1997 - The Year's Most Publicized Stories

Produced by: Deb Kitchen - Justin McDermid - Marissa Merkent - Jesse Michaluk - Greg Rice - Josh Rudisin - Brian Stanford

International Events

Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, wife of Prince Charles, was killed in a car accident in August, 1997. She was pursued by the paparazzi, and her driver tried to avoid them. They crashed, and her lover Dodi Fayed, her driver, and she died. Only the bodyguard survived.

Dolly, a sheep, was the first mammal cloned from a cell from an adult animal. She was cloned in Scotland at the Roslin Institute in February, 1997.

Zairian dictator Mobutu was ousted, and later died of cancer. His successor, Kabila, took over and renamed the country to The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mother Teresa, great humanitarian and Catholic nun who helped the poor in India for decades, died in India at 87.

Hong Kong, a British colony for 156 years, was returned to China at 12:01 am, July 1, 1997. A prospering economic center, it will be a great help to China's economy.

Al Gore was the United States' representative at the Kyoto Environmental Converence at Kyoto, Japan. The United States pledged a 7% reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases by the year 2010.

National Events

Timothy McVeigh, the man tried and convicted for bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklanoma was sentenced to death by lethal injection in May, 1997.

Theodore Kaczynski has been put on trial as the accused Unabomber, a very elusive mail-bomber who has eluded authorities for several decades. Kaczynski was turned in by his brother after the publication of the "Unabomber's Manifesto."

JonBenet Ramsey was killed in 1996. She was killed at the age of six in her home in Colorado. There has not been any new developments concerning this case in nearly a year.

Hale Bopp Cult - Marshall Applewhite was the leader of Heaven's Gate. He and his followers believed that an alien space craft was flying behind the Hale Bopp comet. They believed that the aliens were going to take them to heaven. All thirty-nine of members including Applewhite committed suicide.

NASA sent another satillite to Mars. On July 4,1997 the Pathfinder reached Mars and the two-foot long Sojourner rover began to take pictures and find information.

TWA Flight 800 took off in July, 1996, from New York City, bound for Paris, France. It exploded in midair and was thought to be shot down by a missle. In 1997 investigators have shunned the friendly fire theory. They now believe that the cause was an electrical failure in the fuel tank which caused the fuel to explode.

Local Events

Local economy is on the rise because of all the new businesses such as: Walmart Super Center, Eat n Park, Taco Bell and the new fiber board plant. The unemployment rate is at an all time low of 3.9%. Devon Capital Management, Inc., an investment firm, lost the money of several local busineses and individuals, including $2 million from Clarion Area High School. As of now, we have recovered approximately 27% of the lost funds.

Jack Fuellhart, a wealthy farmer and businessman, was shot and killed. His nephew, David Fuellhart, and his friend, Jamie Lee Menefee, have been charged with the murder. A national search resulted in their capture in Arizona in a stolen car from Kentucky. CHS Wins D-9 Championship. Clarion defeated Smethport in the District Nine Championship game 7-3. Smethport recovered a fumble which lead to their field goal. Clarion had a first down after the kick off. Semthport intercepted a pass and on the next play fumbled the ball, Clarion recovered, which lead to Clarion's touchdown.

Sports and Entertainment

Chris Farley dies at the age of thirty-three. He overdosed on cocaine and morphine after years of binging. He died in Chicago in December of 1997. A great comedian and obese friend of many, he will be sorely missed by everyone. He had idolized John Belushi, who also died at the age of thirty-three.

Jimmy Stewart, the beloved actor from Indiana, Pennsylvania, died at the age of eighty-nine. He was famous for the movie "Its a Wounderful Life."

Holyfield vs. Tyson. Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield's ear in there second match in 1997. Tyson's license was suspended for a year and they may not reinstate him.

Tiger Woods captured the "Green Jacket" at the Masters golf tournament by a record of twelve strokes. He was the youngest player to win the Masters at the age of twenty-oneand was also the first black person to win.

