Here are Orange County’s top 6 educators this year

• April 28, 2023

“Mrs. Chang, Mrs. Chang, Mrs Chang,” was the chorus that greeted fifth-grade teacher Vivian Chang as she walked outside her classroom, her mouth open in shock, to take in the sight of about 440 students lined up around the school quad to cheer for her.

She took a lap of honor, stopping to hug some students and high-fiving others at Red Hill Elementary School in Santa Ana.

Chang had just been surprised by Ramon Miramontes, deputy superintendent of the OC Department of Education, who burst into her classroom to inform her she is one of the county’s six 2024 Teacher of the Year recipients.

Across the county, teachers were surprised on Thursday morning, April 27, with an entourage consisting of Miramontes, district officials, representatives from SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union (the sponsor of the annual award), family and friends.

The teachers were awarded an apple trophy, a $25,000 check from the Orange County Teachers of the Year Award Foundation and an invitation to a reception at the Disneyland Hotel in November. The teachers will also have an opportunity to compete for California Teacher of the Year.

Here are the top educators in Orange County this year.

Laura Blackie

San Joaquin Elementary School, Saddleback Valley Unified School District

As a teacher in a Title 1 school in an underserved community, Blackie believes she has the opportunity to “close the achievement gap.”

Influenced by the story of educator Jaime Escalante in the movie “Stand and Deliver,” Blackie strives to instill in her students the desire, or “ganas,” to learn.

“I continually tell them, ‘You can do it,’” she wrote in her Teacher of the Year application. “I share stories of role models such as astronaut José Hernández, a son of migrant farm workers and a multilingual learner who succeeded in school once he became determined to do so.”

Blackie, who teaches second through fifth grades, started at Saddleback Valley Unified School District in 1995. Her motivation is her students and the “aha moments” when they grasp a concept.

Over the years, her teaching style has evolved, Blackie said, to incorporate technology and make the class more collaborative.

Recognizing that a large number of students in California are now multilingual learners, Blackie said, she incorporates her personal experience as a language learner in the classroom. She shares in her classroom how she became fluent in Spanish by tutoring her students in their homes over the summer break, asking their families to only speak with her in Spanish.

And her methods have been successful.

In her application, Blackie wrote about her student, Alejandro, who didn’t know any English when he joined her class.

“He has since worked as a dental hygienist and in a medical supply company and is now in college studying business administration and finance,” she said.

Vivian Chang

Red Hill Elementary School, Tustin Unified School District

Growing up, Chang experienced “some real emotional rollercoasters,” she said. Now, as a teacher, her top priority is to connect with students who experience adversity. The classroom, she says, is more than just for academics.

“Stories of hardships due to loss, illness, low income and divorce are all a part of my students’ important stories,” Chang said. “Knowing every one of my students’ stories is critical in order for me to be the best teacher I can be.”

Chang’s path to becoming a teacher was not an easy one. As a child, she moved with her mother to South Korea but had to move back to the U.S. two years later. Her father later suffered a stroke, resulting in Chang and her brother becoming his caretakers. As she pursued her education and teaching credentials, she had to work three jobs to care for her family.

These experiences, she said, have made her an empathetic teacher, focused on the socio-emotional needs of her students.

How does that translate to the classroom? When she introduces something new to her students, Chang asks them to place their fingers on their chests, showing on a scale of 1 to 5 if they understood the lesson.

“It helps me to know who needs more help and who needs my support. And it’s a great way for them to show me that information without feeling embarrassed,” Chang said. “It’s just between me and them.”

Chang and her students also agree to a “classroom constitution” at the beginning of each school year, a document proudly displayed above the whiteboard. It establishes expectations and designates the classroom as a safe place to make mistakes and act with integrity.

Kelli Elliott

Orange Coast College, Coast Community College District

Thiah Hung Phan, a second-year student, first had Elliott as a teacher when classes were online during the pandemic. He liked her “unique” teaching style so he enrolled in her courses again this year.

