MEC&F Expert Engineers : 06/26/17

Monday, June 26, 2017

Proposed changes issued by OSHA June 23 clear the way for the construction and maritime industries to avoid new regulatory requirements that drew criticism from makers of coal slag abrasives.







Proposed changes issued by OSHA June 23 clear the way for the construction and maritime industries to avoid new regulatory requirements that drew criticism from makers of coal slag abrasives.

The proposed rule, which is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register June 27, revokes the “ancillary provisions” for the construction and maritime sectors, but maintains the regulation’s lower permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.2 microgram per cubic meter of air over an eight-hour time-weighted average.

In a statement June 23, OSHA cited concerns by industry organizations and GOP members of Congress who “raised concerns that they had not had a meaningful opportunity to comment on the application of the rule to their industries” during the Obama administration’s development of the regulation.

The beryllium rule for general industry will remain, but OSHA had originally planned to extend it to construction and maritime industries several years after the initial rule.

Opponents of the change warned removing the provisions from the construction and maritime standards would have a substantial impact on the rule’s utility.

“If they go ahead with the final standard based on this proposal, then we’ll see them in court,” Michael Wright, health and safety director for the United Steelworkers union, told Bloomberg BNA June 23.

Wright said OSHA had provided insufficient justification why shipyard and construction workers should not receive the same protections from beryllium as workers in other industries.

Most Provisions Effective in January


Most of the provisions for general industry take effect in January 2018, but some provisions are not required until 2019 and 2020. OSHA may also consider delaying compliance dates for the construction and maritime sectors PEL mandate and short-term exposure limit by an additional year to account for the new changes and will not enforce the old regulation on these sectors during its review, the proposed rule said.

The proposed rule states that OSHA has evidence that beryllium exposure in these operations is “limited to” abrasive blasting in construction and welding in shipyards, and other OSHA standards already cover parts of these operations.

If finalized, the rule would remove requirements these sectors conduct exposure monitoring, perform a written exposure control plan, provide personal protective equipment and work clothing, housekeeping, medical surveillance, medical removal and worker training.

Removing these provisions means affected workers are less likely to know they have been sensitized to beryllium and are at risk for chronic beryllium disease, Wright said, and not providing protective clothing and showers increases the chances workers expose their spouses and children to beryllium when they return home.

“If this proposal to weaken the beryllium rule goes into effect, construction and shipyard workers will die and be permanently disabled as a result,” Emily Gardner, worker health and safety advocate for Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division, said in a statement June 23.

Industry Organization Pushed Changes


The changes to the beryllium regulation ( RIN:1218-AB76), which the Obama administration finalized Jan. 6, come in response to criticism from industry organizations such as the Abrasive Blasting Manufacturers Alliance.

The group, which represents manufacturers of coal slag, warned that the standard was unreasonable and burdensome to the industry and ignored risks posed by other abrasives.

The White House met with the alliance May 15. The group shares an address with Harsco Corp., the largest vendor of coal slag.

Had it taken effect, companies that manufacture materials used in blasting operations that contain beryllium could have a harder time selling their products if end users were required to take new precautions when using the materials.

The Abrasive Blasting Manufacturers Alliance said in a statement to Bloomberg BNA June 23 that the rollback will help companies.

“OSHA’s proposed updated beryllium rule would be a significant improvement as it would eliminate construction and maritime industries regulations which would be very costly and complex, with no benefit to employee safety and health,” the group said.

At the same time, the group said OSHA erred by failing to raise the permissible exposure limit for beryllium.

“We are hopeful that given the body of evidence, the agency will differentiate between different forms of beryllium and conclude that the mineral form, found in trace amounts in abrasive blasting, should not be subject to the exposure levels set forth in this proposed rule,” the group said.

Bronce Henderson, the manager of EHS Abrasives LLC in Norfolk, Va., told Bloomberg BNA June 23 modifying plant operations to use materials such as recycled glass instead of coal slag is not difficult.

Henderson said EHS Abrasives converted the facility of a company it recently acquired to use recycled glass. The process took “about an hour to make the conversion with no additional equipment and no additional cost,” Henderson said.

While other companies might fear the regulation causes a loss of jobs, Henderson said, “It’s just not true. We hired additional people to make the recycled glass.”

