Warriors Headed To NBA Finals

By Brett Wilson

On May 30th the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder took part in an epic showdown to find out who would be in the NBA championship. The Warriors came out on top, with Steph Curry leading them having 36 points. It will be quite a match up as the Cavaliers come for revenge over the reigning champs.   

2 F/A 18’s Crash

By Brett Wilson

On the 26th of May two F/A 18 fighter jets crashed on the coast of North Carolina. There were four people rushed to the hospital, the coast guard told Fox news.

The jets reportedly had some sort of in flight trouble but the technicians are looking into it.

And the Winner of Season 10 is…

By Sandalie Gamage

Season 10 of The Voice was filled with aspiring new musicians who awed the crowds and wowed the judges. Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and Pharrell Williams were coaches for some great singers in this season.

The finals showcased Alisan Porter on Team Christina, Adam Wakefield on Team Blake, Hannah Huston on Team Pharrell, and Laith Al-Saadi on Team Adam. However, in the end there was only one winner.

Alison Porter, a mother of two, won this season, making Christina the first female coach to win. Alison took the crowds with her amazing voice and emotion put into her singing.

Calvin Harris Injured in a Car Accident

By Sandalie Gamage

Calvin Harris, 32, was injured in a car accident just last Friday. A Volkswagen Bug crashed into Harris’s SUV and it appears that he was lucky to have come out of it with minor injuries.

Harris was hospitalized in Burbank, California and was treated for facial lacerations. A rep for him said that he had been cleared to leave.

Stuck

By Sandalie Gamage

Bella was sitting on the floor in her room reading a book. (Yes, she was reading. No, she is not a nerd). She'd found the book the other day in a corner in the library. It looked like it hadn't been touched in ages. So, being the person she is, she had picked it up. There was no title, which was slightly weird, but she was pretty sure that there were tons of books without titles in the world.

Bella had taken the book home and started reading it just now. The book was really, really weird. The front pages were blank. No author. No copyright. Nothing. The page where the actual writing started was filled with strange words she had never seen or heard before. The odd thing was, she kept on reading it. She didn't know what she was reading, but something made her feel the need to keep reading.

Suddenly, a bright glow was coming from the book. Bella dropped the book and jumped back. The light seemed to grow hands and they twisted around her and pulled her into the book. She screamed, but she could not escape from the light´s vice like grip.  

Bella woke up to the sound of light rustling. She was in a dark place somewhere. She tried to feel around, but her hands didn't come in contact with anything. Bella stood up, or tried to at least. Something seemed to be pressing down on her from above. She was starting to get scared now. What was going on? She tried again to stand up, but to no avail.

Suddenly, a feeling of sheer horror took ahold of her. She realized something. She was stuck. Stuck in the book. The rustling, the darkness, the inability to get up. No one would know. But then what was outside?

Then, she heard the quiet laugh coming from above.

Donald Trump Slips VP Info

By Brett Wilson

Donald Trump has steamrolled every candidate in the GOP election, but now the big question is… Who will his running mate be? He has given some hints though. For example when he stated, “There are people I like, but I don’t think they like me because I have hit them hard”.

Thought candidates for this position are Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

“I don’t think that Marco Rubio, or John Kasich would even want to be affiliated with their former opponent, but I’m not sure about Scott Walker.” Said Frank Lofton, a Sierra Vista eighth grader.

Will Trump choose one of these political leaders, or throw another curveball at the United States of America.  

Queen Elizabeth ll Celebrates Her 90th Birthday

By Sandalie Gamage

Queen Elizabeth ll celebrated her 90th birthday on April 21. She is the longest reigning monarch in British history. The Queen was born in London in 1926 to King George VI and his wife, Elizabeth. She took the throne in 1952, at the age of 26, after her father passed away from lung cancer.

She is, alongside the title of Queen of England, Queen of Canada, New Zealand, the rest of the United Kingdom, Australia, and head of the Commonwealth. She has had four children, and has many grandchildren and great grandchildren. The next in line to her throne is Prince Charles, the Queen’s son.

