The explosion blew a three-foot-wide hole on the roof of an annex to Columbia Explorers Academy in Brighton Park. (WLS)
By Ravi Baichwal
Updated 2 hrs 6 mins ago
CHICAGO (WLS) -- About 200 students were evacuated from an annex building at a South Side elementary school Wednesday morning after damage from an explosion was discovered.
The explosion blew a three-foot-wide hole on the roof of an annex to Columbia Explorers Academy near 46th and S. Kedzie in Brighton Park.
Neighbors told police they heard some sort of blast around 10 p.m. Tuesday night. As kids arrived at school Wednesday morning, the hole was discovered and parents rushed in.
"What woke me up was the helicopters flying all over the place. Something has to be going on, so my first instinct was to come to my daughter's school. And sure enough, all the red and yellow tape was around here," parent Jason Fabian said.
The Chicago Police Bomb and Arson Unit and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called to the scene.
After confirming there was residue from an explosion, school officials quickly moved the 200 kids in the building to the main campus. ATF and FBI investigators said late Wednesday they have confirmed the blast was caused by some sort of fireworks.
"It's a surprise because it is a little school but it's been very nice," parent Anna Cahue.
Late Wednesday afternoon, CPS sent out a robocall alerting parents to an "incident" but that all children were safe.
"They kept telling us to not go outside for not at all," said Sergio Villalobos, 12.
It's not clear how long the annex will be closed, but the school's main campus remains open.
Insurers expect thousands of claims after Madison takes brunt of hailstorm
LARRY AVILA lavila@madison.com
As quickly as Monday’s late afternoon hailstorm swept through Dane County, insurance adjusters soon followed to assist customers with claims of damage to vehicles and property.
The storm, according to the National Weather Service, passed through Dane County between 4 and 4:30 p.m. By about 4:15, large hail up to 2 inches in diameter, heavy rain and gusting wind began pelting Madison.
Within minutes of the storm’s passing, Madison-based American Family Insurance started getting calls from customers reporting hail damage. American Family estimates the storm could generate as many as 3,000 claims from customers in Dane, Sauk and Iowa counties, areas it suspects experienced the brunt of the storm.
It’s possible the number could go higher, said Linda Wagener, a spokeswoman for American Family.
“Some people may not be aware they have hail damage or may have been inside an office when the storm hit,” she said. “With all the news accounts of the storm, it likely will prompt people to look over their cars and homes, so more claims may come though over the next couple of days.”
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, American Family received 427 claims of vehicle damage and 261 property damage claims. About 20 members of the insurer’s catastrophe response team are working with local agents to assist customers in Dane, Sauk and Iowa counties.
Representatives for AAA Wisconsin, Allstate, State Farm and Progressive Insurance also reported receiving storm damage claims and are assisting customers. Allstate and State Farm said it was too early in the process to provide claims numbers and Progressive said it does not disclose numbers of claims filed by its customers.
AAA Wisconsin also was bringing in additional resources to process claims, though volume has been relatively light so far, company spokesman Nick Jarmusz said.
The National Weather Service in Sullivan began receiving reports of hail while the storm was still west of Dane County, said Mark Gehring, senior forecaster. Gehring said he had received few damage reports directly but expected many homes and vehicles in the Dane County area were damaged by the storm.
“Two-inch hail can cause significant damage,” he said. Gehring said the Dane County area typically experiences storms that generate 2-inch hail at least twice a year.
According to the National Weather Service, a line of thunderstorms moved across southern Wisconsin late afternoon Monday. The strongest storms began near La Crosse and moved east toward Madison, where spotters reported hail between 1 and 2.25 inches in diameter.
Steve Schultz, communications manager for Madison Gas & Electric, said about 4,300 Madison customers lost power during the peak of the storm. The first outages were reported at about 4 p.m.
He said by 6 p.m., power was restored to all but 1,200 customers. Many MGE customers had service restored by 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and all service was restored by 8 a.m. after workers replaced a utility pole near Glenway Golf Course that broke during the storm.
