Child Welfare
Ambiguity in a state law on reporting child abuse could complicate the prosecution of Pennsylvania State University administrators in the Jerry Sandusky case, reports Joe Palozzolo. Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant coach, is accused of 40 counts of sex crimes against young boys; the victims were participants in a nonprofit he oversaw that ran summer football camps.
Education/Jobs
Rosemary Parker of the Kalamazoo Gazette reports on farmers’ concerns over new rules proposed by the Department of Labor regarding the tasks that young workers can do on the farm.
Lynn Taylor Rick of the Rapid City Journal reports on a study that shows South Dakota lags behind the country when it comes to providing kids with after-school activities.
Juvenile Justice
Click here to access an entire rundown of the “Juvenile Lifers Blog” in Michigan’s Grand Rapids Press, written by Meegan Holland. Michigan is one of four states that are home to more than half of the inmates serving life without parole for offenses they committed as juveniles.
From Youth Today: The U.S. Supreme Court will again take up the issue of life without parole sentences for juvenile offenders. It will hear two cases involving 14-year-olds who were convicted of homicide-related offenses.
The owner of the two juvenile facilities involved in the Luzerne County juvenile court scandal received 18 months for his role in the scheme, reports Michael Rubinkam of the Associated Press.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal moved quickly to appoint a new juvenile justice commissioner and move his old one – Amy Howell, who resigned last week – into a new government job.
Prosecutors in Chicago say a 15-year-old charged as an adult killed his grandmother, then hid her body, after she badgered him about skipping school, reports Philip Caufield of the New York Daily News.
Miscellaneous
The youngest voters may be a decisive factor for President Obama next November, writes Wall Street Journal blogger Gerry Seib.