Christie Miller, a spokeswoman for Huntington Ingalls Industries, which operates Newport News Shipbuilding, the largest U.S. shipyard, said in an email to Bloomberg BNA June 23 the company is continuing to evaluate alternatives to coal slag.

“This will continue regardless of the regulatory outcome on beryllium because it’s the right thing to do,” Miller said.

Critics Pan Decision


Opponents of the beryllium rule rollback said OSHA’s reasoning is lacking, leaving the change vulnerable to legal challenge.

The agency did not argue that a reduced risk of beryllium exposure exists in the construction and maritime sectors, nor did it properly account for the benefits of the regulation, advocates contend.

The proposed rule does not dispute that OSHA’s original determination that beryllium regulation is warranted, or that the permissible exposure limit should be raised, both arguments that could reduce the scope of the rule.

Former OSHA Director David Michaels said in an email to Bloomberg BNA June 23 the rollback appears to him as “a favor to companies that sell beryllium-contaminated coal slag.”

“The Department of Labor shouldn’t be picking winners and losers among competing businesses — it should stick to protecting the health and safety of the nation’s workers,” Michaels said. The proposal will be subject to a 60-day public comment period once it appears in the Federal Register. OSHA will also hold a public hearing if requested during the comment period, the agency said.





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It took almost four decades to set in place a safer standard for workplace beryllium exposure, a mineral found it blasting compounds in construction and shipyards that is linked to chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a disabling and potentially fatal lung ailment according to OSHA's Safety and Health Topics/Beryllium webpage.

The final rule adopted January 9, 2017 provided ancillary provisions intended to provide additional protections to employees, such as requirements for exposure assessment, methods for controlling exposure, respiratory protection, personal protective clothing and equipment, housekeeping, medical surveillance, hazard communication, and recordkeeping similar to those found in other OSHA health standards.

However, due to the Trump administration's “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review”, OSHA has set back enforcement of the final rule that established new protections for construction workers who are exposed to beryllium. Compliance obligations for the new rule were to begin March 12, 2018 but OSHA will not enforce the standards while the amended rule makes its way through regulatory actions.

In the new OSHA proposal, due for publication in the Federal Register June 27, the agency is seeking public comment and review based on claims by the Abrasive Blasting Manufacturers Alliance and other industry groups who maintain the ancillary provisions aren't necessary, specifically medical surveillance requirements for workers.

The OSHA proposal Occupational Exposure to Beryllium and Beryllium Compounds in Construction and Shipyard Sectors is available here and at https://federalregister.gov/d/2017-12871 on Tuesday.

The Otero Nursery fire was determined to have started by a worker using a cutting torch to disassemble a metal greenhouse on the property


Rosita Caudillo looks in her car for belonging after a fire destroyed a wood packing house leased by Otero Nurseries. Two vehicles and two trailers were also destroyed by the fire at 9300 155th Lane South in Delray Beach, Florida on June 22, 2017. Caudillo, who works for Otero Nurseries lost her driver license and social security card and key fob to another car in the fire. The car was not insured as she was getting ready to sell it. The fire was possibly was caused by a torch being used to dismantle some green houses. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)




Paige Fry Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
4:00 p.m Monday, June 26, 2017


DELRAY BEACH, FL


Fire rescue investigations determined that the large one-story wood commercial building that caught fire at a nursery was caused accidentally.


The fire that started on June 22 at about 9 a.m. on the 93000 block of the 155th Lane South was determined to be started by a worker using a cutting torch to disassemble a metal greenhouse on the property, according to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Investigations Division. The wood support beams for the greenhouse caught fire, which quickly spread when the worker found a bucket with liquid to extinguish the fire. The liquid was actually a mixture of gasoline and diesel fuel.


There were no reported injuries, but the structure was a total loss, officials said. There was no insurance on the property.


The building was leased by Otero’s Nursery. Firefighters reported a heavy column of black smoke that could be seen from several miles away when arriving at the scene. In addition to the destroyed building, vehicles near the fire were also damaged.



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DELRAY BEACH, FL

Only ashes were left Thursday afternoon to signify where a large one-story wood building once stood west of Delray Beach.

The cause of the fire that started at about 9 a.m. on the 9300 block of 155th Lane South remained undetermined and under investigation, said Capt. Albert Borroto, Fire Rescue spokesman.