Elliott, he said, helps her students understand the material — and how to apply those concepts to real life. It’s the real deal, Phan said.

“She’s passionate, she knows what she’s doing,” said Shayda Roshdieh, a second-year student who takes two classes with Elliott. “You can clearly tell that she’s in love with what she does.”

Elliott decided to teach biology and environmental science at community college after teaching lab classes as a graduate student at Cal State Fullerton, particularly enjoying how she could break down concepts for students and show how biology can be something that is “really enjoyable, enlightening.”

Working with students is what keeps her coming back. “The more they ask me, the more I learn,” she said.

The job has its fair share of challenges too, she said. Since the students are a diverse population in different stages of their lives — some have families, some are returning students, others are veterans and many balance jobs with school — “trying to teach them all is really difficult, especially in some of my larger classes,” she said.

“I try to make myself available if they need me or if I am noticing that someone is slipping behind,” Elliott said. “I do my best to reach out to them.”

One of the ways Elliott reaches her students is through field trips, including to the Mojave Desert, one of her favorite spots.

Francisco Sandoval

Orangethorpe Elementary School, Fullerton School District

Racing is the clear theme in Sandoval’s classroom. Posterboards explain the different parts of cars, black and white checkerboard print adorns the whiteboard and Nascar and Formula One flags are stuck on the wall.

But Sandoval’s passion for racing translates into lessons: Math problems on distance, speed and time are explained through the sport, and students turn into journalists to “report” on different races for their language class.

Once he had the students interested in racing, Sandoval said, he began incorporating tech lessons. He divides students into multiple groups focused on the break system, the engine and the safety and interior workings of a car.

“If I am excited, they will get excited,” Sandoval said on why he decided to bring his passion for racing into the classroom. “Being able to talk about something that I am really passionate about, that I hadn’t done in the past, made it really fun.”

Once state testing concludes this year, Sandoval’s students plan to race mousetrap cars they built. When he assigned the project, Sandoval’s only requirement was “just to make it go.” But the students got creative.

“I had two kids who were able to turn it into a four-wheel drive system instead of a two- or three-wheel system,” Sandoval said, his face beaming with pride. “That’s what we want to see; we want to see them take things to another level and to start thinking critically.”

Matthew Smith

Red Hill Lutheran School

Eighth-grader Brogan Driscoll has attended every one of Smith’s after-school, late-evening Zoom assessment reviews, a holdover from the COVID era.

“They are so useful,” Driscoll said. “It establishes the foundation for all our tests and quizzes.”

Together with his algebra classmates, Driscoll clapped loudly as Smith accepted his Teacher of the Year award while some students yelled: “That’s my teacher!”

Smith, the first private school teacher to win the award, is the sort of educator who if he sees a need, works to address it.

Seven years ago, noticing all the neighborhood schools had a robotics program, Smith approached his principal about launching a dedicated middle school robotics program. Once he got the green light, he designed the school robotics lab, pursued the requisite certification and now, six years later, is at the helm of the thriving program, a sought-after elective at Red Hill Lutheran.

Smith also started an orientation program for new families and students in middle school, designing a parents’ night, planning a summer “playdate” for new and returning students, organizing a luncheon and creating a buddy system for students.

His role as a teacher goes beyond school hours. He is a regular at his students’ sporting events, dance recitals, family members’ funerals, musicals and graduations. By showing up, he is indicating to his students “that their relationships, interests and passions outside of the classroom are important to me,” he said in his award application.

Carrie Smith, Matthew Smith’s wife, said they recently took their kids to see one of his students perform in a production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

And the family might soon be headed to Italy with the money Smith was awarded Thursday. The Smiths had previously put off a family vacation to Europe because of the high costs, but now the holiday might be back on the table for the summer.

Leslie Whitaker

Esencia K-8, Capistrano Unified School District

In Whitaker’s classroom, just like in her life, music plays an important role.

