Community Corner

5 Things to Know: Velveeta Cheese Shortage, Fatal Case of Bird Flu Reported

Here are some interesting and important things to know for the coming week.

From the Supreme Court's controversial gay marriage ruling to a looming Velveeta shortage, here are five things you need to know for the coming week: 

1. Let there be (Northern) lights. The polar vortex may be gone, but another extreme weather event is happening tonight and early tomorrow. Experts say some northern states may be able to see the aurora borealis, or northern lights, today and tomorrow morning. Check out the U. S. Space Weather Prediction Center’s Aurora Forecast.

2. Utah is suspending recognition of the marriages of 1,400 gay couples who wed after a federal judge ruled that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court this week put the lower-court ruling on hold pending the state's appeal.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

3. The first fatal case of H5N1 bird flu in North America has been reported in Canada. The victim was traveling in China when symptoms first appeared. Health officials say the case was isolated and there was no evidence anyone else had been infected. By mid-December, there had been 384 fatal infection cases worldwide, mostly in Asia, according to The World Health Organization. Here’s how to protect yourself.

4. Hold the dip. A Velveeta shortage hits ahead of the Super BowlAdAge reports. Some grocery stores are running low and don't expect new deliveries until February.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

5. The Federal Reserve suggested that the effects of the central bank's bond-buying stimulus program might be fading. The declines, while modest, deepened stock market losses in the first five trading days of 2014. Because January is usually a bullish month, a slow start can be seen as a bad omen by investors.  


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