John Denver died at the age of fifty-three when his plane crashed into California's Monterey Bay.

Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, wife of Prince Charles, was killed in a car accident in August, 1997. She was pursued by the paparazzi, and her driver tried to avoid them. They crashed, and her lover Dodi Fayed, her driver, and she died. Only the bodyguard survived.
	Dolly, a sheep, was the first mammal cloned from a cell from an adult animal. She was cloned in Scotland at the Roslin Institute in February, 1997.
Zairian dictator Mobutu was ousted, and later died of cancer. His successor, Kabila, took over and renamed the country to The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
	Mother Teresa, great humanitarian and Catholic nun who helped the poor in India for decades, died in India at 87.
Hong Kong, a British colony for 156 years, was returned to China at 12:01 am, July 1, 1997. A prospering economic center, it will be a great help to China's economy.
	Al Gore was the United States' representative at the Kyoto Environmental Converence at Kyoto, Japan. The United States pledged a 7% reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases by the year 2010.

Timothy McVeigh, the man tried and convicted for bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklanoma was sentenced to death by lethal injection in May, 1997.
	Theodore Kaczynski has been put on trial as the accused Unabomber, a very elusive mail-bomber who has eluded authorities for several decades. Kaczynski was turned in by his brother after the publication of the "Unabomber's Manifesto."
JonBenet Ramsey was killed in 1996. She was killed at the age of six in her home in Colorado. There has not been any new developments concerning this case in nearly a year.
	Hale Bopp Cult - Marshall Applewhite was the leader of Heaven's Gate. He and his followers believed that an alien space craft was flying behind the Hale Bopp comet. They believed that the aliens were going to take them to heaven. All thirty-nine of members including Applewhite committed suicide.
NASA sent another satillite to Mars. On July 4,1997 the Pathfinder reached Mars and the two-foot long Sojourner rover began to take pictures and find information.
	TWA Flight 800 took off in July, 1996, from New York City, bound for Paris, France. It exploded in midair and was thought to be shot down by a missle. In 1997 investigators have shunned the friendly fire theory. They now believe that the cause was an electrical failure in the fuel tank which caused the fuel to explode.

Local economy is on the rise because of all the new businesses such as: Walmart Super Center, Eat n Park, Taco Bell and the new fiber board plant. The unemployment rate is at an all time low of 3.9%.	Devon Capital Management, Inc., an investment firm, lost the money of several local busineses and individuals, including $2 million from Clarion Area High School. As of now, we have recovered approximately 27% of the lost funds.
Jack Fuellhart, a wealthy farmer and businessman, was shot and killed. His nephew, David Fuellhart, and his friend, Jamie Lee Menefee, have been charged with the murder. A national search resulted in their capture in Arizona in a stolen car from Kentucky.	CHS Wins D-9 Championship. Clarion defeated Smethport in the District Nine Championship game 7-3. Smethport recovered a fumble which lead to their field goal. Clarion had a first down after the kick off. Semthport intercepted a pass and on the next play fumbled the ball, Clarion recovered, which lead to Clarion's touchdown.

Chris Farley dies at the age of thirty-three. He overdosed on cocaine and morphine after years of binging. He died in Chicago in December of 1997. A great comedian and obese friend of many, he will be sorely missed by everyone. He had idolized John Belushi, who also died at the age of thirty-three.
	Jimmy Stewart, the beloved actor from Indiana, Pennsylvania, died at the age of eighty-nine. He was famous for the movie "Its a Wounderful Life."
Holyfield vs. Tyson. Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield's ear in there second match in 1997. Tyson's license was suspended for a year and they may not reinstate him.
	Tiger Woods captured the "Green Jacket" at the Masters golf tournament by a record of twelve strokes. He was the youngest player to win the Masters at the age of twenty-oneand was also the first black person to win.
John Denver died at the age of fifty-three when his plane crashed into California's Monterey Bay.