Florida high school student won't be prosecuted in explosion

Kiera Wilmot, the Polk County, Fla., student who caused a small explosion on her high school campus by mixing household products, will not face criminal charges. The Orlando Sentinel reports that the State Attorney's Office has extended an offer of "diversion of prosecution," a probationary-like program that will allow Kiera to perform community service or meet other conditions and then avoid a criminal record. Her case drew national attention and outrage from many people who felt that both school officials and police overreacted. An online petition on her behalf has more than 195,000 signatures. The 16-year-old girl was a student at Bartow High School until last month when she was arrested after mixing toilet bowl cleaner and aluminum foil in a water bottle on school grounds. She faced felony charges for possessing a weapon on campus and discharging a destructive device. She also was suspended from school and told she faced expulsion. She has served a 10-day suspension and now is attending classes at an alternative school.