Instrumental music plays for the first 25-30 minutes of the day in Whitaker’s classroom. During this time, she works with students one-on-one or in small groups to develop their reading or math skills. Then they sing a good morning song, an homage to “Singing in the Rain.”

Music is also incorporated in transitions between subjects or to illustrate key points during a lesson. And her class ends each day with a song to highlight scholarly behaviors.

“Singing brings joy, instrumental music brings peace, songs about content provide access and when we sing together, music facilitates a sense of belongingness,” Whitaker said.

And when she goes home for the day, she is always singing or playing on her grand piano, her husband Chris Whitaker said.

Leslie Whitaker was surprised by her husband and family Thursday morning. Her older sister, Marni Fisher, said the family came from all over Southern California to surprise her with the announcement because Leslie Whitaker is “everyone’s favorite.”

“Everyone loved her; everyone wanted to share a room with her,” Fisher said of her sister when they were growing up. “She was really good at keeping the peace.”

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​ Orange County Register 

NFL draft: Mater Dei alumnus Bryce Young taken at No. 1 by Panthers

• April 28, 2023

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bryce Young’s talent outweighed concerns about his size.

The Carolina Panthers selected the slender and dynamic Alabama quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, seven weeks after making a blockbuster trade with Chicago to move up to get their choice of potential franchise players.

The Panthers chose the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner over Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis. New coach Frank Reich said earlier in the week that the organization reached a consensus Monday after several weeks of deliberation.

Stroud, the Rancho Cucamonga High alumnus, didn’t have to wait long. He went No. 2 to the Houston Texans.

A dual-threat playmaker with a strong arm and an elite combination of instincts and intelligence, Young also possesses the intangibles and characteristics coaches desire, including leadership ability and a strong work ethic.

But the biggest question about Young is his size. He measured at 5-foot-10 1/8 and weighed 204 pounds at the combine. Though he dominated the SEC, some scouts and coaches fear Young may not be able to physically withstand all the hits in the NFL.

The Panthers couldn’t pass up his superior skills.

Kyler Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, is the only other QB since 2003 to be selected in the first round after weighing in at 207 pounds or less at the combine.

“I’m confident in my abilities,” Young said Wednesday. “I don’t know how to play the game another way. I’ve been this size relative to the people around me my entire life. I focus on what I control, and I can’t grow. That doesn’t fall into that category. I can’t get any taller. I focus on myself. I’m confident in myself with what I’ve been able to do and I’m excited for the work it’s going to take.”

The Panthers have sought an answer at quarterback since moving on from Cam Newton, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2011 and the NFL MVP in 2015 when he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance.

Young had a spectacular career at Alabama and the Panthers are hoping he can deliver the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy. He played in a pro-style offense under offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, the former Texans head coach who has returned to the NFL to run New England’s offense.

Young threw for 4,872 yards with 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first season starting as a sophomore in 2021. Last season, he had 3,328 yards passing with 32 TDs and five picks while playing with a new supporting cast.

Stroud’s stock had seemingly dropped after reports that he scored poorly in the S2 Cognition test surfaced recently. He told the AP earlier in the day he didn’t know where he would end up going, even saying it could be top 20.

Instead, Stroud, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy the past two seasons, goes to Houston to help the rebuilding Texans move past Deshaun Watson.

Two months after the hometown Kansas City Chiefs celebrated another Super Bowl title with a downtown parade, a sea of red-clad fans lined up in the streets where the century-old Union Station served as the backdrop for the draft.

Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce walked on stage with the Vince Lombardi Trophy and riled up the crowd.

Mahomes implored them to scream louder — they did. Kelce asked if they wanted to trade up for the No. 1 pick.

But the Chiefs don’t need a QB. Carolina did.

​ Orange County Register 

DNA from coffee cup leads to arrest in decades-old rapes

• April 28, 2023

By Celina Tebor, Gili Remen and Nouran Salahieh | CNN

A Michigan man is facing felony charges after DNA from a coffee cup linked him to two rapes in different states from more than 20 years ago, a prosecutor said.