A New Twist To Fairytales

By Sandalie Gamage

Cinder takes us into a future world, after the Fourth World War, where everything has a story behind it. Linh Cinder, the main character, lives life as a mechanic with her legal guardian, as her parents had died in a hover crash. However, there's a twist.

Cinder is a cyborg. She is different and people are frightened of them. Her stepmother, Adri, and her step sister Pearl hate her. Her only friend is an android named Iko. But then one person coming to get something fixed changes her life completely.

Read this story about a terrible plague, a ruthless queen, and explore the winding passages of a castle. This new version of Cinderella gives as a look into Linh Cinder's life as a cyborg and finding out that she isn't exactly who she thought she was. This book is the first of four in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Aliens: Are They More Than Just Stories?

By Sandalie Gamage

Aliens have been a controversial topic  for a very long time. There have been supposed sightings and more of odd beings and spaceships here on Earth. People have told the world that they have been abducted and taken onto an U.F.O. Of course, they could just be lying, but there are plenty of other pieces of evidence that prove that there could be life outside of Earth.

There are many theories about aliens and how they got to Earth, or why they came. In 1947, the Roswell Air Force Base told everyone that they found a metallic disc on a nearby ranch. However, soon after that, they changed that statement and said they’d found the remnants of a weather balloon. But before they could do that, many newspapers had written stories about an alien spaceship. People said that the weather balloon story was a cover-up, but there isn’t enough evidence to prove it was.

Another alien related topic is, of course, Area 51. There have been many stories that have been used as explanations for why the government won’t let anyone near Area 51, one of them including aliens. The base is supposed to have underground labs, an alien runway that appears and disappears, and research programs that are trying to reverse alien engineered technology. Two different former Area 51 workers claimed to have had contact and even worked alongside an alien named J-Rod. So Area 51 is known as huge government cover-up about aliens.

There is also a less believable conspiracy theory as well. This one says that almost all major government leaders aren’t what they say they are. People believe that they are actually an ancient reptilian race. A strange piece of evidence for that theory is when, during an interview, George Bush Senior’s eye flicked to the side and made a clicking noise. Of course, that could just been a coincidence that reptiles do that as well.

Though all these theories have many people that believe them, there is no solid evidence for them. As much as people want to believe them, they can’t technically be proved true. As of now, we are the only ones in a universe that is much bigger than we think. Of course, there may be life out there that we don’t know of. Our solar system alone hasn’t been entire explored, so what about all the other potential solar systems out there that could be more advanced than ours. They could know about us and be sending “people” to see Earth. But that is nothing more than a theory until proved otherwise.

The Beginning of the End

By Sandalie Gamage

Lights. Really bright lights. That’s all she saw. She fluttered her eyes open and sat up. The room she was in was dark, though she could’ve sworn there were blinding lights in every corner. She rubbed her eyes. Everything was hazy and she couldn’t remember how she got here.

She looked around the room, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. There was no light in the room except the dim glow from the lamp. She ran her hands up and down the walls, trying to find a way out. Nothing. She was stuck.

She ran her hands through her hair. Suddenly, something struck her. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened with horror. Who...who was she?

She racked her mind, trying to remember her name. Her family. Anything. But it was blank. A long moment of nothing before appearing in this room. What had happened? One minute she was somewhere, and now she was nowhere.

Footsteps. Then voices. Hushed whispers, so quiet she could have missed them if she breathed too loud.

“She’s in there,” one voice said.

“They’ve been preparing for her arrival for days,” a second voice replied.

Then a lock clicked. A door appeared in the solid wall before her and she stepped back. The light flooding from the room temporarily blinding her. She put her hand over her eyes.

“Awake? At last, we’ve been expecting you,” a gruff, yet somehow comforting, voice said.

She moved her hand off her face and looked up. A man stood before her, he looked like any other person on the street, yet there was something about him that didn’t seem right. She took another step back.

“It’s alright. They’re always scared when they get here,” he smiled and gestured for her to follow him.

A sudden thought dawned on her. Bright lights. Loss of memory. The way the man looked. She gasped, the blood draining from her face. “This...this is the end, isn’t it?”

The man chuckled. “Oh no. No, no, no. This, my dear, is only the beginning.”

