Add Apex Middle School and Athens Drive High to the list of Wake County schools getting extra security Friday in response to rumors that students will bring weapons to campus that day.

Those two schools, along with Wake Forest-Rolesville High School, will see extra police and school security staff on campus. They're all dealing with rumors about impending violence that school officials say aren't believed to be real.

But no one is taking chances at those three schools in the aftermath of last week's Connecticut school shootings. Mike Charbonneau, a Wake schools' spokesman, said extra security will be provided to any other schools that have concerns.

Charbonneau said the rumors circulating at the three schools are part of a national rumor that's floating around about school violence. Similar rumors were spread nationally after the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

In the latest fallout over the mass school shooting last week in Connecticut, look for extra security to be at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School on Friday.

In a letter sent home to families today and posted on the school website, Wake Forest-Rolesville High Principal Patti Hamler said that a rumor has been circulating that some students plan to bring weapons to campus Friday. In the letter, Hamler cited “recent national events” and stated that the school takes any threat or rumor of violence seriously.

Hamler said in the letter that school administrators and Wake County school security staff “have no reason to believe there is any real threat to student safety.”

Interim Wake County Schools Superintendent Stephen Gainey announced today that the school system is reviewing security measures in light of Friday's school shooting rampage in Connecticut.

In this statement today, Gainey said Wake already has in place measures such as site-specific school safety plans, crisis-response measures, annual training and regular drills. He also noted that there's a law enforcement presence in schools.

But Gainey said that the district security team and district leaders are "reviewing emergency operations plans and procedures in light of this tragic incident." He also said that principals "will be reviewing their site-based crisis plans and protocols with their school staff members."

The Wake County school system wants to eventually run nightly criminal records checks on all school district employees.

The school board took the first step toward making that possible when it gave initial approval last week to these revisions to the criminal records check policy. It would spell out more clearly that all employees are subject to regular ongoing record checks.

Prospective school volunteers and all school district job applicants receive a criminal records check. But after hiring, temporary Superintendent Stephen Gainey told the board that automated nightly checks are only done now on bus drivers and volunteers.

Does the Wake County school system need to have a policy for how law enforcement interviews and arrests students on campus?

The school board was scheduled to vote on giving this new policy approval on first reading on Oct. 30 until board member Jim Martin interceded. As a result, the policy was tabled for up to 90 days for further review by the policy committee.

Martin, chairman of the policy committee, had given the policy his approval at the Sept. 25 committee meeting. But he raised concerns after getting in contact with Jason Langberg, an attorney for Advocates for Children's Services, which works with students who are suspended and who are arrested.

The report of a burglary in her home in June 2010 was far from the only time that Wake County school board member Debra Goldman and her family have called police over the last few years.

As noted in today's article by Anne Blythe, Goldman and her family were involved in at least three dozen incidents since January 2010 that have required assistance from or investigation by Cary police. Their reports have involved fears of theft, intruders and domestic disputes.

Pat Bazemore, chief of the Cary police department, said Sunday that it is her philosophy that public officials in her bailiwick are treated the same as others. Bazemore could not say whether the number of encounters with the Goldmans was large, average or small.

Be warned Emma Watson fans. If you're searching online for the "Harry Potter" star online you may end up at a malicious site.

According computer to security firm McAfee, Emma Watson is currently the "most dangerous" celebrity to search for online. Watson has topped the list of hot bait among cyber criminals seeking to lure unsuspecting fans to sites to trick Internet users into downloading malware or even sharing private information.

McAfee says users have a one-in-eight chance of landing on malicious site when searching online for Emma Watson.

Following Watson on McAfee's Most Dangerous Celebrities study is Jessica Biel, Eva Mendes, Selena Gomez, Halle Berry, Megan Fox, Shakira, Cameron Diaz, Salma Hayek and Sofia Vergara.

PC users should be familiar with protective security software. McAfee and Norton are heavy hitters, but there are some free options that perform well enough for most. Certainly, something is better than nothing. The free version Avira AntiVir Personal is highly regarded.

through the eyes of editorial cartoonist Kevin Siers of The Charlotte Observer:

The Wake County school board approved new contracts tonight for school resource officers after staff said that they would seek to review this memorandum of understanding with law enforcement.

Russ Smith, Wake's senior director of security, said it was time to review the MOU because some of the police chiefs and Superintendent Tony Tata weren't here when it was previously adopted. Among the items Smith said would be reviewed are use of force and when SROs can file court petitions.

After his assurances, the deals with the Raleigh and Cary to provide officers for the 2012-13 school year were adopted.

During the discussion, board member Deborah Prickett said she was opposed to North Carolina being one of only two states that tried 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Other board members agreed with her.

The Wake County school board will deal with a variety of items at today's meeting, including whether to provide transportation to all rising sixth- and ninth-graders going to their feeder schools this fall.

During the work session, staff will give an update on how many of the preassigned students still don't have transportation and what can be done to accommodate them. The vote on the issue, requested by board member Jim Martin, will come at the regular meeting.

In response to board member Debra Goldman's complaints that Martin was being given more consideration than her for today's meeting, the board will also deal with her concerns about board and district transparency.