Kurt Alan Rillema, 51, was arrested last week and arraigned in Michigan on charges of first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He also faces felony charges in Pennsylvania, according to court documents.

The charges are the latest stemming from advances in investigative genetic genealogy leading authorities to a suspect in a decades-old cold case.

The first rape Rillema is accused of was reported at a golf course in Michigan in 1999. Someone came in through an employee-only door and sexually assaulted a young woman who was working at the course’s food stand, said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard at a news conference last week.

Investigators at the time obtained DNA but didn’t have a suspect, the sheriff said.

Then, another rape was reported in 2000 at a golf course at Penn State University, where a woman was attacked while she was jogging and raped at knife point, court documents say.

Investigators in both states, who had submitted DNA samples to a national database, got a match linking the attacks to the same suspect, Bouchard said.

“Now you’ve got people that are victims in different parts of the country with the same kind of M.O., both on a golf course,” the sheriff said.

It wasn’t until years later — thanks to advances in genetic genealogy — that investigators got a lead.

Investigators in both states solicited the help of DNA technology company Parabon NanoLabs, which can use genetic genealogy and other research methods to find suspects using DNA by searching for relatives in public databases and building family trees.

The lab concluded it was likely one of three brothers who were responsible for both rapes, according to Centre County First Assistant District Attorney Sean McGraw.

Authorities were able to narrow the list to Rillema after Michigan police obtained a DNA sample by following him and taking his DNA from a Styrofoam coffee cup, according to McGraw.

“That was sent off to the lab and the DNA taken from the coffee cup matched the DNA of the perpetrator of the 1999 and 2000 rapes,” McGraw told CNN.

Rillema was ordered to be held in a county jail in Michigan without bond until a probable cause conference on Thursday, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.

If convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan, he could face up to life in prison, the sheriff’s office said.

In Pennsylvania, he faces charges of rape by forcible compulsion, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, unlawful restraint, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, McGraw said.

Rillema has been arraigned and pleaded not guilty, his attorney, Deanna Kelley, said in a statement to CNN. “Regarding the allegations: There are two sides to every story and Mr. Rillema looks forward to telling his,” Kelley said.

Rillema’s next court appearance in Michigan is Thursday. Pennsylvania and Michigan authorities are in the process of discussing the timing of the respective trials, according to McGraw.

Bouchard described Rillema as “an avid golfer” who apparently played all over the US. The sheriff asked anyone who was victim of a similar crime at a golf course to call their local police department.

The arrest was made possible by advances in technology, Bouchard said.

“A lot has changed since 1999,” the sheriff said. “Investigators worked side by side … and found a person that clearly wasn’t on our radar for any reason, has no criminal history, but now has been positively identified in two very violent sexual encounters.”

It isn’t the first time DNA from a coffee cup led investigators to a cold case suspect in Pennsylvania: A man was charged last year with the stabbing death of a 19-year-old woman from 1975 after investigators got his DNA from a cup he used and threw into a trash can at an airport, authorities said.

​ Orange County Register 

Todd Pletcher has his strongest Kentucky Derby contingent yet

• April 28, 2023

There’s way more to the Kentucky Derby than who’s going to win the race on May 6. Sure, that’s what draws most people to America’s most famous horse race, but there are so many other sidelights to the Run for the Roses other than whether a 3-year-old can get a mile and a quarter.

None of the 20 horses that will run in the 149th Kentucky Derby have run a mile and a quarter. Some might never do it again. Whether they can successfully navigate the classic distance is as unknown as some of the prop bets someone can take a swing at if they feel so inclined.

Consider, courtesy of BetUS, the number of unique wagers a bettor can place that have nothing to do with the race itself:

• Will the national anthem be sung by Carly Pearce in over or under 2 minutes and 2 seconds:?

Over -105 and Under -135.

• Will Pearce forget a word during her rendition:?

No -600 and Yes +350.

• Color of the winning horse:

Dark Bay -115, Bay +150, Chestnut +300, Gray +400 and Brown +700.

