Facebook Adding Hashtags

On Wednesday, Facebook announced that they will begin using hashtags.

Facebook being the only major social media site that doesn't utilize them, finally bowed to reality.

Hashtags were originally created by Twitter as an easier way to search for a topic.

According to Facebook, about twenty percent of their users already use hashtags, despite their not doing anything.

However, the rollout began Wednesday, and over the next few weeks all of the site's users will be able to utilize them.

Some note that this is the first time anyone has looked forward to a Facebook update.

Fire Fighters Flown Into Fight Big Meadows Fire

Multiple fires are burning throughout Colorado.

Southwest of Fort Collins the Big Meadows Fire has burned about five hundred acres, after being started by lightning on Monday.

Contained with the Rocky Mountain National Park, the fire is not threatening any buildings.

Concerns are high about the fire, as it is approaching areas of dead trees.

If the fire gets to those areas, it's growth could explode making it an extremely dangerous fire.

Due to the ruggedness of the terrain, firefighters were flown in to the area where they are hoping to stop the fire's progress and let it burn itself out.

Focus is on the north end of the fire, as to the south is Grand Lake, which would act as a natural fire break.

They are being aided in their fight by helicopters.

Five mountain trails have been closed, because of the fire. They are: Grand Lake Lodge Spur Trail, Green Mountain Trail, Lower Tonahutu Trail, Onahu Trail, and Tonahutu Spur Trail.

Royal Gorge Fire Burns 4000 Acres and 20 Buildings

Multiple fires are burning throughout Colorado.

Four thousand acres and twenty buildings have been lost to the Royal Gorge Fire, near Canon City.

The fire is burning along the Arkansas River, in the area around the Royal Gorge Brige.

Authorities say that while the fire was burning on both sides of the bridge, that it appears to be undamaged.

Most of the buildings lost were restaurants which feed the tourists who come to see the bridge and gorge.

Twelve people have been hospitalized due to breathing issues, due to the smoke, in the area.

During Wednesday, fire fighters, aided by planes and helicopters, were able to gain twenty percent containment on the blaze.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for the Royal Bridge Park north to Highway 50 and from the west side of Canon City to Parkdale Bridge.

The evacuation also includes the closure of the Arkansas River from Canon City to Spike Buck.

Eight hundred and eighty-one prisoners were evacuated from the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility, as a precaution.

Officials felt that they should get a jump on the move, as it takes a long time to move inmates, instead of having to rush should it became necessary.

It is unknown what caused the fire to start.

Black Forest Fire Burns 92 Homes and 10,000 Acres

Multiple fires are burning throughout Colorado.

Ninety-two homes have been burnt to the ground and five damaged by the Black Forest Fire, north of Colorado Springs.

The fire, which started Tuesday afternoon in the Black Forest, has burnt more than ten thousand acres.

Around thirty-four hundred homes and ten thousand people have been evacuated from the area, with more on standby.

Shifting winds have made things difficult for the more than five hundred ground forces, which were repeatedly forced to fall back or be overwhelmed.

Luckily the winds have not grounded aircraft and tankers and helicopters spent the day striking at the blaze.

Resources from other states are being sent to help battle it, as well as a federal Type 1 Command Team.

Winds calmed down as night approached, but are expected to be even higher, on Thursday.

Smoke from the fire spread north covering Castle Rock and the Denver metro area, for parts of Wednesday evening, causing breathing advisories to be put in place.

Containment on the fire is still at zero percent and no cause is known.

El Paso County has mandatory evacuations listed as being from between the Walker Road/Evans Road in the north, Highway 83 to the west, Eastonville Road on the east, and Burgess Road/Rex Road at the south.

Four areas to the south and east are under evacuation alert, with people being told to pack and be ready at a moment's notice. Those areas are:

• Area 1: Burgess Road south to Stapelton Drive, and Vollmer Road east to Meridian Road.
• Area 2: Latigo Blvd. south to Stapelton Drive, and Meridian Road east to Highway 24.
• Area 3: Guy Ranch Road south to Stapelton Road, and Eastonville Road east to Elbert Road.
• Area 4: Burgess Road south to Old Ranch Road and Poco Road, and Milam Road east to Vollmer Road.

