A damp and rainy week this one was. But be thankful! The pollen got washed away in the downpour, and your car got a free wash. In the spirit of gratitude, appreciate these KICs. This week we have a treaty for the oceans, a protest against the police, an increase in business license numbers, a Ouijia board incident in Columbia, and national socialist activity in Florida.

March 6 – 200 countries sign treaty to protect the high sea levels

On Saturday, about 200 countries from the United Nations signed a treaty to protect marine life in New York. The treaty is to prevent the rise of the sea level in international oceans. The process of preparing the treaty has been going on for nearly two decades.  

The treaty is to protect the sea’s wildlife by preventing more damage like deep ocean mining. The countries pledged to share ocean resources, which include 200 nautical miles in their waters that make up 60% of the world’s ocean’s surfaces. 

Professor of ocean science Douglas McCauley claims that we are almost out of time and this is the world’s last chance to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Currently, 1.2% of international water is protected, and the goal is to reach 30% by 2030.

March 7 – Protestors arrested in clash at Atlanta public safety training center 

On Sunday around 5:30 p.m., over 100 protestors surrounded the Atlanta police training center. After coming from the music festival, some of the protestors changed into black clothing and entered the training center in Dekalb County. 

There is a released video of protestors throwing items like Molotov cocktails, and aiming fireworks at police officers. The protestors also lit a car on fire and attempted to set other construction pieces on fire. 

Over 35 protestors were arrested and 23 of them were charged with domestic terrorism. Most of the people who were arrested are from parts of the U.S., and a few are from Canada. Each of the protestors could face up to 35 years in prison for domestic terrorism.  

March 8 – Business license numbers increase in Newnan 

Applications for business licenses in Coweta County and all over the state have increased in the past three years. Up until now, Newnan had 48 new businesses and 448 renewed. 

Due to the pandemic hitting in early 2020, many of those businesses closed up and never reopened. Throughout 2021, businesses began to slowly reopen, while some ended up being sold because of the inflation that struck in 2022. A few of the first re-openings did not have much luck due to COVID. 

During the past two years, many online businesses have increased in popularity and needed to expand their businesses. More businesses are waiting to get a license renewal to open a store throughout the U.S. 

March 9 – Colombian girls placed in hospitals with ‘anxiety’ after playing with Ouija board

After playing with Ouija boards at a Columbian school, 28 schoolgirls were hospitalized with anxiety attacks and fainting episodes. Ouija boards were created in 1886 and are believed to be a way to talk to spirits or the dead.

The Galeras Educational Institution in Galeras is where the 28 teens were found after playing with Ouija boards. Eleven more teens were found in November 2022 following the use of a Ouija board at another Colombian school. 

The schoolgirls were admitted to a hospital, and information on their diagnoses has not been released. The school has not yet provided more information.

March 10 – National Socialists ramp up in Florida

Florida has experienced a heightened amount of National Socialist attention. Leader of the group Social Nationalist Florida Josh Nunes has been using high power lasers to project Nazi symbols onto buildings. 

Nunes has done this several times with assorted sayings and symbols. He claims it is about “spreading it around and pushing the conversation in the public arena.” The Anti-Defamation League explains that there are unprecedented levels of coordination among white nationalist groups in Florida. 

qWhile Nunes continues to use these projections, the Florida government has responded to these extremist advances by making it illegal to project images onto a building without the owner’s consent.