• Who will the winning jockey thank first?

Horse owner, trainer, horse, family or higher power +275 each.

• Jockey’s celebration method:

Fist pump +150, Kissing the Horse +150, Waving to the crowd +300.

• Margin of victory:

3 lengths to 5¾ lengths +200, Head +800, Neck +800, Nose +1,000.

Now, there’s no wagering involved, but since I most likely have some readers who look forward to Derby Day because of the food and drinks, let’s take a look at americangambler.com’s list of favorites:

The most popular dish nationwide is pimento cheese, the top choice in 11 states. Roughly one in four who show up for the Derby dress to impress, making it one of sports’ most stylish affairs. The mint julep is still the go-to cocktail, a tradition that dates to its first Derby in 1937.

See what I mean about so many other talking points than just the race itself?

But of course, none of these sidelights would exist if not for the magical Derby, so let’s touch on an aspect of the race – the fact trainer Todd Pletcher, who went so long before winning his first Derby in 2010 with Super Saver then had to wait only seven years more to win his second with Always Dreaming.

Pletcher might have four in this year’s running, including two of the three favorites in Forte and Tapit Thrice, and he believes it’s his strongest Derby brigade ever.

“I would say, in terms of para-mutual support, it’s probably going to be the strongest team that we’ve brought,” Pletcher said on a national teleconference this week. “I think only one time have we started a favorite and that was in 2017, with Always Dreaming, where I think you could argue it was possible that Forte and Tapit Trice could be the favorite and second choice, or close to it.

“So I think, in terms of that, it’s probably our strongest group, and their accomplishments on the way, having a champion 2-year-old, to follow that up with a Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby win. And then Tapit Trice with the Tampa Derby and a Blue Grass win, I think you could say that’s the deepest squad we’ve put up so far.”

Pletcher, the 55-year-old Dallas native who has won eight Eclipse Awards as the nation’s top trainer, likes one of his longshots, Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns, who won at the marathon distance of 1-3/16 miles in only his third start. Major Dude would be Pletcher’s fourth starter if he draws in off the also-eligible list.

“In an ideal world, you’d have a little more seasoning into him, another start or two, but this is kind of the way it’s unfolded,” Pletcher said. “And, based on the strength of that race, he certainly deserves an opportunity.”

Follow Art Wilson on Twitter at @Sham73

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West Virginia Gov. Justice announces run for Senate

• April 27, 2023

By Shania Shelton, David Wright and Manu Raju | CNN

Republican Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia announced his Senate candidacy on Thursday, setting up a potential challenge to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, among the most vulnerable incumbents in 2024.

“I am officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Justice told a roomful of supporters in White Sulphur Springs. “And I absolutely will promise you to God above that I will do the job, and I will do the job that will make you proud.”

The term-limited governor was joined by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who praised Justice during introductory remarks.

“We need help in Washington. We need a winner. We need somebody that can win in a general election. A conservative who can move the ball forward in Washington, DC,” Graham said. He added that “we’ve made mistakes in 2022. We didn’t nominate maybe the right person for the state in which they were running — I promise you, Jim Justice is the right person for West Virginia.”

CNN has reported that GOP leaders are expected to close ranks behind Justice in the primary, which also features Rep. Alex Mooney, who has the backing of the influential conservative group Club for Growth.

“Jim Justice is a proven winner whose record of creating jobs, cutting taxes, and fighting for conservative values has made him one of the most popular governors in the country,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines said in a statement Thursday.

Justice avoided mentioning Mooney or Manchin in his remarks, instead focusing his criticism on the Biden administration.

Manchin, who has not yet said whether he is running for a third full term, responded to Justice’s announcement by saying he was “laser focused on doing the job West Virginians elected me to do — lowering healthcare costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, shoring up American energy security and getting our fiscal house in order.”

“But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter,” the Democrat said in a statement.

Manchin later told CNN that Justice’s move “doesn’t change anything at all” but that he would take the challenge seriously.

