In other news
Local
The Lynchburg Fire Department received a call on Jan. 24 concerning the Frito-Lay manufacturing plant in Lynchburg.
According to WSLS, there was a fire reported at the plant around 1:50 p.m. A machine used to separate oils from the chip-making process in the manufacturing system was set ablaze.
The workers of the Frito-Lay manufacturing plant were unable to extinguish the fire and Lynchburg firefighters hustled to the 200 block of Jefferson Ridge Parkway.
The firefighters worked for about 15 minutes to put out the fire. According to WDBJ7, the only damage done was to the interior of the machine and the smoke ventilation system.
Other than being a frightening moment, none of the 350-plus employees were injured. The Lynchburg Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the incident.
National
The New Hampshire GOP primary elections took place on Jan. 23.
Being the first primary of the 2024 election season, it marked the start of the Democrat and GOP presidential nomination races. Being the home of 22 delegates, New Hampshire typically sets the tone for the rest of the primaries. The candidates for the Republican party included Donald Trump and Nikki Haley.
Racking up nearly 98 percent of votes between the two, Trump defeated Haley 54 percent to 43 percent. With over 35,000 more votes, Trump took home 12 of the 21 delegates. Haley vowed to push on despite the loss.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the next major contest is South Carolina’s GOP primary on Feb. 24, which is Haley’s home state. On the other side, Joe Biden strolled to victory despite being a write-in candidate due to an internal party dispute. According to CNN, he will not receive delegates though it should not be an issue as he is expected to dominate the Democrat party.
International
A Zimbabwean opposition figure, Job Sikhala was convicted on Jan. 24 after spending 600 days in detention without bail for inciting public violence.
According to AP News, Sikhala is an outspoken official with the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party and former parliament member. He was detained on June 2022 after the murder of Moreblessing Ali, an activist from the CCC.
Accused of using social media to encourage supporters to respond violently, there was evidence that his words were responsible for violence near Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. According to Africa News, Sikhala faces 10 years of imprisonment, his first time being convicted despite being arrested more than 65 times in the past 20 years.
This incident has brought back into the spotlight the human rights issue that Zimbabwe has. A member of Sikhala’s legal team stated, “The human rights situation in this country is extremely worrying. And it appears to be deteriorating — the use of pre-trial incarceration, as we have seen with Job Sikhala.”
Luke Bessire is the special assignments reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X