Latest news with #Kinnon
Glasgow Times
17 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
'Do not be a hero': Armed robber raids Glasgow pharmacy
Anthony Kinnon carried out an armed robbery at the Willis Pharmacy in Glasgow's Knightswood Shopping Centre on September 26 2023. The 62-year-old went behind the counter and told staff: "I am not going to hurt you. "Do not be a hero. Give me the methadone and the Valium." After then leaving the chemist, Kinnon was later traced having taken most of the pills he had been given during the raid. He recently pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and robbery at the High Court in Glasgow. Prosecutor David McDonald told the hearing how Kinnon already had a long criminal record including two convictions for similar offences. Kinnon's lawyer Allan MacLeod went on to give judge Lord Cubie further background about Kinnon. The defence advocate said: "He is man who has spent a total of 18 years of his life in jail - 13 years of that in solitary confinement. "He has been in every prison establishment in the country. READ NEXT: Former Catholic priest admits repeated abuse of boy more than 40 years ago READ NEXT: Serious organised crime unit cop sentenced for sexually assaulting colleagues on duty "He believes that if he is returned to jail, he will not leave." Regarding the robbery, Mr MacLeod said Kinnon had "not been thinking clearly at the time" and had wanted pills with a plan to take his own life. The court was told Kinnon had not intended to use the blade - but Lord Cubie commented staff would not have known that. Kinnon - who had latterly been staying at homeless accommodation in the city centre - had been on bail prior to the hearing. Mr MacLeod made a motion for him not to be locked up pending pre-sentencing reports being completed. He stated to the judge: "I am asking you to take a chance on him." But, Lord Cubie remanded him in custody as the case was adjourned until July 8 in Edinburgh.
CBS News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Oakland teachers plan one-day strike on May 1, claim unfair labor conditions
Parents and students in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) are once again bracing for disruption, as teachers voted to authorize a one-day strike scheduled for May 1. Thursday's strike, which falls on International Workers' Day, is being held in protest of what the Oakland Education Association (OEA) describes as "unfair labor practices" by the district. The OEA, which represents approximately 3,000 public school educators, announced the walkout over the weekend, citing the district's failure to provide required financial information related to recent budget cuts and layoffs. OUSD has been grappling with a multi-million-dollar deficit and in March, issued around 100 layoff notices. "The District has a legal obligation to provide this information, which is needed to enable educators to understand how proposals would affect teachers, District and classroom stability, and the community we serve," the union said in a statement released Sunday. Thursday's work stoppage will mark the fourth teacher strike in six years. Teachers held a seven-day strike in 2023, a one-day strike in 2022 and a seven-day strike in 2019. While the looming strike presents another logistical challenge for families, many parents said they stand firmly behind Oakland educators. "OUSD should be ashamed of creating a school environment where kids can't count on school taking place. My kids are 6th grader and 9th grader now," said parent Rachel Kinnon. "They don't believe that school will be there for them, from one week to the next because you never know when there's going to be a strike." Kinnon, like others, expressed frustration with the instability of the school calendar. "We need to be able to count on the schools to be open on school days so that we know where our kids are, and we don't need to interrupt our jobs. We don't need to change our lives around when our kids should be at school learning," she told CBS News Bay Area. Despite the inconvenience, Kinnon said she remains committed to supporting educators. "Luckily, my kids are old enough that I can keep them home. I would never cross a strike. I support the teachers," she said. "When they were in elementary school and the strike went on for days and days, that was really hard. It's almost an impossible thing to put a family through." Another OUSD parent, Jme McLean, said she trusts the educators' judgment. "I'm not as caught up in all of the details, but I do trust our teachers, and know that if they're considering doing something as drastic as this, that it is important and something that we should all pay attention to," McLean said. However, not everyone agrees with the union's stance. District 4 School Board Director Mike Hutchinson said he is confused by the strike announcement, arguing that all relevant financial documents have already been made available. "All of our budget documents are public information. They are publicly posted on our district website, as required by law. And so, I would just point out that there's been very general claims made and nobody has been able to say specifically what document they have not been given," Hutchinson said. Hutchinson also expressed frustration over the lack of communication in the days leading up to the planned strike. "It is offensive that we are four days away from a strike and there's been no communication about anything. So, what's supposed to happen on Thursday?" he asked. Amid the conflict, the OUSD school board has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday night in an effort to work with the union and avoid the strike. Some parents, including Kinnon, said the district's ongoing instability may push families to leave the school system altogether. "OUSD is shooting itself in the foot. They're doing all this stuff that's breaking trust and breaking any support that they might have had with families," she said. CBS News Bay Area reached out to Oakland Unified on Sunday for comment regarding its preparations should the strike move forward, but the district has yet to respond.
