PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 Farina, Illinois- Shane Lother, a 38-year-old high school teacher has been arrested for grooming and traveling to meet a minor. He remains at the Marion County Jail in Salem, Illinois. The main district that released the statement below is located in Kinmundy and the school Lother was employed at is located in Farina.  The South Central Community Unit School District 401 has released that they have learned an employee from the South Central high School in Farina, Illinois, was arrested today, May 8th. The employee was arrested for having alleged inappropriate relations with a student. Kinmundy police were assisted by the Salem Police while arresting the employee.  The school district shared that they learned about the allegations on February 26th of this year, and immediately upon learning of the allegations, an investigation was started with authorities as well as DCFS becoming involved. The school also immediately removed the teacher from his position.  I wish all...

 A homeowner is demanding answers after a deputy enters his backyard and fatally shoots one of his dogs and impounds the other. This troubling incident occurred on May 4th, in San Bernardino County, California. The entire heartbreaking encounter was captured on Jesus Serna's security camera.  In the footage, you can see a deputy with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department open the gate leading into Jesus's back yard and enter. As soon as he is in the yard, Jesus's dog 'Raven' approaches the deputy, wagging her tail. Seconds later, Jesus's Rottweiler 'Daisy' approaches the deputy in the same manner and this is when the morning takes a dark turn. As Daisy approaches, the unnamed deputy draws his weapon and shoots her, k*lling the pet dog on the spot.  After Daisy was shot, Raven ran out of the unsecured gate and was wandering the neighborhood. An animal control officer was called to the scene to collect the deceased dog. While there, the officer also ...

 NUJ @35 Years: Anambra Journalists Hail Soludo’s Reappointment of Friends of Media By Obiageli Nwankwo The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State Council, has commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo over the reappointment of some members of his administration, describing them as personalities who have remained supportive of journalism and media development in the state. The Chairman of the Union, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu PhD, gave the commendation while addressing journalists during the Union’s Congress held at the Godwin Ezeemo International Press Centre on May 7, as the council announced plans to celebrate its 35 years of existence later in the year. Odogwu specifically praised the reappointment of Law Mefor, Afam Obidike and Agha Mba into Governor Soludo’s second tenure cabinet. He also applauded the appointment of Okey Ezeobi as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, as well as the return of ICT expert Chukwuemeka Agbata as Managing Director of the Anambra ICT Agency. A...

 LASPARK EXTENDS TREE PLANTING CAMPAIGN TO BADAGRY SCHOOLS, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS As part of its ongoing statewide environmental sustainability initiative, the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) has intensified its tree planting campaign in Badagry, with the planting of hundreds of tree seedlings across schools, public spaces, and key government institutions within the ancient town. The week-long exercise, coordinated by Mrs. Adebimpe Kuponu, Head Tree Planting and Maintenance Department, on behalf of the General Manager of LASPARK, Mrs. Adetoun Popoola, commenced on Tuesday with a target of planting 554 trees across strategic locations in Badagry. Institutions and locations covered during the exercise include Muslim Primary School, Badagry; Ansar-Ud-Deen Society Model Nursery and Primary School, Badagry; Badagry Grammar School, Badagry Local Government Secretariat, and Badagry City Hall.  Other areas where trees were planted are, Muslim Praying Ground Perimeter Fenc...

 LAGOS WATER CORPORATION MOVES FORWARD ON PPP TO EXPAND WATER ACCESS  The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) has advanced its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to strengthen water infrastructure and improve service delivery for over 20 million Lagos residents. At a Meeting held today at LWC’s Headquarters in Ijora, the Executive Management team reviewed progress on the competitive bidding and concession process for the rehabilitation, upgrade, and operation of key water facilities across the state. Chaired by Managing Director, Engr. Mukhtaar Temitope Tijani, the meeting included Transaction Advisors, Mr. Olu Adebo and Mr. Dipo Oguntuga of Integrated Business Solutions (IBS); Engr. (Mrs.) Titilola Oridami-Bright, who presented updates on the PPP process, noting that 23 bids were received across four project lots. According to her, the PPP is designed to attract private sector investment for asset rehabilitation, operational efficiency, and expanded access to potable water...

 PROGRESSIVE GOVERNORS PASS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ON GOV. HOPE UZODIMMA   ...vows to ensure Tinubu's reelection  The Progressive Governors Forum ( PGF) has passed a vote of implicit confidence on its Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodimma and his vice, Gov Uba Sani. The vote of confidence, which was moved at a closed door meeting of the governors in Abuja, was reiterated at a press conference they had later on .  Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, moved the motion and was seconded by his Kaduna State counterpart, Alhaji Uba Sani. The second motion after the press conference followed a reporter's question about the rumoured removal of Uzodimma as Chairman of the PGF.  Dr Idris explained that more than 23 governors in attendance at the Abuja meeting reiterated their confidence in Uzodimma to lead the forum.  According to him, the fact that Uzodimma presided over the meeting with his vice was enough evidence to authenticate his leadership.  While advising t...

