". You drop what you're doing (you don't ask "why?") and enter crisis plan mode. You secure the building exterior, check all rooms (locked, head count cards in window, check ALL bathrooms, labs, etc. for students), check EVERYWHERE in the building to make sure it's secure, then report to the command center. This is protocol. (That we're trained for.) THAT'S when you learn of the threat. THEN you take the next outlined steps in your crisis plan. Step by Step. It was a bomb threat, so a calm and efficient evacuation is followed. (And it was calm, I WAS THERE.) "

chavery wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:30 PM:

" I think it is George Bush's fault. "

formerdthsstudent wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:24 PM:

" Being from Dwight I can think of several instances how this can happen -1) Favoritism has long since clearly been valued- the guidance consuler for years almost made it an instituation within the school. 2) Students are allowed to pick on one another 3) Schools are a place to act out now to get the attention you may not get at home. Having said that I am happy to hear that the police and school administration did a great job handling the situation. With too many officers on the payroll it is good to know that they are of service once every decade. "

DTHS student wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:17 PM:

" As reading everyone's comments I was getting tired of all the negative comments towards the Dwight community and the incident that happened on wednesday. There was no chaos, pushing, or disorder as the video says. The police and the school staff controlled the situation great, and kept everyone in the school safe. This was taken to a full extent because of all the things goin around different schools, we did not overreact at all. "

Calm not chaos wrote on Sep 6, 2007 3:28 PM:

" I agree with DTHS Senior. The video on this site includes an interview where a student claims there was pushing, shoving, and chaos. I was with that student during the situation and I disagree. DTHS students need compliments for their calm behavior, not a fictional account that makes DTHS look bad. "

punish wrote on Sep 6, 2007 3:12 PM:

" arrest him. I have no idea what the specific violation would be but there has to be a law against bomb threats. Let him sit in jail. I don't think too many kids are going to think "Hey- if we call in a bomb threat we can get out of school" when they know the authorities are not messing around!!!!! "

To amber wrote on Sep 6, 2007 2:12 PM:

" This type of thing did happen years ago. It is not limited to this generation. I went to BJHS and BHS. We had bomb threats. We had to evacuate the schools. I can remember standing in the middle of winter on the outdoor basket courts downtown. No coats. Standing out in front of BHS waiting for the all clear sign. This was in late 60's. So don't blame it all on bad parenting. Or lack of spanking. My employer has had to evacuate our building due to a threat. And no not SF....... "

DTHS Senior wrote on Sep 6, 2007 1:01 PM:

" The comments left by a certain student in the video regarding this incident are completely false. No one what so ever during this whole situation was ever panicing, and where that student got the idea that there was "chaos" I'll never know. The fact of the matter is, a situation occoured, and it was handled promptly and to the letter as it should have been according to the crisis plan. Having been a student here of the past 3 years, I know that this school is a wonderful learning enviorment, and that the welfare of students and falculty are the schools chief concern. Kudos. "

Brenstalka wrote on Sep 6, 2007 12:21 PM:

" Bender had some great advice for situations like this: "And so I ask you this one question. Have you ever tried simply turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?" "

kids are being stupid wrote on Sep 6, 2007 12:06 PM:

" what is this world coming to, come on I mean honestly. what is going on.... this isnt the cool thing todo. all kids want is there 15 minutes of fame... do they not realize that is this going to follow them the rest of there lives?! colleges sure as heck arent going to want you if you have done something stupid like this and with the world today you sure cant go any where with out a college degree/ masters for that matter. when are kids/ teens going to wake up and realize that all they are doing is causing harm to themselves. I am so mad at teens these days and there actions. COME ON PEOPLE get with it! I am glad everyone is safe and no one was hurt but when are kids going to realize this stuff isnt a joke anymore. JEZZZ "

RE: somebody and Answer. wrote on Sep 6, 2007 11:46 AM:

" Thank you. It’s what you learn after you know everything that’s important. LOL. "

lack of consequences wrote on Sep 6, 2007 11:24 AM:

" is the root of the problem. Spankings alone will not solve the problems we're seing. But see VERY few parents upholding consequences for their kids' actions. A kid who grows up without consequences to their actions spend the entire life getting out of whatever trouble they got into. What do they learn by that? ALL forms of punishment have their place and should be used appropriately to teach your children consequences!! "

