Local

Know: Child Development classes started a Diaper Drive, Feb. 1. The drive will continue until Feb. 28.

Inform: When students in Child Development classes wanted to give back to the community, they decided to host a Diaper Drive. The drive is open to the whole school, and teachers Diane Lucas, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Lauren Schoellhorn, social studies, are hosting individual class competitions. The donated diapers will go to the St. Louis Diaper Bank. Child Development students have collected around five thousand diapers.

Care: One in three families struggle with providing diapers for their children. By collecting and donating a basic necessity for families, students are able to give back to the community.

National

Know: A tourist helicopter crashed into the Grand Canyon, killing three and injuring four passengers from the United Kingdom, Feb. 10.

Inform: The accident took place around 5:20 p.m. when the aircraft fell down between the mountains of the Hualapai Nation near the Quartermaster Canyon. Responders sent the four survivors to a nearby hospital in Nevada as Level I trauma patients with life threatening injuries. According to Police Chief Francis E. Bradley Sr. of the Hualapai Reservation, first responders had issues getting to the four survivors, including the pilot, due to windy, dark and rugged conditions. While authorities haven’t released the names of the victims of the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Officials publicly identified the deceased victims as 27 year-old Becky Dobson, 32 year-old Jason Hill and 30 year-old Stuart Hill. The pilot Scott Booth, 42; Ellie Milward, 29; Jonathan Udall, 32 and Jennifer Barham, 39 survived the crash.

Care: Every year Papillon, the world’s largest aerial sightseeing company, ferries 600,000 people on helicopter and other aerial tours. While the company claims they abide to the flight safety rules and regulations set by the FAA, investigators are looking more into what exactly happened. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the U.S. more than 1,766 people die each year from occupational transportation accidents. That is more than 38 percent of the annual total of occupational fatalities. Since crashes happen all of the time, it is important to take caution and know more about the company prior to boarding.  

International 

Know: The 2018 Winter Olympics began in Pyeongchang, South Korea with an opening ceremony, Feb. 8. Norway is currently leading the Olympics with a medal count of nine, with the United States taking in fifth having a medal count of four.

Inform: Snowboarder Red Gerard won the first gold medal for team U.S.A. at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 10. At only 17 years old, Gerard is the youngest American male athlete to win a gold at the Winter Olympics since 1928. American Snowboarder, Jamie Anderson won her second consecutive gold medal in slopestyle. U.S. figure skaters Adam Rippon, the first openly gay U.S. athlete to qualify for the Winter Olympics, and Mirai Nagasu, the first American woman to land a triple axel, brought home a bronze medal for team U.S.A. Despite being banned from competition for doping, 169 Russian athletes have been permitted to compete after passing drug screenings. After Semen Elistratov won Russia’s first medal of the Games for short-track speed skating, he dedicated his bronze to “all guys that have been excluded from these Games in such a hard and unfair way.” No country has won more Olympic medals in skating than Russia. Russian athletes are restricted from displaying the Russian flag, however that hasn’t stopped fans from cheering on their team. About 100 people cheered on Russian skaters with two dozen Russian flags, Feb. 12. Evgenia Medvedeva, a two-time world skating champion won the short program in the team competition at only 18 years-old, Feb. 12.

Care: The Greek Olympics began over 2,700 years ago in Olympia, Greece. Originally started by Greeks to honor their god Zeus, the modern Olympics have been adapted to unite all countries across the world. The start of the modern Olympic Games took place in Athens, Greece, it’s birthplace, April 6, 1986. The Games brought together athletes from 14 nations including Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain. The Olympics are growing in number of participating countries and events. While countries compete for their own medals, they also participate in the Olympics to better relations with other nations.