On the night of February 25th, two teens, Thomas Grill and Molley Lanham, from Central Indiana were reported missing. The whereabouts of the two remained unknown until last Saturday when their bodies were found in a burned out Honda Civic. Detectives were later tipped off by multiple witnesses that 17 year old Connor Kerner had told them he had committed the crime. The detectives began their investigation on Kerner who immediately confessed by saying he had done something “really bad”. The murders were reportedly the result of a drug deal gone bad. Kerner admitted to shooting both of the teens after they tried to rob him, and then resorted beating Grill to death with a pipe wrench after he ran out of bullets. Kerner is being tried as an adult, and is currently being held in Porter County Jail without bond.

The importance of this article comes with the proximity of the crimes committed. Although I am not from the Central Indiana area there is a large percentage of students that are at Indiana State University. While there is a already a high crime rate in this area, this case shows that there needs to be action taken in order to prevent these crimes, as well as save lives. This should be an eye opener to all students that they can learn from, and prevent these kinds of things from happening to them.

One thing that this article could have done better is to interview more sources and include quotes from those sources. Although there are several quotes from the primary suspect, I feel that there could have been more of an impact made to readers had we heard from others who knew the victims.

On January 29th, actor Jussie Smollett filed a report with the Chicago Police Department over an alleged assault that took place against him. Smollett is an African American actor who stars on the popular TV series “Empire” and has been openly gay for several years now. After investigations on the police report filed by Smollett, it has been determined to be a hoax that was staged by the 36 year old actor. He reportedly paid two brothers $3,500 to stage a hate crime against him. The purpose was to boost Smollett’s career as he was unhappy with his compensation on “Empire”. He now faces legal charges for filing a false police report, a class four felony, and has also been removed from the cast of the remaining seasons of “Empire”.

I found this article to be interesting because of all the controversy that has taken place over past few years dealing with racial and hate crimes. While most major crimes that have been made aware to the public spread awareness about the movement to end such things, I find this story to take away from that movement. Smollett is a well known figure in pop culture that many have looked up to in the past, and faking a racially charged attack on himself for his own benefit may have cost him his entire career.

One thing that I wish this article had done differently is elaborate on just how this might effect this controversial subject that is currently present in America. While the article mainly focuses on the legal actions being taken against Smollett, I would challenge them to address the big picture in this situation.

As of February 6th, Indianapolis Priest David Marcotte has been suspended due to sexual abuse chargers dating back to 2016. Marcotte has been serving as the Chaplain at Roncolli High School in Indianapolis and formerly at the University of Indianapolis. These allegations have come just months after the release of over 20 priests who have been linked to charges including the sexual assault of a minor. Marcotte is named as one of the two priests in a single church who are guilty with as many as a dozen victims each. Since action was taken in early February, the chaplain has been removed from the staff of the high school and restricted from public ministry while the investigation continues.

This story is especially prominent among students from elementary school all the way through college. It seems as though new sexual assault cases are being released every week and the victims are consistently related to school as well as the church. My hope for sharing this is that it serves as a wake up call telling us that something needs to change, as well as an encouragement to speak up to anyone who might have fallen victim to this crime.

While this article does a good job of informing the reader of the actions taken the charges of Fr. David Marcotte. However the unanswered questions remain of what will happen as the investigation continues and the result if found guilty. While the focus is mainly set on the charges, more could have been shared about the investigation itself. However, because the sources interviewed came from within the school, they served as a good source of information.

After being recommended to dog owner Laura Freeman by her veterinarian, Hill Pet Nutrition’s Prescription diet resulted in the mysterious death of her four year old dog Mocha. The Texas resident started her dog on this diet after a visit from the vet’s office only to find that Mocha soon became lethargic, began vomiting constantly, and had diarrhea. Unaware of the reason this was happening, Freeman immediately checked her dog into an animal hospital where she expected Mocha to receive treatment that would cure her sickness. However she instead received a call around 1 a.m. with the sad news that her dog had passed due to an unexpected heart attack. The symptoms were later found to be from an excessive amount of Vitamin D in the dog food. Hill Pet Nutrition has since recalled the diet however it is too little too late for Laura Freeman who is now asking for a public apology as well as $3,000 compensated for medical bills.

The significance of this news story lies in the fact that it could have happened to any one of us. Although Hill Pet Nutrition was at fault for the incident, this can serve as a wake up call to pay attention to what we are feeding our pets. This goes to show that even if it is recommended by a professional, additional research can never hurt and maybe even save the lives of our beloved pets.

This article from the Providence Journal does a great job informing the readers of the issues that caused this tragic event. However one thing it did not include that I would have liked to see is the future actions that will be taken as a result of this. While we know that the company has since recalled it’s product and are being asked to compensate for the medical bills, how will they move past this to make sure that their products are safe in the future?

https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190205/dog-food-company-recalled-its-products-but-grieving-pet-owners-say-its-too-late

In early January of 2019, Pacers standout Victor Oladipo suffered a critical season ending injury when he ruptured his quadricept tendon during a home game. This gruesome injury means that Victor will be out indefinitely from what doctors say is worse than an ACL tear. Indiana fans are no strangers to dealing with the extreme injuries of their star players. In 2014, all-star Paul George suffered a broken leg during a Team USA scrimmage that left his bare bone exposed to all those who witnessed it. In response to this the Pacers held #Together4Vic night for their home game verses the Warriors in which they gave everyone in attendance a t-shirt with the hashtag on it. Not only has Victor received immense support from the fans, but from players all around the league as well. Immediately after his injuries players from around the league shared tweets wishing for a speedy recovery. Warriors players such as Quinn Cook and Demarcus Cousins even sported the #Together4Vic shirt last night during warm ups. Although Oladipo will miss the rest of this season, it is safe to say that the whole NBA is behind him.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2019/01/28/indiana-pacers-since-victor-oladipo-suffered-his-season-ending-knee-injury-so-far-no-good/2699193002/

‘Together 4 Vic’: Pacers to hand out shirts supporting injured star Victor Oladipo for Monday’s game

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton