Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s Pride and Joy
As everyone may or may not know that Mariah Carey gave birth to her twins on Saturday April 30, 2011 at 12:07pm. She had a boy and a girl. The girl weighed 5 pounds, 3 ounces and she was 18 inches long. The boy weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces and he was 19 inches long. They have not released the names of the babies yet. To another surprise she gave birth to the twins on her and Nick Cannon’s 3rd wedding anniversary. So, on Sunday May 1st, 2011 Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey renewed their Wedding Vows in a hospital in Los Angeles, California. Rev. Al Sharpton came to pray over the twins and to give the ceremony of them renewing their wedding vows. Rev. Al Sharpton stated that “Mariah Carey looked beautiful and that the twins were beautiful also.” Rev. Al Sharpton also posted on his Twitter saying I am just leaving Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon. She had twins yesterday on their 3rd anniversary. I had prayer with them and the babies… I also conducted the renewal of their vows and the blessing of the newborn twins. Mariah looks great, and the babies are beautiful… I am so moved by the sincere spiritual commitment of Mariah and Nick. They have not let success separate them from God. I am so proud.”Nick Cannon posted on Twitter saying “I’m in the happiest place I’ve ever been in my life. I never had more amazing things happening. I am humbled by God’s Favor!!” He also stated that “My wife just gave me the most incredible anniversary gift ever in life! I won’t ever be able to top this!” So that tells you that he is the most excited about having the twins and that he really loves Mariah Carey. Congratulations to the couple on the renewal of their wedding vows and the birth of their twins can’t wait to find out the name of the twins.
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Top 20 Viewed Movies in the Box Office
- Avatar (2009) – $760,505,847
- Titanic (1997) – $600,779,824
- The Dark Knight (2008) – $533,316,061
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – $460,935,665
- Shrek 2 (2004) – $436,471,036
- E.T. : The Extra – Terrestrial (1982) – $434,949,459
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $431,065,444
- Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest - $423,032,628
- Toy Story 3 (2010) – $414,984,497
- Spider Man (2002) – $403,706,375
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) – $402,076,689
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – $380,262,555
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – $377,019,252
- Spider-Man 2 (2004) – $373,377,893,
- The Passion of the Christ (2004) – $370,270,943
- Jurassic Park (1993) – $356,784,000
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) – $340,478,898
- Finding Nemo (2003) – $339,714,367
- Spider-Man 3 (2007) – $336,530,303
- Alice In Wonderland(2010) $334,185,206
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Got Milk?
Why would someone dress up as a cow? And why would they steal 26 gallons of milk? And why, of all places, would they steal all this milk, in a cow costume, from a Walmart? So far police don’t know why, however
, they do not that the man dressed up as a cow quickly gave away all the milk he stole as soon as he left the Walmart. In addition, the cow suit failed to cover his face entirely, which meant that he was quickly apprehended and identified by the Walmart staff. -Joseph Scoggins
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WikiLeak Secrets Leaker Fit For Trial
The army has determined that Bradley Manning, the intelligence analyst suspected of transferring thousands of documents to the WikiLeaks website, has been declared mentally and physically fit and may stand trial. He is currently looking at twelve different charges, several of which could bring the death penalty, and he is to be tried in a military court. Before trial he is to be moved from a Marine Corps Brig in Quantico to the Fort Leavenworth prison in Kansas.
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Look, in the Sky! It’s Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune!
So, what can you look forward to this May if you happen to enjoy looking at the stars? Well, if you happen to look up you will see that 6 of the 8 planets are in alignment during May. This means that everything but the Earth, which you can see any way, and Saturn, whose rings you couldn’t see with the naked eye any way, are aligned for about one month. During this time many people are hoping to get pictures with the planets and the Moon as the background to their photos, and instructions on how to do so are all over the Internet.
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Smokeless Tobacco(AKA Dip)
By: Nicole Nowell
Facts/Statistics
- Smokeless tobacco users are 50 times more likely to get mouth and throat cancers than people who don’t use it.
- Nationally, 7% of males use smokeless tobacco on a regular basis.
- 50% of high school students think dipping is safer than smoking.
- Smokeless tobacco is one of the leading preventable causes of death in America.
- It is more common for men to use this than women.
- It is guessed that of the 10 million people who use smokeless tobacco, 3 million are under 21.Of these 3 million, 25% start in 6th grade, and 75% start by 9th grade.
- Dipping 8-10 times a day can put as much nicotine in your body as smoking 30-40 cigarettes.