The building was leased by Otero’s Nursery. Firefighters reported a heavy column of black smoke that could be seen from several miles away when arriving to the scene. There were no reported injuries — only damaged vehicles and property.

Fire Rescue crews was able to contain the flames quickly, but the wooden building couldn’t be savaged. In the mostly rural area within Palm Beach County’s Agricultural Reserve, greenery surrounded the melted scraps of metal remains, and stray burned palm trees stood bare between large pockets of water from Fire Rescue hoses.

Several people who were connected to the nursery stood idly by. They declined to give their names but spatted among themselves about the cause of fire and who’s responsible for insurance.

Rosita Caudillo, who works for Otero Nurseries, seemed to be the only one upset by the lost of her uninsured car, which she was planning to sell. She said the key fob to her new car, her driver’s license and her Social Security card were also melted and burned inside.

A Grade 7 student Keziah Edwards-Young has been identified as one of two children killed in a horrific head-on crash late Sunday night in Mississauga in Toronto. A 40-year-old man driving alone in a Mazda 6 was also killed in the collision.












A Grade 7 student Keziah Edwards-Young has been identified as one of two children killed in a horrific head-on crash late Sunday night in Mississauga, Peel District School Board says.

A 40-year-old man driving alone in a Mazda 6 was also killed in the collision.

The flag at Erin Mills Middle School was lowered to half-mast in the 13-year-old boy's honour on Monday, said principal Monika Hurford in a letter sent home with students. The flag will remain as such until after Edwards-Young's funeral.





 


Officials investigate the scene of a serious fatal collision on Winston Churchill Boulevard near the Queen Elizabeth Way in Mississauga on Monday June 26, 2017.

 


Emergency crews respond to the scene of a serious fatal collision on Winston Churchill Boulevard near the Queen Elizabeth Way in Mississauga Sunday June 25, 2017. (Andrew Collins /CP24)

"This tragedy has brought great sadness to the students and staff at Erin Mills," Hurford said. "Keziah was a well liked student — a valuable member of our school community. We will miss him."

Counsellors will be available at the school for students and staff as long as they are needed, the letter added.

"A lot of them are very distraught," Peel District School Board spokesperson Carla Pereira told CP24 on Monday afternoon. "Keziah had a very large circle of very close friends.

"The news is devastating for that school community."

A memorial table has also been set up in the school's library where students and staff can share messages of condolences, Pereira added.

A five-year-old child was one of the three lives claimed by the two-vehicle crash.

Three other people, including a woman and a girl were injured in the accident that happened on Winston Churchill Boulevard, near Queen Elizabeth Way, just before 11 p.m.

The man who died was driving the Mazda when he lost control of his vehicle for unknown reasons, swerved into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a northbound Mercedes Benz, Peel Regional Police Const. Rachel Gibbs said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Five people were in the Mercedes when it was hit. A woman, 25, who was a passenger in the car is in hospital with critical injuries. Another passenger, a seven-year-old girl is also in hospital in stable condition. The boys — aged five and 13 — were rushed to hospital where they later died of their injuries. The driver, a 24-year-old man suffered minor injuries.

Gibbs said investigators have not yet determined whether the people in the Mercedes are related to each other.

Police are speaking to eyewitnesses but are reaching out to anyone else who may have seen the crash or the vehicles beforehand, or was using a dashboard camera, Const. Bancroft Wright said.

Investigators with Peel's Major Collision Bureau still haven't determined why the driver of the Mazda swerved into oncoming traffic or if impaired driving was a factor.

"It would be a Sunday night pretty close to a fairly popular complex for entertainment. I anticipate we will have witnesses," Wright said. "We hope if anyone did see anything, they will contact police or Crime Stoppers."

Winston Churchill Boulevard remained closed in all directions at the QEW overnight because of the fatal crash but all lanes reopened by 6:30 a.m. 


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An adult and two children are dead after a head-on crash in Mississauga Sunday night, according to Peel Police.


The two children killed were aged five and 13. A 40-year-old man was also killed.


According to police, the crash happened shortly before 11 p.m. on Winston Churchill Boulevard near Queen Elizabeth Way when the man – who was alone in a Mazda – lost control and swerved into an oncoming lane where it collided with a Mercedes carrying an adult driver and four children.


