Bill Kisliuk, a spokesman for UCLA, said the school’s designation as the top public university reflects the depth and breadth of its academic programs.

“UCLA is routinely recognized as having more freshman applicants than any school in the country, greater economic diversity among our student body than our peers, and for providing great value for our students,” he said in a statement.

In determining this year’s rankings, U.S. News considered two new indicators for school affordability — the average amount of federal loan debt for full-time undergraduate students at graduation and the percentage of students in a graduating class who took out a federal loan. It also gave more weight this year to social mobility and graduation and retention rates while giving less consideration to factors like standardized test scores, high school class standings and alumni donations.

Another change to this year’s ranking reflects the increasing number of colleges that no longer require applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. Schools that did not require such scores were not considered in the past, but they’re now included in this year’s rankings.

Texas police chief arrested, accused in the sexual abuse of a child

FORT WORTH, Texas — The police chief in Hamilton was arrested over the weekend and faces a charge of sexually abusing a child, according to an official with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Anthony “Tony” Yocham was taken into custody Saturday by the Texas Rangers, and he was later released out of the Johnson County Jail in Cleburne after posting $500,000 bond. Hamilton is about 100 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

After his arrest, Yocham is no longer the police chief in Hamilton, Mayor Jim McInnis said in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Monday.

Yocham, who lost the Republican nomination for Somervell County sheriff in April, faces a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child, according to KXXV-TV.

Authorities did not provide any details on the alleged crime which was reported in Somervell County. The county is near the city of Hamilton, where Yocham was the police chief.

Detectives with the Somervell County Sheriff’s Office asked the Texas Rangers to investigate the allegation, said Texas DPS Lt. Lonny Haschel in a Monday email to the Star-Telegram.

The Texas Rangers are heading the investigation, according to KWTX-TV

“We are shocked by these allegations and are working hard to gather the advice needed in order to properly handle whatever administrative details need to be addressed on our end,” McInnis said Monday.

There are 10 members of the Hamilton Police Department including the chief of police, according to the Hamilton Police Department website.

City Administrator Ryan Polster has placed Hamilton police officer Rena Silva in charge of the department.

—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Jaywalking suspect charged with police car break-ins in Georgia

ATLANTA — An Atlanta man picked up for jaywalking is charged with several car break-ins, including four Cobb County police vehicles at a Marietta car dealership last month.

Yavin Clarke Jackson, 21, is charged with multiple counts of entering an auto, burglary and interfering with government property for breaking into six cars Aug. 7 at Pugmire Mercury on Cobb Parkway South, Marietta police said.

Six vehicles and the building at the car dealership had been entered into or damaged, police said. Two privately owned vehicles left unlocked in a secure area were also broken into, Marietta police said.

The four marked Cobb police cars, which were at the dealership for maintenance, also had their windows shattered and the trunks and interiors were damaged, police said. Marietta police said personal items were taken from all six vehicles and a camera system was removed from one of the police cars.

Marietta police were able to obtain surveillance footage and physical evidence from the scene that led them to identify Jackson as the alleged suspect and obtain a warrant for his arrest. A lookout alert for Jackson was issued to surrounding law enforcement agencies.

Marietta police said Jackson was stopped Sept. 4 for allegedly jay walking across Delk Road near I-75. Police say he tried to conceal his identity by providing an inaccurate date of birth. He was taken into custody once his identify was confirmed.

—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

70-year-old victim beaten in Winter Park after asking a man to practice social distancing

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 70-year-old man was beaten after asking another man to social distance from him last week inside a Winter Park Citgo gas station.

Rovester Ingram, 24, of Winter Park, was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 8 and faces two charges of kidnapping/inflicting bodily harm as well as aggravated battery, according to an Orange County arrest affidavit.

The violence started at around 7:30 p.m. when the victim asked Ingram to step away from him because Ingram wasn’t wearing a mask, Orange County documents show.

After the victim paid for his items, he went outside and was followed by Ingram. Ingram began punching and kicking the victim, according to the affidavit. The victim then went back inside the Citgo, but Ingram punched him again, grabbed the victim by his hair and dragged him outside, where he continued to beat the elderly man. When he finished, Ingram left the scene with another man down South Orange Avenue.

Winter Park Police were called and were able to confirm the victim’s story through eyewitness testimony as well as security footage.

The victim was transported to Advent Health for treatment.

Winter Park Police were able to locate Ingram from previous contact with him, and found Ingram on the front porch of his residence, where he was arrested.

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