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Photo provided by Ann Percy
Troy Fire Department encourages kitchen safety for Fire Prevention Week
TROY — Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 8-14, and the Troy Fire Department is focusing this year on tips to prevent fires in the kitchen.
They partnered with local State Farm agent Ann Percy to spread the word and distribute fire prevention kits.
“State Farm encourages homeowners to make fire prevention an important part of their overall home safety plan,” Percy said in a press release. “Fire Prevention Week reminds (us) that cooking with caution should be at the top of the list. This also is a good time to check your smoke alarms to ensure they are functioning.”
The Troy Fire Department shared some kitchen safety tips, including turning pot handles toward the back of the stove to prevent spills and burns, keeping a lid near the stove when cooking so small fires can be quickly smothered, never leaving cooking food unattended, using a timer or an alarm so items do not become overcooked and burned, keeping children and pets at least 3 feet away from the stove, and never leaving flammable items near or on top of a stove.
Troy high schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report
TROY — The Troy School District reported Sept. 25 that all four of its high schools were ranked among the 2023-2024 Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report.
The rankings evaluate more than 17,600 schools at the national, state and local levels. International Academy East ranked second in Michigan and 54th nationally. Troy High School ranked fifth in Michigan and 287th nationally. Athens High School ranked 13th in Michigan and 529th nationally. Troy College and Career High School ranked 454th in Michigan and 13,261st nationally.
“This is a direct reflection and culmination of the dedication, determination, and hard work among students, educators, and our entire school community,” Superintendent Richard Machesky said in a press release.
U.S. News’ methodology focuses on six indicators of school quality: college readiness, breadth of curriculum, scores on state proficiency tests, underserved student performance, graduation rates, and performance in reading, math, and science.
Schroeder Elementary named Blue Ribbon School
TROY — On Sept. 19, Schroeder Elementary School, of the Troy School District, was one of 11 Michigan schools named by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2023.
The Department of Education recognized 353 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools this year. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups on assessments.
“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”
Cardona added that National Blue Ribbon School leaders articulate a vision of excellence, hold everyone to high standards, and demonstrate effective and innovative teaching and learning, valuing and supporting teachers and staff through meaningful professional learning.
Oakland County Sheriff warns against phone scam
OAKLAND COUNTY — Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is warning residents to be on the lookout for scammers claiming to be him.
Residents have reported calls from someone claiming to be Bouchard asking if the resident had recently traveled to a foreign country. The Sheriff’s Office said that the phone number is being “spoofed” by scammers so that it shows up as a legitimate number used by the Sheriff’s Office on the victim’s caller ID.
The Sheriff’s Office said that an imposter asked a Waterford woman if she had been to Mexico or Columbia recently before asking for the woman’s Social Security number, which she provided. As the conversation continued, the victim became suspicious that she was being scammed, hung up and alerted the authorities.
“These scams are an everyday thing,” Bouchard said in a press release. “If anyone asks for your personal information or for anything financial over the phone after they call you, hang up, it is a scam.”
