Happy Homecoming, Panthers! Hope you have had fun dressing up this week and have fun at the dance, prepared by our great sophomore class. While you are dancing with friends, be sure to check out this week’s KICs. This week includes a 68-year-old man surviving poison, remains of Suzana Morphew being found, brain parasites in Georgia, a deserted truck in Peachtree City, and Biden stating that Trump is a threat to democracy.

World – 68-year-old man survives mushroom poisoning 

In Australia, a 68-year-old man named Ian Wilkinson has survived an unknown illness that caused his friends to pass away. Wilkinson and three others went to eat in the town of Leongatha.  

They were served a fully cooked beef wellington by chef Erin Patterson. That following day all four of them were in the hospital due to severe illness. A few days after being admitted, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died, followed by Don Patterson the following day. 

Last Friday, Wilkinson was released after recovering in the hospital for two months. Wilkinson is now at home with his family. 

National – Remains of Suzanna Morphew found three years after disappearance 

The remains of Suzanne Morphew, a Colorado mother of two who went missing in May of 2020, have been found. Morphew was reported missing on May 10, 2020. Her remains were found on September 22, 2023, in an unrelated search in the town of Moffat, located in Saguache County, Colorado.

Morphew’s husband, Barry Morphew, was arrested about a year after his wife’s disappearance on charges including first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with his wife’s case. All charges toward him were dropped in April of 2022, days before he was set to stand trial.

The case was dismissed without prejudice, which will allow prosecutors to file charges against Barry Morphew again. Since Suzanne Morphew’s remains were located, no arrests have been made. Family notifications have been made following the identification of the remains.

State – CDC found parasitic worm that can enter the brain

After a recent study, the CDC discovered a parasitic brain worm. Angiostrongylus cantonensis, more known as rat lung worm, is spread by snails and rats. This parasite is usually found in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, but after a recent study, the CDC has found it in Atlanta. 

Researchers have believed that the parasite has spread and become established in the Southeast. The CDC says that humans can become a host to the parasite by eating raw or uncooked food, but outbreaks of the parasite are rare. If the parasite enters the brain it can cause eosinophilic meningitis, a rare brain condition. 

The parasite cannot live long in the human body and serious problems rarely occur, but there is currently no known treatment.

Local – Deserted truck finds its way into Lake Peachtree

Last Wednesday, a mysterious public works truck was found submerged in Lake Peachtree. It was pulled from the lake with no sign of anyone in it or affected by it.

The incident occurred near Drake Field in Peachtree City, Georgia. First responders arrived and the incident was cleared up as the vehicle was quickly removed.

An anonymous spokesperson for the Peachtree City Department explained further that no one should be concerned because the truck was unoccupied as it entered the water. The police also made clear they are not investigating this further.

Politics – Biden says that Trump’s movement is a threat to American democracy

President Joe Biden gave out strong new warnings about ongoing existential dangers to U.S. democracy in a significant speech on Thursday. Attempting to sharpen the main point in his arguably important rematch with former President Donald Trump, he urged voters to give the welfare of American institutions top priority. 

Biden mentioned how the Make America Great Again movement does not align with the simple beliefs of America’s democracy. Since Trump was criminally accused of his attempts to tamper with the results of the 2020 election, this stern warning was Biden’s most powerful attempt to call out his anti-democratic actions. 

Preventing the decline of the democratic system and its principles was a key factor in Biden’s decision to run for president in 2020. According to officials, it will also be a key factor in his reelection campaign when he looks to motivate voters and donors who have otherwise appeared skeptical about a rematch between the two men.