- Smokeless tobacco users have 2-3 times more the amount of addictive nicotine in their bodies, compared those who smoke cigarettes.
- Smokeless tobacco is NOT a safe alternative to smoking.
- Smokeless tobacco can cause cancer, oral health issues, and a nicotine addiction.
- Smokeless tobacco has 28 cancer causing agents in it.
- Smokeless tobacco is connected to the recession of the gums, gum disease, and tooth decay.
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Tornado Frenzy
By: Jake Faust
In the month of April there has been the deadliest outbreak of tornados in over 40 years. Dozens of tornados tore through six of our southern states resulting in complete devastation of hundreds of homes. There has been a body count of 215 people over the last week. The longest tornado recorded in the U.S.A occurred this week which touched down in Alabama and made it all the way to Georgia killing an estimated 315 people. Safety precautions can be taken. If your outside find the nearest ditch and lie down in it, if you’re in your home hide in the bathtub and put a mattress over top of you if time is permitted. Stay safe and listen to your local broadcast of national weather alerts.
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Is this really Tupac?
By: Terrell Mills
Since 2005, a man named Josh Harraway has been building his body and imitating everything about himself to become a professional Tupak Shakur impersonator. As far as we know he’s the first ever to be an impersonator. Harraway says that he has been flown to places such as Chicago, and Las Vegas to perform songs made by Tupac. He also played in the “famous Crime Scene” TV series that aired on VH1 in 2010. Harraway is determined to audition for the upcoming “Tupac Biopic” which could lead to his big screen debut. The movie supposedly shall start filming this summer. So tell me what you think, does he really look like Tupac?
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Titanic’s Unknown Child
After the Titanic sank, the rescue team pulled a two year old boy out whose his identity was unknown. Along with many others, he was buried in a cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia with his gravestone saying ‘unknown child.’ The Titanic took 1,497 out of the 2,209 lives of people that were on it. Researchers think they have solved the mystery of this unknown child’s name and believe his name is Sidney Leslie Goodwin. He was falsely identified twice before, however, they feel that they have identified him correctly this time. They began this research about a decade ago, when Ryan Parr watched some videos about the Titanic. Ryan Parr is a professor at Lakehead University in Ontario who has worked with DNA extracted from ancient human remains. Parr states,
“I thought ‘Wow, I wonder if anyone is interested or still cares about the unidentified victims of the Titanic.’”
For more information, you can go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110426/sc_livescience/titanicsunknownchildgivennewfinalidentity
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Chicago School Bans Homemade Lunches
By: Nicole Nowell
Students who go to Chicago’s Little Village Academy are not allowed to eat food brought from home. They can either eat cafeteria food or go home. This is because their principal believes it is healthier for the students to eat from the cafeteria.
Students say they would rather bring their own food. Student Yesenia Gutierrez remarked, “They’re afraid that we’ll all bring in greasy food instead of healthy food and it won’t be as good as what they give us at school, it’s really lame.”
Parents are furious about this. One parent says “I can accept if they want to ban soda, but to tell me I can’t send a lunch with my child. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” The ones who can’t get free or reduced lunches have to pay at least $2.25 a day. This will add up to more than parents would spend on just sending a sandwich and bag of chips with their children. A teacher in Chicago started a blog to protest the principal banning homemade lunches.
Every lunch must have whole grains; only reduced fat salad dressings and mayonnaise are given to students. Their meals must have a different vegetable every day. The people who supply the food must decrease the sodium content by five percent annually. Around 86% of the students who attend Chicago’s Little Village Academy meet the requirements for free or reduced lunch because many of the families are so close to the poverty line.
About a third of America’s children are overweight or obese, and children eat about 30% of their calories at school, making their lunches healthier would be one way to help reduce that problem. The kids who don’t have as much money are more likely to be overweight than middle class kids. They also consume a larger amount of their calories while in school. Forty-four percent of American children that are poor are obese, or overweight.
They have not been able to find another school that bans lunches from home, but there are battles within schools about food. East Syracuse, New York schools have banned cupcakes and other desserts. Some schools around the country have banned chocolate milk and vending machines.
Tuscon, Arizona’s Children’s Success Academy allows homemade lunches but only if they do not consist of white flour, refined sugar, or other “processed” food. The school has no cafeteria, so some parents have trouble providing foods that meet the requirements of the school.
