US Army: Staff Sergeant Joe A. Nunez-Rodriguez

Staff Sergeant Joe A. Nunez-Rodriguez, twenty-nine of Pasadena, Texas, died on May 30.

His vehicle was struck by an IED in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.

Nunez-Rodriguez was assigned to the 68th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Collins, Colorado.

Phoenix Air Collision Leaves 4 Dead

Four people were killed after two planes collided in the air near Deer Valley Airport, in Phoenix, Arizona.

A Cessna and a Piper Archer struck each other in midair and both came crashing down.

The Cessna burst into flames, while the Piper remained mostly intact, but it's two passengers were ejected through the windshield.

Officials are investigating the cause of the collision, and stated that nothing else was in the nearby air at the time.

Houston Hotel Fire Kills 4 Firefighters and Injures 5

Four fire fighters were killed and five injured in a Houston, Texas fire, on Friday.

Just after noon, the Southwest Inn caught fire.

The blaze resulted in five alarms being sent out, with over one hundred fire fighters responding.

According to authorities the roof of the building collapsed, causing the casualties and fatalities.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.

Air Ambulance Crash Kills 4 in Ontario

Four people died when an Ornge helicopter crashed near Moosonee, Ontario.

The crash happened early Friday morning, just after midnight.

According to authorities the air ambulance went down about a mile after takeoff.

It was headed to Attawapiskat, to pick up a patient.

All four aboard were members of the crew.

They were identified as: Captain Don Filliter, First Officer Jacques Dupuy, Primary Care Flight Paramedic Dustin Dagenais, and Primary Care Flight Paramedic Chris Snowball.

Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.

Turkish Police Clear Istanbul Protest

Turks clashed with police in Istanbul, on Friday.

It began as a sit in to protest government plans to eliminate Gezi Park, but grew into an anti government rally.

Police fired tear gas and used a water cannon to disperse thousands of people who had gathered.

Twelve people were hurt, five of them seriously, including one person who took a tear gas canister to the head.

As news of the Istanbul protest reached other cities, many of them saw their own smaller protests.

Douglas County Schools to Add Plain Clothes Officers

Douglas County Schools, in Colorado, announced a new security program, on Thursday.

The program will see on duty police officers stationed in schools.

However, one difference will make the program the first of it's kind, in the country.

Officers will sometimes be in uniform, or other times in plain cloths, making it less obvious who is armed.

The district hopes that this will add more security, by not just having an armed officer, but by making it so criminals would have to guess who was armed or not.

Deputies from the county will be joined by officers from Castle Rock, Lone Tree, and Parker.

Beginning in the fall, the program will cost the district about half a million dollars, annually.

Officials with the district hope that their use of solar energy, instead of electric, will make up the financial difference.

Powerhouse Fire Forces Evacuations North of Los Angeles

Another fire started in California, on Thursday.

The Powerhouse Fire, is burning near Santa Clarita's Green Valley neighborhood.

It quickly rushed to over one thousand acres, forcing the evacuations of as many as a thousand people.

Three hundred members of the Los Angeles Fire Department are battling the blaze.

The fire is threatening power and water facilities, which supply Los Angeles.

8 Tornadoes Leave 9 Injured in Arkansas and Oklahoma as Flooding Hits Kansas

Severe warning continued on Thursday, focusing on Arkansas and Oklahoma.

At least six tornadoes struck in Arkansas, leaving nine injured.

Five houses were damaged or destroyed by the twisters.

Oklahoma saw at least two tornadoes touch down, during the stormy day.

Torrential rain led to flash flooding in Kansas, especially around Coffeyville.

Tornado capable weather will continue through Friday and will be back on Sunday.

3 Westerners Killed in Syria, Including an American

Forces fighting for the Syrian regime reported that they killed three westerners, on Thursday.

The regime's fighters said that one of those killed was from the UK, another was from the US, and the third was from an unspecified western country.

They showed the passports of two of them, as well as a Michigan drivers license.

According to the regime, the three were killed while working rebel forces.

Along with the IDs, they had guns, a computer, a hand drawn map of a government facility, and evidence showing that they belonged to the al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra is a terrorist group, which is heavily linked to Al Qaeda.

The FBI has confirmed that an American citizen was killed, but did not yet release her identity.

33 Killed in Iraq Bombings

Thirty-three people were killed in multiple bombings, in Iraq, on Thursday.

Most of the blasts were focused in parts of Baghdad, and aimed at security and military forces.

In Mosul, two attacks were made against police checkpoints.

An assassination attempt was made against the provincial governor of Anbar.

The governor was not harmed, but four of his guards were injured, in that attack.

Authorities believe that Sunni groups are behind the continued violence.