Two children died from their injuries en route to hospital. One child is in hospital with serious injuries and the fourth is listed in critical condition. The driver of the Mercedes suffered minor injuries.


Peel Regional Police are investigating the crash and have asked anybody with information on the crash to speak with them.

Female driver Vicki Sue Bartz, 52, was killed early Monday when her SUV was rear-ended by a 2015 Freightliner semi tractor-trailer driven by Waldemar A. Palys of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania along U.S. 30 in Kosciusko County, Indiana. Palys told officers he might have fallen asleep before impact





Kosciusko County Sheriff’s deputies and emergency personnel investigate a fatal crash at the intersection of U.S. 30 and S.R. 19 early Monday, June 26, 2017.  Truck driver
Palys told officers he might have fallen asleep before impact.  (Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department) 

 
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) A South Whitley woman was killed early Monday when her SUV was rear-ended by a semi along U.S. 30 in Kosciusko County.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s deputies and emergency personnel were called at 3:40 a.m. Monday on a report of a crash at the intersection of U.S. 30 and S.R. 19. Crews arrived to find a woman pinned inside a 2015 Chevy Traverse.

The Kosciusko County coroner arrived and pronounced 52-year-old Vicki Sue Bartz of South Whitley dead at the scene.

A Kosciusko County Fatal Team reconstructionist found that Bartz was stopped at the S.R. 19 red light in the westbound lanes of U.S. 30 when a 2015 Freightliner semi tractor-trailer driven by Waldemar A. Palys of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, rear-ended her SUV “at highway speed.” Investigators said Palys might have fallen asleep before the crash.

The crash remains under investigation.




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Kosciusko County, Ind. (WNDU) -- A woman has died after a semi rear-ended her vehicle in Kosciusko County early Monday morning.

Police say just after 3:30 a.m., 52-year-old Vicki Bartz of South Whitley was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of U.S. 30 and S.R. 19 near Etna Green. That’s when they believe a semi driver, Waldemar Palys of Pennsylvania, crashed into her at highway speed. 


Palys told officers he might have fallen asleep before impact. Bartz was pinned inside of her vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
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By 1st Sgt. Chad D. Hill, Public Information Officer

ETNA GREEN — Kosciusko County officials are currently investigating a vehicular traffic crash on U.S. 30 near the town of Etna Green that has left a South Whitley woman dead.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputies and emergency personnel responded this morning at 3:40 a.m. to a reported vehicular crash located at the intersection of U.S. 30 and State Road 19. Responders located the driver of a 2015 Chevy Traverse, identified as Vicki Sue Bartz, 52, South Whitley, pinned inside her vehicle. Lutheran E.M.S. paramedics requested the Kosciusko County Coroner Office who arrived and pronounced Bartz deceased from blunt force trauma injuries.

Kosciusko County Fatal Team reconstructionist stated that a preliminary investigation into the crash has determined that Bartz had been traveling westbound on U.S. 30, when she had stopped for a traffic light at the intersection of State Road 19.   A 2015 Freightliner semi-tractor/trailer, driven by Waldemar A. Palys, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was also westbound on U.S. 30 in the same roadway lane and collided into the rear of the Bartz vehicle at highway speed. K.C.S.D. investigators stated that Palys believed that he might have fallen asleep prior to impact.

Officers stated that the crash is still currently under investigation. The Kosciusko County Fatal Team was assisted at the scene by members of the Etna Green Fire Department, Lutheran E.M.S., and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.

8 people injured after an SUV busted through a brick wall and landed in the swimming pool at the Vagabond Inn in San Pedro.









By Melissa MacBride
Sunday, June 25, 2017 11:42PM
SAN PEDRO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Eight people were injured Sunday night after an SUV crashed into a motel swimming pool in San Pedro.

The crash was reported about 7:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Gaffey Street, according to preliminary information from Los Angeles police.

The driver was traveling westbound on 1st Street turning left on Gaffey when he lost control of his SUV. The Toyota busted through a brick wall and landed in the swimming pool at the Vagabond Inn.

A total of eight patients were injured in the wreck, including one vehicle occupant who was transported to a nearby hospital. He was reported to be in stable condition.

Officials said children between the ages of six and 10 were in the pool when the SUV crashed down into the swimming pool. They were not seriously hurt and transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Johnathan Zayas was working at a gas station across the street when he heard screeching tires, and ran to help.

