News Brief: September 11-15

International

Intense flash floods in Libya have left thousands dead. The storm Daniel broke two dams outside the coastal city of Derna, blocking roads and devastating the city. 

“Bodies are everywhere, inside houses, in the streets, at sea. Wherever you go, you find dead men, women and children,” Emad al-Falah, an aid worker from Benghazi, said over the phone from Derna. “Entire families were lost.”

A quarter of the city has disappeared. Water rose to 23 feet high. 

Mohammed Derna, a teacher in the city, recounted his experience. He, his family and neighbors went to the roof of their apartment building to see water levels rising to second stories of many buildings. 

Derna said he watched people below being washed away.

“They were screaming, ‘Help, help,’” Derna said over the phone from a field hospital in Derna. “It was like a Hollywood horror movie.”

National

A two week manhunt to catch murderer Danelo Cavalcante ended on Wednesday. 

Cavalcante fatally stabbed his girlfriend in 2021 after she found evidence pertaining to the first murder Cavalcante committed in Brazil. 

The five foot escapee was caught crab-walking up a wall on Aug. 31 from Chester County Prison. He has been on the loose since, breaking into the homes of Pennsylvania residents. He stole a vehicle, a weapon and other items. 

Cavalcante was spotted on multiple doorbell cameras, but the mayhem was brought to an end when a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up Cavalcante’s heat signal. 

“They were able to move in very quietly. They had the element of surprise,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference. “Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred.”

He refused verbal commands from law enforcement and attempted to crawl away. A police K9 was released and the dog subdued him in a struggle, leaving Cavalcante with a bleeding scalp wound.

Cavalcante’s mother defended his acts saying he “had no choice” but to murder his girlfriend. 

Local

Oklahoma City and the Thunder have announced a finalized plan to build a new arena in downtown OKC. The plans are contingent on a majority vote being cast Dec. 12.

The funding for the $900 million project will come from a temporary one cent increase in sales tax. The tax would start after the conclusion of MAPS4 and would not raise the City’s current tax rate.

The funding is not entirely dependent on taxpayers, as News 9 reported, “At least $70 million [comes] from MAPS 4 and $50 million contribution by the owners of the Oklahoma City Thunder.”

Mayor Holt and City Manager Craig Freeman will propose the plan to the City Council on Sept. 26. The Thunder will sign a letter of intent to play in the arena for 25 years if the plans are approved.

Oklahoma City made a press release discussing the arena. 

“After 14 months of public discussion and collaborative dialogue between Oklahoma City leaders and the leadership of the Oklahoma City Thunder, a plan has been finalized to construct a new downtown arena that will keep the Thunder in Oklahoma City for a generation and beyond 2050.”

City council member JoBeth Hamon shared her thoughts on the proposal. She expressed an interest in exploring other priorities of the city, such as the issue of homelessness. 

Mayor David Holt said he has not been contacted by Hamon, but he would like to have more conversations.