Soon cafeterias all around America will be offering healthier foods, whether the students like it or not. For the first time, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) will be able to put calorie limits on school lunches. They recommend that they contain more vegetables and whole grains. The guidelines say French fries should be replaced by vegetables and fruit. There will also be stricter food safety checks on cafeteria food.
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Raleigh Teen Dies in Single-Vehicle Wreck
By: Bridney Thomas
A Raleigh teenager died Sunday after losing control of his minivan and striking four trees. Saleh Jamal Abdullah, who was 16, was driving on Hickory Grove Church Road around 7:15am the Chrysler Minivan he was driving crossed the center line. The van went to the right and struck the trees, according the police. The posted speed limit was 45 mph but Abdullah was going 61 mph. Abdullah was taken to Duke where he was pronounced dead. He was not wearing a seat belt and drugs and alcohol was not involved in the car wreck.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/11/1121681/single-vehicle-wreck-kills-driver.html
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Jail Fight Puts Man in Hospital
By: Bridney Thomas
An Apex man is in a coma after getting into an altercation with a dentition officer while in prison. Around 4:30 am, Joshua Wrenn assaulted a dentition officer which is still under investigation. Wrenn was taken to Wake Med in critical condition. Wrenn had been previously arrested for assaulting his wife at a Raleigh nightclub. Wrenn had a warrant for his arrest on March twenty fifth. He was charged with a misdemeanor for assault on a female. State Prison records show that he had a long list of convection for domestic assault, forgery, and other offenses. Early Sunday afternoon the Wake County Judge who has been handling the case was contacted and told that Wrenn should be placed on unsecured bonds. The reasoning for this was that he no longer posed a threat to his wife since he was in a coma. Rader, the judge on the case, tried to find out what exactly happened in the jail because it was very vague. On Sunday Wrenn was placed in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) where doctors had to drill a hole in his head to release the pressure on his skull.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/04/1103914/jail-fight-puts-man-in-hospital.html
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JAPAN EXPERIENCES CRISIS’
Many across the globe this weekend watched as Japan was rocked, first by a 9.0 earthquake and then by the tsunami which followed. Villages have been destroyed, lives have been lost, and the tides have even brought in thousands of the dead. Now, after only a few short days following the earthquake and tsunami Japan is facing another crisis: a nuclear meltdown. 
The Daiichi Complex in Fukushima houses six reactors which are facing what seems to be an imminent meltdown. The meltdown process is caused by an inability to cool the spent fuel from the reactors. While functioning normally water from cooling towers is used to keep the reactor cool, however, due to the earthquake, as well as explosions and fires in the plant, the reactors have been left with no means to be controlled. As the temperature continues to rise hydrogen may be created and the entire shell which houses the reactor may be destroyed, exposing the millions in Japan to nuclear radiation.
Currently reactors 3 and 4 are the highest priority, in particular reactor 3, which contains plutonium. Plutonium is of particular concern due to its ability to enter into the bloodstream and then be stored for long periods of time in the body’s internal organs, leading to liver and bone marrow cancer.
As of this time the citizens of Tokyo and other nearby areas are being told that the levels outside their homes are, for the most part, safe for the time being, although no comments were made concerning the long term effects of the radiation. In addition the entire Complex is now in danger of overheating , requiring police to spray the fuel rods with a water cannon simply to keep them from
rising to dangerously high temperatures. – Joseph Scoggins
Also, the stock market fell early Monday morning because of the impact the earthquake had on Japan. The tsunami and earthquake along Japan’s north coast caused thousands of people to be killed and about a billion dollars in damage. Oil prices fell from fifty eight cents to 100.56 cents a barrel, while Japan’s central bank record about 184 million into the money markets account to encourage bank lending. – Terrell Mills
The Longest Fighting game Marathon!
All my friends know how much I love video games. When I saw this record I jumped with joy. I’ve spent plenty of time playing video games with my friends at night but these guys were actually playing a fighting game for 30 hours straight! The guy’s names are Ben, Dan, Jeff and Tim. The previous kings of the gaming world played smash brothers for 24 hours. March 19th the new champs began playing at 9:10 am. They were armed with only a couch, soda, doughnuts, pizza and Smash Brothers. The rules were, they had to stay awake, they were not allowed any breaks longer than 10 minutes and last, they had to stay focus. They played long and hard, they constantly switched up their characters until that Sunday afternoon it was done. At 3:10 pm they finally finished. The four guys did some much needed stretching and got some sleep after congratulating themselves.