"I ran over there and people were trying to lift the car...I took this guy out of the car, you know, try to unbuckle him...he was choking...and someone did CPR," he said.

Police said they were investigating whether the driver, a man in his 20s, was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.


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SAN PEDRO — One person was critically injured Sunday and seven others were evaluated for minor injuries after a vehicle crashed into a motel swimming pool in San Pedro, authorities said.

It happened at 7:24 p.m. at 215 S. Gaffey St., Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The driver was out of the vehicle when firefighters arrived and was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Humphrey said. “All others were in the pool area and are now being evaluated at the scene for apparent minor injury.”

The motel is the Vagabond Inn, according to an internet search.


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eight people were injured Sunday night after an SUV crashed into a motel swimming pool, Los Angeles police said.

The driver lost control of his vehicle about 7:30 p.m. in front of the Vagabond Inn in the San Pedro neighborhood, crashed through a brick wall and landed in the swimming pool, police told KABC TV.

The driver was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is in stable condition, police said.

Children between the ages of six and 10 were in the pool when the SUV entered the swimming pool, officials told KABC. The children weren’t seriously hurt and were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, officials said.

The driver appeared to be in his 20s, police said. They are investigating whether he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Johnathan Zayas told KABC he was working at a gas station across the street when he heard the crash and ran to help.

“I ran over there and people were trying to lift the car…I took this guy out of the car, you know, try to unbuckle him…he was choking…and someone did CPR,” Zayas said.

Crooked Sorotzkin Family? ultra-Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Zalmen Sorotzkin, of Congregation Lutzk in Lakewood, his wife, Tzipporah, his brother, Mordechai, and his wife, Rachel, charged in separate federal complaints with conspiring to fraudulently obtain Medicaid benefits

 Rabbi Zalmen Sorotzkin, of Congregation Lutzk, and his wife, Tzipporah, were charged with collecting more than $338,000 in benefits prosecutors said they weren't entitled to.
 Zalmen Sorotzkin's brother, Mordechai, and his wife, Rachel, were one of two couples charged in separate federal complaints with conspiring to fraudulently obtain Medicaid benefits
TRENTON, N.J. --

A New Jersey rabbi and his wife and three other couples defrauded state and federal public assistance programs out of more than $1 million by underreporting their incomes, according to criminal complaints released Monday.

One of the couples continued to receive Medicaid assistance for their children despite making more than $1 million in both 2012 and 2013, according to one criminal complaint.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said more arrests are expected as a result of the investigation centered on Lakewood, a town near central New Jersey's shore that is home to a large and growing ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Rabbi Zalmen Sorotzkin, of Congregation Lutzk in Lakewood, and his wife, Tzipporah, were charged with collecting more than $338,000 in benefits prosecutors said they weren't entitled to. Their attorney said they will plead not guilty.



They were charged in state court along with Mordechai and Jocheved Breskin, who prosecutors said collected more than $585,000 in benefits.





Zalmen Sorotzkin's brother, Mordechai, and his wife, Rachel, were one of two couples charged in separate federal complaints with conspiring to fraudulently obtain Medicaid benefits

Zalmen Sorotzkin's brother, Mordechai, and his wife, Rachel, were one of two couples charged in separate federal complaints with conspiring to fraudulently obtain Medicaid benefits.

The couple made more than $1 million in 2012 and in 2013, the complaint alleges, but still received more than $96,000 in Medicaid benefits, including $22,000 to pay for medical expenses when their sixth child was born in November 2013.

"Everything is going to work out and all will be vindicated," said Rachel Sorotzkin's attorney, Fred Zemel.

The couples charged in federal court were given $100,000 bond and their travel limited to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, while the couples charged in state court were released without bail, but have to surrender their passports.

According to a federal complaint, Yocheved and Shimon Nussbaum hid their income by creating companies that they controlled and were run by relatives. The couple made approximately $265,000 in 2011, more than double the maximum allowed to receive Medicaid benefits and more than triple the maximum for Section 8 benefits, according to the complaint.

The investigation was initiated by the FBI and the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller. It later expanded to include U.S. Social Security Administration, the state Department of the Treasury and the Ocean County prosecutor's office.

