Four days after the September 11 terrorist attacks by radical Islamists from the Middle East, a self-proclaimed American “patriot” retaliated by murdering an Arizona gas station owner—a native of India whose Sikh religion required him to wear a turban. Although the victim was a stranger to then 20-year-old Valarie Kaur, she shared his religion, and the senseless murder so shook her that she spent the next four days holed up in her room, escaping in the world of Harry Potter. But on the fifth day, Kaur decided that she needed to respond, and she wound up spending the next eight years completing a documentary.

After over 20 years of plans, deliberations and complications, construction on Route 5 has begun with the intention to make the highway safer, especially for pedestrians. The Capital Design Advisory Committee has three projects it is currently working on, with Route 5 being one of them. The committee hopes to bring better lighting, improved crosswalks and a way to make sure cars obey the posted speed limit.