Let's Start Off with Headlines. and First Up, out of Control Fires in California Have Completely

Keith: Hey everyone. It is Tuesday, September 15. I am Keith Kocinski and Channel One news starts right now.

Let's start off with headlines. And first up, out of control fires in California have completely wiped out neighborhoods. The devastation is so bad. It looks like a bomb went off.

There is nothing but rubble at this apartment complex. It burned to the ground. The wind driven fire devoured the small town of Middletown, California. Nearly 500 homes and a thousand other buildings are leveled. At least one person was killed.

Hamid Heidary: It is hard to believe what is going on. I’ve never seen devastation like this.

Keith: The fire erupted on Saturday. Many residents faced scenes like this as they tried to escape, surrounded by fire at every turn. And it is not the only one.

Another fire 200 miles away is still burning. The problem firefighters are facing, extremely dry grounds after years of drought and strong winds gusting at 30-miles an hour.

Also fleeing the fire are lots of animals, from dogs to cats to horses, and even a calf hitching a ride on this SUV.

Next up, the White House announced new steps to help students get more financial aid for college. It is all part of President Obama's plan to make college more affordable.

President Barack Obama was in Iowa yesterday, meeting with juniors and seniors from North High School in Des Moines.

He was there to announce changes to the process of applying for college loans.

President Barack Obama: Next year families will be able to fill out FAFSA even earlier, starting on October 1, right around time college applications ramp up.

Keith: Until now, you had to wait until January to fill out the federal loan forms. The jump on the application process is designed to help students determine how much college will cost. And it comes as American student debt totals $1.2 trillion, making it the second largest form of household debt after loans to buy homes.

Coming up, one teen who is making a world of difference for struggling migrants looking for a better life.

The migrant crisis in Europe appears to be reaching a tipping point. Last night European leaders met to try and figure out what to do with thousands of migrants and refugees pouring into Europe every day.

1 | P a g e But they failed to agree on a plan that would force individual countries to take in the thousands who are seeking new homes.

European countries are now getting stricter on who will be allowed in. Today the country of Hungary is enforcing harsher measures and closing the door to migrants and refugees. After being the first nation to build a fence, Hungary said it will now arrest people who try to enter illegally.

Further north, Germany, which has already seen hundreds of thousands pour into the country, said it is reaching its limits and is temporarily introducing border controls.

Most of the refugees who have surged into Europe have fled war torn Syria with the aim heading north to Germany or Sweden. And as countries are creating tougher restrictions, the United Nations is now warning that refugees could find themselves in limbo, being stuck in one country and not being able to move to another.

The challenges and the desperation continue to grow. But one young woman is trying to make a difference in this ongoing crisis. Tom Hanson is off the Mediterranean island of Malta with her story.

Maria-Luisa: We were at a funeral of some migrants that drowned. And the most horrible thing is that there were, on the casket, there were numbers, not names.

There was a casket of a 13-year-old boy. And it kills me that it takes people dying to make news. It shouldn’t be that.

Tom: Today, the waters are calm, almost peaceful. The crew on board The Phoenix celebrate another successful rescue mission on the Mediterranean Sea.

But this isn't the Coast Guard. Most of the people on board are actually trained volunteers. And this boat belongs to the Catrambone family.

Male: This is where all the people are brought on board.

Maria-Luisa: Yeah, and my dad calls it, “the gate of hope.” When they come on the boat, it’s like they are born again. So it's the gate of hope. New hope, new life, new start.

Tom: Maria-Luisa Catrambone's family bought this 130 foot ship in 2013 after learning how many people were dying while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, not far from the island of Malta that the Catrambone’s family calls home.

Regina Catrambone: Most of our friends said we were fools and that we were crazy. ‘Why invest your own money to help other people?’ But me and my husband, we say, why not.

2 | P a g e Tom: And so they purchased The Phoenix, an offshore aid station. And with about $8 million from their family’s fortune, they began financing rescue missions.

Over the summer, the number of people needing to be rescued got so high that the Italian coast guard and navy were unable to handle the problem on their own. So, volunteers and aid groups stepped in.

Regina: How much is the value of a human life? For us there is no price. It's priceless. I think between the last year and now, we are over 8,000 people rescued.

Tom: Maria-Luisa works as an unofficial therapist for the people who they have rescued.

Maria-Luisa: It gives me a chance to talk to the women and to the girls. They all feel very very really comfortable to talk to me. I guess because I'm younger. And then when I say that I'm 19, they’re like 'oh I'm 13'.

Through me, they can let out their emotions. And you don’t know how many people cry just looking into my eyes.

Tom: She quickly found a passion for helping these people who are seeking a better life. She says for her, the issue of migration hits close to home.

Maria-Luisa: I'm a migrant too because my mom is from Italy, my dad is from America. We migrated to Malta. But it is okay that we migrated to Malta. You know why? First reason, and I am going to sound really bad for saying this, but it’s the truth. First reason is because we’re white. And that’s what hurts me the most.

Tom: She says it is important to remember that these migrants and refugees are human beings that have risked their lives for a better future.

Maria-Luisa: Let it not be okay that we become numb to people dying right in front of us, or on the other side of the world. Just because it is happening on the other side of the world does not mean that it’s not important.

Tom: Tom Hanson, Channel One news.

Keith: Pretty amazing story. Thanks Tom. And to checkout Tom's reporter blog with behind the scenes photos, head over to Channelone.com.

Alright coming up, a classic toy is shaking up science.

Ok guys, Azia's here to Get Your Geek On. And she has brought a Slinky? What's that all about?

Azia: That’s right Keith. And I brought one for you.

3 | P a g e Keith: Oh, thank you.

Azia: Now the Slinky’s been around a long time. The toy turned 70 this month. But I bet you have never seen it used for science, until now.

It is a toy you may have played with as a kid.

Male: If you had told me, you know, five years ago, I’d be playing with Slinkys as part of my physics education, I don't think I would have predicted it.

Azia: But this class at the University of Oregon turned that toy into technology. They used Slinkys to build a network of seismometers, instruments that measure motion of the ground.

Dean Livelybrooks: The slinky seismometer is a working seismometer, capable of detecting signals from earthquakes worldwide.

They just act as springs on a simple harmonic oscillator that is dampened by a dampening feature on the bottom.

Azia: Besides being a cool tool, the slinky seismometer has practical purposes, too, especially when it comes to preparing for and recovering from earthquakes.

Dean: Well we can't forecast persay, but what we can try to do is give our best estimate just how an earthquake might happen.

Azia: The seismometers will give scientists valuable information that can be used to help rescuers reach earthquake victims faster or for designers to construct buildings that stand up better to quakes.

Dean: And you want to be right with that number. You don't want to get it low.

Azia: Another goal of the program, getting young people interested in science.

Alex: I think it opens the door to physics education for a lot of young people, which I think is exciting.

Azia: Azia Celestino, Channel One News.

Keith: Really cool. You know I could never get these things to go the down stairs like that commercial.

Well that's it for us. I have got to bounce, but you guys have a great rest of your day. And we will see you right back here tomorrow.

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