Welcome back, Panthers! As everyone is getting back into the swing of school, we are getting back into the swing of KICs. This week includes a collapsed temple in India trapping up to 25 people, the Maui wildfires becoming the deadliest fires in 100 years, Atlanta schools establishing a new speed camera for school zones, a man arrested for home invasion, and Trump canceling his press conference in Georgia.
World – Collapsed temple in India traps up to 25 people
Early Monday morning, a temple in New Delhi, India, collapsed due to extreme flooding. Located in the state capital Shimla, the collapse killed nine and left around 25 others trapped within the debris.
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Local officials have been actively searching and clearing debris. Five people so far have been rescued. However, 20 to 25 people remain trapped. All bodies of the deceased have been recovered and aid is being provided to all rescued.
Monsoon season this year has devastated Himachal Pradesh, with over 30 lives lost in July due to landslides and flash floods. Scientists have predicted that climate change is the leading cause of the significant monsoon season India is facing this year.
National – Maui fires deadliest wildfires in U.S. history in more than 100 years
Only a quarter of the areas burned in the Maui wildfires have been searched. Ninety-nine people were confirmed dead as of last weekend. As they continue to search the burned areas, the death toll is predicted to double. The Maui wildfires have been the deadliest fires in U.S. history in more than a century.
The strong winds caused the fire to spread erratically and burn down homes and businesses. Many had to quickly flee their homes and businesses leaving their possessions and lives behind. It is unclear how many people are unaccounted for since communication has been down.
Anyone who has been injured is currently getting treated, and shelters are opening to house people who lost their homes in the fire. Only 25% of the burned areas have been searched, but authorities hope to get to 80% or 90% by the weekend with the growing search parties.
State – Atlanta schools adding new speed cameras in school zones
Atlanta schools are establishing a new speed limit system to keep the children who go to school safe. The speed system will be launched at R.N. Fickett Elementary, Burgess-Peterson Academy, and Drew Charter Schools first.
Starting Friday, anyone over the speed limit will only get warnings for the next 30 days. Beginning on September 18, people caught going 10 miles per hour or over will get a ticket in the mail. The first offense will be fined $75 and other offenses will be set back to $125.
The safety cameras will operate when the beacons are flashing. The cameras will not cost the school districts that have these new speeding cameras.
Local – Man arrested for home invasion and violations
At 4:50 a.m. Wednesday morning, the residents of Stillbrook Estates woke to doorbell cameras and car alarms going off. The residents called 911 to report a home invasion in the neighborhood.
The cameras picked up an armed man driving around the neighborhood lurking into people’s cars and going inside an unlocked home. According to the Fayette County Sheriff, the man has stolen personal belongings along with stealing a Kia and driving it around. The man, Jayziah Jones, has been tracked by a K9 dog and found inside one of the residents’ houses.
Jones is currently being held at Fayette County Jail and is being charged with multiple felonies and violations of home invasion. The Stillbrook Estates neighborhood is currently under a watch program to reassure the safety of the residents.
Politics – Trump cancels press conference in Georgia
Donald Trump has called off his conference meeting in Georgia. In the conference meeting, he planned on clearing his name in the criminal case over his strive to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.
The former president and all 18 of his allies were accused on Monday of running a crime ring. The attempt was to frustrate the will of the people of the United States and keep Donald Trump in power.
While this is happening, in Donald Trump’s federal criminal case where he attempted to overturn the 2020 election, his legal team is trying to convince him to just wait on the trial. Trump’s lawyers asked Judge Tanya Chutkan for the trial to happen in April of 2026, over two years away from the original date. This will be well after the 2024 election and allow him to still run for president.