Illinois State Trooper Gerald Mason dies after shooting on Chicago expressway

UPDATE 10/03/2021:

death of an Illinois State Police trooper on a Chicago expressway has been ruled a suicide, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said Saturday. An autopsy found District Chicago Trooper Gerald Mason, 35, died of a gunshot wound to the head, the medical examiner's office said. His age was initially reported as 36 on Friday by state police. The 11-year state police veteran died Friday shortly after the shooting around 2 p.m. on the inbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway on the city’s South Side, authorities said.

An Illinois State Police trooper died Friday after being shot on the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago, authorities said, on the same day the state started stepping up patrols in response to a surge in shootings involving motorists in the city.

The trooper was pronounced dead at 2:16 p.m. Friday at the University of Chicago Medical Center, said Natalia Derevyanny, a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. An autopsy will be conducted, she said.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly identified the dead officer as 36-year-old District Chicago Trooper Gerald Mason.

“He was an amazing District Chicago trooper,” Kelly said during a brief news conference Friday evening.

NJ School to be renamed after Tuskegee Airman

Malcolm E. Nettingham died last year at age 101, but his legacy as a member of World War II's celebrated Tuskegee Airman will long be remembered with the announcement this week that a New Jersey middle school will bear his name. 

Members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education passed a resolution to rename Park Middle School as the Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School, as tribute to one of the last living members of the group of elite Black World War II fighter pilots. 

The community will have the opportunity to learn about his contributions before the official renaming ceremony on Nov. 11, Veterans Day. 

“We are proud to call Mr. Nettingham an alumnus of the district and are excited to honor his memory by renaming the middle school after him,” said Schools Superintendent Joan Mast. “This will allow students for generations to come to learn from Mr. Nettingham’s legacy and continue to celebrate his deep roots in the community and school district.”

Nettingham, a resident of Scotch Plains for nearly a century, died in September 2020. He graduated from Scotch Plains High School in 1936. 

Nettinham received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2007 for his military service and valor. His hometown honored him by making him the grand marshal of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Memorial Day Parade in 2014. He also was inducted into the first Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Hall of Fame in 2015. 

“Mr. Nettingham typified everything our community values: humility, service to others, inner strength, dedication to family and community, and so much more,” said Park Middle School Principal Jocelyn Dumaresq. “The choice to rename Park Middle School is even more fitting in that it was once Scotch Plains High School, the school from which Mr. Nettingham graduated in 1936.”

[SOURCE: MYCENTRALJERSEY]

Booker Applauds House Judiciary Committee’s Passage of CROWN Act

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded the passage of the CROWN Act out of the House Judiciary Committee.

“No one should be harassed, punished, or fired for the beautiful hairstyles that are true to themselves and their cultural heritage, yet Black people – especially Black women – face unjust harassment because of their natural and protective hairstyles, including denial of employment opportunities and exclusion from school activities,” said Sen. Booker. “To combat biases against natural hair and to protect the civil rights of people of color, the CROWN Act will ensure that discrimination based on hairstyles is prohibited. I applaud the House Judiciary Committee for their vote today and now urge all members of the House and Senate to support this legislation that will allow individuals to wear their hair proudly without fear or prejudice.”

Governor Newsom Signs Legislation to Return Beach to Black Descendants

Nearly a century after Bruce’s Beach was wrongfully taken from Black entrepreneurs Willa and Charles Bruce, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation that will enable Los Angeles County to return the beachfront property to their descendants, continuing the state’s leadership to redress historical injustices and advance equity.

The Governor signed SB 796 by Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) today at Bruce’s Beach, alongside Bruce family members, legislators and local leaders. The urgency measure, sponsored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, authorizes the county to immediately begin the process of transferring parcels of the Manhattan Beach property to the Bruce family.

“As we move to remedy this nearly century-old injustice, California takes another step furthering our commitment to making the California Dream a reality for communities that were shamefully shut out by a history of racist exclusion,” said Governor Newsom. “We know our work is just beginning to make amends for our past, and California will not shy from confronting the structural racism and bias that people of color face to this day. I thank the Bruce family, Senator Bradford, the Los Angeles County Supervisors and all those who fought to keep the legacy of this place alive and deliver this long overdue justice.”

The Bruces purchased the property in 1912 and established a popular resort serving Black residents that was a fixture in the community. The Bruces endured years of racist harassment and violence, and Manhattan Beach city officials ultimately seized their property through eminent domain in 1924. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to move forward with a land transfer to the Bruce family in motions co-authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Holly Mitchell.

“SB 796 shows us that it is never too late to address the injustices of the past,” said Senator Bradford. “If you can inherit generational wealth in this country, then you can inherit generational debt too. The City of Manhattan Beach, County of Los Angeles, and the State of California owe a debt to the Bruce family. This bill passed the Legislature unanimously and with overwhelming community support, making it clear that our state is committed to tackling systemic racism head-on. As a member of the California Reparations Task Force, this is an example of what real reparations can look like. I applaud Governor Newsom for helping us pay a century’s old debt by allowing Los Angeles County to move forward and return Bruce’s Beach to its rightful owners— the Bruce family.”

“This is a milestone for us, and I want to thank, not only Governor Newsom for signing this bill into law, but Senator Bradford for his leadership and the entire state legislature for their unanimous support,” said Supervisor Hahn. “The work is far from done. Now that LA County officially has the authority to transfer this property, my goal these next several months will be to transfer this property in a way that not only works for the Bruce family, but is a model that other local governments can follow. Returning Bruce’s Beach can and should set a precedent for this nation and I know that all eyes will be on Los Angeles County as this work gets underway.”

ERICKE S. CAGE NAMED INTERIM PRESIDENT OF HBCU, WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University (WVSU) Board of Governors voted to name Ericke S. Cage as the interim president of the university.

Cage’s appointment must still be approved by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC). He will serve as interim president until a new permanent president for the university is selected.

Cage joined the university in July as vice president and chief of staff and has been serving as the university’s chief operating officer managing the day to day operations of the university since July 30.

“I am both honored and humbled by the trust the West Virginia State University Board of Governors has placed in me to serve as interim president of this great institution,” said Cage. “Since my arrival here I have strived to do what is right for the students, faculty and staff of the university and that will continue in my new role. We have tremendous momentum at West Virginia State and I look forward to all we will accomplish working together in the months ahead.”

Prior to joining WVSU, Cage most recently served as the senior advisor to the president and university ombudsman at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia – where he served as principal advisor to the president on matters related to university policy making, governance, and government relations.

While at Norfolk State, Cage led the university’s 2019-2025 strategic plan committee and served as principal staff lead for the university’s 2019-2020 self-assessment. He also supported the advancement of good board governance by redesigning new board member training, overseeing the development and execution of the annual board retreats, and developing a board member skills matrix for the university’s Board of Visitors. Cage was also instrumental in expanding Norfolk State’s presence and impact on Capitol Hill and before the Virginia General Assembly.

Prior to joining Norfolk State, Cage served as director of government affairs for Teach for America, and also served as legislative counsel for U.S. Congressman Tom Perriello, in addition to serving as a law clerk for the U.S. Department of Defense, and a legislative fellow for the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He also served as a congressional fellow in the office of U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison. Cage began his career as a high school government teacher in his hometown of Halifax County, Virginia.

Cage has a bachelor’s degree in political science and leadership from Virginia Tech, a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University School of Law, and a masters of law degree from the George Washington University School of Law. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.