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SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
The holidays we will celebrate this spring are:
Yom Ha Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) (Begins at Sundown*): April 30
Cinco de Mayo: May 5
Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 8
Declaration of the Báb (Baha’i holiday): May 23
Ascension of Baha’u'llah (Baha’i holiday): May 29
Memorial Day: Monday, May 30
Shavuot (Begins at Sundown*): June 7
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: JUNE 11th!
Flag Day: June 14
Father’s Day: Sunday, June 19
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Promise Rings
Did you know that teens being sexually active results in:
-Millions of unwanted pregnancies every year
-40 Million abortions since the early 1970’s (many destroying the young woman’s chances to ever having children again).
-Millions of serious and deadly sexually transmitted diseases every year
-Millions of families torn apart every year.
-Millions of teens raising children in poverty every year.
-Millions of teens not being able to live their dreams, finish their education and support their future families to the standard of living that they hoped for.
-Millions of Broken Hearts every year
You’ve heard of celebrities wearing promise rings including the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Demi Lovato, etc. But who actually wears them? 350,000 teens across America wear a promise ring and have stayed true to it. We’re not saying that you have to have a ring to stay abstinent from sex until marriage; it’s simply just a reminder.
Not everyone is into being abstinent all through high school. It’s a choice you make that you can keep. When teens put on this ring it’s their way of saying “I will save myself for my husband/ wife”. Being sexually abstinent isn’t just keeping you safe from pregnancies but harmful diseases too. One fourth of America’s population has a sexually transmitted disease that has no cure… that’s about 86 million people.
Some teens may have lost their virginity already whether by choice or by force, but they can still start over. Even if you have been sexually active you can make the choice to restrain from sex from then until marriage. Promise rings are the best reminder of the new life they’re living.
Your ring doesn’t have to be one that says ‘True Love Waits’ or ‘Promise’. It can be passed down from a passed family member, from a friend, or even bought in Wal-Mart. It doesn’t matter as long as you know what it means to you.
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Dropout rate falls for N.C. schools
There has been a serious change in North Carolina’s High School dropout rate. There was a 12.4 percent decrease of dropouts which is great. Dropout rates have been dropping for the past 3 years. State education officials say that they have several prevention strategies that may have a positive effect in the upcoming future.
1. Smaller school settings.
2. Transition programs for children moving into high school.
3. Ninth-grade academies.
4. Alternative learning opportunities for at-risk students.
The Southern School of Engineering has had no drop outs, which proves to everyone that there is such a thing as a dropout free school. The students are very much involved in/with their school and their education.
Another study showed or suggested that more boys drop out than girls. Studies show that most students drop out in the ninth grade. Short-term suspensions decreased 5.5 percent, while long-term suspensions dropped 6.2 percent.
Personally I think that every student can succeed, they just have to have a motive and have to have people who believe in them. They have to have good role models that continue to persuade and encourage them through the tough times. Anything is possible but you have to expect the unexpected.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/04/1028227/schools-hold-on-to-more-students.html#
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The Results Are In; At the Supreme Court
In an 8-1 ruling, the Supreme Court has declared that the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church, which is known for using funerals to stage anti-gay protests, are protected by the First Amendment. The Chief Justice, John Roberts, wrote the majority opinion, while Justice Samuel Alito wrote the dissent. As a result, this is the end of the case Snyder v. Phelps.
The Westboro Baptist Church gained notoriety for protesting military funerals and carrying signs bearing such statements as “Thank God for I.E.D’s” “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and, of course, Westboro’s signature sign “God Hates Fags”. They protested Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder (Marines) funeral, and later, his father, Albert Snyder, found a poem online explaining that Matthew Snyder was killed and deserved to be killed for being raised Catholic (they don’t just protest being gay) because it would turn him away from God, according to the Westboro church. The “church” is run (and was started by, it may even mostly consist of) the Phelps family. Specifically, Fred Phelps was the one who started the church, and he, his family, and the Westboro church were named as defendants to the suit, which was initiated by Albert Snyder (making him the plaintiff). In addition, Westboro’s most recent notable protest was against Christina Green (the nine year old girl killed in the Gabrielle Giffords shooting).
According to Roberts, “Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a nation we have chosen a different course — to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”
Alito had a very different opinion on the matter. “Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case”
Ultimately, what this means is that The Westboro Baptists, or anyone else, will be able to protest at funerals provided that they obey both police direction and the law. In addition, while the Snyder family originally won their case and was supposed to receive $11 million, it was revised to $5 million, and then the case was overturned. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling.
