A prison officer, Sgt. Montrez Lucas, has been charged with the death of inmate Frank Valdes. Valdes tried to fight with officers who tried to remove him from his cell, and Lucas has been charged with battery. The event took place at the Bradford County Prison near Stark, Florida. It took place Tuesday, November 2, 1999. The fight occured as Lucas and several other officers tried to remove Valdes from his cell against his will. Valdes was apparently battered severely, as all of his ribs were broken and there were boot marks all over his body.
Byron Uyesugi shot seven of his co-workers at a Xerox company. The crime took place in Honolulu, Hawaii. It happened the morning of Tuesday, November 2, 1999. It is believed that Uyesugi commited the crime as a result of his being fired from the company several days earlier. The crime is the largest mass murder in Hawaiian history. Honolulu residents are quite shaken by the tragedy.
Newnan's Lake is a wetland area that has been unprotected for some time. On Wednesday, a vote was made to offer more protection to the area. The St. Johns River Water Management District governing board bought up a section of the land known as Gum Root Swamp, which is located in Alachua County, Florida. The swamp had recently become choked with unwanted plant life and algae blooms, and runoff from nearby fertilized farmland is the main culprit. That will no longer be a problem now that the land is protected.
Several drug lords in Colombia set off a car bomb in a Bogota commercial district. The bomb killed at least eight people and injured more than 45 others. It also caused extensive property damage, demolishing a two-story house and a restaurant. The bomb was placed in a red Mazda sedan and is believed to have been detonated by remote control. The event took place Wednesday morning, November 10th. It is believed that the drug lords set off the bomb as a warning against extraditing them to the United States. The last time this kind of violence was seen was before the 1993 break-up of the Meddelin cartel. Colombians are hoping not to see a replay of the violence once caused by the Meddelin cartel.
Clair Lovelace, a 70-year-old former Marine who moved to the Lake City area six years ago enjoys his role as Santa Claus. Clair makes wooden toys that are donated to children who have little else. He wanders all about Columbia County as he fills his role. He starts his "job" about mid-November, and "goes back to the North Pole" on December 25th. When asked why he takes on this role, Clair says, "I tell you, this is something I enjoy doing so much, probably because I look back at Christmas as being some of the better times of my life."
Title: Thai Police Dump Rebel Bodies Outside Hospital
Who? Patients, visitors, and hospital staff in Thailand
What? They were being held as hostages, but were finally released today.
Where? Ratchaburi Provincial Hospital in western Thailand
When? They were taking hostage at dawn today (1/25/2000), and released several hours later.
Why? Police and army troops decided to raid the building shortly before dawn in order to kill 10 Myanmar insurgents (claiming to be from the ethnic rebel group "God's Army") who staged the takeover of the hospital and were holding the civilians hostage.
Title: Congress Weighs in on Elian's Case
Who? This article involved Congress and six-year old Elian Gonzalez.
What? A debate is taking place in Congress over claiming the boy as a US citizen or sending him back to his homeland.
Where? Washington, D.C., the state of Florida, and Cuba are all involved in this case.
When? This particular part of the debate is taking place on January 25, 2000.
Why? The debate is taking place in Congress in order to decide if the boy is a US citizen or if he should return to Cuba.
Title: Brrr...It's darn cold!
Who? This article involves The Oaks Mall and other Gainesville area stores.
What? There is a lack of heavy winter clothing in many stores.
Where? This takes place in Gainesville, FL and surrounding areas.
When? This takes place during the unexpected January cold snap.
Why? The cold snap was unexpected, so stores have been getting rid of their winter inventory and stocking up for spring.
Title: Germany Marks Holocaust Day
Who? This article involved Nobel Peace laureate Elie Wiesel.
What? Wiesel wanted Germany to ask the forgiveness of the Jews, and to build a memorial to Holocaust victims.
Where? They plan to build the memorial close to the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin.
When? Building of the memorial should begin in the middle of 2001.
Why? They are doing this in order to seek the Jews' forgiveness and to make a memorial to all those who died in the Holocaust.
Title: Sri Lankan Explosion kills 11
Who? This article involved eighty-four people injured by a parcel bomb.
What? A parcel bomb exploded today, killing 11 and injuring 73.
Where? The bomb exploded in an un-named Sri Lankan post office.
When? The explosion took place today, January 27, 2000.
Why? The bomb is suspected to have been sent by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is a separatist campaign, but since there is no evidence as of yet, reasons are unknown.