"Financial assistance programs are designed to alleviate family hardships for those truly in need," Coronato said in a statement. "My office gave clear guidance and notice to the Lakewood community in 2015 of what is considered financial abuse of these programs.

"Those who choose to ignore those warnings by seeking to illegally profit on the backs of taxpayers will pay the punitive price of their actions."

A man died in the 3-alarm fire that broke out at Rolling Terrace Apartments, in D.C. Saturday that displaced 200 people





DC Fire: Man dies in 3-alarm fire in DC apartment that displaced 200


by Ryan Hughes/Nathan Bacca/ABC7

Saturday, June 24th 2017

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — A man died in the 3-alarm fire that broke out at a D.C. apartment building Saturday, fire officials say.


It was a chaotic and terrifying scene in Northwest DC as an inferno engulfed the building while hundreds of people were sound asleep.


Firefighters found residents jumping from windows to escape the flames as they used ladders to rescue dozens of small children and residents trapped inside the Rolling Terrace Apartments.

D.C. Fire Officials say the man's body was found on the top floor in the room where the fire started after dogs searched the building on Sunday. Officials say that room is the only place the dogs got a hit.

"I was screaming help help," said Jenny Gomez, who managed to escape from her third floor apartment with only her purse and pajamas.


Gomez woke up just before 3 a.m. Saturday to thick smoke. Outside her windows, a wall of flames quickly spread and engulfed her building in the 1300 block of Peabody Street in Northwest.

"When I opened that door I've never in my life seen smoke like that and had that smell," Gomez said.


Keyona Gardner raced downstairs from the third floor and out the basement with her mother and five-year-old daughter, but she could hear the desperate cries for help upstairs.

"They're standing there like we need help and we're telling them there's people still in there and it's just spreading," said Gardner, whose mother lived in the building for 37 years.

"We had people hanging out windows and we were also told when we got here a couple people from the second floor had jumped. Firefighters were able to catch them," said Chief Gregory Dean, DC Fire and EMS.


Mayor Muriel Bowser toured the damage after the building's roof collapsed and thanked the more than 200 first responders who rescued residents and knocked down the flames.

More than 200 people have been displaced, but they’re thankful to be alive. Many families lost everything and are now staying at a shelter set up at the Emery Recreation Center on Georgia Avenue.


The building had the roof removed, is unsafe and has significant fire and water damage, fire officials say.

"It was the scariest thing I've gone through in my life, and I'm just so fortunate to be here," Gomez said.

Fire crews were aware that one person was missing on Saturday night.

One person and five firefighters were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but they’re expected to be okay. The firefighters were released from the hospital on Sunday.

Fire was still in the walls and firefighters were still knocking down hot spots Saturday evening. Investigators have still not determined what caused the fire at this time.

1 plane passenger killed after the pilot Anthony Greco crashed the Piper PA-28-181 plane into Chico’s Daycare Saturday morning on Metro Parkway







1 person killed following plane crash into Chico’s Daycare on Metro Parkway

Published: June 24, 2017 9:20 AM EDT
Updated: June 25, 2017 8:13 AM EDT





FORT MYERS, Fla. One person was killed after a plane crashed into Chico’s Daycare Saturday morning on Metro Parkway, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

A Piper PA-28-181 aircraft crashed into the daycare center just before 8:00 a.m. at 11215 Metro Parkway during takeoff from Page Field, officials said. Anthony Greco. Photo via LinkedIn.

The pilot, Anthony Greco, president of the Fort Myers Flying Club, managed to get out of the plane moments before it burst into flames.

“He was staggering down the sidewalk…he was out of the airplane,” said Dan Boggs, the National Transportation Safety Board’s lead investigator in the crash. “Before anybody could get around the corner, it burst into flames.”

The passenger was killed while Greco was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, Boggs said. The passenger has not yet been identified.

No one was inside of the daycare at the time of the crash, deputies said. The building sustained significant damage. A Piper PA 28 aircraft crashed into Chico’s Daycare on Metro Parkway.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified.

The circumstances leading up to the crash are unclear at this time.

No further information was immediately available.

Boggs held a press conference Saturday afternoon with the latest updates on the crash:

WINK News reporter Jessica Alpern was live at the scene:

WINK News reporter Chaning Frampton shared a video from a viewer on scene on Twitter: 

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FORT MYERS, Fla. -

A 37-year-old passenger was killed when a plane crashed into a building Saturday morning on the Chico's campus in Fort Myers.

