Thursday News Rundown (11-14-2014)

By Nestor Vazquez
News Web Editor

Texas State’s Recycling Department has cancelled the Texas Recycles Day Celebration scheduled for tomorrow due to the cold weather. A later date is expected to be announced but no further information has been given.

The family of Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of Ebola in a Dallas hospital, has reached a confidential settlement with Texas Health resources. USA Today reports the settlement includes the creation of a memorial fund in Duncan’s honor to help Ebola victims in West Africa. The fund will be run by Duncan’s family and Texas Health Resource. The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas will also pay the family an undisclosed sum that will cover Duncan’s medical bills and provide security for Duncan’s children.

With the Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral a couple months ago, San Marcos has decided to start it’s own local challenge to help clean up the city. The City of San Marcos and Texas State University are partnering up for the #challengeSMTX contest to help pick up trash. The challenge requires you to take a picture or video of yourself picking up trash and posting it on social media with the hashtag “Challenge SMTX.” When you post it, you challenge someone else to post a picture or video of them picking up trash as well. Texas State and the city hope to increase litter control.

Heads are turned to the sky as a 10 year space mission continues to develop data. Rosetta, an unmanned spacecraft launched by the European Space Agency, began its mission 10 years ago when it left Earth to visit a nearby comet. Back in August, Rosetta reached the comet, called 67P, and began its 17 month orbital mission to capture photographs and data. Yesterday, the spacecraft made its first successful landing on the comet. According to CNN, this is the first time a spacecraft has ever made contact with a comet, and according to details on ESA’s Rosetta website, sensors on the lander will measure the density and thermal properties of the surface, gas analyzers will help detect and identify any complex organic chemicals that might be present, while other tests will measure the magnetic field and interaction between the comet and solar wind.