Graphic illustration created in Canva by Luke Soule

Weekly news roundup

CJ Boxhill, Cari Heinonen, Allie Hartman, and Gabriel Adams

Dec 6, 2024

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International

Digital artwork representing the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that could very well end up broken in the next few months. (Rhyan Murphy)

France and the United States have called for a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. Israel agreed to the ceasefire which came into effect at 4 A.M. on Nov. 27 stopping the bloodshed there. Although this ceasefire has taken place it will not stop the wars in Gaza. This deal has officially stopped a war that went on for about 14 months leaving thousands dead. Israeli residents have remained hesitant on returning to their homes even after the ceasefire has held, they fear it will be broken when they return.

National

On Sunday, Dec. 1, President Joe Biden released a press statement announcing the pardoning of his son Hunter Biden. After Hunter Biden’s conviction and his trial, President Biden has decided to pardon his son despite alleging he would not.

A presidential pardon is an executive order granting mercy for a conviction. It can be granted at any time after the conviction.

According to the BBC, Hunter Biden is facing criminal convictions of tax cases and gun ownership due to his drug abuse. He has been committing these crimes since January of 2014.

Hunter Biden was pleaded guilty over the summer for federal charges of failing to pay 1.4 million dollars in taxes from 2016 to 2020. His next case was for false statements to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives from when he purchased a handgun.

According to the White House, President Biden explained his reason as he could not watch his son be treated with such injustice by his political opponents.

After the pardoning, Hunter Biden’s trial will not continue. The case will be dismissed with prejudice.

State

On Dec. 3, two teenage individuals were shot in a neighborhood off of Palmetto highway. One was left dead and the other in critical condition. Authorities have said they found multiple ammo shells and casings in the vehicle parked next to one of the victims.

According to Fox 5, “The South Fulton Police Department told FOX 5 that officers arriving at the scene found a deceased male lying in the driveway next to a vehicle on the 100 block of Elkmont Ridge. The male had a gunshot wound to his stomach and was not breathing.”

Later on into the investigation, officials learned that there was a secondary victim who had also been shot a few hundred yards away from the original scene.

According to an article written by the WSBTV News Staff, police have not announced any arrests.

McIntosh Resource Officer, Officer Conover, gave a few words to reassure students.

“Be aware of your surroundings and remember that something could always go wrong but you should never live your life in fear of the unknown,” Conover said.

School

Exemption notifications will be sent out on Monday, Dec. 9. McIntosh will start exam week on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and will follow through the rest of the week. On Dec. 16, the day will consist of exams from first and second period. The following day, Dec. 17, third and fourth period exams will be taken. The next day, fifth and sixth period exams will take place. On the last day, Dec. 20, seventh period exams will be taken. If you plan to exempt any of your exams, then do not come to school for the duration of that exam.

“Yes, I’m nervous for exams because I don’t really want to do them. And I’m highkey always scared I’m going to fail,” Katie Parker (9) said.

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About the Contributors

CJ Boxhill, Multimedia

CJ Boxhill is serving as Team Multimedia for the 2025-2026 school year. Boxhill has now been on staff for two years and served as Team Multimedia for the 2024-2025 school year as well. Boxhill won a Best of SNO award last year for his podcast Red Blue and A Lot To Do with co-host Ava Flores which was the first multimedia best of sno for trail. Boxhill was also a part of the team that won Distinguished SNO site last year. Boxhill has also won a superior award alongside his peers for their staff editorial at GSPA. Boxhill is a current member of the Spirit of Mcintosh Marching Band, he serves a leadership role as percussion leader in the band. He also served as the Vice President of the Skills USA club. Boxhill has won two Rookie Of The Year awards and also two Student Choice awards. Boxhill made silver academic recognition these past two years. He is also a Mcintosh ambassador. Boxhill is also involved in the Tech crew for Mcintosh Theater. Boxhill has been working at Carrabba’s Italian Grill for the past seven months and serves as a certified trainer there. When Boxhill is not working or at school he enjoys playing video games, hanging out with his friends, or learning new music. Boxhill is very interested in politics and law. Boxhill is the last of his family to attend McIntosh High School, his sister Davian and Cousins Katrina and Chris have all attended McIntosh. One of his biggest goals in life is to be elected as a future President of the United States. Boxhill is excited for the upcoming year and working with new faces.

Cari Heinonen, Staff

Cari Heinonen is a sophomore at McIntosh and this is her second year on the Trail Staff. She plans to focus on photography and writing. Heinonen enjoys listening to music and writing poetry in her free time. Heinonen is a part of the Fashion Club, Animal Care Organization, HOSA, and the Envirothon. Heinonen also holds a job at Chic-Fil-A.

Allie Hartman, Interactive Design Editor

Allie Hartman is a sophomore at McIntosh and this is her second year on the Trail Staff. Hartman enjoys reading and writing. In addition, she was on the McIntosh JV girls tennis team. Outside of school, Hartman likes to play tennis with her sister and hang out with her friends. As a part of the 2025-2026 Trail staff, Hartman hopes to focus on writing truthful and interesting stories.

Gabriel Adams, Staff

Gabriel Adams is a Junior at Mcintosh and a new addition to The Trail’s staff. Adams competed in The Law’s Of Life event and he has future plans to achieve the world title in the UFC (Ultimate Fighter Championship). Until then he practices Muay Thai, reads, mountain bikes and hangs out with friends. His approach to Journalism is both insightful and straightforward. His desire is to keep informed of the events that impact our way of life. He was one of the staff members who won a best of SNO.

Rhyan Murphy, Staff

Rhyan Murphy is a sophomore, having just this year joined the McIntosh Trail as a rookie. Murphy is the daughter of a Marine veteran. She has a current, and everlasting hobby of drawing, learning to do so for nine years. She also takes interest in general design.

Luke Soule, Multimedia Editor

Multimedia editor Luke Soule is a senior at McIntosh High School and has returned for his second year on the McIntosh Trail. Soule received an all-georgia and superior award during his first year on the staff as a writer and specializes in writing about film, music and environmental issues. He is also an editor for the Mischief Literary Magazine. Soule enjoys writing poetry and stories and has written multiple screenplays. Music and film are big parts of Soule’s life. He taught himself to play guitar and currently takes music theory and piano lessons. His favorite artists are Death Grips, Gregory Alan Isakov and Hugh Masekela. He also began writing screenplays at the age of 13. His favorite movies are The Master, Swiss Army Man and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He frequently volunteers at the Fayette Humane Society and Clothes Less Traveled.