Lee County deputies identified the passenger as Marc Scott. The pilot, Anthony Greco, 55, was seriously injured.

The crash happened shortly before 8 a.m. along Metro Parkway.

The plane was taking off from Page Field when it crashed into Building 9 — a day care center — at Chico's.

Investigators with the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) are done with their field work at the Chico's site. The plane was taken to Page Field on Sunday and will be sent to salvage in Jacksonville on Monday.

NTSB spokesperson Dan Boggs said Saturday that the preliminary report is expected to take up to two weeks. They're going to be looking into a number of records and working with the plane's manufacturer to figure out what went wrong. The NTSB said single-engine planes do not have a black box. An official report will not be available for 12 to 16 months.

Boggs says the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing on Metro before crashing.
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Date:24-JUN-2017
Time:08:00 a.m.
Type:Silhouette image of generic P28A model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Piper PA-28-181 Archer III
Owner/operator:Fort Myers Flying Club
Registration: N199PA
C/n / msn: 2843218
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:0.8 km SE of Fort Myers-Page Field (KFMY), Fort Myers, FL -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Fort Myers-Page Field, FL (KFMY)
Destination airport:
Narrative:
The plane struck trees and crashed into a building at 11215 Metro Parkway following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from Runway 13. The plane was destroyed by the post-crash fire. One of the two occupants onboard the aircraft was fatally injured and one received serious injuries.
Sources:

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/35740710/plane-crashes-outside-page-park-in-fort-myers
http://www.winknews.com/2017/06/24/plane-crashes-into-chicos-daycare-on-metro-parkway/
https://www.google.com/maps/place/11215+Metro+Pkwy,+Fort+Myers,+FL+33966/@26.5789839,-81.8502937,19z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88db6abbc4b29569:0x85197ad557cd2c49?hl=en-us
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=199PA
http://www.fortmyersflyingclub.com/aircraft

The floor of an under construction Long Island City building collapsed Monday injuring 6 workers




 

By Eyewitness News
Updated 1 hr 25 mins ago
LONG ISLAND CITY, Queens (WABC) -- Six construction workers were injured after scaffolding collapsed in Queens Monday morning.

The incident happened just before 11 a.m. at 42-20 27th Street -- between Queens Plaza South and 42nd Road -- in Long Island City.

The scaffolding collapsed on the fifth floor of the building under construction.

All six injuries are considered non-threatening. The Department of Buildings responded to the scene and will determine the structural integrity of the building.

FDNY flew its drone over the scene to get an aerial view of the collapse:

This is the same developer that has many construction sites in Brooklyn shielded from the DOB by @nycgreenfield who is on his cash payroll.



@DOINews @NotifyNYC should investigate relationships between this developer & @nycgreenfield #followthemoney
 
 
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LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — The floor of an under construction Long Island City building collapsed Monday, injuring six people, officials said.

The eighth floor at 42-17 27th St. fell onto onto the seventh level shortly after having concrete poured, a spokesman for the NYPD said.

Five suffered serious injuries and were in stable condition, a spokesman for the FDNY said. Another person received minor injuries. All those injured were transported to Elmhurst Hospital.


The FDNY responded to a call about 10.40 a.m. The scene was declared under control by 11.50 a.m., FDNY said.

The incident is currently under investigation, NYPD said.

Lead image via FDNY

The mother of Philando Castile, a black motorist killed by a St. Anthony officer Jeronimo Yanez last year, has reached a nearly $3 million settlement in his death





CBS/AP June 26, 2017, 9:33 AM
Family reaches $3 million settlement in Philando Castile's death
 




MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The mother of Philando Castile, a black motorist killed by a Minnesota police officer last year, has reached a nearly $3 million settlement in his death, according to an announcement Monday by her attorneys and the Minneapolis suburb that employed the officer.

The settlement to be paid to Valerie Castile will avoid a federal wrongful death lawsuit stemming from Philando Castile's death. The 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker was killed by St. Anthony officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop July 6 after Castile told the officer he was armed. Castile had a permit for his gun.


The shooting gained widespread attention after Castile's girlfriend, who was in the car with her then-4-year-old daughter, livestreamed its gruesome aftermath on Facebook.