County supervisors air criticisms of Refugio oil spill response time
April Charlton acharlton@leecentralcoastnews.com
Updated 11 hrs ago
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday criticized response times for the Refugio oil spill that blanketed portions of the South Coast in crude last year.
"I just wish we were a little more worried about getting the thing cleaned up rather than who got the message out first," Board Chairman Peter Adam said during a presentation on the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill After Action Report and Improvement Plan.
The presentation quickly evolved into a discussion about response times for the disaster.
On May 19, 2015, a pipe owned by Plains All American Pipeline ruptured and dumped more than 125,000 gallons of crude oil onto the coast, closing El Capitan and Refugio state beaches.
From the time the crude was first discovered spilling onto Refugio State Beach to when the U.S. Coast Guard gave the go-ahead to begin cleanup efforts -- estimated to be between 16 hours to 18 hours later -- the plume exploded in size because contractors sent to the site to begin remediation work were told to "stand down," Adam said.
"That's what I think we should be more concerned about in the future," he said.
Second District Supervisor Janet Wolf said the county's emergency first responders were prevented from doing their jobs when the spill first occurred, which, in turn, affected response time and caused more crude oil to make its way into the environment.
"The response time and the county's part in that was definitely circumvented, and I do believe that is the most important thing ... the response time," Wolf said.
The South Coast supervisor believes the county needs to address the issue of response time in the report and fix any problems so they don't occur again. One solution, Wolf suggested, might be ensure contracts for outside vendors are in place and ready to go.
"We are the controlling party," Wolf said. "We have the authority. Now we have to make sure we use it."
Environmental Defense Center chief counsel Linda Krop was one of two people who spoke during public comment and said the county needs to know what transpired during those first 24 hours of the spill to assure the same mistakes aren't made again.
"We still don't know what happened (in that first day)," Krop said, noting she and only one other person were on the beach the day of the spill and "the amount of oil getting washed into the ocean was amazing."
"We need to know what happened to know what to do differently next time," she added.
Criminal charges have been filed against Plains All American Pipeline for the spill, and all documents related to the timeline have been turned over to the District Attorney's and Attorney General's offices as part of the investigation into the case, county staff said.
The After Action Report identifies areas of strength and opportunities for improvement based on lessons learned from the county's response to the massive oil spill. It was prepared by contracted consultant Hagerty Consulting and identifies 11 strengths and 18 areas for improvement, with 36 specific recommendations.
The Santa Barbara Operational Area Oil Spill Contingency Plan states that an "after action/corrective action report shall be conducted after an incident to evaluate response, improve future response and determine if any oil spill contingency plan elements need to be revised."
County staff is updating the oil spill contingency plan, which was last updated in 2011, and also working to complete the oil spill improvement plan portion of the After Action Report. The supervisors' comments on the report and improvement plan will be added to the document as footnotes.
Spc. Matthew S. Roland
Updated 22 mins ago
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper based at Fort Bragg has died after a motorcycle accident in Raleigh on Sept. 17.
Police said 23-year-old Spc. Matthew S. Roland, of Dublin, Ga., was involved in a crash at the intersection of Lead Mine Road and Bridgeport Drive.
A passenger on the motorcycle was seriously hurt.
The Army said Roland was a Cavalry Scout assigned to A Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
"Spc. Matthew Roland was a remarkable Paratrooper for A Troop, this squadron, and the 82d Airborne Division," said Lt. Col. Scott Pence, commander of the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, the "Panther Recon" squadron. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his Family during this difficult time. He arrived in July and quickly earned the trust and admiration of his platoon and troop ... Roland and his Family will always be members of the Panther Recon family."
Roland is survived by his mother, father, and sister.
====================
Raleigh Police Investigate Crash that Killed Motorcyclist
By TWC News
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 09:15 AM EDT
RALEIGH - A motorcyclist has died from his injuries after a weekend accident.
Police say it happened at the intersection of Lead Mine Road and Bridgeport Drive late Saturday night.
A wreck report shows the motorcyclist, 23-year-old Matthew Roland of Georgia, was travelling straight on Lead Mine Road when a car turned out in front of him.
