On April 26th, 2026, an 18-year old student Ashton Zihan Zhao reportedly made threats to Lakota West high school, admitting his plans of killing Principal Scott Lamen, along with a counselor, to officers. Zhao’s plan also included running into the building...

        Experiencing an itchy throat, stuffy nose, or irritated eyes? If the answer is yes, you may be dealing with pollen allergies, specifically seasonal allergic rhinitis. During spring, it’s common to experience these symptoms from late March...

Lakota West’s spring musical this year is Les Misérables. Set during the French Revolution, the play follows Jean Valjean, a reformed criminal, as he lives his life and fights for freedom. Les Misérables is performed entirely through song and has...

Spring means a lot to people. It’s the start of spring cleaning: leaves turn green, flowers bloom, and it gets warmer. For Lakota West students, it means the beginning of a 5-week, drama-filled Nerf Wars. Although extremely hated and strongly advised...

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, has recently been getting closer than ever. More lives are being lost day by day. Many often live in fear, wondering if they’re next. The Lakota students proposed the idea of a protest. There have...

 This winter has the effect of a slight La Nina. La Nina is a climate pattern that occurs when the waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean become cooler than average. The cool water in the Pacific then affects the northern U.S, making the temperatures...

What is SmartPass?  SmartPass is a digital tool used to replace standard hall passes. SmartPass aims to reduce students missing classes, spending unnecessary time in the hallways, behavioral issues, and more. The SmartPass system works by keeping...

On Friday, September 5th, 2025, the Lakota West Firebirds defeated the Hamilton Big Blue 38-6 on the road to capture their second win of the season. Bouncing Back The Firebirds have bounced back nicely after losing their first game of the season,...

In years prior, there has been talk concerning the usage of cell phones during school hours, specifically in the state of Ohio. This topic has led to many polls, meetings, and controversy, yet no action was taken. As of August 2025, Lakota West, along...

On May 13th, 2025, I had the privilege of sitting down with our principal, Mr. Laman, where we discussed his first year here at Lakota West High School. We talked about a variety of subjects, ranging from his successes and goals for students to more in-depth...

[April 29th, 12:34 p.m.] An internal lockdown took place earlier today at Lakota West Freshman, lasting a little over an hour. Starting at roughly 9:50 a.m., students and staff were put in lockdown due to rumor of a possible threat made by a Lakota Central...

Lakota West is currently working on one of its most technically difficult shows, Hadestown High School Edition. Hadestown is a musical featuring the Greek myth of Orpheus of Eurydice, except their story is set in a Great Depression era city, dealing...