KPS News 

After ordering a few months ago, Loy Norrix seniors are finally equipped for graduation and received their graduation caps and gowns on Thursday, May 19. 

The senior trip to Cedar Point that on Friday, May 30 was cancelled due to issues with the charter buses and is rescheduled for Monday.

The Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association’s Mackinac Island tournament will be held this weekend, May 21-22. According to Michigan Speech Coaches Incorporated, “this competition is meant to be a ‘fun’ tournament,” in lieu of the end of the 2021-2022 forensics season. The Loy Norrix Forensics team will be competing in the tournament and students had to pay for their spots or receive a scholarship, unlike previous Norrix competitions in which the school paid for their entries. 

Local News

The Kalamazoo City Commissioner approved a $955 thousand dollar deal to convert Kalamazoo Avenue from a one-way street into two-way street. According to MLive, this is to help slow down high-speed traffic in downtown Kalamazoo.

On Monday, May 16, Flagstar Bank on West Main was robbed at around 1:10 p.m. The robber was not armed and the police are still investigating the incident. 

State News  

The University of Michigan was recently ranked the best college in America according to Money Magazine’s criteria.  The ranking is based on acceptance rates, graduation rates, how many students receive grants, and wages of students post graduation in their early careers. 

National News 

On Sunday, May 15, there were ten people killed during a shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. According to NPR, “The suspect, who livestreamed the mass shooting, is believed to be the author of a screed (manifesto) posted online detailing his white supremacist ideologies and his plan to target a black community in New York.” The suspect is charged with first-degree murder and if convicted, would face up to life in prison without parole. He could possibly be charged with a hate crime as well. 

After a recent “UFO” sighting by the United States Navy, the House of Representatives held a public hearing about “unidentified aerial phenomena,” or UFOs. The panel was spearheaded by the House Intelligence Committee’s Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation units. During this livestreamed hearing, the House Committee discussed the possible national security implications of UFOs. It was streamed on YouTube.

International News

Russian forces have completed their takeover of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol after several hundred resistance fighters surrendered the Azovstal Plant to the surrounding Russian forces. The Ukrainians believe it to be an example of their strong defense against the invading Russians while Russia is highlighting the victory as a chance to move forces elsewhere and complete their takeover. The Ukrainian forces that held the plant are currently being kept at nearby Russian-allied penal colony where the more than 50 wounded fighters from the plant are receiving medical treatment, according to AP News.

North Korea is currently facing a “fever” that is spreading rapidly among the population that many scientists outside the country believe to be a COVID-19 outbreak. The country admitted that an outbreak occurred last week, but the problem remains that North Korea is known for solving its problems on its own without aid from the rest of the world. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has made no recent motions to accept foreign assistance according to AP News.

Finland and Sweden have made motions to join NATO this week in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine and internationally. Both countries have remained neutral for decades, especially Sweden as they have not joined a military alliance since the Napoleonic Wars, nearly 200 years ago. Turkey has raised concerns over the possibility of these two countries joining NATO considering their alleged protection of terrorists and the weapons sanctions the two countries placed on Turkey after the Turkish Army was sent into Syria in 2019. Sweden tried to send diplomats to resolve the issue, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated it wouldn’t change anything, according to AP News.

Sports News

Loy Norrix women’s soccer played Gull Lake High School on Monday May 16. The Knights lost 0-6.

The softball team took the field on Saturday, May 14, in the Kalamazoo City Tournament. The Knights beat Kalamazoo Hackett 23-17, but tied with Kalamazoo Central 15-15.

The softball team also played Colon High School on Tuesday May 17, but lost 15-0.

NFL team, the Buffalo Bills, and their star safety, Micah Hyde, held a charity softball game on Saturday, May 14, the same day as the mass shooting in Buffalo. Hyde and the Bills announced that part of their $200,000 proceeds from the charity event that included a silent auction will go to the families affected by the shooting.