“Every opponent I’ve had is strong and threatening or they wouldn’t jump in,” he said. “Anybody that basically discounts their opponent could have a problem.”

Manchin would face a difficult reelection race next year in a heavily Republican state, which backed President Donald Trump in 2020 by nearly 40 points. West Virginia topped CNN’s most recent list of the Senate seats most likely to flip next year.

Justice was first elected governor in 2016, as a Democrat. He switched parties the following year, announcing his move at a rally alongside Trump. It wasn’t the first time he had changed his political affiliation — he had previously been an independent and a Republican until 2015, when he ran for governor as a Democrat.

Justice easily won a second term in 2020. He has recently focused on conservative issues. Last year, he signed into law a measure that prohibits nearly all abortions in the state, except in certain medical situations or in cases of rape or incest. Last month, he signed a bill that will allow West Virginians who have a concealed carry permit to carry certain concealed weapons onto college and university campuses.

Justice highlighted a few policy priorities on Thursday, touching on abortion, gun rights and the growing conservative focus on education and parental involvement. “We have absolutely crafted laws against abortion in this state that are the toughest of the toughest,” he said.

“I have never seen a gun kill anybody. Ever,” Justice said when discussing Second Amendment rights. “But there’s a heck of a lot of people that kill people.”

Justice entered politics after a long career in his family’s coal and agriculture businesses. He joined his family’s Bluestone Industries in 1976 and officially took over upon his father’s death in 1993. He was the president and CEO of more than 100 companies before 2016, according to the governor’s website.

Manchin, also a former governor, has served in the Senate since 2010. He has spent much of the past two years at the center of the action in the narrowly divided Senate, where his vote has been pivotal. He’s blocked some of President Joe Biden‘s more ambitious agenda items, such as the Build Back Better plan, and stood firm against Democratic calls to gut the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation and other bills. But his support has been critical to passing other key parts of the Biden agenda, including a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan in 2021 and a sweeping $750 billion health care, tax and climate measure last year.

​ Orange County Register 

20-year-old Marine dies during pre-deployment training at 29 Palms

• April 27, 2023

A 20-year-old Marine, Lance Cpl. Jackson Forringer, died during pre-deployment training at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, officials confirmed, saying his death is under investigation by the Navy Criminal Investigation Service.

The Marine from Chesnee, S.C., was part of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He and his unit were at the Southern California base as part of routine training.

“I can confirm that NCIS is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Lance Cpl. Forringer, as we do in response to any non-combat, medically unattended fatalities of Department of the Navy service members,” said Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS. “Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further while the investigation remains ongoing.”

Forringer was killed on April 20, while taking part in Integrated Training Exercise 3-23 at the base, said Sgt. Alexa Hernandez, a spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. The training exercise is designed to provide large forces the opportunity to put Marines through a live-fire program incorporating the various elements of an assault – including both units on the ground and aircraft in the sky – simultaneously.

Forringer enlisted in the Marines in July 2021. He had just turned 20 on April 9. His awards and decorations consist of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Related links

Marines unveil city-size urban warfare training at Twentynine Palms
DESERT TORTOISE: Marines to move hundreds from training area
Marines practicing full-scale air, sea and ground assault on Southern California bases
First lady Jill Biden visits Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms

Forringer’s death follows a separate all-terrain vehicle crash at the base at the end of March in which three Marines, also from the 2nd Regiment, were injured.

In an online obituary posted by Andrea and Todd Foringer, the couple said their son graduated from Chesnee High School in 2021 and that serving in the Marine Corps was his “lifelong dream.”

“He never met a stranger and was one of the humblest, kind-spirited individuals you could meet,” they said. “He loved to give back and help others. Jackson loved his family and his friends unconditionally.”

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Montana House spat: ‘Blood on your hands’ not that unusual

• April 27, 2023

By Paul J. Weber and Amy Beth Hanson | Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. — The swift punishment brought down on Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker in Montana, began over words that others in American politics have used without hesitation or consequence: saying opponents have “blood” on their hands.

