Kappa Sigma went down, down the burning ring of fire
Mercer’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity witnessed the lyrics to Johnny Cash’s hit “Ring of Fire” before their own eyes on Sunday afternoon. Instead of love igniting the fire though, it was a lighter. A lighter exploded with a “loud crack” and caused alarm to a group of sophomores chatting at the front of the house, including Austin Davis, a 19-year-old brother of the Fraternity. Davis ran inside to investigate the cause of the noise and noticed a fire out back near the patio. He grabbed a rag and tried to smother the flames. The fire was extinguished at 3:07 p.m., and now a black pit marks the grass where the ring of fire once burned.
Saturday Night Live Turns 40
If you didn’t watch Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary Special, you missed out on a major topic at the water cooler for the week ahead. With numerous comedians and famous musicians in a three-and-a-half-hour spectacular, SNL40 brought back crowd-favorite sketches and paid homage to the funny people who no longer grace the stage. The special aired Sunday at 8 p.m. with an hour long red carpet pre-show hosted beforehand by the Today Show’s Carson Daly, Susan Guthrie, Al Roker and Matt Lauer. There were awkward moments, like Jim Carrey’s joke about Brian Williams, and there were too many nostalgic sketches to count, but there were laughs galore for the celebration of the longest running sketch comedy show in American history.
Governor Deal declares emergency, excluding Macon
Students had their fingers crossed with whispers of an incoming snow storm circulating through the air, but it seems Snowpocalypse 2.0 will not come to pass this week in Macon. Northern counties, with cities including Blairsville, Dahlonega and Dalton, are expecting a much harder hit. Gov. Nathan Deal declared a State of Emergency Sunday for northern counties lasting until Tuesday. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant also issued a State of Emergency for northern parts of the state until Monday. A wintry mix of snow, ice and sleet will making driving dangerous, if not impossible, in the worst affected areas.
Mardi Gras Preview
Mercer Village will turn into a mini New Orleans on Feb. 17 for Mardi Gras festivities. Merchants will offer cajun-inspired food specials for lunch and dinner, like Francar’s traditional beignets or crawfish nachos with red beans and rice from Margaritas. Harold “The Hurricane” Thomas will supply jazz music throughout the day. The event is free and open to the public. The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. and last until 8 p.m. In case you miss it, next week’s print issue of The Cluster will have a photo spread of the event.
Macon-Bibb County firefighter mourned by community Monday, funeral causes road closures
This President’s Day will coincide with the aching loss and burial of a Macon firefighter, Lt. Randy Parker, who was killed in the line of duty last Wednesday. Firefighters travelled from all over the state to attend the visitation Sunday. According to the U.S. Fire Administration’s website, Parker’s death represents the 10th on-duty firefighting death in the nation so far this year. His funeral will take place today at 11 a.m. at the Macon City Auditorium. Some parts of downtown will be closed off beginning late Sunday until about 3 p.m. Monday, Macon-Bibb County spokesman Chris Floore said in an interview with The (Macon) Telegraph. First Street from Cotton Avenue to Riverside Drive will be closed until 3 p.m. along with sections of Poplar and Cherry Streets.
5 things to start your week: Kappa Sig's 'Ring of Fire,' Macon-Bibb firefighter memorial, Snowpocalypse 2.0 and more
