The top six stories happening locally, nationally and internationally

Moorhead man sentenced in young man’s death over marijuana dispute

On Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, Jonathan Hunt, 33, pleaded guilty to committing the aggravated assault and terrorizing of 18-year-old Cameron Caleb Camacho on Aug. 4, 2020. The assault that occurred in the driveway of an apartment complex over the price of marijuana resulted in Camacho’s death the following day.

Hunt is the last of two men to be connected to the assault.

A criminal complaint indicated that Hunt brought the bat, a possible contributor to the young man’s death, when Larry Darnell Evans and his brothers called for backup. Whether or not Hunt used the bat on Camacho is also unclear.

Previously, attorneys disagreed on Hunt’s presence during the time of the assault. However, it is known that Hunt smashed the windows of Camacho’s pickup as he was fleeing the fight, prosecutors said. Evans punched Camacho several times, while Hunt assaulted another individual that was involved.

Sanford health faces extreme increase of hospitalizations in North Dakota

As of Monday, Aug. 30, the state of North Dakota hospitalized 128 people leaving only 12% staffed hospital beds left for the entire state.

“The real problem right now is not actually the COVID-19 pandemic, which is basically preventable at this point in time, but it’s actually the pandemic of misinformation,” Dr. Avish Nagpal, who is an infectious diseases specialist at Sanford Health told Inforum.

Currently, nine patients in the ICU are on ventilators, but even non-ICU patients can have life-changing complications from COVID-19 such as kidney failure, blood clots and strokes.

Of the people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 at Sanford, 95% of them are unvaccinated. A total of .036 percent of fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 according to Inforum.

Manitoba provides improvement funds to International Peace Garden

“Thanks to this public commitment, the next 90 years of the International Peace Gardens are already beginning to bloom,” Tim Chapman, Peace Garden CEO said in a statement.

According to the Bismarck Tribune, Manitoba plans to provide $7.5 million in a match with North Dakota to fund improvements at the International Peace Garden.

While some representatives blasted the state funding as “wasteful” and ripping the ND taxpayer off back in 2019, others say it “is more than just a greenhouse,” and acts as a venue for international meetings as well as “a world-class collection” of cacti and succulents.

Hurricane Ida left all of New Orleans without power

Hurricane Ida made landfall Sunday, Aug. 29, as a Category 4 hurricane. According to PowerOutage.us, over 1 million people were left without electricity in the state of Louisiana. Including the entire city of New Orleans. Currently, there are still 985,494 residents in Louisiana that don’t have power.

Hurricane Ida made landfall on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina which caused 1,800 deaths and caused over $185 billion in damages. The current death toll for Hurricane Ida is six, as of Wednesday, Sept. 1, but is expected to rise.

The Louisiana National Guard have activated and mobilized 4,900 troops and secured 195 high-water vehicles, 73 rescue boats and 34 helicopters to aid in evacuation efforts.

The National Weather Service issued heat advisories in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi for Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach 105 degrees in some areas. With many residents still without power, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has mobilized 70 city buses for mobile cooling stations, as well as, opening other cooling centers around the city. The city has also opened sites where residents can charge cellphones and receive bottled water. Meal distribution sites are also being developed to provide residents with food after the storm.

Restrictive abortion bill takes effect in Texas

Texas Senate Bill 8 went into effect on Sept. 1. The bill is one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the country, banning abortions as early as six weeks. The bill was passed by the Texas State Legislature on May 19. The bill bans any abortions after a fetal heartbeat is able to be detected on an ultrasound.

Besides banning abortions when a heartbeat is detectable, the bill also allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or any other party that aids a woman in getting an abortion. According to a story from NPR, this could include giving a woman a ride to a clinic or providing financial assistance. If providers are found guilty, the plaintiff is entitled to a minimum of $10,000.

The U.S. Supreme Court did not take action on the emergency request by Texas abortion providers. This allowed the law to take effect in Texas at midnight on Sept. 1.

Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, has said that centers will remain open and will help women navigate the new law.

“To be clear: Planned Parenthood health centers remain open, and we are here to help Texans navigate this dangerous law. We will continue to fight in the courts for abortion rights and access,” McGill Johnson said on Twitter on Sept. 1.

Afghanistan war has officially ended

The U.S. military presence in Afghanistan has officially ended. The last plane left the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 30. This ends the 20 year-long war in Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history.

 As the U.S. began its withdrawal of troops in the country in July the Taliban began retaking cities across the country. By Aug. 15, the Taliban had taken control of the country’s capital Kabul and declared themselves the ruling government.

The Taliban’s control over the country caused mass panic and tens of thousands of Afghans attempted to evacuate the country fearing strict Taliban rule.

On Aug. 26, a suicide attack executed by ISIS-K killed almost 200 people, including 13 U.S. service members. The attacks took place at the Kabul airport and a nearby hotel.

The next day, the U.S. approved a drone strike to prevent a planned ISIS-K attack. The drone strike also killed 10 Afghan civilians.

With U.S. forces now completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, it is estimated there are less than 200 Americans in the country and thousands of vulnerable Afghans.

At the end of the 20-year war, around 2,500 U.S. service members and over 200,000 Afghans were killed.