The School That Failed Her + Flying The (Not So) Friendly Skies

ACROSS AMERICA — Emily Michaela Murillo died before she could graduate from South Brunswick High School in New Jersey. But on June 22, with Emily's ashes in hand, her mother crossed the stage to receive her daughter's diploma from a school she said failed her child.

The grieving mother said she was left disappointed after the district failed to mention Emily during the ceremony. During his speech, the high school principal spoke about what the class of 2021 lost in the past eighteen months — prom, a senior dinner cruise, and normalcy — but failed to mention "the loss of a classmate.”

"In a time when the entire audience was mourning things missed, there was no recognition of the ultimate loss; no moment of silence, no mention of Emily except when her name was called for her diploma,” Erin Popolo said. Read the story on South Brunswick Patch

Armed Standoff Ends In Arrests

Massachusetts officials are still trying to identify the 11 suspects arrested after an eight-hour standoff ended peacefully on Interstate 95 on Saturday. The men were reportedly traveling from Rhode Island to Maine for "training." In a series of three videos posted on YouTube throughout the standoff, a speaker said the men were not U.S. citizens but "American nationals." Read the story via Across Massachusetts Patch

More Reads

Bank-Made Billionaire: A Louisiana couple recently got a small taste of a life of luxury after their bank mistakenly deposited $50 billion into their account, via Baton Rouge Patch

(Not So) Friendly Skies: An Arkansas man recounts rude behavior and unhelpful airline employees after his family's flight is canceled at Reagan National Airport, via Arlington Patch

The Black Hair Experience: In creating The Black Hair Experience, longtime friends Alisha Brooks and Elizabeth Davis took different aspects of their hair experiences and cultivated them into art pieces to share with the world, via Bowie Patch

Remembering Lily: Though Lily Lambert’s family is mourning the 14-year-old’s death, they're also remembering what made the girl from Greendale so unique, amazing and memorable, via Greendale Patch

Soul Food Stays Afloat: Finding soul food that tastes just like your grandmother's cooking can be quite the challenge, but Ruby's Southern Kitchen is up for the task, via Bowie Patch

Death Toll Rises: Rescuers working feverishly to find survivors located two more bodies at the site of a 12-story condo tower that partially collapsed in Surfside last week, via Miami Patch

Trending Across Patch

• Traveler Reports Rude Service By Airline Workers At DC Airport, via Washington, D.C. Patch
• Exotic Cat On The Prowl In Metro Atlanta, via Brookhaven Patch
• Boater Goes Missing In Northport Bay, via Northport Patch
• FBI Arresting Jan. 6 Rioters For Attacks On Journalists, via Across America Patch