Just do it wrote on Sep 6, 2007 10:03 AM:

" Why don't we just do it and make it standard that 14 years old and above will be charged as adults (for most things)? Maybe that will make them think twice. Maybe not, but they won't think they'll get off easy anymore and have standard consequences. "

To all Whippersnappers wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:59 AM:

" In my day we would throw the book at him, literally! "

Well wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:58 AM:

" If they keep on locking down the schools and sending the kids home, the kids will soon realize that all they have to do is send in a threat and they get a day off. "

in lincoln wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:52 AM:

" 45 minutes is not a big deal.I bet columbine and va tech parents would have waited that long just to see their loved ones. "

Answer wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:50 AM:

" On a TI-83 or higher calculator a person can turn on the alpha sign and write things in their calculators...it is used mostly so you can write in programs for your math classes to make equations easier. Commonly it is used to write notes back and forth in class. "

I agree with Thankful Mom wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:47 AM:

" The only people that should be commenting on this situation are people who LIVE in Dwight and people who have kids/family members IN the highschool/grade school. Why bring your negativity into this? Why do you feel the need to HAVE to blame someone? Nothing serious happened, everyone was safe, the officials did what they thought was in everybodies best interest. Why do you feel the need to critique the way our police dept handled things. I don't see you out there risking your life for others. Let's bring back the old saying...."Unless you don't have anything nice to say, DON'T SAY IT AT ALL!!!" GREAT JOB TO EVERYONE INVOLVED! "

Mom of 2 DTHS students wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:45 AM:

" Great Job Dwight Police Department ad school staff, you all did a great job. Threat or not it is nice to know that the situation was handled the way it was. I am proud to say that my children attend DTHS!!! "

sombody wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:39 AM:

" Graphing calculators have an option for you to type things (you switch it to letters which are assinged to certain keys on the calculator. They're in another color next to the numbers or symbols and you hit that button so it switches over to them.) I guess some kid typed it out and then put the cover on it and put it back. "

Question wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:27 AM:

" How do you use a calculator to message someone or leave a message? I can see the internet or cell phone text messaging. "

To Interesting.... wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:53 AM:

" "It" means "it" happens everywhere. No school district is immune. Hopefully all the "copycats" will realize that you WON'T get away with it. I'm glad everyone is safe in Dwight! "

Consequences wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:50 AM:

" To those who are blaming parents, Dr. Spock, whoever, the real problem is SOME KIDS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS! For every action there is a consequence and when you do not follow through with the consequences, kids do not learn the real lessons in life. That really seems to be the root of all the problems with kids today. Our parents taught us that and it is our responsibility to teach it to our kids. Some kids will never grasp that but those are the ones that will battle it all through their lives in and out of trouble, jail, prison, hospitals, etc. "

more from sad..... wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:46 AM:

" This is a problem all over the US and it need to stop. "

Sad..... wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:45 AM:

" very very sad that this kind of stuff is happening in our schools. I really do not know where we as a society are headed. Violence, threat of violence, disrespect for authority. It is all very dishearting to watch our society decay this way. It is not just our kids it is the adults too. "

Let Me Guess wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:34 AM:

" Somebody forgot to put the chlorine in the gene pool, right? "

Thankful Mom wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:11 AM:

" Thank You to everyone involved for their efforts yesterday. The situation was handled well no matter how many people complain about it. To those who comment about the way the situation was handled, IF YOUR KIDS WEREN’T INVOLVED THEN YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS TELLING OUR COMMUNITY HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION!! To PC Mom, we don’t care how your school handled a threat 2 or 3 years ago. That was then, this is now. This threat wasn’t “called into the school” it happened AT school. Times change daily and you cannot discount any threat that is made. You don’t live in our school district and you do not know the things that were being said. If the rumors were true that the threat said the “bomb” would go off at 3:20 pm, would you send your kid back in to a school because the school was checked out in an hour? How can you even get the proper authorities and the canine units there in 1 hour let alone open every locker and check the entire school, grounds, vehicles, etc? Oh yea, I forgot, you don’t live here so you wouldn’t know!!! "

To the shool and police wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:10 AM:

" well done !! "

Masie wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:21 AM:

