Community Corner

Morning Briefing: Good News for Grads?

Here's what's happening in Canton this Friday.

1. Weather: The National Weather Service predicts nothing but sunny skies for Canton today, with a high temperature of 76 degrees. Tonight, look for a low temperature of 45 degrees under clear skies.

2. In Case You Missed It: A little boy playing with a cigarette lighter got a little more than he bargained for when he started a fire that damaged his grandparents' home in Canton Thursday. Nobody was injured in the blaze. Hopefully, our young friend learned a very important lesson about playing with fire!

3. Happening Now: Seeing as Canton's high school seniors will be getting their diplomas in a matter of days, it should only encourage them to learn that their starting salary may be a bit higher once they graduate from college in four years, and that the job market in Cherokee County is steadily improving. Congrats, grads! Enjoy your summer!

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

4. Looking Ahead: Come back later today to get a rundown of Memorial Day happenings in and around Canton. If you're doing something you want the rest of the world to know about, tell us in the comments!

5. On This Date in History: On May 24, 1941, the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, attempting to sneak out into the Atlantic Ocean between Greenland and the Iceland, are intercepted by a British task force comprised of the battleships HMS Hood, HMS Prince of Wales, and the heavy cruisers HMS Suffolk and HMS Norfolk.

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

HMS Hood is the pride of the Royal Navy and is a symbol of British naval power in general while the Prince of Wales is a state-of-the-art battleship, which was still being worked on by dockyard personnel while at sea.

Just before daybreak (5:52 a.m.), Hood opens fire on the German ships at a range of 26,500 yards (just over 15 miles), but the Germans soon get the better of the old warship. At 6 a.m., a salvo from Bismarck strikes Hood's ammunition magazine. Hood was blown apart, with only three men of her crew of 1,418 surviving.

(Attached to this article is footage shot from the Prinz Eugen of the Bismarck fighting the British fleet in the Denmark Strait.)

Outnumbered and suffering mechanical failures, the Prince of Wales was forced to retreat, but not before dealing some damage to the Bismarck. After the loss of Hood and the damaging of British naval pride, Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued the famous order to, "Sink the Bismarck." 

Read Monday's Morning Briefing to learn what happens next!


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