As Red Ribbon week wraps up around Fayette County schools, global politics are shifting and new revelations surrounding president John F. Kennedy’s assassination are coming to life. The JV football team here at Starr’s Mill finished the week by defeating region rival Whitewater High School 35-0. With this win, the JV team ended their season undefeated. As the Federal Aviation Administration considers banning laptops as carryons on airplanes, AP physics teacher Nicholas Gillies dressed up to cheer up his students before taking their forces test. One thing is for sure, the Prowler has the news.

Laptops: a new danger in the air (10/23)

A new international air safety panel has created a proposal for the banning of laptops as checked luggage on planes. It has been noted that overheating laptops, due to their highly flammable batteries, in checked baggage could cause significant fires in a cargo hold that the passengers on the plane would be unable to distinguish. These fires, as it is so blatantly stated in the proposal, could “lead to the loss of the aircraft.”

This ban will be considered by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which is part of the United Nations organization, at their next meeting this month. Should the organization pass this proposal, regulation will still be up to each individual nation as seen fit. If this proposal becomes a reality, passengers that previously placed their laptops in checked luggage have a simple solution: add them to carry-on luggage or leave them at home entirely.

Girl wins golf tournament but is denied trophy (10/24)

Junior Emily Nash posted the lowest score in the Central Massachusetts boys’ high school region’s golf tournament, but was denied a trophy. Despite winning by four strokes over Nico Ciolino, Nash was not awarded a trophy or even invited to the state championship. However, Nash’s score counted toward her team’s total.

This news caused former professional golfer Curtis Strange to react via tweeting “High school golfer not awarded first-place trophy – because she’s a girl… Really?” Tournament director Kevin Riordan stated he made Nash and her coach aware of the rule prior to the tournament. Ciolino offered his trophy to Nash, who declined to accept it.

Saudi Arabia decides to be normal (10/25)

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to return Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam, and is requesting support from the global community. Salman says that for the last 30 years the country has been abnormal, and he hopes to reverse this in the upcoming years. Salman believes the harsh policies that have governed Saudi Arabia were an irrational response to the Iranian Revolution, but hopes that leaders today can come up with a more logical solution.

Salman does not want to waste time making changings, stating that his government will set out to completely destroy extremists thoughts immediately. Throughout Salman’s rule, he has made many cultural and economic reforms that would have been unreachable a decade ago. Hopefully more changes will be soon to follow.

Kennedy files released at last (10/26)

It’s been 54 years since President John, F. Kennedy was assassinated in a parade in Dallas, Texas. On November 22, 1963, the 35th president of the United States was shot with two bullets, one through the neck, and another right on the head. Following the attack, the President was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he died. However, a great debate has arisen over the years on what really went down on that fateful November day. Now, President Trump has decided to put those rumors to rest by releasing thousands of documents the FBI has left hidden over the years.

President Trump released all kinds of primary sources from the assassination. While many theories have already been proven true and others proven wrong, the papers are still being read and it will take some time to work through all of them. Many were handwritten and some have to be put together to make connections and tie up loose ends. Even with the high amount of work released, not everything has been revealed. Trump plans on releasing even more files in April of next year.

Catalonia declares independence (10/27)

Today, the Catalan parliament voted on the matter of their independence from Spain. Seventy votes were in favor, ten against, and two were blank. The Catalonian people promptly began to celebrate in the streets, some crying for joy. Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont released his statement supporting this decision, calling upon his people to “keep to our values of pacifism and dignity.” It seems like everyone’s happy. Everyone except Spain, that is.

While the citizens of Catalonia began their celebrations, a majority of the Spanish senate gave the Spanish Prime Minister permission to fire Puigdemont and his entire cabinet. The Prime Minister described the vote as “illegal” and began to reassert Spanish control over the region. The prosecutor’s office of Spain declared that criminal charges would be brought against the Catalan cabinet as early as Monday.