" I have to agree with prior comments concerning the 70's and how child/parent relationships have changed so drastically since. We are paying for it now!! There were NO incidents of this type back when I attended school, no guns, no talking to teachers with disrespect. It just didn't happen. Things are out of control . . . "

senior at DTHS wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:13 AM:

" I sat here and read most of these comments and saw how negative some people were towards the students of DTHS, the staff, and even the police. You should realize that not all students feel the need to do something like this. And sure I have made comments about how I didn't really like the new rules at the school, or how our local police do their jobs, but after seeing what happened yesterday, I give them a lot of credit. They did an excellent job to get us out safely, remain calm, keep us all together, and they even feed us. Thank you to everyone who made that difference yesterday. "

Interesting wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:10 AM:

" I always thought stuff like this would happen more in the bigger towns like Bloomington, Peoria, and Chicago, but most of it recently seems to be in Pontiac, Dwight, Streator, and Prairie Central. Wonder what that means? "

Joe wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:01 AM:

" To: Angry Moderate; Yes your ideas have been tested as they took the paddle out of both the teacher's hands as well as the parents. I know of many occasions where a child was told they were going to get a good paddling and the childs response was that they would call the cops and have the parent arrested if they laid a hand on them. The point here is that disrespect for teachers and parents started when the NEA no longer allowed corporal punishment. Learning from the mistakes of others is the best history lesson! However, A good paddling must be backed up by TONS of love! I behaved when I was a kid because I didn't want to dissapoint my parents or teachers. "

to reamersucks wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:04 AM:

" please read the story carefully. while it mentions rumors of a bomb threat, it doesn't say what the specific threat was. school emergency plans are not just thrown together. they are specific according to the threat. at my school, a bomb threat would mean evacuation. however, if there were someone inside the building making a different kind of threat, the plan is to keep students in the classroom, lock the door, indicate if everyone is safe with the cards and stay quiet and on the floor. so, before you go criticizing, read carefully and get a clue. "

To:Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:03 AM:

" midsize_photo46df1360a330b061069506 awesome photo! "

Interesting... wrote on Sep 6, 2007 5:46 AM:

" If one looks at the history of Bloomington/Normal public schools, you will see past incident(s) of shootings,robberies,guns,drugs, gangs,etc. It is interesting when this sort of thing happens in a small town, everyone thinks it is the end of the world. Funny how some of the parents react though. "

Emergency Preparedness wrote on Sep 6, 2007 5:33 AM:

" The county has has 2 genuine tests recently and although it may be sort of costly, it's not necessarily a bad thing as it has shown them where their weaknesses are and they can now put fixes in place.As it turns out it seems both incidents were the results of stupid adolescents; in which no violence was intended, but the next time you just don't know. We can't afford to become desensitized to the threats. "

Good Job All wrote on Sep 6, 2007 2:55 AM:

" I am going to refuse to believe that a foolish act by one irresponsible student is a reflectin on the entire student body of Dwight High School. As a member of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force I am always impressed when I see a well implemented Emergency Action Plan. It shows great forthought to the safe evacuation and well being of all victims of a terrorist act. Interaction of the response teams and the onsight teachers and principal coordinating the evacuation and transportation to a safe haven accounting for all students and faculity. In a real emergency the efforts like those in Dwight would save lives and reduce injuries. Good job all!!!!! "

reamersucks wrote on Sep 6, 2007 1:11 AM:

" how nice of a cop to not say something to a concerned parent. i think that overall.... this school needs to get a grip with alot of issues... and have an ACTUAL plan that makes common sense. telling kids to sit on the floor and against the wall when the building that theyre in MIGHT blow up is like telling someone to sit still in front of a loaded gun with a finger on the trigger. DTHS thinks they know what to do.... but actually has no idea at all. "

noone wrote on Sep 5, 2007 11:37 PM:

" Everybody says that this was getting out of hand, what if there really was a bomb in the school and no one did anything about it, we would all be dead right now. ya nothing happened but that dosent mean it couldnt of happened. never say never! "

TO: Sadly wrote on Sep 5, 2007 11:16 PM:

" I agree with you that many of the problems today started with Dr. Spock in the 70's. Is it coincidental that the 70's were also the age of "turning on" to drugs? These are the children and/or grandchildren of the flower power gang. Is it possible children of today have inherited the moron gene? "

average american wrote on Sep 5, 2007 10:53 PM:

