A slam-dunk for fairness—or so the kids in New Hampshire may soon feel. A judge in the Granite State put the proverbial gavel down, declaring that it's high time for a stark increase in education spending. As per a ruling that has local school districts buzzing with optimism, New Hampshire might see an uptick of at least 80% more dollars per student in public schools as reported by WHDH. This financial boost could mean the world to communities that've seen the quality of their schools ebb and flow with the tide of property taxes.
Rockingham County Judge David Ruoff stated that the Legislature's longstanding $4,100 per pupil doesn't add up to an adequate education. "That ends today," the judge staunchly stated, casting a light on the nuances of a "complicated and politically charged issue" that has kept lawmakers in a tug-of-war since the '90s. The contentious base amount of state aid for schools, now pecked at by 18 districts since 2019, ought to be—at minimum—$7,356.
Meanwhile, a play of a different sort unraveled in federal court in Worcester, where a local man's fraudulent tune came to an abrupt halt. Augustus "Bobo" Kormah found out how hard the hammer of justice hits, with a sentence of 131 months in prison for drug offenses and wire fraud, as part of his illegitimate cameo in COVID-19 relief scam artistry. As if he were conducting a symphony, Kormah crafted about 125 fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits, playing on the strings of over 50 individuals' personal info according to the meticulous research by federal agents and covered by a Fox News report.
In his master scheme between May and October 2020, Kormah not only lined his pockets with around a hundred grand in fake unemployment benefits but also squeezed out a plum sum of $170,000 from COVID-19 small business loans. Following a tyrannical septet of charges, which included possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of wire fraud, Kormah faced the justice system's crescendo.
