INTERNATIONAL: ACTIVE VOLCANO FORCES THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE
An active volcano is putting people in the Albay province of the Philippines on edge after ash erupted from Mount Mayon on Monday. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has since raised its alert level to four out of five.
“The evacuation has been ongoing since [the volcano] started showing signs of instability,” Mark Dambal, information officer at the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense, said in an interview with CNN. “Because of the volcanic activity, the danger zone was extended from six kilometers to eight kilometers [from the volcanic summit].”
Dambal says that around 24,000 people have been moved to evacuation centers while another 3,100 have moved to stay with relatives and friends.
According to CNN, the agency’s director, Renato Solidum, has warned residents that this eruption could be similar to that of 2001 which included a pyroclastic flow.
NATIONAL: ONE INJURED IN TEXAS SHOOTING
A 16-year-old boy opened fire at Italy High School in Texas Monday morning causing a 15-year-old girl to be airlifted to the hospital. The suspect has since been taken into custody.
According to Ellis County Sheriff Charles Edge, police responded to a call of a shooting in the cafeteria at Italy High School.
“The male student engaged the victim in the cafeteria and fired several shots,” Edge said. The weapon, a semi-automatic handgun, “was recovered at the scene and is in evidence,” he added.
In an interview with Fox News, Italy High student Cassie Shook said that she has complained about the suspect who has not been named for his behavior. She said that he allegedly made a “hit list” in eighth grade with her name on it.
Ellis County authorities do not know the motive of the attack nor if the 15-year-old girl was a target.
LOCAL: MOTORCYCLIST INVOLVED IN FATAL ACCIDENT IDENTIFIED
On Saturday morning, a motorcyclist was killed in an accident when he crashed into an ambulance. The 50-year-old man has been identified as Kenneth Dixon of Sun Valley.
Reno Police say that Dixon was riding his motorcycle westbound on North McCarran on US-395 when he collided with a REMSA Paramedic Ambulance. The ambulance was responding to a call when entering the intersection of North McCarran and the Southbound 395 off-ramp.
Dixon was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead from injuries.
Although the investigation is ongoing, the Reno Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team say that neither speed nor impairment appears to be the cause.
Karolina Rivas can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @karolinarrivas.