" Great job by everybody. You got the kids home safe. It would be easy to say everybody overreacted but nine days after the Pontiac incident it would be hard not to take this seriously. If you had a kid that was killed because the authorities blew it off how would you feel? Once again great job. "

To Sadly wrote on Sep 5, 2007 10:33 PM:

" Hmmm, well, Dr. Spock's book actually first was published in 1946, not the early 70's. Even if a young parent did as you maintain with their toddler from 1970 to 75, then that would make the "child" about 32 to 37 years old. So your point is what????? "

spanking isn't the answer wrote on Sep 5, 2007 10:30 PM:

" the problem isn't getting a spanking, it is the video games and the movies, violent and degrading, no respect for human life, liberty, or love. The world isn't going to hell, it's there. I am glad I'm old and gonna die soon, it's that bad here. All the young people should be blown up, save the world a lot of hassle. "

In Japan wrote on Sep 5, 2007 10:07 PM:

" I'm glad the staff took the precautions they did, but why did the search take so long that they had to send kids home? I remember one year of HS being the "year of bomb threats." We are all evacuated. Police search the building, it checks out okay, we go back to class. The first time it happened, it took awhile before the building was cleared, but each time after it took less and less time. I don't recall parents showing up, even the first time. This was NCWHS soon after Columbine. "

RQ wrote on Sep 5, 2007 9:50 PM:

" WEll... all i can say is everyone did a good job. I got the day off of school, and im still alive. Thanks to all teachers and faculty and the police. THe only problem is that that stupid kid is going to completely change the carefreeness of DTHS. We're prolly gonna have cameras, armed guards, and a bunch of other stupid stuff. But in the end...... NO SCHOOL!!!!!!!! "

....... wrote on Sep 5, 2007 9:44 PM:

" Ok, um...this prarie central mom should be quite. they didnt have an all clear until 5-6pm...nobody is goin to go back to school at 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening...so yea um....NO and to everybody else that has an issue of the fact that they took this matter seriously...so what if it was a joke we just did an exact drill then so when it really does happen we can be prepared and know what to do!!! "

conerned wrote on Sep 5, 2007 9:34 PM:

" seems like everyone over reacted a bit? "

OH come on wrote on Sep 5, 2007 9:07 PM:

" I went to Streator High. Back when I was a sophomore I think it was, a bomb threat was called into the school by one of my class mates. It was just somethng they made up to get out of school..thinking they wouldn't get caught. This is probably what this is. Think about it, if someone was going to bomb a school..or anywhere for that matter, do you think they would call it in? No, be realisitic people. "

To: Prairie Central mom: wrote on Sep 5, 2007 9:06 PM:

" I guess you don't remember a situation exactly like this one 2 or 3 years ago at the Prairie Central Junior High!! I remember it!! My daughter was in that school at that time! The big difference was Prairie Central bused the kids to the Upper Elamentary and when the school determined there was no bomb, our kids were right back in class!!! They didn't get to go home for the day!! "

Fan wrote on Sep 5, 2007 8:46 PM:

" Congrats to the Dwight PD and school system. Both organizations are first class. Livingston Co. PD Depts. must have preplanned well. I'm glad they (Dwight & Pontiac) PD did their jobs so well. "

Stacie wrote on Sep 5, 2007 8:16 PM:

" Awesome job to Dwight and Livingston County Officials. I stood outside in the heat with three small barefoot children to sign my two high school students out and bring them home. It wasn't pleasant but I would do it everyday rather than risk my childrens lives in the face of a threat real or fake. "

THANK YOU wrote on Sep 5, 2007 8:03 PM:

" THANK YOU!! Everybody was so scared and you handled it great! If it happens again I know that you would keep everyone safe. The only thing i dont like is that you gave them all that homework at the last second.(7:00) Thank you again! "

DTHS freshman. wrote on Sep 5, 2007 7:40 PM:

" i am a freshman in high school and suddenly at the end of my 1sthour class we are told to get on the floor and sit in a corner because as my teacher put it. someone was in the school that wanted to hurt us. we sat there for about 45minutes in complete shock. no one knew what was happening. we all thought this was justadrill. no one understands how any of us teens were feeling but us. no one knows the impact it made on some of us. noone has a right to judge us and how things were handled. how would you felt have you been me and sat there not knowing if i could have died or it was a prank. someone threatening to kill you. and noone does nothing? that it the most idiotic thing i have EVER heard. because it was on a calculator does not make it not serious. someone had come up with a specific way to do it. take action. if it wasnt real it was an important thing to know as students. as a DTHS freshman im proud of the staff and authorities for reacting the way they did. "

