Newsbytes: Lockdown, Hurricane Matthew, Cancelled Visit to Paris, Arctic Bumblebee

By Staff Writers Jessica Jen & Bethany Woo

Local — Search for Suspects Causes a Four-School Lockdown
Brier Elementary, Warwick Elementary, Walters Junior High, and Kennedy High School were all under lockdown due to a police investigation of an armed robbery on October 7. The robbery occurred around 12:30 p.m. near Warwick Road and Darwin Drive. Students at Walter were released at 4:23 p.m. The other schools released their students at the regular time. Out of the four suspects, three have been taken into custody, while the fourth, a young woman, remains at large. The police ended their search for the last suspect at 8 p.m. There have been no reported injuries, and the police have yet to identify suspects.

National — Hurricane Matthew Works its Way Up the East Coast
Florida was spared a direct hit from Hurricane Matthew as the powerful storm churned past the state offshore. On October 7, the storm became a Category 2 Hurricane, and its winds reached up to 110 mph. Florida suffered from flooding, wind damage, and major power failures. The storm moved up the coast towards South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen announced a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. to protect citizens from a high tide expected at 1 a.m. In a statement to USA Today, Mullen said, “We do not want to deal with individuals who get themselves trapped out in this severe situation.”

International — Russia Backs out of Paris Visit
In response to French President François Hollande’s statement that Russia has committed war crimes against Syria, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called off a trip to Paris. The visit, originally scheduled for October 19, was supposed to recognize a Russian cultural center. Putin declined because Hollande apparently wanted the visit to be dedicated to Syria. Russia claimed its airstrikes are aimed at Syrian militant groups, although the city of Aleppo has suffered sustained damage. Putin’s cancellation reflected the growing gap between Russia and France, along with the rest of Europe.

Quirky — Arctic Bumblebee Helps with Climate Change Studies
A team of six scientists traveled about 1,000 miles along Alaska’s Dalton Highway to research changes in bumblebee populations. They caught bees with nets and recorded population numbers and behavior. The team particularly looked for the Arctic bumblebee (Bombus polaris) because it has a large habitat range and is adapted to the cold temperatures. Bumblebees are the only type of bee found in the Arctic Circle, so the researchers used this trip’s information as a basis for how competition and climate change affect them.

Photos Courtesy SF Chronicle, NBC News, DW.com, Sunrise Birding