Wednesday News Rundown (11-19-14)

By Emily Parma
Assistant Web Content Manager

State District Judge Bert Richardson has denied a defense motion to have two felony charges dismissed against outgoing Gov. Rick Perry. Perry argued that the allegation should have been voided over questions regarding the validity of the oath of office taken by the special prosecutor in the case, Michael McCrum, stating that he incorrectly took the oath of office when McCrum was sworn in as a special prosecutor in 2013. The district judge disagreed and concluded that McCrum’s lack of signature on the paper doesn’t invalidate his pledge.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency, anticipating unrest in the ruling of the Michael Brown shooting. Ferguson school districts have also taken measures to ensure the safety of their students. Ferguson school superintendents wrote to city officials and authorities that they want the decision of the St. Louis County Grand Jury to occur either during the evening or this weekend. The superintendents also wrote to parents asking them to take their children out of school if the decision is announced during the day. The St. Louis court has until January to determine if Officer Darren Wilson should stand trial for the shooting of Michael Brown.

The Bobcat Rally that occurred earlier this afternoon was a spotlight event featuring Texas State Football Coach Fran and the Student Government. Athletics Liaison and Computer Information Major Dominique Jackson was able to give insight on the importance of tomorrow’s game and said bobcats should be ready to bundle up.

Tomorrow’s Texas State football game against Arkansas State will be the final home game of the season and will take place at 8:30 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium. The Student Government and the Athletics Department are also trying to ensure the stadium is packed tomorrow night.

The White House’s most recent Facebook video has caught the eyes of Americans and has further perpetuated the conversation of immigration reform. In the video President Obama says that he will make a major announcement tomorrow evening in regards to the steps he can take to fix America’s broken immigration system. According to the Washington Post, it’s speculated that Obama will provide temporary protections for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants. The breakdown will include up to 4 million being eligible for temporary protective status and the remaining million will acquire relief through other means.

According to CNN, at least six deaths have been caused by the snowstorm in the north eastern United States. It has been a week of snowstorms and record-low temperatures all over the U.S. The National Weather Service reported that all 50 states registered temperatures below freezing Tuesday morning and 50 percent of the nation had snow on the ground. The cause of this mayhem is the arctic air pouring over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, which is producing extreme lake effect snows.

Texas State students and faculty are invited to Thanksgiving lunch Friday. The International and Student Affairs offices are hosting their annual Thanksgiving lunch. The event is held in recognition of International Education Week where the school recognizes its global citizens that choose to get their education at Texas State.

International Office Coordinator, Julie Rodriguez said the event also lets international students experience how the American holiday is celebrated. Rodriguez said that every student is an international student to someone and it’s important that they get to know each other and gain a global perspective. Lunch will be served in the LBJ Ballroom Friday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. All Texas State students and faculty are welcome but must RSVP online.