With sports and a record-breaking winter storm in the mix, this was a busy week for news. Ravens fans everywhere rejoiced as their team brought home the Super Bowl, and an old English king’s bones were found under…a parking lot? From the curious to the alarming, read on to find out what other stories made it big in the news this week!
Baltimore Ravens Take Home Super Bowl
In a thrilling 34-31 final matchup, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers for their third Super Bowl victory.
While the 49ers valiantly caught up to the Ravens after trailing 28-6 at the start of the second half, they were stopped by the Ravens who sailed on to win.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was voted MVP following the game.
The championship game in New Orleans took longer than usual, as a power outage in the second half stopped play for half an hour.
Other Super Bowl XLVII highlights included an electrifying performance by Beyoncé, whose medley of songs and brief reunion with her fellow Destiny’s Child members energized Super Bowl game attendees.
King Richard III’s Remains Found and Identified
History fans everywhere were thrilled when it was confirmed that English king Richard III’s skeletal remains had been discovered buried underneath a parking lot in Leicester.
The Richard III Society commissioned a facial reconstruction of the skeleton’s head, which was revealed to the media on Tuesday. By pushing for the reconstruction, the Society sought to debunk the English monarch’s reputation for being “hunchbacked and hateful,” a portrayal that they claim is inaccurate.
Historians and scientists have remained euphoric following the discovery of Richard III’s remains. Many Richard III fans incessantly point out the kind expression on his reconstructed face, which they claim as proof that King Richard III was a far cry from the awful monarch he has been portrayed to be.
Richard III died in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, marking the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudors. His legacy has inspired many literary works through the centuries, including Shakespeare’s play Richard III.
Hostage Taker Killed, Boy Saved Following FBI Raid in Alabama
FBI agents rescued a 5-year-old Alabama boy who was held in an underground bunker for a week.
The boy, Ethan, was kidnapped by Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65. Dykes boarded a school bus and shot the driver before dragging Ethan off with him, leaving the other children petrified. He later took the boy to an underground bunker.
After a week-long standoff, members of the FBI killed Dykes in a raid and rescued Ethan.
Ethan appears to be in very good condition and is currently at a local hospital for evaluations. However, investigators have yet to identify Dykes’ motives for boarding the school bus and taking the boy hostage.
Police Searching for ex-LAPD Cop Who Shot and Killed Three
Los Angeles police are on a manhunt for 33-year-old Christopher Jordan Dorner, an ex-cop who has killed three people over the last week, including a Riverside police officer.
Dorner was stripped of his badge in 2009 after a police disciplinary board ruled that he had made false statements against his training officer, Teresa Evans, who he had accused of kicking a mentally ill man during an arrest in 2007.
In a manifesto, Dorner waged war on the LAPD following his dismissal and unsuccessful efforts to get himself reinstated. It has become clear that the shootings are part of Dorner’s “unconventional and asymmetrical warfare” on the LAPD.
The LAPD is now set to review Dorner’s dismissal from the police force, claiming that allegations against the ex-cop need to be thoroughly re-examined. A reward of $1 million is also up for grabs for whoever turns Dorner over to the police.
Northeast U.S. Hit by Historic Blizzard
Snowstorm Nemo swept through the northeast U.S. and east Canada during the weekend, dumping foot upon foot of snow while leaving as many as 600,000 people without power and transportation.
In some areas, as much as three feet of snow accumulated within just a few hours, making Nemo one of the biggest blizzards in U.S. history.Â
Nine people were killed in snow-related accidents, including one 14-year-old boy in Boston who died from inhaling carbon monoxide when snow blocked the exhaust pipe of his family’s car, sending the gas into the seating compartment.
Efforts are now underway to clean up the snow, especially in New York, Boston, and much of Connecticut. Weather experts have warned residents of the Midwest to be on their guard, as the next big winter storm is set to travel towards them.