Angry Moderate, to Joe wrote on Sep 5, 2007 6:42 PM:

" It makes no sense for you say that my ideas "don't seem to be working" when they haven't actually been tested in practice. You may have done well in History, but I'm giving you an 'F' in Reading Comprehension. "

Sadly... wrote on Sep 5, 2007 6:39 PM:

" Most of the problems with today's children started with a total fraud named "Dr Spock" in the 1970s. That was the start of the no-discipline, children can't be limited garbage (so-called self-empowerment, ect) that plagues our city streets and small towns today; brats that have no limits who boss their parents around. Sad! Example: some of the best-selling toys out there for girls- Bratz. Need I say more???!!!!! "

Amanda Murphy(Elizabeth's sister) wrote on Sep 5, 2007 6:33 PM:

" No, My mother did NOT write that for my sister. And as far as the hearing Dwight Police Department finally did something right, yeah, they did and that have been doing the right thing for a while. Everyone blames the cops when someone gets in trouble, but if they weren't around to do anything then you would still be mad cause they aren't there to do anything. Our School did an outstanding Job as far as I'm concerned and handled this situation, better then half of the parents on here complaining, So just admit the fact that the only reason you are mad is that something happened in our town and stop trying to pin it all on our administrator's. Your children are fine and No one was hurt, what more do you want? And as far as blaming the parents, They weren't at the school so how could it be their fault? The students responsible should be caught and punished in any way possible. "

Pathetic wrote on Sep 5, 2007 6:13 PM:

" This happened at least 3 times a year at my high school. Of course I went to Dixon High School... land of the morons. It's so sad that kids feel the need to act like this. "

Press wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:37 PM:

" I think they need to stop putting this stuff on TV over and over and over again. These kids get their idea's from publicity and think it is cute. "

It must be the parents fault? wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:27 PM:

" Come on! Why in the world do you guys keep blaming the parents? Are you so negative that you must always find blame? Over the past couple of weeks, many posts have been made that have pointed the blame at the parents. Are you parents? I just don't get you. The older I get the more I find that a lot of you out there are just negative, selfish and lonely people. I live in Saybrook, and here too, most folks sit around and find negativity in what they are speaking about. I am 42 yrs old and quite frankly, am tired of the negative society. My guess is that you guys that keep posting the negative comments have nothing more to do, and are too, one of those unhappy folks in life. Get a life and then see who's to blame. "

To Elizabeth wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:16 PM:

" Did your mom write this? Sure sounds like it! "

MRS. wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:09 PM:

" Sounds like once again the police and school staff did a very good job. I am thrilled they took this seriously. I hear a lot about parenting today and I agree but I didn't see where it was confirmed or even stated this was a kid. I bet the reason for that is the officials don't know yet who did it. I wouldn't be a bit surprised but I know what the rest of you know, nothing. What I do know is there isn’t one parent here that would blow this off as nothing if their child/ren were in that school.test "

to Amber wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:09 PM:

" Spankings haven't gone anywhere. Some of us still get them. "

Grammar monster. wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:08 PM:

" Andrew, If you are going to pick on other people's grammar, you should know it is "an example," not "a example." Stick to the topic, please. "

What? wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:06 PM:

" Did I read this correct. The Dwight PD did something correct for a change? "

Hannah McIntosh wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:03 PM:

" Wow! I'm just happy the threat was reported and everyone came out alright. Thanks school staff and police department! You handled things very well as far as I know and am concerned. Let's just all take this as a learning experience and hopefully nothing like this will happen here again. "

Mr. T. from Streator wrote on Sep 5, 2007 5:00 PM:

" Congrats to all. Very professional. My Nephew and Niece go to Dwight Schools. I knew that the staff had been most professional with past event. Time to reflect and look at community values. Dwight has a very high standards. Parents you took great head and should be proud of your School and Police. They did there job. Now is the time for embracing the parents of the child of children of this event. "

Can wrote on Sep 5, 2007 4:57 PM:

" you say copycat? "

