Campus | Photo by Arden Reimer | The Wright State Guardian
From local happenings to national topics and global events, here is the news worth knowing for the week of Feb. 20, 2023.
Local
Following the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has emergency teams put in place and is monitoring the situation.
“Governor DeWine sent a letter to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requesting that they immediately send medical experts to East Palestine to evaluate and counsel members of the community who have questions and/or are experiencing symptoms,” a Feb. 16 press release from the governor’s office states.
National
President comments on balloons in American airspace
President Joseph Biden addressed the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) striking down suspicious Chinese high-altitude balloons from United States and Canadian airspace.
“At [NORAD’s] recommendation, I gave the order to take down these three objects due to hazards to civilian commercial air traffic and because we could not rule out the surveillance risk of sensitive facilities,” the president said.
Michigan State University shooting
On Feb. 13 at Michigan State University, an active shooter killed three students and injured five others. Police identified the three victims as Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner. The Michigan State University Police announced in a news release that the shooter died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer addressed the shooting via Twitter.
“The time for thoughts and prayers is over. We are in a unique position to take action and save lives. And that’s exactly what we are going to do in the weeks ahead,” Whitmer wrote.
Galactic
According to a Feb. 13 press release from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA approved the crew for the second mission of Axiom Space, Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2).
“Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend 10 days aboard the orbiting laboratory implementing a full mission of science, outreach and commercial activities,” the press release detailed.
The launch is likely to take place in Spring 2023 and last around 10 days.