The governor of Texas. A GOP congressman in Florida. A city councilwoman in Denver. Just in the past few years, they are among the elected officials who have chastised colleagues in government with the same pointed rhetoric almost word for word — accusing them of bearing responsibility for deaths — over everything from immigration policy to gun laws.

None faced blowback, let alone retribution. But not Zephyr, who on Thursday began legislative exile after Montana Republicans barred her from the state House floor a week after saying those who voted to support a ban on gender-affirming care would have blood on their hands.

“I don’t remember until now that there’s been a controversy over that cliche,” said Republican Lou Barletta, a former Pennsylvania congressman who used the same words to attack the state’s Democratic governor in 2021 over nursing homes. “I’ve never had anyone make a huge issue out of it.”

In retaliating against Zephyr, Montana Republicans accused her of crossing a line that is faint at best in political debate that happens daily in the U.S., particularly in statehouses where it is not uncommon for legislators wading into heated issues like abortion or gun rights to be scolded about “blood on your hands” by protesters or even fellow representatives.

The case that Zephyr went too far in her remarks is a stretch, said one scholar who studies American political speech, even though the Republican majority in Montana had the power to impose discipline. The confrontation is the latest example of lawmakers punishing dissent, an increasingly prevalent move.

“The phrase ‘there’s blood on your hands’ is not necessarily that controversial,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor at Texas A&M University who studies political rhetoric. “It’s not necessarily an insult. It doesn’t cross the line. In fact, it’s a polite way of saying that there are consequences to these decisions.”

The fallout began April 18, when Zephyr made a reference to the body’s opening prayer while speaking against what is part of a wave of Republican efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights across the country this year.

“I hope the next time there’s an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” she said. The remark provoked outrage from Republicans who said the language was belittling and an affront to civil discourse.

In an interview with The Associated Press after losing her access to the House floor on Wednesday, Zephyr said she expected the House’s majority leader to object in the moment but did not think the pushback would escalate. By that point, she said opponents had “closed their ears” to the harms posed by the bill.

Multiple studies have shown that transgender youth are more likely to consider or attempt suicide in general but are less at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors when able to access gender-affirming care.

“So you say what is on your heart, which is this bill is going to kill people, and if you vote for it, you are complicit in that,” she said.

Zephyr, a first-term Democrat, has plenty of company among both parties in her choice of words.

When Texas Democrats broke quorum in 2021 in protest of new voting laws, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott fumed that their absence was also stopping passage of a crime bill. “The Democrats have blood on their hands for failing to step up and do their job,” he said.

When Alabama last year moved toward ending state permits to carry concealed handguns, then-state Rep. Merika Coleman, a Democrat, spoke to her colleagues directly. “And I tell you, some of you are going to have blood on your hands because this piece of legislation passes,” she said.

The comment doesn’t always slide. When Grant Cramer, a Colorado high school freshman whose schoolmate was killed in a shooting, spoke in support of a sweeping ban on semiautomatic firearms earlier this month, he addressed four Democrats on the committee who would help decide the bill’s fate: “Our blood is on your hands,” Cramer said.

The chairman gently admonished the teenager.

“I thought you were going to call out all 13 of us, which I would have allowed,” Rep. Mike Weissman said, referring to the rest of the committee. “I want people to have their say, and that kind of testimony is on the line of what I feel is appropriate.”

In Florida, state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat, said he has heard remarks about blood on hands many times in debate, sometimes more than once a day. He said language is often ignored, including once when he cursed at a state agency head giving testimony.

Florida Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she didn’t know whether Zephyr’s comment was inappropriate to use in floor debate.

“It’s probably not senatorial,” she said. “I’ve heard it from different people, but we just move on.”

Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Jesse Bedayn in Denver contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Jeremy Roenick breaks down Kings vs. Edmonton going into Game 6

• April 27, 2023

Every playoff series has had its singular degrees of separation and intersections, and ahead of Saturday’s Game 6, the Kings and Edmonton Oilers were no exception.

