Chief gendarme appointed Band Room successor

HAWK CITY – King Franklin of the Band Room has appointed Seth, Second Baron Ballinger and Marshal of the Royal Überstadti Gendarmerie, as his successor.

The Band Room Realms, a young micronation located in the former Überstadti capital of Hawk City, have been ruled since their foundation by Franklin, who acceded by acclamation in June 2012. Franklin is expected to abdicate following his high school graduation in June, upon which both he and King Adam of Überstadt will cease to have regular business at Hawk City.

Seth, who was involved in the accession of both Franklin through his enthronement last year and Adam through the November Revolution, has led the Royal Gendarmerie since April. He has held no prior positions of importance in the Band Room Realms, even being at times the kingdom’s scapegoat, with Franklin’s constables permitted to strike him at will. On this surprise appointment, the current sovereign described Seth as being “just like [him],” asserting him to be the most viable potential successor.

Seth’s coronation, in imitation of the ad hoc ceremony in which Franklin was invested with his present office, is expected to be held the second week of June. If it follows the model of the first such event with exactness, it will involve the construction of a large throne in the center of the Realms and the new monarch crowing himself with headgear of aluminum foil.

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Further destruction in Creekbed; King warns intruders

CREEKBED – For the second time since the beginning of April, Creekbed Colony has been subject to invasion by vandals, presumably American. The latest incident, initially discovered yesterday by the king and confirmed today, involved the destruction of a protective barrier on the upper side of the colony’s slope.

The fortification had been standing less than two weeks when its components, branches found within the territory’s boundaries, were dismantled and cast into nearby brush.

King Adam ordered the barrier’s construction following an incident a month ago in which several ferns were damaged by intruders, most likely running down the hillside from the top of the colony. Ferns are protected under the Plant and Animal Protection Act, with a maximum penalty for their injury placed at six months incarceration and a $7,500 fine.

His Majesty acknowledged today that it is plausible that the party responsible for this latest incident may have believed themselves to be acting in the interest of safety, but denied that the construction posed any risk to humans, least of all those who stayed on appropriate trails. The upper trailhead is only accessible by the colony’s main trail or by trampling living ground cover.

“All are welcome in Creekbed,” His Majesty said this morning in a public statement, “but we demand that they neither damage our environment nor our structures.” He strongly cautioned against further damage by foreign nationals, describing these two incidents as “aggression.”

This latest development in the border security matter brings the whole military apparatus into play, as the navy is resonsible for colonial defense and the Royal Gendarmerie is responsible for law enforcement.

Fourth Parliament opened

ROSEWOOD – Last evening in the Royal Residency, the Fourth Parliament ceremonially began with the State Opening presided over by His Majesty the King. The event included the delivery of His Majesty’s second Speech from the Throne, as well as Prince Aaron’s first Governmental Address.

All of Parliament had gathered in the Residency’s Hall of State for the ceremony, which began with the swearing of an oath by the king to respect parliamentary sovereignty and the right of the chamber to govern itself.

Following this oath, the Speech from the Throne was given. This, unlike the prior address of the same name, described the legislative agenda of the monarchy, which has borne decree powers since March. His Majesty expressed a desire to fund a public compensation program for work performed on the national infrastructure and other labor of benefit to economic potential. Environmental regulations, most notably licenses to pollute, were also proposed.

One of the best-received parts of the speech, receiving applause from those in attendance, was the declaration that an educational institution called the King’s College was to be founded and funded personally by the crown. The King’s College, which will not be degree-granting, is to teach courses in Überstadti history for citizens, as well as in national law. The legal education program, however basic in nature, is hailed as a way to prepare more people to be permitted to practice Überstadti law, a decision made by the courts.

The assembly was then addressed by Prince Aaron in his role as Prime Minister. The Governmental Address, which describes the government’s legislative agenda (and overrides that of the monarch if the two are in conflict), was brief, concurring with the points raised by King Adam.