The Raleigh police department is investigating the accident.
No charges have been filed.
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82nd Airborne paratrooper dies after Fort Bragg traffic collision
By CBS North Carolina Published: May 13, 2016, 2:07 pm
Spc. Javier Enrique Aguilar
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WNCN) – A member of the 82nd Airborne Division died as a result of injuries sustained in a May 11 multi-vehicle accident on Fort Bragg, officials confirmed.
Spc. Javier Enrique Aguilar, 25, of Bryan, Texas suffered life-threatening injuries after his personal vehicle collided with a Light Medium Tactical Vehicle around 4 a.m. Tuesday on post, officials said.
He was an infantryman assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
“Spc. Javier Aguilar was a tremendous Paratrooper for Bravo Company, this battalion, and the 82d Airborne Division,” said Lt. Col. Justin Reese, commander of the 1st Bn., 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the “1 Fury” battalion. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family During these extremely difficult times.”
Aguilar joined the Army in March 2013. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in Aug. 2013.
Aguilar’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War On Terror Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
He is survived by his wife, children, parents and brother.
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http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2015/03/united-states-still-has-one-of-highest.html
UNITED
STATES STILL HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ROAD ACCIDENT DEATH AND INJURY RATES IN THE
WORLD: 34,000 DIE AND 2.5 MILLION INJURED EACH YEAR.
Despite the improvements in
road safety, the United States has one of the highest death rates at about 1 person
dead per 10,000 people. Unfortunately, only undeveloped countries have higher
death rate.
Some states, such as Texas
and West Virginia (sorry, WV, despite your tremendous progress in traffic
safety, you are still at the top of the worst-death-rate list) have death rates
of nearly 1.5 percent, i.e., fifty percent more people die compared to the
national death rate.
Approximately 34,000 people
are getting killed each year. In the 1950s and 1960s, about 55,000 people
used to die on the roads – so, there has been improvement in the number of
dead.
However, the number of
injured is rising. Roughly 2.5 million are injured (yes, you read it
correctly – 2.5 million injured) per year. That is, 1 percent (1%) of the
population that is eligible to drive is injured every year.
It is worse than a war zone
out there. So, please be safe and be on the lookout for weaving-through-the-traffic
drivers, crazy drivers, reckless drivers, sick drivers, medical-condition
drivers, sleepy drivers, negligent drivers, stupid drivers, careless drivers,
drunk drivers, speeding drivers, drugged drivers, texting drivers,
talking-on-the-phone drivers, looking-at-the-GPS drivers, hurry-hurry drivers,
tailgating drivers, upset drivers, eating-while-driving drivers,
putting-the-lipstick-on-while-driving drivers, elderly drivers, and so on.
Last court appeal denied in Kiddie Kollege daycare case
Posted on September 21, 2016 by Sheryl Barr
Source: http://www.philly.com, September 20, 2016
By: Jan Hefler
The New Jersey Supreme Court has denied an appeal filed to force two government agencies to contribute to a medical-monitoring fund for the nearly 100 children who were exposed to toxic mercury vapors at their day-care center, Kiddie Kollege, more than a decade ago.
The court last week rejected without comment the appeal by the class-action suit lawyers who represented the children in a trial and subsequent appeals.
In 2011, Superior Court Judge James Rafferty decided the day care building’s owner, Franklin Township, Gloucester County, and the state Department of Environmental Protection were all negligent, and ordered them to contribute to a $1.5 million medical-monitoring fund.
Rafferty said the agencies had put the children at risk by issuing permits, conducting inspections, and taking other official actions that allowed the day care to open despite the building’s history of contamination.
The vapors can cause brain and kidney ailments, and were reported to be 30 to 50 times beyond acceptable limits.
The building owner and the county reached a settlement, but Franklin Township and the state appealed, arguing they were protected by immunity from lawsuits involving routine performance of their duties.
The judge had ordered the town and DEP to pay $675,000 into the fund and $1.6 million in legal fees to the children’s five attorneys.
