Following the Atlanta school shooting on Jan. 31, where a student opened fire at Price Middle School, shooting a 14-year-old in the neck before armed officer at the school stopped the shooter, Patch asked readers Do you believe Obama’s gun proposal will help prevent school shootings?  Patch received more than 10 comments; here are some of the responses, which have been edited for length, grammar and clarity.  “Hard to say guns are the issue, seems who is in possession of the gun is the issue,” Patch reader b garrett wrote.  Some readers say a strong defense is vital to stopping shooting …

Another school shooting took place in Atlanta Thursday, the Huffington Post reports. A student opened fire at Price Middle School, shooting a 14-year-old in the neck before being stopped by an armed officer at the school. The wounded boy was taken to a nearby hospital and later discharged, the website reports. The school does have metal detectors, and it’s unclear how the weapon got inside, Fox Atlanta reports. This incident is the latest school shooting in recent months. Most notably, 26 people, mostly elementary school children, were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, …

Two California men have filed a class-action lawsuit against Lance Armstrong and his book publishers, claiming they were deceived by the cyclist’s memoirs, which were billed as non-fiction but recently revealed to be filled with lies, Yahoo! News reported.  In the books, Armstrong denied doping accusations, but during a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, the cyclist admitted to using banned performance-enhancing drugs to win a record seven Tour de France titles, which he has since been stripped of, LA Times reported.  Patch recently asked readers Does Lance Armstrong’s Doping Confession …

Groupon Inc. has canceled all its firearm-related offers a month after the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., the LA Times reported.  “All scheduled and current gun-related deals featured on Groupon North America, including shooting ranges, conceal-and-carry and clay shooting, have been placed on hiatus while we review internal standards that shape the deal inventory we feature, “ Groupon spokeswoman Julie Mossler in a statement issued to various media outlets.  The Chicago-based daily deals company is not the first business to distance themselves from gun-related businesses. Dick’s Sporting …

Among social media sites, Facebook was the most popular with teenagers, according to a survey of about 800 teens by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.   We recently asked readers: What age do you allow your kid to have a social media account, and we received mixed responses.  Facebook is Unnecessary Some readers say they don’t allow their children to have a Facebook account.  “It’s unnecessary, I wouldn’t let me child have a Facebook [account]. It would cause more harm than good,” Patch reader Melissa wrote.   Patch reader BigMama wrote, “In hindsight I wish I had …

About 76 percent of teen Internet users are also social media users, according to a survey of about 800 teens surveyed in 2011 by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.  Of those teen social media users, 93 percent have a Facebook account and the number of teens who use social network sites almost doubles between the ages of 12 and 13, according to the Pew data.  Most social networking sites restricts children under 13 years old from creating an account, but it’s not uncommon for children to lie about their age when signing up.  From Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, Twitter and…

As an Internet activist, Aaron Swartz fought to make information freely available on the web. The 26-year-old from Highland Park, who committed suicide on Jan. 11, founded Demand Progress, an organization devoted to Internet activism and fought expanded government oversight of the Internet. He also helped create the RSS feed and co-founded the social news website Reddit.  Similarly, Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks, which publishes classified or confidential documents in the name of openness, is still pushing for more of an open web.  Patch wants to know: Do you support activists, …

Lance Armstrong has admitted to doping during an interview with Oprah Winfrey taped Monday, hours after apologizing to staff at the Livestrong Foundation, which he started but has since been forced to resign from, CBSNews.com reported.   After nearly 15 years of denials, threats and actions against anyone who told the truth about doping on the U.S. Postal cycling team, Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during a career that included winning seven Tour de France titles, which he has since been stripped of, the Wall Street Journal reported.   Patch wants to know: Does …

The 2013 flu season could be one of the worst in the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here at Patch we wondered how our readers were battling the flu season.  Patch reader millie recommends getting the flu shot and staying home if you are sick. Another reader Socorro"sissy" Ropiequet says stay active and keep your hands clean at all times.   Patch blogger Dr. Jan and Jade Leasure recommended the following five natural remedies -- garlic, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, turmeric and ginger -- and also shared the benefits of each in their blog post…

Nearly a month after the horrific Newtown shootings, many people, regardless of their politics, are trying to figure out what they can each do to prevent similar tragedies in the future.  We invited readers to join our discussion on How Can We Each Fight Gun Violence? And many readers said curbing gun violence isn’t about getting rid of guns instead it starts with controlling criminals and handing out tougher sentences.  “Get rid of guns and you still have a crime problem. Get rid of criminals, and you won't have to worry about guns,” Patch reader Carl Castrogiovanni wrote. Patch reader Jim …

Recently we asked readers to help their fellow commuters out by telling us the worst roads in their communities.  We received more than 30 comments on What Are the Worst Roads to Drive on?   We used readers’ comments to compile a map of where they thought some of the worst roads were along the North Shore.   Scroll over the pins and click through to see readers’ comments.   Did we miss a road that you think is really bad to drive on? Tell us where it is and why in the comment section below and we’ll add it!   Here are some highlights of reader feedbacks:   Many readers felt Ridge Road in …

Do you wash your hands regularly? You might want to after reading this article. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled the 2013 flu season as one of the worst in the past decade, and the season isn’t even over, Wall Street Journal reported.  The Illinois Department of Public Health says almost 150 people were admitted to hospital intensive care units with severe cases of the flu from October through December 2012, ABCLocal.go.com reported.  Illinois is reporting widespread flu activity, according to CDC data, and a search on Google flu trends, which tracks flu-related …

The Academy Awards announced the 2013 Oscar nominees Thursday morning. Patch wants to know, which movie do you think should win the Oscars for Best Picture? Do you agree with the Oscar nominees? Who would you have included or scratched off the list? Tell us in the comments section below. Can't make up your mind? Watch the movie trailers above.  For a full list of the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards, visit: Oscar.go.com

As Vice President Joe Biden prepares to meet with the National Rifle Association and other gun-ownership groups for talks at the White House Thursday, many politicians have voiced what they think should be done to curb gun violence.  Among those politicians are several North Shore village mayors and presidents who recently joined Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to call for stronger gun regulation as part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition aimed at cracking down on illegal guns. The coalition recently aired a commercial featuring Roxanna Green, the mother of one of those killed in the 2011…

Help your fellow drivers out and tell us Where do you think the worst road to drive on is in your community?  We’ll collect your feedback, map and share which roads to avoid with you!

Readers showed their favorite businesses some love on Patch recently after we asked, Which New Business Did You Fall in Love with in 2012? Taco Diablo in Evanston received three shout-outs. Patch user Kathleen Tribble-Strong commented that the Mexican restaurant was a pleasant surprise.  “I went there with one of my co-teachers and then took my grown kids there for lunch the next day,” Tribble-Strong wrote. Great food and really wonderful AND personable staff. Plan to go back with more friends and family.”  Patch user Harvey Newcomb and Mayre Press both say the restaurant is a great additions…

We received more than 100 comments in response to an article about Cardinal Francis George’s letter that says same-sex marriage is “against the common good.”  In his letter, George urged Catholics to voice their objections, arguing that because same-sex marriages cannot be consummated and are not undertaken for the purpose of conceiving children that government, "has no power to create something that nature itself tells us is impossible."  Many readers agreed with the Cardinal commenting that same sex relations are against nature.  “Same sex marriage is awfully odd and against common sense …

We asked Patch readers this week, in response to a New York paper's decision to publish names and addresses of gun owners, if they thought media should publish such lists. As of Friday afternoon, the majority of Patch readers said no. While gun owner license information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act in Illinois, similar information is publicly available in other states such as New York, where the Journal News created a map listing names and addresses of handgun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties.  Our article, Should Maps of Local Gun Owners Be Public? …

It’s time to brag about that new restaurant or business you fell in love with in 2012. Patch wants to know of the many new businesses that opened on the North Shore last year, which were your favorites and why? Tweet them, Facebook them and spill the secrets of why you love them in the comment section below!  Did we miss a new business that opened in your community? Add them in the comment section.  Evanston   Wilmette, Kenilworth   Winnetka, Glencoe, Northfield   Glenview, Northbrook   Deerfield, Highland Park   Lake Forest, Lake Bluff   27 Live  Artisanal Wilmette   A. Perry Homes   Art …

As gay marriage moves closer to a vote in the Illinois General Assembly, Cardinal Francis George has released a letter attacking the notion of same-sex marriage itself and urging Catholics to voice their objections.  A vote could happen in the Senate as soon as today as lawmakers look to pass the legislation during the lame duck session. Illinois would become the 10th state in the country to allow same-sex marriages. In his letter, George argued that because same-sex marriages cannot be consummated and are not undertaken for the purpose of conceiving children that government, "has no power to…