Tragic Earthquake Shakes Ecuador

By Sandalie Gamage

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Ecuador this Saturday was one of their worst tragedies according to the state. More than 440 people were killed in the quake and at least 4,000 were injured.

The last earthquake that hit that hard was in 1987, and that was a 7.2, so less than

this one. Many people from neighboring countries have poured into Ecuador to help aid them in the search for more people and to help those that were injured.

As of now, the search will continue. This earthquake has shook Ecuador, but they are rising out of the rubble.  

Hundreds of Immigrants Killed in Shipwreck

By Sandalie Gamage

A shipwreck that happened in the Mediterranean left as many as 500 people dead. The wreck was one of the worst immigrant involved tragedies, which is following many recent tragic events happening all over the world.

Out of the many people on the boat, there were only 41 survivors- 37 men, 3 women, and a little 3 year old kid. The boat was driven by smugglers who tried to transfer the passengers onto an already crowded boat. As the transfers was happening, the larger boat capsized and it sank.  

The people that had not boarded the boat yet and some who had managed to to swim back to the boat survived. They drifted out at sea for as many as three days before rescuers came to help them.

The survivors were taken to a local stadium to wait while local authorities questioned them about the whole incident.  

The World's Beloved Prince Passes Away

By Sandalie Gamage

On Thursday, Prince was found dead in Paisley Park. He had been unwell a few days before that, but he had performed that very day and even had concerts this month. His death came as a shock to many people.

The police are trying to find out the cause for his death and an autopsy is scheduled for today. His friends said that he looked extremely tired a few days before he was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park.

The world lost a legend yesterday. He was famous for going out bare chested almost constantly and his sexuality. Prince will be missed and forever remembered.

Taylor Swift Taking a Break

By Sandalie Gamage

Superstar Taylor Swift is taking a break after 10 years of making music for her albums. Her latest album 1989 walked away leaving many fans in awe and many awards and nominations. Swift also did a tour for her album, which was a success and won an award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards too.

The 1989 era ended officially after the release of the New Romantics music video. Swift recently told reporters that she was taking some time off for herself. She told Vogue this, “Honestly, I never relax, and I’m excited about being able to relax for the first time in ten years.” In that time, she wants to be CPR certified, learn how to change a tire, and do the splits. She also hinted at wanting to create an affordable clothing line.

The break she is taking is well deserved, and though Swifties will be dying with the wait time, who knows? She’s always full of surprises, what with the albums and hairstyles. For now, she’s spending some time alone.

Groom Crashes Ferrari on Wedding Day

Humberto Reyes-Reid

A groom in the U.K. rented a Ferrari for his wedding day. “The car, which sells for a whopping $345,000, has a top speed of 210 mph and boasts a 0-to-60 acceleration in just three seconds”(TRIBUNE MEDIA WIRE). The groom got caught up in the heat of the moment and smashed into his friend's house.

His wife was riding shotgun during the crash, but luckily they came out unharmed. The one thing that was harmed was the groom's bank account, since he was charged for the damage.

Kobe Bryant Finishes Career With Stunning Victory

By Brett Wilson

Kobe Bryant entered the NBA as a 17 year old out of Lower Merion High School. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he won 5 championships. This season marks his 20th season in the NBA and with the Lakers. Bryant announced his retirement by saying, “This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodby.”

On April 13th, 2016 Kobe Bryant played his last NBA game. With their opponents being the Utah Jazz, the Lakers mission would be to give Kobe a proper send off. Bryant finished the game with 60 points leading the Lakers in a 101-96 victory over the Jazz in the Kobe Bryant finale. Lakers fans will forever remember the night of 4-13-16.

Trump's Campaign Manager Charged With Assault

By Brett Wilson

In Jupiter, Florida, republican candidate Donald Trump was walking through a crowd being followed by Michelle Fields, a former reporter. She was reportedly pushed out of the way my Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.In a gaggle on his private plane Tuesday afternoon, Trump told reporters that Lewandowski was a "fine person," and suggested he would not part ways with his campaign manager.(CNN politics)

Sanders Gaining On Clinton

By Brett Wilson

In the Presidential Election, democratic candidate Hillary Clinton started out with a huge lead on other democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.