Kathy wrote on Sep 5, 2007 4:55 PM:

" One would think with these other cases being tried as adults, students would learn that such pranks carry some very stiff consequences. "

never surprised.... wrote on Sep 5, 2007 4:46 PM:

" I would love to say that every parent or guardian today was thankful for the concern and care that was shown to the students in the Dwight District in the handling of this situation today - however, i had the unfortunate opportunity to listen to some parents whine, complain, and actually brag that they yelled at administration and/or staff concerning this incident! WOW - what is wrong with people? Nobody in either school knew if this so called threat was real or not and for parents or other community members to complain is ridiculous! DAMNED IF YOU DO AND DAMNED IF YOU DON'T!!! Although this situation turned out to be nothing, I praise all the people involved that cared enough about our kids/staff to take it seriously. I keep reading and certainly hearing comments about "overreacting" or "nothing to get excited over" and it's not the staff, administration, or other professionals involved that have created the chaos (they're trained very well to stay calm and think rationally) - IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE THAT STAND OUTSIDE OUR SCHOOLS DOING THE COMPLAINING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT CREATES THE UNCALLED FOR CHAOS!!! START BEING SUPPORTIVE!!! "

A mom wrote on Sep 5, 2007 4:40 PM:

" Congratulations to the teachers and administration who did such a good job of keeping kids calm and safe, accounting for each child, and having a plan to evacuate the kids to a safe place where parents could pick them up. Whether it was the real thing or a drill, it sounds like the school and town officials did a GREAT job. Thank you! "

A mom wrote on Sep 5, 2007 4:39 PM:

Andrew wrote on Sep 5, 2007 4:29 PM:

" Where was this calculator found at? I assume the person used that hoping it can't be traced back to them like a phone call. And to People dont even know: Please stay in school and learn basic grammar. Your post is a example for the others to point at and say "see, kids don't learn anything". "

Amber wrote on Sep 5, 2007 4:11 PM:

" Bad parenting!!! This would of never happened years ago when parents were more strict~! What ever happened to good ol spankings??? Oh i forgot, you may get a child abuse charge! "

Tricia Hopper wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:59 PM:

" All I can say about the entire situation with the high school today was that from what I saw the police dept. was aggressively approached today by parents of the very children they were at the parish hall to protect. I was embarrassed and impressed. Embarrassed by the way our police personnel were treated and impressed with the way the school and police handled the situation. My daughter was safe, that was all that mattered to me. Standing in line for 45 minutes was nothing, I was in labor for longer than that. She came out fine that day as she did today. I am happy I live in Dwight and could not be prouder of the way the situation was handled by all. Thank you Mr. Richardson, I hope you are as proud of your staff as I am And Thank you Chief Henson, your staff surpassed my expectations. "

Grace.. wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:38 PM:

" this is crazyy.. it was soo scarryy "

ELIZABETH wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:34 PM:

" FIRST OFF... ALL YOU PARENTS REALLY NEED TO GROW UP. I AM 18 AND I WENT TO DTHS. I DIDN'T LIKE THAT SCHOOL, BUT I WOULD STICK UP FOR THE STAFF, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS ANYDAY!!!! IN A SMALL TOWN LIKE THIS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS TO RAISE A KID AND WORK FULL TIME ALSO?!!? I DIDN'T THINK SO... YOU GO OUT FOR A DAY INSTEAD OF SITTING ON THE COMPUTER LIKE YOU ARE AND WORK ONE DAY, AND TELL ME HOW EASY IT IS TO CONTROL YOUR CHILD. BOTH OF MY PARENTS WORK AND THEY RAISED ME THE BEST THEY COULD. YOU LEARN YOURSELF, AS A KID YOU LEARN RESPECT AND MORALS FROM EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES... LIKE SCHOOL!!!! SO I BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING WENT VERY WELL FOR A SMALL TOWN SCHOOL AND I AM VERY PROUD OF OUR TOWN! THANK YOU!!!!! "

Former DTHS Mom wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:30 PM:

" Kudos to the Administration at DTHS, and to Chief Henson and the Dwight PD.......great job (as always) of keeping everyone safe. "

This comes as a shock... wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:28 PM:

" It is upsetting to think that there are people out there that are complaining, upset, judgemental, or angry about how this situation was handled...but luckily we got to pick up our children at the Parish Hall & not the County Morgue. "

