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Father hears son dying in Ohio Wal-Mart shooting

By WTOP Staff

CINCINNATI (AP) — The father of a man fatally shot by police at an Ohio Wal-Mart says a cellphone call in which he said he heard his son’s dying breaths keeps replaying in his head.

John Crawford Jr. talked about that last day of son’s life to The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/1rQ47PO) in a telephone interview from his home in Jackson, Tennessee. His son, John Crawford III, was shot Aug. 5 in a Wal-Mart in the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek. A 911 caller told police that Crawford III was waving a weapon that turned out to be an air rifle.

Officers have said Crawford III was shot when he didn’t respond to orders to put the gun down. The Crawford family and their attorney have said that a section of store surveillance video they saw shows Crawford III holding the air rifle and talking on his cellphone.

The family has requested public release of the store video. But Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has refused to release it while the investigation is continuing.

Crawford Jr. said he was in Ohio the day of the shooting and had stopped by to see his son, who wasn’t at his Fairfield home. The mother of his son’s two young children was there talking on her cellphone to Crawford III, who was at the Wal-Mart shopping, according to Crawford Jr. He said she began screaming when she heard shots and put the call on speaker.

“You could hear in the background he was gasping,” Crawford Jr. told the newspaper. “I’m virtually listening to my kid taking his last breath.”

Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Mark Piepmeier is now overseeing the investigation as special prosecutor. Piepmeier is scheduled to present evidence in the case to a Greene County grand jury this month. Jurors will determine if anyone should be charged in the shooting.

But the parents of Crawford III and their attorney have asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to take over the investigation and determine if there were any civil rights violations.

“We do believe there was a violation of his civil rights and that does have to do with race,” family attorney Michael Wright said.

Federal authorities have said they are monitoring the situation.

Crawford Jr. described his son as a typical 22-year-old who was laid back and very family oriented. He had once considered going into the military and had recently said he wanted to start college, his father said.

“He was figuring out his next step,” Crawford Jr. said.

The final autopsy report has not been completed, and Crawford Jr. said he has not been told which of the two officers involved shot his son.

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Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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