2016-17 News Feed Compilation: Issue 1

Current events from around the world, country, state and city.

Kansas+City+Royals+Alcides+Escobar+kisses+the+Rally+Mantis%2C+Jr.+enclosure+after+hitting+a+three-run+home+run+in+the+seventh+inning+against+the+New+York+Yankees+Aug.+29+at+Kauffman+Stadium+in+Kansas+City%2C+Mo.+photo+courtesy+of+Tribune+News+Service

Kansas City Royals’ Alcides Escobar kisses the Rally Mantis, Jr. enclosure after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees Aug. 29 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. photo courtesy of Tribune News Service

by Madi Winfield, Managing Editor of Web

In the world

New York won the Little League World Series Aug. 28, beating South Korea 2-1. Each year, one team from the United States League and one team from the International League compete for the title of Little League World Champion. The 70th annual final, held in Williamsport, Penn., was the first victory for the U.S. since 2011, the first for the Mid-Atlantic region since 1998 and the first for a New York team since 1964.

In the U.S.

After spending a year in near isolation in Hawaii, six scientists finished a successful Mars simulation Aug. 28. The scientists from France, Germany and the U.S. spent a year in a dome on the Mauna Loa peak and could only leave the dome in spacesuits. When the six emerged, they told journalists that they believed “a mission to Mars in the close future is realistic,” crew member Cyprien Verseux said.

Missouri

Enrollment numbers for Missouri colleges have been released, and the University of Missouri – Columbia appears to be the only Missouri school whose enrollment has decreased for the 2016-17 school year. The Columbia Daily Tribune suggests the drop in enrollment came from last year’s race-based protests. Schools whose numbers are predicted to increase include Missouri State University, Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau, Harris-Stowe and Missouri Southern State University.

In Kansas City

Rally Mantis, Jr., has officially been retired from the Royals dugout. The Rally Mantis tradition began in early August, when a praying mantis joined the Royals in their dugout right before the team began a winning streak. The mantis soon became a symbol of the Royals’ victory; unfortunately, it died during a series of away games in Minnesota. However, another mantis, dubbed Rally Mantis, Jr., or Mantis 2.0, appeared in the dugout days later. Instead of bringing Mantis 2.0 with them to another away series in Minnesota, the team announced Sept. 5 that they would give him to the Lakeside Nature Center, at which he can receive proper care while remaining a positive symbol for the team and the city as a whole.