This comes as a shock wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:17 PM:

" I would think that each & every person that was in that school & the families and friends of each & everyone of those people should be thanking their lucky stars that our Administration & Police Department responded quickly & calmly to a situation that had potential to be catastrophic. So what if it was a joke, so what if it was real? The person/s responsible may or may not be caught & it may just happen again, & all of us with family or friends in that school should be thankful that we HAVE to leave work to go pick them up, give them a hug & say "thank God." Thank you Administration & Dwight Police Department. "

Kid's Fault? wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:15 PM:

" Growing up and graduating a couple years ago from DTHS, I know what goes on. The youth in that school are going a dramatically different direction than they used to. Ten (or even five) years ago this would NEVER have been an issue. Why are these kids so much different than the kids I grew up with a couple years ago? I will be a teacher myself next year. Kids need to get involved with their school and community and PARENTS need to push it. This will ensure they keep out of trouble. It's worked in the past. No offense to the kids that this doesn't pertain to. Nice job administration and faculty. "

mars wrote on Sep 5, 2007 3:14 PM:

" I would rather be safe than sorry. Let the school and police check things out and not bad mought them for doing their job. YOu know the story about the person who cried wolf. Well I don't want to be in a school when something really happens and no one checks it out. "

You don't know wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:53 PM:

" anything about the schools in Bloomington - Normal. Bloomington has had this kind of thing happen in the past. This will keep going on, there is always going to be the kid that thinks it will be cool to do this. I think that in most cases if the parents were involed more then most kids would not do something like this. "

Prairie Central Mom wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:52 PM:

" What's wrong with the Livingston County schools lately. This is getting ridiculous. I hope we're not next. "

Neat Idea wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:52 PM:

" I found the action of the head-count and displaying the number on a window to be seen from the outside very interesting. Chances are, this was probably some kid's idea of a joke, however it is nice to know that school faculty are well prepared for the worst, quickly putting into action necessary procedures. Well I understand the reasoning behind placing the number of children in each classroom on the windows, it's certainly something I would never have thought of. I would love to hear other opinions about it.... "

Well.. wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:40 PM:

" ...it is always better to error on the side of caution, especially in a situation like this one. Kudos to Dwight Police and DTHS for handling the situation the way they did. It is scary to think that situations like this have been prepared for. It is a different world that it was even 10 years ago. "

WOW wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:29 PM:

" The judgement begins!!!!! "

Why? wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:25 PM:

" ...do we have to blame anyone? It happened. The police/teachers/whoever else did what they thought was the necessary actions to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for. Why can't everyone just leave it at that? "

It's official now- wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:23 PM:

" This is most definitely the dumbest thing I have ever heard!!! Unfortunately the school officials did what they had to do in this age of accelerated insanity. Good thing the teachers can't read the kids minds- the school would never be open! "

lulz wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:23 PM:

" If you had a student in the school, you'd want them out and to a safe place if you cared about them at all. At the time, no one knows if it's a prank or not. You're getting the 20/20 vision that comes with the hindsight this article is giving you. You can't make the calls of over reaction to this when it's already over. It may not be over yet, when this was updated at 1:10, the article says police are still searching the school. We can't know until officials give the all clear. "

People dont even know wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:16 PM:

" Okay well first of all, the people who are writing all those nonsense comments about saying that the kids wanted just to get out of school, and skip school, that was not even what happened, do you think we enjoy leaving school not being able to get out stuff, or our cars most of all, yea so dont even be talking all you people that say its the kids fault saying that we should give better respect to people, please, yes i do think the person should be convicted because it was very wrong what they had said so all you people who arent highschool kids cant just keep there mouth shut cause you dont even know what high school kids go throught "

elizabeth wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:04 PM:

" all the parents on here are being ignorant to the fact that it only took one kid to type that threat and maybe that kid does have help or was just joking around, but the whole school is not helping that kid, nor are we laughing. these parents are assuming that all kids are the same. we didnt want to stand outside in the heat for hours and then go sit in a room and do nothing. we're just as suprised as everyone else. "

anonymous students wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:01 PM:

" ok...for all of you who think,that all of the students should be punished for this..we are just as much in the dark as the rest of you. We were ripped out of our first hour class, not knowing what was going on. It's still unclear to us what exactly happened. If it was fake, then it i was a stupid prank by some stupid teenager who is just longing for attention. If, God forbid, something awful really does happen then it's a good thing that this incident was taken seriously. "