 FCT police command launch investigation as NYSC member goes missing after leaving work in Abuja The police in the Federal Capital Territory have launched an investigation into the sudden disappearance of Miss Eunice Ameh, a serving NYSC member and lawyer. Family sources say Ameh recently started working as a Sales Manager at a company in the Maitama area of the state and had resumed barely two weeks ago. “She is the Sales Manager for the company and she just started two weeks ago. She was meant to partake in her last Community Development Service (CDS) as a corps member yesterday (Thursday) and would pass out soon afterwards,” a family source said. She was last seen around 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, after leaving the office towards the Life Camp area, where she resides. Concern grew after all attempts to reach her failed, as her mobile phones remained switched off. Confirming the incident to LIB, the FCT police command’ spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said  ‘’On the 7th of...

 BAUCHI STATE POLICE COMMAND   PRESS RELEASE   To: The Editors,  THREE SUSPECTS ARRESTED OVER MOB ACTION RESULTING IN CULPABLE HOMICIDE IN WARJI LGA The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested three suspects directly linked to the mob action that led to the death of two men in Bunga Hamlet on 7th May 2026. On the same date at about 1150hrs, the Command received a distress call regarding a mob attack in Bunga Hamlet, Dagu Ward, Warji LGA, which resulted in the death of Kabiru Idris, male, aged 30 years, and Ibrahim Samaila Danliti, male, aged 40 years, both of Gabanga Village via Warji LGA. The victims, while riding a motorcycle, were pursued by a mob from Ningi LGA shouting “thieves, thieves” until they were intercepted at Bunga Hamlet and subjected to severe beating, which rendered them unconscious. They were subsequently rushed *to* General Hospital, Warji, by police operatives. Unfortunately, they were confirmed dead by a medical doctor. Following swift inte...

 NAHCON CALLS REPORTS OF REJECTION OF GATEWAY AIRPORT IPERU BY FLYNAS AS FALSE CLAIMS The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has dismissed reports suggesting that the newly inaugurated Gateway International Airport, Iperu, Ogun State, was rejected by Saudi carrier Flynas for Hajj operations, describing such claims as false, misleading and entirely unfounded. Reacting to media reports surrounding the temporary relocation of Ogun pilgrims to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, NAHCON Chairman, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, clarifies that the adjustment is purely a matter of operational timing and flight scheduling, and not a consequence of any deficiency or rejection of the Gateway Airport by the airline. The statement notes that the decision followed a careful review of flight logistics, turnaround timelines and the broader coordination of the ongoing 2026 Hajj airlift exercise.  He stress that at no point did Flynas declare the airport unsuitable or uns...

 Like ADC, the NDC has no plan for Nigeria yet Out of sheer curiosity, I have twice in the last few days googled the website of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), the party that the political wanderer Peter Obi and his ally, Rabiu Kwankwaso, sought shelter in after abandoning the ADC midstream. I was interested in the party’s manifesto and whether it has enunciated a markedly different vision for the governance of Nigeria, one better than President Tinubu's and the APC’s Renewed Hope Agenda. I was disappointed. Even though the site invited visitors to click on its manifesto to read it, the result was negative. “No document found" was the response I got each time I tried to download the manifesto. The party whose national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, said would wage an ideological battle in the 2027 poll has not uploaded any manifesto since it was court-registered in February. What it flaunts are six policy nuggets that it characterised as pillars.  However, the nuggets do...

 TROOPS RESCUE 32 KIDNAPPED VICTIMS, NEUTRALISE 2 TERRORISTS IN MAJOR OPERATION IN KATSINA STATE Troops of Sector 2, Joint Task Force (North West) Operation FANSAN YAMMA, in conjunction with personnel of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps, have successfully rescued 32 kidnapped victims and neutralised 2 terrorists during a major offensive operation in Katsina State. The rescue operation took place in the early hours of Friday, 8 May 2026, at Dikawa Village in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, following credible intelligence on the activities of terrorists harbouring kidnapped victims within the general area. Acting on the intelligence, troops swiftly mobilised and advanced to the location where they made contact with the terrorists. The troops subsequently engaged the criminals in a fierce and well-coordinated firefight that overwhelmed the terrorists and forced them to abandon their captives while fleeing in disarray. During the encounter, troops neutralised 2 te...