Campus in the Fall | Photo by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
From local happenings to national topics and global events, here is the news worth knowing from the week of Sept. 2, 2024.
Local
22 Ohio counties declared natural disaster areas due to drought
On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 22 Ohio counties as natural disaster areas due to drought, according to the Associated Press. Most Ohio counties are experiencing abnormally dry conditions this summer, with those in the state’s southeast being the hardest hit.
The counties in the declaration include Athens, Belmont, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Vinton and Washington.
National
Shooting at Georgia High School
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, a 14-year-old student opened fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, GA, killing four people, according to the Associated Press. The dead were identified as two students and two teachers.
At least nine other people — eight students and one teacher — were taken to hospitals with injuries. All were expected to survive, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said.
Two school resource officers encountered the shooter within minutes after a report of shots fired. The suspect, a student at the school, immediately surrendered and was taken into custody.
The FBI interviewed the suspect in May 2023 after receiving tips about online threats to commit an unspecified school shooting. The FBi found no probable cause for arrest and referred the case to the local sheriff.
Global
Ugandan Olympic athlete dies after being attacked
On Thursday, Sept. 5, Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei died at a Kenyan hospital where she was being treated for burns after being attacked by her partner, according to the Associated Press. 80% of her body was covered in burns. She was 33.
Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics. She finished in 44th place.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, told journalists that he hoped to get justice.
“As it is now, the criminal who harmed my daughter is a murderer and I am yet to see what the security officials are doing,” her father said. “He is still free and might even flee.”
