State News
The Michigan Farm Bureau and Michigan United Conservation club are two of the groups that are pushing for an open hunting season on Gray Wolves in the U.P. The wolves have recently been taken off the endangered species list for the Great Lakes region. The wolves have been attacking livestock of farmers throughout the U.P. Farmers are currently permitted to shoot the wolves if they are caught endangering the livestock, however some have argued that it is impractical and the farmers cannot keep watch at all times. The Humane Society of the United States and the Fund for Animals claims the hunt is recreational, unjustified killing. They would like to see the wolves put back on the endangered species list.
National News
A naked University of South Alabama freshman was shot and killed on Saturday, Oct. 6 while repeatedly attempting to threaten a campus police officer. Gilbert Thomas Collar, an 18-year-old freshman at the Mobile, Ala. campus, died of a single bullet wound to the chest by an unnamed officer, according to www.Reuters.com.The altercation began around 1:30 a.m., when Collar started banging on the window of the police station. When the officer responded, Collar was said to be in a ‘fighting position’ according to the article, and the officer drew his gun. The man continued to chase and harass the officer, who attempted to calm Collar a number of times prior to shooting. He died on the scene. An autopsy is scheduled to determine if Collar was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The campus officer responsible for the shooting has been put on paid administrative leave in the wake of the incident.
International News
Several paintings, which include the works of Picasso, Monet and Matisse, were stolen from a museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands during the early morning of Tuesday, Oct. 16. The Kunsthal museum was celebrating its 20th birthday. The museum does not have a collection of its own, and the art was exhibited in public for the first time. Charles Hill, a former Scotland Yard art detective, said the theft was well thought out and quickly executed, which would suggest the work of professionals. The museum’s security measures involve “technical security” at night, with camera surveillance and alarms instead of guards. Police arrived within five minutes of the alarm. While museum officials decline to comment on the value of the stolen works, experts say it could be up to hundreds of millions.
Weird News
A former McDonald’s owner in North Dakota sold a 20-year-old container of McJordan barbecue sauce for about $10,000. The sauce was used for a short time in the 1990s on the McJordan Burgers, named after basketball star Michael Jordan. After storing the sauce in his basement, Mort Bank decided to list it on eBay. The sauce sold for just under $10,000 on Monday, Oct. 25 to a buyer from Chicago. Bank said he has been selling McDonald’s memorabilia and other collector’s items on eBay for three years, but none of them had ever sold for as much money as the sauce.
