Panthers, another week has passed, which means we are another week closer to winter break, while seniors are another week closer to graduation. Seniors, do not worry, while you are panicking over the unknown of your impending future, our news writers have been hard at work to produce this week’s KICs. This week we have floods and landslides in Brazil, drunk driving killing an unborn baby, Fayette County Cancer Society’s donations, a Florida man and his son fishing up rifles, and a transgender athlete ban in South Dakota. 

January 31 – Floods and landslides in Brazil kill 24 and displace hundreds

Last Friday, heavy rain battered São Paulo, Brazil, triggering floods and landslides that killed at least 24 people and displaced over 600.

In the aftermath of the natural disasters, parts of major roads have been left submerged while rescue workers search for survivors in the debris of destroyed homes. A group of firefighters, military police, and civil defense personnel have been deployed to support the mayors of the impacted cities.

Roughly 15 million reais ($2.8 million) will be allotted to the ten most-affected municipalities. These funds will go toward mending chronic urban problems that generate flooding points and landslides, as well as preparing for the increasing frequency of extreme rain events expected for this area.

February 1 – Drunk driving ends with unborn baby dead, mother in critical condition

Morrow Police say a woman is in critical condition after getting hit early Sunday morning in a drunk driving crash. 

Police responded to the crash on Jonesboro Road around 2:30 a.m. Jeffery Cordell Fulks, age 32, was driving a 2017 Ford F-150 pickup going southbound when he crashed into Emanuel Cortez Acoltzi and Ashley Acosta, both 19, who were driving west on Lake Harbin Road crossing Jonesboro Road. Fulks was driving under the influence and failed to stop at the red light, colliding with Acoltzi’s car. 

Acosta was seven months pregnant, and her unborn baby was killed in the crash. Acosta is in critical condition being treated for life-threatening injuries. Fulks was arrested at the scene and is being charged with first-degree vehicular feticide, serious injury by a vehicle, driving under the influence and failure to obey a traffic control device. 

February 2 – Fayette County Cancer Society grateful for donors

Last week the Fayette County Cancer Society held a meeting and discussed their gratitude for everyone who has been donating to help save the lives of family and friends in the community who have been diagnosed with cancer. 

This year’s board members were also confirmed during the meeting. Nancy Jurmanovich will serve as president, along with vice president Amy Brattain, treasurer Joan Brockman, and secretary Juli Stansberry. 

It is free to join. They have a meeting on the 4th Monday of each month. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts an hour. The Cancer Society makes fundraisers to donate to help children and adults with chemo therapies and surgeries. 

February 3 – Florida man and his grandson go magnet fishing, reel in two sniper rifles

Duane Smith and his 11-year old grandson Allen Cadwalader caught something extremely unexpected while magnet fishing in Florida. Within five minutes of their arrival, 11-year old Cadlwalader reeled in two sniper rifles wrapped in shrink wrap. 

This was the duo’s first time magnet fishing, a hobby developed by watching YouTube videos of the ins and outs. Smith figured it would be an engaging activity with his grandson, who has autism. Magnet fishing requires a strong magnet attached to a thick rope in order to fish out heavy metal objects from the bottom of lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds. The guns were not loaded, and no ammunition was found. 

The weapons were turned over to Miami-Dade Police and will be sent to the forensics lab to be processed. The weapons were covered in debris, and cleaning them revealed the serial numbers ground off. Processing will let authorities know if the weapons had been used in a crime. As of now, authorities cannot confirm the information on the weapon type, condition, or status until they are processed by the forensics lab. 

February 4 – Governor Noem signs controversial transgender athlete ban in South Dakota

North Dakota became the tenth state to sign a bill banning transgender girls from participating in sports. Those against this act consider it harmful and unjust. 

State legislative director and senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, Cathryn Oakley, called it an “attack” on transgender children. She claimed that it is unfair to exclude transgender girls in these activities. On the other hand, Governor Kristi L. Noem calls it “an act to protect fairness in women’s sports,” declaring that sports could not be played equally if transgender children were involved. It could also affect other girls’ athletic success, she stated.

The act goes into effect on July 1, 2022. Gov. Noem is also looking to ban the “critical race theory” in schools, a theory that explains how racism affects history.