“I think there could be a meltdown,” said David Woodard, a political science professor at Clemson University. “I think South Carolina could be very critical. If Bernie wins the first two, he might win here I wouldn’t be surprised if Bernie Sanders was able to knock her off here.”(thewashingtontimes)

(wikipedia)

Church In Flames

By Humberto Reyes-Reid

A church lights up in flames during the dead of night. The fire started at Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The church’s fire started in the third story at around 5:15 a.m. Monday, 28, 2016.

“Initial reports indicated people may be trapped inside the building, which fire officials later said was two stories”(KURZWEIL).  The church was not in use while the fire started, but a group of homeless people did occupy it. The homeless got out un scaved and it took 125 firefighters to put out the fire. There were no severe injuries, but the building took heavy burn damage.

Rain, Snow, and Thunderstorms to Southern California

By Humberto Reyes-Reid

On March 7, 2016 Southern California was given a powerful storm. The storm brought rain, snow, and thunderstorms which even caused some flash floods in certain parts of the areas.

The storm brewed up winds which could reach speeds at up to “70 mph and could produce hail”( Kurzweil).

“Snow was falling from heights of about 6,000 feet, with light snow falling as low as 4,000 feet”( Kurzweil). Sources say that residents were complaining that the snow had caused "white out" like conditions on roadways which prevented them from going anywhere.

Although this storm was incredibly dangerous, it did bring needed rain to California and was not as extreme in further areas of the region.

                                                                                                     (wikipedia)

Los Angeles Lakers Stun Golden State Warriors With Shut Out

By Brett Wilson

On the 6th of March, in the Staples Center, the Los Angeles Lakers shocked the whole NBA with a blowout win over the the best team in the league with a score of 112-95.

“Kobe kept us on our toes,” D’Angelo Russell said. “He was coaching us the whole game from the sideline. Metta (too) — they were doing a great job of coaching us on the sideline, telling us to push it when you got it, (saying) ’Don’t wait.’ It worked.” (Lakers.com)

The city of LA will be remembering this win for a long time.

(Flickr.com)

Mitt Romney Comes Out Against Trump

By Brett Wilson

Before the Republican debate on March 3rd former presidential candidate, Mitt Romney delivered a 15 minute speech on why Donald Trump would not be an effective president."Here's what I know: Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud," Romney said. "His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat."(CNN politics).

Trump fired back though,"That was a race, I have to say, folks, that should have been won ... I don't know what happened to him. He disappeared. He disappeared. And I wasn't happy about it, I'll be honest, because I am not a fan of Barack Obama, because I backed Mitt Romney -- I backed Mitt Romney. You can see how loyal he is."(CNN politics).

(youtube.com)

Ben Carson Drops out of Presidential Race

by Brett Wilson

The aftermath of super tuesday has left Ben Carson far behind. On May 2nd Ben Carson announced his removal from the presidential race, “I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit…I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening's Super Tuesday primary results. However, this grassroots movement on behalf of "We the People" will continue…I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C.”(bencarson.com) said Carson.

(flickr.com)

How Young is Too Young for an iPhone?

By Sandalie Gamage

Many younger children today have some sort of electronic device. Studies have shown that 38 percent of children under the age of 2 have used iPhones, tablets, and Kindles. Younger children should not be using technology so early.

Babies using technology might get addicted to using electronic devices. Older children, mostly teens, spend a lot of time in their daily lives on their phones. If young children were to do that too, they’d be spending a lot of time indoors.

Social media is also very dangerous for younger children, for example, elementary school kids. They don’t know the consequences of some things yet, and social media can make them even more vulnerable to bad things. Younger kids might unintentionally expose themselves to bad people.

However, some kids in elementary school need a phone to contact their parents in case of an emergency. Although, in emergencies, the kids can always use the school phone or have the school contact their parents for them. Though elementary school kids have a reason to have a phone, younger children, such as toddlers, really don’t.

In conclusion, younger kids should not have a phone, unless they need one for school. Even the one for school should not be a smartphone. Kids shouldn’t have an actual smartphone, like an iPhone or a Samsung, unless they are fully aware of the dangers of social media and until the kids are responsible and mature enough.