News 6 Mashup: September 19, 2022
Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of September 19th, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:
U.S. Troops Face Continued Opposition in Japan
Okinawa’s incumbent governor, Denny Tamaki, was reelected, despite concerns of escalating tensions between China and nearby Taiwan. Tamaki is opposed to U.S. forces in Okinawa, in particular the “ongoing U.S. Marine base relocation” and he also is in favor of further reductions of American troops stationed on the southern island, reported Military.com.
The majority of the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan are located on the island of Okinawa whose residents struggle with “noise, pollution, accidents and crime related to American Troops,” the governor said. A multiple-years-long delay in the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a densely populated neighborhood to a less populated area is opposed by many Okinawan residents. They want the base closed rather than relocated.
Marines Aid in South Korean Typhoon Clean Up
Marines and South Korean troops near Camp Mujuk South Korea “hauled debris and shoveled mud” to aid in the aftermath of super Typhoon Hinnamnor which made landfall in South Korea earlier this month, reported Stars and Stripes.
“Because of the strength of the alliance and our relationship with the [South Korean marines], we were able to swiftly provide aid to the surrounding community following the damages caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor,” said 1st Lt. Austin Gallegos, spokesman for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea.
Little Debbie Waves Goodbye to the Commissary
Commissaries will no longer stock Little Debbie snack cakes reported Military Times. “McKee Foods, the maker of Little Debbie snack cakes, has said it can no longer shoulder the burden of providing the sweets to the Defense Commissary Agency and Navy Exchange Service,” citing costly regulatory standards.
“As supporters of the men and women who serve the United States military this was a very difficult decision for us to make,” said Mike Gloekler, McKee Foods spokesperson. “We believe in the mission of forward-deployed troops, and we understand the impact that the comforts of home have on morale. Perhaps some will see an opportunity to streamline federal contractor compliance.”
You can still find Little Debbie snack cakes at off-base grocery stores.
80 Delightful Scarecrows on Display
I’m feeling fall…despite our 98 percent humidity and 88 degrees here at Fort Bragg, NC. To get in the autumn spirit you might want to check some photos from a small town in England. The town hosts a scarecrow competition, which is back after a hiatus because of the pandemic, shared Good News Network. Over 80 delightful scarecrows were entered – in a variety of styles from The Wizard of Oz, to Minions, to Prime Minister Boris Johnson “relaxing on a deckchair.” Check it out at Good News Network.org
This Week in History
On September 22, 1888, the first issue of National Geographic magazine was published. The first issue cost 50 cents, was 98 pages long, it had a brown cover and did not include a single photograph. Six articles were written “in-house” by five of the National Geographic Society’s 33 founding members. Take a deep dive into history at National Geographic.
Photo by: Evan-Amos, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