Yanez, who is Latino, was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges earlier this month. The jury's decision prompted days of protests, including one in St. Paul that shut down Interstate 94 for hours and ended with 18 arrests.


The $2.995 million settlement will be paid by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, which holds the insurance policy for the city of St. Anthony. It requires approval by a state court, which could take several weeks.

Robert Bennett, an attorney for Valerie Castile, said the idea behind the settlement was to move expeditiously rather than have the case drawn out in federal court, a process that would "exacerbate and reopen terrible wounds." The settlement will also allow the family, the city and community to work toward healing, Bennett said.

Bennett said it also will allow Valerie Castile to do the work she plans through the Philando Castile Relief Foundation. A Facebook page for the nonprofit foundation says it was established to help victims of gun violence and to provide relief for the grieving.

During his trial, Yanez, 29, testified that Castile ignored his commands not to pull out his gun. The officer said he feared for his life. According to squad-car video that captured the shooting, Castile said: "I'm not pulling it out" before Yanez fired seven rapid shots. Castile's last words after the shooting were "I wasn't reaching ..."
   

Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, later said Castile was reaching for his wallet.

The squad-car video shows the shooting, but does not show what happened inside the car or what Yanez saw, leaving room for reasonable doubt.

A separate video shows another angle of the shooting's aftermath -- the bravery of a little girl who witnessed it. In the video, Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, can be heard screaming. The young girl responds by saying, "Mom, please stop cussing and screaming 'cause I don't want you to get shooted. I can keep you safe."

As the young girl comforts her mother, the video shows the pair praying, unaware Castile has died.

After Yanez's acquittal, the city of St. Anthony said it was offering Yanez a "voluntary separation agreement" from the police department, and he would no longer be an on-duty officer. The department serves the cities of St. Anthony, Lauderdale and Falcon Heights, where the shooting occurred. 


If an officer fears for his life, s/he should find another job.  These corrupt and reckless cops always find the excuse that they were "fearing for their lives" to justify the shooting of civilians.  They need to be trained to back off situations and not to aggravate the situations.   Not to mention that many of these cops are former military members, with PTSD and other aggression issues.  Basically we have placed trained killers on the streets.  What do you expect then?

SAD PEOPLE IN HAPPY VALLEY, OREGON AFTER YET ANOTHER GAS LEAK REPAIR WORKER CRUSHED TO DEATH BY DUMP TRUCK





A flagger died Friday in Happy Valley after deputies say he was accidentally run over by a dump truck while a crew was in the area working to repair a natural gas leak.

The crash was reported about 4:10 p.m. near Southeast 132nd Avenue and Rose Meadow Drive. The 71-year-old flagger was helping the driver move a stalled dump truck out of the road when he was struck, said Deputy Robbie Nashif, a Clackamas County sheriff's spokesman.

The dump truck driver put the truck in neutral and allowed the truck to roll backward as the flagger was behind helping direct where it should go, the deputy said.

The truck hit the flagger and then ran him over, Nashif said. The worker died at the scene.

The driver remained at the scene and an investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made. The flagger and the driver aren't employees with Northwest Natural Gas, but were assisting crews with traffic and other aid, Nashif said.

It's at least the third crash leading to the death of a worker on an Oregon road since May.

Pablo Dominguez-Amezcua, 48, of Portland was killed May 23 when a driver plowed through a construction zone near Southeast 122nd Avenue and Yoakum Lane in Happy Valley, the sheriff's office said. The crash also injured his co-workers Preston Stucky, 26, and William Griffin, 62.




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HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. – A 71-year-old construction crew worker was hit and killed by a dump truck that was experiencing mechanical issues Friday afternoon in Happy Valley.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said no outside vehicles were involved and the crash "occurred as a result of a construction related accident."

The flagger was part of a construction crew assisting Northwest Natural Gas, which was fixing a gas leak near Southeast 132nd Avenue and Rose Meadow Drive. The flagger was not immediately identified.

The driver of the dump truck that had mechanical issues stayed at the scene and was heartbroken over the accident, the sheriff's office said. The collision occurred shortly after 4 p.m.

Life Flight was initially called but the worker died at the scene.

Roads in the area of the gas leak will be closed as crews work to finish repairs.