Opinion Editor, Leo Castaneda and Staff Writer, Mike Heral

Here are some of the stories we found the most interesting and underreported this summer, as well as the ones we’re keeping an eye on this fall semester.

Balboa Lily Pond

A water gun fight at Balboa Park earlier this month caused serious havoc to the lily pond in front of the botanical garden. The latest estimate puts the cost of the damage at $19,000. The stunt now threatens to damage the campaign for mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio after his partner was accused of helping promote the event.

Balboa Parking Shuffle

Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs pushed for a new plan in city council that will make Balboa Park more pedestrian-friendly. The Plaza de Panama, currently home to parking spots and valet parking, will be car-free. An underground parking structure will be built to offset lost parking space, while traffic will be redirected with a new bridge bypass. Though exciting for the park and its visitors, the renovations risk Balboa’s historical designation andhe grants, federal aid and tourism associated with it.

Congressional Witch Hunt

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann from Minnesota didn’t lose touch with her inner crazy, spearheading a group of five congressmen investigating alleged Muslim Brotherhood infiltration into the U.S. government. Bachmann and her gang of Goofys must’ve watched Showtime’s conspiracy thriller “Brotherhood” much too intently. Senator John McCain was eventually forced to take the extraordinary step of denouncing her on the senate floor.

Killer Rock Randall Blythe, lead singer of the extreme metal band Lamb of God, was arrested formanslaughter in Prague. A fan was killed when he was pushed from the stage during a 2010 concert. The Czech Republic alleges Blythe was culpable in violently removing the fan from the stage. Bizarrely, Blythe was forced to post bail twice before being released. According to Blythe, one reason for this was Czech Republic’s anger about the U.S. denying its request tointerview him after the incident. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice neglected to notify Blythe he was wanted for manslaughter and shouldn’t travel to Prague.

Unknown Reason for Death

Junior Seau committed suicide this year and a consensus quickly formed stating he was another ex-NFL star who lost his mind because of too many hits to the head. However, the Office of the Medical Examiner of San Diego County found traces of zolpidem—the active element in the insomnia drug Ambien—in his system. Zolpidem is widely known to cause erratic behavior and might be culpable for Seau’s suicide. Sadly, we may never know the definitive reason he ended his life, but the rush to blame the NFL appears premature.