Happy Friday, Panthers! While we are counting down the days until summer look around and watch all the flowers blooming. To start off the week we have Pope Francis passing away, a dog leading a lost toddler to safety, a zombie deer outbreak in Georgia, neighbors responding to a house fire, and Trump officials considering making it more difficult for states to acquire disaster relief funds.
World – Pope Francis passes away at 88
On Easter Monday, Pope Francis passed away after a long hospital stay. His death came weeks after he was discharged from the Rome hospital from a dangerous case of pneumonia in both lungs. Condolences have quickly started to come in.
The Pope’s death has opened a debate on what is the next best thing for the Catholic Church. Until a new pope is selected, Kevin Farrel will act as the head of the Vatican.
The Pope’s death has started the traditional nine days of mourning. On Monday evening, the Pope’s body will be placed into a coffin. A burial will take place between four to six days after his death.
National – Dog leads lost toddler to safety
Two year old Bowden Allen wandered from his home around 5 p.m. on Monday evening from his home in Arizona. His mother, Sarah Allen, was caring for their younger child, and when she called Bowden, there was no response.
The family searched for their son frantically, leading to them calling the police and family members to help. A helicopter spotted two mountain lions in the area before sunset. Sixteen hours later, Rancher Scott Dunton’s dog led him to the boy on his property, seven miles from his home.
Dunton found Bowden sleeping under a tree with a few scratches on his arm. The family calls it a miracle, as without the dog, their son may still have been lost.
State – Zombie deer outbreak continues in Georgia
Georgia wildlife officials confirm a second deer has tested positive for chronic waste disease. The four-and-a-half year-old deer was found in Berrien County.
Both of the deer that have tested positive were found 400 yards apart from each other. The disease is more commonly known as Zombie deer disease. The disease is deadly to deer, elk, and moose. There are no reports of humans contracting the disease from the infected deer.
So far there is no cure for the disease, and officials warn not to eat venison from infected deer. Officials are still trying to figure out a cure for the disease.
Local – Neighbors respond to house fire, rescue trapped teen
Neighbors responded quickly to a house fire in a Peachtree City neighborhood. They rescued a teenage girl.
On Sunday evening at around 9 p.m., neighbors reported a house on fire. A 13-year-old boy had already gotten out safely, but a 17-year-old girl was trapped inside. Their next door neighbor, JC Shegog, gave her verbal instructions to help her stay safe as she made her way out of the house.
Firefighters say the blaze started in the kitchen, with heavy smoke and flames cutting off the teen from the downstairs exits. Both teens were treated at the scene and are okay.
Politics – Trump Officials consider funding reforms following natural disasters
Trump officials are considering reforms that would make it more difficult to qualify for federal disaster assistance. This reform would be put in place beginning this hurricane season.
By adding this reform, it would go along with President Trump’s official order to move away from giving the federal government the responsibility of disaster response and recovery and making it each state’s responsibility. A memo from a Trump appointee outlines recommendations to follow to reduce the amount of emergency declarations approved by the president. The memo also states reducing the amount of assistance in snow storms as well.
This proposal would drastically increase the qualification requirements to attain public assistance leading to extreme damage within communities trying to qualify. Natural disasters during their peak seasons would devastate many states not prepared to pay the bills for disaster recovery.