News Roundup 11/30/19


Teen Killed In Her Own Car

On Tuesday, a nineteen year old girl, Annalysa McMillan, was killed while driving due to a shot in her back from an AR-15 rifle. The gun was in the hands of Austin Smith, a twenty-two year old passenger in her vehicle. McMillan was unresponsive when officers reached the site of the shooting and she was later pronounced as dead at Marion General Hospital. The shooter, Smith, has since been taken into custody and has been charged with reckless homicide and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. It is not public information in regards to what legal action Smith is taking while being held on bond and if he has a lawyer currently.

SourceCNN

Hospital Boarding

Hospitals have been using the method of boarding for years now as a means to alleviate overcrowding, but it may be more dangerous than patients realize. It has been reported that in 2016, two-thirds of hospitals were boarding patients. Patients are boarded for an average of two hours, but that time can double. One patient waited 47 hours in the ER before a spot was available. Boarding can lead to delirium which causes confusion and disorientation in a person. Boarding has also become a huge factor in hospital overcrowding recently and shows no signs of coming to an end. 

SourceNPR

Decline In Black Friday

Recently, there has been a declining interest in Black Friday, resulting in only 36% of people saying they planned on doing their holiday shopping during Black Friday this year, compared to 51% of people planning to go in 2016. With stores taking to the internet to have their annual sales, the public feels no need to go out and fight through crowds to get a good deal when they can do it from the comfort of their own home. Stores have since tried to make Black Friday a better experience, but it does not seem to be working. Black Friday has some competition with brands pushing their sales out earlier in November and with the rise of Prime Day and Cyber Monday. 

Source: NPR

Tragedy Over The Holiday
This Thanksgiving weekend, the United States was hit with a huge storm across the country. The harsh weather has resulted in some deaths, as well as missing persons cases. In Arizona, two children were found dead while another is missing due to their car being swept away during the heavy storm. On Saturday, two more children and two adults were rescued from an accident in Phoenix, but details of age have been left out. In South Dakota, another death has been reported due to the storm as well. Officials are now asking residents to be patient in the clearing of snow from streets as a way to prevent even more deaths this holiday season. 

SourceAP News

New Jersey Prolonging Statute of Limitations

This Sunday, a new law will take effect in New Jersey allowing sexual abuse victims to sue up until the age of 55, or within 7 years of them first taking action. This new law has created hope in victims across New Jersey due to the statute of limitations only being two years prior to this recent law. Construction worker, Dennis Bachman, age 40, plans on taking action against a female guidance counselor who sexually abused him at a juvenile home. Bachman says this new law will give him a chance to make things right in his life and help him move on in life.

Source: AP News