Witches' school plans convention here

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March 25, 2009

By Chris Cassidy The Salem News Wed Mar 25, 2009, 05:40 AM EDT

SALEM — A group claiming to be the world's largest online school for witchcraft will hold its annual international conference here next month.

The three-day conference, titled "Pagans Taking Global Action," is scheduled for April 17-19 at the Hawthorne Hotel. It will include a discussion of the Pagan economy, a handfastings (Pagan wedding) demonstration and a keynote address by Christian Day, a Salem witch.

"Salem isn't just a Wiccan city, it's the Wiccan capital of the world," said Ed Hubbard, the CEO of the Rossville, Ill., Witch School International, which reports a membership of 200,000 people in 74 countries studying online.

The group also plans to vote on whether to relocate its headquarters to downtown Salem. The move would include the relocation of Magick TV, an Internet television station broadcast on YouTube. Hubbard said he envisions a downtown TV studio that could broadcast such programs as the Pagan Nightly News.

He has already been in talks with Salem landlords, he said.

"My goal is to be on Essex Street," Hubbard said.

This is the first time the witches have chosen the Witch City. The conference has drawn about 150 visitors in the past, though Hubbard said the sour economy may limit attendance this year.

Regardless, it will be a busy week at the Hawthorne.

In addition to the witch conference April 17-19, the hotel will welcome guests in town for GhoStock 7, a paranormal enthusiasts' convention April 16-19. That group will listen to ghost lecturers and participate in a series of paranormal investigations throughout Salem.

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Local News

Mom denies hitting girl on bus

A Salem mother today denied hitting a kindergarten student, saying she simply held her face to get the girl’s attention while demanding that she not hit her son.
Dominique Hans, 38, of 8 Heritage Drive, pleaded not guilty in Salem District Court to charges of assault and battery and being disorderly, stemming from an incident on board a school bus on Proctor Street Thursday.
Police and prosecutors say Hans marched on board the bus, ignoring a driver’s request to stop, and asked her 6-year-old son to point out a child he said had hit him earlier this week.
“I didn’t hit that little girl,” said Hans.
Hans told reporters outside court that she was upset after she said school officials failed to respond to her complaint about the earlier incident involving her son.
“I understand her position,” Hans said of the mother of the little girl. “I trespassed. I felt I needed to protect my son, which (the driver) did not do for him.”
Hans remains free on $1,000 cash bail posted last night at the Salem policestation. Judge Robert Brennan ordered her to have no unsupervised contact with children under 12 except for her own, to stay away from the girl’s school bus stop, the girl and her family, and to follow any orders issued by the Department of Children and Families while the case is pending.
She is due back in court on March 15.
For more on this story, see tomorrow’s Salem News.

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SALEM — The mother of a kindergarten student was arrested yesterday after police said she boarded a school bus on Proctor Street and physically attacked the boy's classmate, yelling, screaming and hitting the little girl in the face.

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