Daily News Recap (3-13-15)

Compiled by Holly Henrichsen
Assistant Web Content Manager

North Korea fired seven ground-to-air missiles into the sea yesterday, said South Korean officials. According to BBC News, officials released a statement this morning saying the missiles were fired from from North Korea’s western coast and landed in the east coast. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was present during the launch. Tensions surge between the two Koreas during these annual exercises. The missile launch came at a time as North and South Korea are involved in a row over wages at their jointly ran industrial zone. The two Koreas are technically still at war as the 1950-1953 conflict ended with a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
-Chelsea Seifert

An American health care worker who came down with Ebola while volunteering in West Africa has arrived today at a National Institutes of Health hospital in Maryland for treatment. According to CNN, the patient flew to the U.S on a chartered aircraft from Sierra Leone where the person tested positive for the Ebola while volunteering at the treatment center. NIH is one of four hospitals in the U.S. to have biocontainment units and has been practicing for years to handle highly infectious diseases like Ebola. The patient is said to be in critical condition and details of the patient’s identity have not yet been released.
-Marques Mingo

Five theatre students from Texas State University have advanced as national finalists in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival program. This will be the fifth year in a row that the university’s theatre program has produced at least three Kennedy Center finalists. Some finalists include Joel Britt for his lighting design in Rent, Shelby Acosta as musical initiative regional winner, and Jordan Morille for Norma’s Rent. This years national festival will take place April 13th to April 18th at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
-Marques Mingo

Skipping school is out of control as Texas leads the nation in number of truancy cases. According to KVUE, Texas Supreme court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht believes the problem has gotten out of hand. A report from the watchdog group Texas Appleseed say that the state filed around 115,000 students with criminal truancy cases and 80,000 cases that included the parents contribution to truancy in 2013. That is twice the number prosecuted in all other states combined. Texas Appleseed attorney Mary Mergler said a lot of judges recommend repeating cases to just drop out and get a GED to avoid more truancy cases. Hecht wants a truancy reform and has asked state lawmakers at Texas Capitol to pass legislation to decriminalize truancy. Lawmakers have filed 20 bills this session in an attempt to address the issue.
-Amber Craddieth

Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations will close East San Antonio Street beginning early on March 17th through 2 am March 18th. The closure will include East San Antonio from LBJ drive and extend to the alley behind Sean Patrick’s.
-Amber Craddieth