Joe wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:45 PM:

" TO: Angry Moderate: Excuse Me but your ideas don't seem to be working!!! If I misbehaved in school I got paddled by the teacher and then again when I got home. It only happened twice, after that I learned from the history of my mistakes and History was one of My best subjects! "

Dan wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:38 PM:

" Well if something did happen and they just erased that calculator im sure all of you would point fingers at the teachers who didnt do anything... correct? ;) "

Joe M wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:36 PM:

" "Thank you" to the Dwight police department. We appreciate all you guys have done and are still doing. "

Angry Moderate wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:27 PM:

" Corporal punishment is not the answer. If students really are pulling these hoaxes in order to get out of school, then the obvious solution is require them to make up every second of the time that they miss classes due to lockdown. Even better, require double the makeup time if the perpretrator isn't caught. "

THINK ABOUT IT wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:26 PM:

" Parents are not Parnting they are just raising the kids these days This is the result of the lack of respect for authorities , teachers and life its self The kids these days have no morals, values or fear of the consequences of there actions WHat happened to God prayer and respect for others Its easier to kill someone then to deal with the anger and talk to someone or threaten a large group of people What ever these kids these days are seeing We need to stop the disrepect , lack of morals and the rest of the crap that is going on with a big dose of discipline and no extras like cell phones , cars and all things the kids have handed to them now a days "

gerty1963 wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:24 PM:

" Having to stand in that line at the parish hall; I was amazed at the parents attitude toward this incident...some were angry about having to time off from their jobs and to get their child and but most were worried how this was bothering their child. The Kids in the parish hall did not have a clue what was going on. Thanks to the local ministers and thoughtful local police everything was done in an orderly manner. Thank goodness the high school put the children first and got them out of the school quickly. Good job, Dale and Bob and Clark! "

Overreacted. wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:23 PM:

" It was just a stupid joke by some ignorant kid, I saw the message on the calculator the first thing that happened when it was seen was a student made a joke about it. The teacher didn't even think it was that serious. It was just a calculator, and just a bad joke that got way outta hand. "

to calm down wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:21 PM:

" a threat is just as bad as a real one, because you never know if it is just a threat or not. "

advertise wrote on Sep 5, 2007 1:17 PM:

" Free advertisment for the children playing pranks, thank you pantagraph. We will probably see more of that to come? "

What are people thinking? wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:53 PM:

" If someone wants to have a day off of school, skip school. That may not sound like a good answer but at least no one else is involved except that person. I hope that they find the person that did this and they are charged. Though on a graphing calculator, who would do that? "

Parental Control needed wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:52 PM:

" Maybe if parents would raise their children with rules and disipline these things would be less prominent. I work in a medical office and see kids come with parents and the parents do nothing to control these kids' behavior. If they kept track of them and maybe they would stay away from drugs and alcohol and guns!!!!! "

To: Calm Down wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:52 PM:

" In case you don't pay attention to the news from here in Central Illinois and around the country, schools don't treat these as "little incidents" anymore. Students that pull stunts like this whether they are a hoax or not, typically get expelled from school. How would you feel if it were your kid in the school that was threatened like this? Would you say, "oh, it's nothing," or would you want your kid moved into a safe place or the school locked down? "

Agree wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:24 PM:

" I agree. If they don't punish them to the fullest, every school in the US will have this happening daily. Ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad nothing came out of it, but this is getting old really fast. "

i agree wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:19 PM:

" with "Here we go again" this is so disruptive and ridiculous "

Agree wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:17 PM:

Joe wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:15 PM:

" to : hear we go again: This sort of thing and alot of our other problems are a direct result of taking the old fashioned paddling out of the hands of the teachers and parents!!! "

Calm Down wrote on Sep 5, 2007 12:06 PM:

" I hope people don't go ape (you know what) over this little incedent. It is really nothing to get excited over. "

Here we go again wrote on Sep 5, 2007 11:58 AM:

" I'll tell you if this is a hoax/copy cat the person/persons that called this threat in (if they are found) should be convicted as if they actually went through w/ this threat. "

This.... wrote on Sep 5, 2007 11:56 AM:

" is getting out of hand. "