Singleton sentenced to 6 months in jail

Tyler Singleton, a star athlete with the Claremont high school football team, earlier today was given a 6-month prison sentence for having unlawful sex with 2 underage girls.

Singleton, 18, and his family appeared at a Pomona courthouse this morning for the sentencing hearing.

He was arrested in February following allegations that he raped a 14-year-old classmate in a public bathroom in Cahuilla Park near the high school.

Singleton declined to give a statement during the proceedings. His mother, Rita Singleton, pleaded with the judge for leniency.

Prosecutor Lauren Guber read a statement from the 14-year-old victim, which stated that her "entire world had been turned upside down" as a result of the incident. The girl's mother also addressed the court.

Singleton's prison sentence will begin June 9, allowing him time to earn his high school diploma. Both he and the 14-year-old victim no longer attend Claremont High School.

Mark McGwire apologizes for steroid use

Most of you have heard by now about how baseball slugger Mark McGwire has come clean on his use of steroids.

McGwire grew up in Claremont and Pomona and, according to the COURIER Almanac from last year, still holds the Claremont Little League record for home runs. He once played baseball for Claremont High School before transferring to Damien High School.

The COURIER has put a poll on our homepage, asking readers if you think he still deserves a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Be sure to cast your vote.

Here's a clip of a teary McGwire discussing his steroid use in an interview with the Associated Press.

Freedom of the press

The Wolfpacket student newspaper at Claremont High School recently ran this cartoon in its Friday, May 1 issue. It seems the paper has a lot of freedom to make commentary on the powers that be within the school and District.

The image depicts Superintendent David Cash standing on top of a pile of money. Cash recently announced he will be leaving the district for a new job as Superintendent of the Clovis Unified School District. He started the job in Claremont less than 3 years ago.

The puppet in the cartoon is CHS Principal Brett O'Conner, who "is now free to be the good leader that we know he can be rather than just doing everything Dr. Cash tells him," according to Liliana Caughman, the senior at CHS who drew the cartoon.

Below are students asking what will happen to some great initiatives Cash started while he was here. "We don't know what will happen to them. Some people think Dr. Cash just used Claremont as a stepping stone in his career," Liliana said.

CHS administration and the school paper have butted heads in the past. The former adviser to the paper, Becca Feeny, was stripped of her duties with the paper following clashes with then Principal Carrie Allen.

Liliana said there hasn't been any backlash from the administration to her cartoon and actually some faculty have quietly congratulated the paper for publishing it.

Liliana plans to attend Santa Barbara City College next year to study politics and sociology and wants to continue drawing cartoons for her college paper. "When u draw a cartoon, it's something that everyone can understand," she said. "You get a serious point across in a funny and satirical way and I like that."