News Roundup 10/09/2017
By Andy Gutierrez
1. Destructive Fires in Northern California:
Multiple wildfires in Northern California have destroyed 1,500 houses and structures and killed at least 10 people. The fires have burned a combined 57,000 acres and caused 20,000 people to evacuate as of Monday evening. The fire has devastated large parts of Santa Rosa, California, forcing the evacuations of nearby hospitals and are threatening Napa Valley vineyards. Gov. Jerry Brown has issued a state of emergency and activated the national guard, which are assisting in the fire fighting and medical efforts. Officials have not determined the cause of the fires, but credit the dry brush and strong wind for the rapid spread of the flames.
Source: CNN
2. Wild Fire in Southern California:
A fire officials are calling the Canyon Fire Number 2 in the Anaheim Hills has destroyed 24 structures and has burned 6,000 acres as of Monday night. The fire began around 9:40 a.m. Monday and began to spread across the 91 freeway and burn the hillside fueled by strong winds. This fire has put a strain on the state’s firefighting resources as multiple fires are still burning in Northern California. Over 5,000 homes were evacuated by fire officials from three separate cities as flames spread rapidly. Smoke and ash quickly spread to neighboring cities and officials urged people to stay inside due to bad air quality. The fire has caused many local schools and parks to shut down as around 1,000 firefighters attempt to extinguish the blaze.
Source: LA Times
3. Termination of Climate Plan:
On Monday the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, announced new rules that would end the Clean Power Plan that was put in place during the Obama administration. Pruitt and a group of attorney generals have been fighting the plan, which regulates carbon emissions from coal burning power plants since 2014. Pruitt blames the plan for declining employment rates in the coal industry and denies that coal contributes to climate change. The new rule will take time to be finalized, and will face challenges as many environmental groups and states are vowing to fight it.
Source: AP News
4. Tropical Storm Forming:
Tropical Storm Ophelia is now forming in the Atlantic Ocean and is the 15th named storm of a busy season. Meteorologists say that the storm is not threatening any islands and predict that the storm will not make landfall. The National Hurricane Center said that the storm is creating winds up to 40 mph and that the storm is 860 miles away from the closest island. Tropical Storm Ophelia is expected to gain strength and to become a hurricane by Friday. This hurricane season is slated to break the record for the most consecutive named storms in one season.
Source: CNN
5. Texas Tech Shooting:
A campus police officer at Texas Tech University was shot and killed on Monday. A statement released by the university said campus police did a welfare check on a student and found the room littered with evidence of drugs. They took the suspect to the campus police station where officials say the suspect took out a gun and fired at an officer, killing him. The suspect fled on foot and the campus was placed on lockdown as officers searched for the suspect. The suspect was found and arrested a short time later and the lockdown was lifted. Campus officials later identified the suspect as 19-year-old Hollis Daniels.
Source: AP News