This week leads up to one weekend that everyone looks forward to, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. After two long, school-filled weeks, students are eager to get an extra day to sleep in and to hang out with their friends. But first headlines need reporting. With a controversial State of the Union Address, a pay raise for teachers, and a School Board member calling the logo “feminine,” The Prowler has the news.  

Cargo jet crashes in Iran killing at least 15 (1/14)

On Monday, near Tehran, the capital city of Iran, a 39-year-old cargo plane conducted by the Iranian Army crashed into a residential area. According to the state news media report, 15 people on the plane were killed. However, one crew member survived the crash and is in the hospital.

The crashed plane, a Boeing 707 passenger jet designed for cargo, was made between 1957 and 1979. Iran is one of the last countries to use these old planes, because the United States prevented Iran from buying new airplanes. Due to this regulation, it is hard to even buy new parts for the old planes in Iran.

The plane fell in an area neighboring the Fath airfield northwest of Tehran and exploded into flames. The two representatives of a meat-importing company were on the plane because the plane was transporting lamb meat from Kyrgyzstan to Iran. The recovered flight’s cockpit voice recorder will be used to help explain how the pilots fought to save the plane.

School Board member calls new logo “feminine” (1/15)

During Monday’s Fayette County Board of Education meeting a council member representing Post 1 called the Board’s proposed logo “feminine”. This logo has been adapted throughout the years, and it has stayed true to the original logo from 1982, with few updates. The new logo has blue and green triangles, with a blue and green flame in the middle.

The member of the council called the logo “very feminine,” but was “embarrassed” to say what it reminded him of. Other members of the Board expressed their thoughts on the logo. They thought that it helped unify them and helped display them as a team. They also claimed it was to help update the Board’s vision for the school district.

The discussion be brought up again during the Feb. 4 meeting. The School Board will also update their materials throughout the year. This is due to the Board moving to a new location in February.

Trump’s State of the Union Address discrepancy (1/16)

On Jan. 16, the media caught word that President Donald J. Trump has been encouraged to be denied giving his State of the Union Address at the House of Representatives. Trump’s original plan was to schedule his speech for Jan. 29. However,  Nancy Pelosi, the current Speaker of the House, does not approve.

Because of the government shutdown, protection organizations such as the Secret Service have been out of commision for 26 days. With scarce funding and limited security personnel, Nancy Pelosi thinks it unsafe for Trump to appear at the House and will not permit his presence.

Pelosi attempted to make it clear that she is not trying to uninvite President Trump by any means. Instead, she thinks it would be an “event of special security” that has not been properly prepared for. Because of the government shutdown, which resulted from Trump’s demands to build a wall bordering Mexico, Trump may be giving his Address in the Oval Office.

Kemp to bring Georgia pay raises (1/17)

As part of his campaign promise to increase teacher pay, Brian Kemp announced his first mandate as governor. Kemp plans on increasing teacher pay $3,000 a year. Due to the ever increasing rate of teachers quitting within their first five years because of pay, Kemp hopes his new plan will keep the best teachers educating Georgia’s youth.

Along with the teacher pay increase, Kemp plans on adding a two percent increase in pay to Georgia workers. This addition is one of the biggest surprises for Georgians, as the teacher pay increase was advertised on Kemp’s campaign trail but the worker increase was not. This is increasing worry for Georgia’s leaders as the price tag to allow all of this to happen is growing by the day.

Kemp, however, plans on doing what he promised, meaning either something will be cut in the budget or taxes will be raised. More information to come as the story progresses.

Man arrested for hate crimes against store clerk (1/18)

An adult male attacked a convenience store worker in Salem, Oregon, as a hate crime. Andrew Ramsey who had attacked this employee because he was of the Sikhu religion has been charged with a hate crime and a misdemeanor.

Ramsey was attempting to buy rolling papers for cigarettes when the store clerk, Harwinder Dodd, refused to sell them to him. He did not have his ID on him, and the clerk asked Ramsey to please leave. After this Ramsey began to pull his beard and beat him.

After viewing the attack a veteran who was shopping jumped in and helped put the fight to an end. Other witnesses helped hold Ramsey down until police officials arrived on the scene.