Edmonton winger Zach Hyman and Kings forward Trevor Moore forged deep mutual respect as teammates with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar and Edmonton’s top playoff producer, Leon Draisaitl, played together at the World Cup of Hockey for Team Europe while sharing the blessings and burdens of being the face of their respective national programs in Slovenia and Germany.

There’s also the mentor-protege relationship between Kings head coach Todd McLellan and Edmonton bench boss Jay Woodcroft. At the outset of their careers with the San Jose Sharks, not only did they work together, they coached former Kings center Jeremy Roenick and current Kings general manager Rob Blake, then a defenseman, as they wound down their pro tenures.

“They’re different but they’re very similar. They both have the same kind of mannerisms and the same kind of mentality in terms of their coaching styles. They’re very poised,” said Roenick, a nine-time All-Star. “Todd was one of my favorite coaches, unfortunately it wasn’t until the last year of my career.”

Roenick also lauded Blake’s ability to construct a deep, balanced roster, even making key adjustments on the fly within the season. Such meticulous preparation proved necessary when facing Edmonton, however, as the Oilers were also aggressive at the trade deadline despite getting career years from forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman and, among others, their two brightest stars, Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

“They’re built better now, and I think the coaching is fantastic. There’s a very, very smart guy behind that bench that knows the game extremely well,” Roenick said.

Roenick, whose career spanned the two decades from 1989 to 2009, estimated that Woodcroft’s captain, McDavid, would have been capable of scoring “300 points” in the ’80s and ’90s. Roenick described his prime years as an era when scoring was higher, goalie equipment was smaller, and methods of improving skating, strength and overall fitness were nowhere near where they were in the contemporary game.

“I’ve just never seen a player of his magnitude, and I’ve played against the greatest. Mario, Wayne, Messier and all the guys who are Hall of Famers and on the top of the all-time scoring lists. Not one person has the traits and the abilities of Connor McDavid on two blades,” Roenick said.

“It’s incredible to watch his speed, his accuracy, his edge work and his ability at extremely high speeds to not only handle a puck, but turn on a dime and also make plays in very, very tight quarters, to do things that most guys have trouble doing standing still.”

Yet McDavid was held off the scoresheet in the Kings’ Game 1 win and didn’t get his first even-strength points in the series until Game 4. Though he’s been effective, like his two power-play goals in 100 seconds during a Game 3 Kings victory, McDavid hasn’t flat-out terrorized the Kings or provided any signature moments where he burst across three zones and five defenders for a goal. Compared with his nearly two-points-per-game pace of the regular season, he’s been relatively well-contained.

“The fact that the Kings were able to shut him down in his own building said a lot,” Roenick said. “But they’re now down, in part, because Connor got his game back.”

McDavid and his mates have been even better than advertised on the power play, where they were only the most efficient team in NHL history this season. They’ve upped their percentage from 32.4% to an incomprehensible 57.1% during the playoffs. And yet here are the Kings, hanging tough for a second straight season in a seven-game series.

“They’ve gone through another year where they haven’t gotten a lot of attention because of other teams that have played really well,” Roenick said. “But the Kings have done a good job of putting themselves in a good position and now they’re playing a team that everybody thinks could possibly win the Cup, and they’ve played them pretty strong.”

The Kings will try to extend their campaign Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena as they seek to stave off elimination and send the series back to Edmonton for a decisive seventh game. They’ll have every player available to them with spark-plug center Blake Lizotte’s return to practice Thursday after missing three games, and were excellent this season with two or more days off, posting a 14-4-1 record in such situations.

Though home ice didn’t offer any assurance in last year’s Game 6, a potential clincher, the Kings have often made good on that advantage, both recently and historically. They had the best home record in the Western Conference this season and hoisted their 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cups on home ice.

“I think the L.A. fans are vastly underrated. People don’t understand how awesome that building can get going and how loud it can be and how passionate they are,” Roenick said.

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