Local and global news briefs

Local Briefs

Ocean campus’ Associated Students President Shanell Williams narrowly escaped impeachment in a six to five vote with three abstentions at the March 15 Associated Student Council meeting. The crowd erupted in applause when the decision was made.

Williams was accused of displaying improper conduct at the March 13 council meeting. Williams felt there should be boundaries between the council and the Board of Trustees. She expressed these frustrations when she saw Student Trustee William Walker on the meeting’s agenda.

“I want to apologize for what happened on Wednesday,” Williams said. “I feel like I was being backed into a corner and not being allowed to do my job.”

She said that it was the first time that she had lost her composure since becoming president.

The support was overwhelming from the crowd of students and faculty, but there was still frustration among the council.

“This is not political in any way, shape or form,” Vice President of Cultural Affairs Joshua Beisiegel said. “That kind of conduct is not appropriate as a leader.”

Some council members expressed frustration with the lack of communication and unity within the council.

“There is an internal battle going on. We need to get on the same page,” Associated Student Council senator Dave Whitaker said. (Madeline Collins)

SF Muni route 29 will have some temporary changes during City College’s spring break, from March 25-29. The route will run every 15 minutes, instead of every 10 minutes. The change will save an estimated $45,000 in overtime and maintenance fees, SFMTA Media Relations Manager Paul Rose said. (Minter McHugh)

The final Show Cause report required for accreditation was delivered on March 15 through FedEx and email to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The 300-plus page report addresses how City College has addressed the 14 deficiencies identified by the commission in its July report and includes a Closure Report that demonstrates an action plan in case the commission revokes the school’s accreditation. The report can be found at City College’s website, www.ccsf.edu. (Sara Bloomberg)

World briefs

Vatican City

White smoke billowed out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on March 13 signaling that the Cardinals had selected a new pope. The new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, of Argentina is the first South American pope to lead the church. He will be called Pope Francis. Francis, 76, had been the archbishop of Buenos Aires. He thanked the crowd of thousands  from the white balcony on St. Peter’s Basilica for the warm embrace. The inauguration of Pope Francis takes place on March 19.

Source New York Times

Quebec

Two Quebec inmates climbed up a rope into a hovering helicopter to  escape from a jail northwest of Montreal March 17. Both men were later recaptured on March 18. The jail’s warden told police that Hudon-Barbeau and Provencal had grabbed a rope dropped from the helicopter. Quebec provincial police tracked down the helicopter used in the escape but only the pilot was still at the scene. Correctional Services manager Yves Galarneau says there are no security measures in place at the jail to prevent a helicopter from swooping down from above.

Source USA Today

Turkey

A Turkish man suspected of killing a New York City mother of two in Istanbul in January was arrested near the Turkish-Syrian border March 17 after weeks on the run. The suspect, identified as Ziya T., was caught in Reyhanli as he was trying to re-enter Turkey via the Syrian border. He was described as homeless, “unstable” and selling trash for a living by Turkish police. Sierra, a budding and passionate photographer, flew to Turkey on Jan. 7 to spend a few weeks photographing the bridges and monuments of Istanbul and other European cities before she disappeared on Jan. 21. Her body was found near a deserted part of the ancient city walls in the center of the city on Feb. 2. The investigation surrounding Sierra’s death turned into one of Istanbul’s most high-profile murder cases. Police in Istanbul devoted 230 investigators to it, first in a massive missing-person-search, then in a large-scale hunt for her killer.

Source USA Today