Panthers, the first semester of the 2021 school year is coming to an end. Before we can enjoy holiday break and spending time with family, it is time to prepare for our dreaded exams. Take a break from studying and check out this week’s KICs, where we discuss weekly news. Read about the new strand of Covid-19, a dangerous ammonia leak, a gun threat, the death of a Rocky Mountain park ranger, and     

December 6 – New virus worse than COVID-19

A scientist Monday morning announced that the next pandemic could be worse than COVID-19. Professor Sarah Gilbert, who developed an effective COVID-19 vaccine, is worried that it may cause some threats in the future.  

Gilbert worries that the next strain could be more lethal than the original Coronavirus. The beginning of 2021, President Joe Biden sent over 60 million vaccine doses to other countries outside of the U.S. Coronavirus has killed over 5 million people including 800,000 in America. 

Omicron is the newest strain to surface. So far, it has been detected in 16 U.S. states and other countries. People who are vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccines have less chance of getting the Omicron virus.

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December 7 – Ammonia leak in Edgewood on Monday

On Monday In Edgewood there was an ammonia leak in a building that used to be a bakery at one point. Atlanta Fire Rescue moved the business out of the building and is now working on removing the leak. 

Over 40,000 pounds of ammonia leaked, forcing eight workers to evacuate. None were injured. Firefighters sprayed water onto the building until the crew could get inside and turn off the valves. 

Citizens who live nearby the incident got an emergency alert asking them to shelter in a safe place. Multiple people called complaining about a strong odor in the area. People who have lived by the factory for many years say this is not the first leak that has happened.  

December 8 – Madras Middle School student removed from class after gun threat 

On Tuesday afternoon right before dismissal, a student at Madras Middle School threatened to bring a gun to school and burn someone alive. Several other students heard the threats being made while doing a question-and-answer challenge. After being removed from the classroom, the student was searched, and no gun was found.

After the accident, the principal sent home a letter urging parents to have talks with their kids about the seriousness of these types of threats, and how quickly harmless comments can turn into false rumors. 

According to the letter, appropriate legal and disciplinary action is going to be taken against the student. 

December 9 – Rocky Mountain park ranger shot

Wednesday morning saw a shooting in Rocky Mountain National Park. Public affairs officer Kyle Patterson did not reveal the identity of the victim, but did confirm that the victim was alive.

After coming into contact and being shot while proceeding a vehicular chase, the ranger was saved by his ballistic vest and was not seriously injured. The initial cause of the chase is not known.

Two suspects were identified. One is in custody. The other has been hospitalized after being shot by the ranger. The FBI is currently investigating this case.

December 10 – Texas Supreme Court continues abortion law but says providers can sue

On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court left in place a law that bans an abortion after the first six weeks of pregnancy. However, the law can still be taken to federal court by abortion providers.

Although this is a small win for abortion providers, the court did limit which state officials the providers are allowed to sue, which narrows the providers’ opportunity to resume abortion services after the sixth week of pregnancy. On the other hand, pro-life citizens of Texas celebrated this continued law and maintained their support of the ban as the legal action moved back down to lower courts.

As the abortion ban continues and lawsuits against it proceed, so does the seemingly never-ending political struggle.