Mother of school shooter denies responsibility

PONTIAC, Mich.>> The mother of a school shooter testified in her own defense Thursday, denying any responsibility for the deaths of four students but also wishing her son would have “killed us instead.”

“I don’t want to say that I’m a victim because I don’t want to disrespect those families that truly are the victims on this,” Jennifer Crumbley told the jury. “But we did lose a lot.”

“You lost everything,” attorney Shannon Smith said.

Jennifer Crumbley, 45, and husband James, 47, are accused of making a gun accessible at home and not addressing their son’s mental care.

They are the first parents in the United States to be charged in a mass school shooting committed by their child.

Ethan Crumbley pulled a handgun from his backpack and shot 11 people on Nov. 30, 2021, killing four.

Court: 10 state senators who staged long walkout can’t run for reelection

SALEM, Ore.>> The state Supreme Court said Thursday that 10 Republican state senators who staged a record-long walkout last year to stall bills on abortion, transgender health care and gun rights cannot run for reelection.

The decision upholds the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify the senators from the ballot under a voter-approved measure aimed at stopping such boycotts. Measure 113, passed by voters in 2022, amended the state constitution to bar lawmakers from reelection if they have more than 10 unexcused absences.

Last year’s boycott lasted six weeks — the longest in state history — and paralyzed the legislative session, stalling hundreds of bills.

Workers at school hid $1 million Powerball ticket inside math book

LOUISVILLE, Ky.>> A group of employees and teachers from a Kentucky middle school who bought a $1 million Powerball winning ticket tucked it in a math textbook for safekeeping before claiming the prize this week.

The group of 30 educators met at Rector A. Jones Middle School near Cincinnati and have been playing the Powerball together for eight years.

They’ve been playing the same Powerball numbers since 2019, when they drew them randomly from a hat.

On Saturday, those numbers, 7-38-65-66-68, finally hit. Their ticket matched all five white numbered balls in the drawing but missed the Powerball, giving them a $1 million prize.

After school ended Tuesday, the group carpooled to Louisville with the winning ticket stashed away in a math textbook, Page 200.

Arriving at lottery headquarters, officials greeted them each with their individual winnings — $24,000 each after taxes.

Investigators examining collapsed airplane hangar that killed three

BOISE, Idaho>> Federal investigators were working Thursday to determine what caused a steel airplane hangar under construction in Idaho to collapse, killing three people and leaving others badly injured.

The Boise Fire Department said in the morning that the scene was turned over to OSHA investigators. Although the hangar is at the Boise Airport, it is privately owned by Jackson Jet Center, a charter flight and maintenance company.

The Ada County coroner’s office was expected to release the names of those killed once family members had been notified.

Nine other people were hurt, including five who had critical injuries and were taken to area hospitals.

Officials with Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center said they were not able to issue an update on the condition of the injured patients because of privacy laws.

— Denver Post wire services