The lawsuit was filed by the Snyder family against the Westboro Baptist Church after they protested Matthew Snyder’s funeral. Later Albert Snyder, Matthew’s father, found a poem attacking his son and the way he was raised on Westboro’s website. In addition to emotional pain, Albert Snyder also claimed to suffer severe depression as a result of the attacks on his son as, well as claiming to be physically sick on several occassions
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Blockbuster is closing more stores in the Triangle
Movie/Game rental stores are starting to die out due the competition with renting movies and games online. The Blockbuster near N.C. State has been shut down last week. The other stores are predicted to close near mid April, which includes one in Holly Springs and four that are in Clayton, Garner and Raleigh. Block buster has closed 3,000 stores nationwide, because of rivals like Netflix and Redbox kiosks. The company of Blockbuster has been bought out by an investment company which caused Blockbuster to shut down over 660 stores. The abandoned stores will create opportunities for local businesses. In Raleigh, one former blockbuster has become the Jimmy John’s sandwich shop. Even with the closing of what used to be one of the biggest movie rental businesses around, their partner NCR will continue to install the Blockbuster Express Kiosk, where people can still rent DVDs’ for $1 a night. There are more than 8,000 nationwide including 90 across the triangle with the help of Food Lion, Rite Aid, and Sheetz.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/01/1020954/blockbuster-to-close-more-triangle.html#
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A Tragic Shooting in Goldsboro
A three year old girl was killed Sunday after being hit with a bullet at a playground in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Princess Shelby King died at the Wayne Memorial Hospital after being shot about 3:30pm near an apartment complex in the 1800 block of Day Circle. An arrest was issued for Derrick Raymont Best, who was charged with murder. The 29 year old was arguing with another man when he grabbed a gun from a car and began shooting. The police said Best was considered armed and dangerous.
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Oscar Wins
Best Picture: The King’s Speech
Actor in a leading role: Colin Firth
Actor in a supporting role: Christian Bale
Actress in a leading role: Natalie Portman
Actress in a supporting role: Melissa Leo
Animated feature film: Toy Story 3
Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland
Cinematography: Inception
Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Directing: The King’s Speech
Documentary Feature: Inside Job
Documentary Short Subject: Strangers No More
Film Editing: The Social Network
Foreign Language Film: In a Better World
Makeup: The Wolfman
Music: The Social Network
Music (Original Song): Toy Story 3
Short Film (Animated): The Lost Thing
Short Film (Live action): God of Love
Sound editing: Inception
Sound mixing: Inception
Visual effects: Inception
Writing (Adapted screen play): The Social Network
Writing (Original screen play): The King’s Speech
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Did you miss the Grammy’s?! Here’s who grabbed the win.
The 53rd Annual Grammy which happened the 13th of February is one of the recording industry’s highest honors. The award show took place in the Staples Center Arena, which is where the LA Lakers and LA Clippers play. The awards kicked off with a tribute to the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin who won 18 Grammy’s in her day. The tribute was performed by Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch, Yolanda Adams, and Martina McBride. There were performances from the Muppets, Bruno mars, Eminem and Dr. Dre, and many more. These are the 2011 Grammy award winners:
Record of the year
Need you now – Lady Antebellum
Album of the year
The Suburbs- Arcade fire
Song of the year
Need you now- Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott
Best New Artist
Esperanza Spalding
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Fame Monster- Lady Gaga
Best electronic/dance
La Roux- La Roux
Best rock album
The resistance- Muse
Best Alternative Music Album
Brothers- The black Keys
Best Contemporary R&B Album
Raymond V. Raymond- Usher
Best Rap Album
Recovery- Eminem
Best country Album
Need you now- Lady Antebellum
Best Latin Pop Album
Paraiso Express- Alejandra Sanz
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Wachovia Bank: Held Hostage
Policemen say that there was an armed man who attempted to rob the Wachovia Bank in Cary on the 10th of February. The robbery happened around 3PM. The nearby daycare was evacuated and police officers surrounded the scene. The middle school, which was a couple miles away, was evacuated and apartments nearby were told to stay locked in tight. In the bank, the armed man had four hostages and was holding them against their will until otherwise told. Two hours after the robbery happened, the gunman let two of the hostages go, both of them were unharmed. Around 6:15, the around suspect came out with the last hostage as a gun was pointed to her head, the policeman automatically took him out and she was finally free. This led to both unharmed hostages and policemen and resulted in a successful execution of justice.
To read more, click here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20031442-504083.html