Colorado Burning

Three major fires are burning in Colorado.

A total of nine were burning on Wednesday, though several were short lived and several are considered minor due to size and location.

The Black Forest, Big Meadows, and Royal Gorge Fires have combined to burn between fifteen and twenty thousand acres.

Much of the focus is on the Black Forest Fire, which is by far the largest, and is burning homes just north of Colorado Springs.

Air crews are aiding ground forces in battling the blazes, which have been pushed by strong winds through drought ridden areas.

Wednesday night brought clouds in and a slight relief from the heat and winds, as well as slightly increasing humidity.

However, the winds are expected to be back and even stronger, on Thursday.

US Army: Lieutenant Colonel Todd J. Clark

Lieutenant Colonel Todd J. Clark, forty of Evans Mills, New York, was killed on June 8.

He was killed when a gunman opened fire on a group of Americans who were training Afghan troops, in Zarghun Shahr, Afghanistan.

Clark was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, New York.

Among his completed courses were: Combat Life Savers Course, Intermediate Level Education Qualification and Common Core Courses, Cavalry Leader Course, Armor Maneuver CPT Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School Course, Motor Pool Management Course, Armor Basic Officer Leadership Course, and Airborne Course.

His decorations include: three Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, two Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, Army Commendation Medal with Distinguishing Device, three Army Achievement Medals, two Presidential Unit Citation Awards, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Join Meritorious Unit Award, two National Defense Service Medals, two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, three Iraq Campaign Medals, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, and Parachutist Badge.

US Army: Major Jaimie E. Leonard

Major Jaimie E. Leonard, thirty-nine of Warwick, New York, died on June 8.

She was killed when a gunman opened fire on a group of Americans who were training Afghan troops, in Zarghun Shahr, Afghanistan.

Leonard was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, New York.

The Major was a 1997 graduate of West Point.

Among her completed courses were: Intermediate Level Education Qualification and Common Core Courses, Counter Intelligent Agent Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School Course, Basic and Advanced Military Intelligence Officer Course, Airborne Course, Air Movement Operator Course, Nuclear Biological and Chemical Officer Course, and Master Fitness Trainer Course.

Her decorations include: two Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, three Afghanistan Campaign Medals, two Iraq Afghanistan Campaign Medals, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal Army Service Ribbon, five Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Army Staff Identification Badge.

Turkish Police Attempt to Clear Protesters

Riot police in Istanbul, Turkey attempted to clear out protesters, on Tuesday afternoon.

They were partially successful, but were unable to completely dislodge all of the protesters.

Backed by armored vehicles and water cannons, the police moved forward firing tear gas.

Protesters responded by throwing rocks and aiming fireworks at the police.

The clashes left unknown numbers injured.

By the end of the evening police and protesters remained squared off, but with the protesters line pushed back a few hundred feet from where they began.

16 Killed in Bombing at the Afghan Supreme Court

Sixteen people were killed and more than forty injured when an explosion rocked the Afghan Supreme Court in Kabul.

A car loaded with explosives was driven into buses full of court staff members.

The Taliban quickly claimed the attacking, bragging about their strike against those who help the West control the country.

Attacks by the Taliban have stepped up lately, and been aimed at targets that are supposed to be secure.

Taliban forces are clearly making the statement that they are unstoppable.

Pakistan Scrambles Fighters Accuses Indian Jets of Violating Airspace

Pakistan accused Indian jets of crossing into it's air space, on Tuesday.

They scrambled fighters of their own, in response, but no confrontation occurred as the Indian planes reentered Indian air space.

Indian authorities said that during a training flight their pilots may have gone closer to the border than they were supposed to.

According to them, their planes never actually crossed the border, but were over it, a technical violation but not an actual one.