In May, an appeals court agreed with Franklin and the DEP and overturned the ruling of the judge, now retired. Though mistakes were made, the government cannot be held responsible for duties that include processing licenses and permits and issuing approvals, the panel said.
The following month, the children’s lawyers appealed.
“We are pleased the matter is now complete and the township has no liability,” said M. James Maley Jr., who represented Franklin Township in the matter. “Local governments are not responsible for enforcing the environmental laws of the state. . . . As far as I know, this ends all the litigation.”
The Attorney General’s Office, which represented the DEP, declined to comment Monday. Attorneys Michael DeBenedictus and Thomas Booth, who represented the children in the latest litigation, were unavailable.
The children’s attorneys said recently that none of the parents had filed a lawsuit alleging that their children suffered harm directly caused by the vapors, but that there was concern that the effects may be latent.
========
N.J. Supreme Court rejects appeal in contaminated daycare case
By Matt Gray | For NJ.com
on September 20, 2016 at 2:46 PM
Franklin Township and the state Department of Environmental Protection do not have to contribute to a medical monitoring fund for kids who attended a daycare in a former thermometer factory.
The state Supreme Court denied an appeal to an earlier appellate court ruling that found the township and DEP were protected from liability in the case because they are government agencies.
The Accutherm thermometer plant operated in Franklin Township from 1987 until 1994. Kiddie Kollege daycare opened on the site in 2004 and was operating until the DEP shut it down in 2006 because of mercury contamination discovered on the property.
A class action lawsuit brought on behalf of the kids and adults who worked or visited the daycare sought a court-administered medical monitoring fund, punitive damages and attorney's fees.
Plaintiffs alleged that the township, its construction zoning official, the county and the past and present owners of the site were all liable in the case.
Franklin Township was deemed negligent in allowing permits to be issued for Kiddie Kollege, according to the suit, since officials were aware of the previous issues with contamination at the thermometer plant.
Concerns with contamination at the site date back to the late 1980s.
While a trial judge previously ruled in favor of the families, an appellate panel ruled earlier this year in favor of Franklin and the DEP, saying they both are immune from liability under the state Tort Claims Act.
Gloucester County and the firm that leased the property to the daycare operators previously agreed to pay into the medical monitoring fund.
"We are pleased the litigation is finally concluded," said attorney M. James Maley Jr., who represented Franklin Township in the case. Effort to reach attorneys for the plaintiffs were unsuccessful Tuesday.
More than 100 children were exposed to mercury contamination at Kiddie Kollege. Many had high levels of mercury in their system when tested. Medical monitoring for Kiddie Kollege attendees began in 2012.
The current and former owners of the property were found liable for millions in cleanup costs at the site.
The building has been demolished and the property cleaned up.
===========
10-year fight over toxic daycare ends in $6M judgement
By Rebecca Forand | For NJ.com
on May 05, 2016 at 3:45 PM
FRANKLIN TWP. — The fight over who has to pay to clean up a contaminated thermometer plant that later became a daycare center is over after the state Supreme Court affirmed a lower-court ruling, according to a Philly.com report.
What was the Accutherm thermometer plant from 1987 through 1994 was bought by Jim Sullivan Inc. at a tax sale in 1999. That company then leased the building to Kiddie Kollege, a daycare center that cared for children between eight months and 13 years old before the Department of Environmental Protection shut the center down due to mercury contamination.
The DEP remediated the site, but charged the former and current owners, James Sullivan Inc. — which consist of Sullivan and his three siblings — and former factory owner Philip J. Guiliano, for the $2 million cleanup, as well as a $4 million fine for neglect. An appeal followed, but in January an appeals court ruled that the DEP's actions were just, according to the Philly.com report.
Seven sites in Gloucester County remain on the federal Environmental Protection Agency's list of Superfund program sites.
That court did rule, however, that Jim Sullivan Jr. was not personally liable for the damages.
Sullivan Inc. attempted to appeal again, however the Supreme Court last week refused to hear the matter, letting the ruling stand and ending the 10-year ordeal.
More than 100 children were exposed to mercury contamination during the years Kiddie Kollege was open. Many had extremely high levels of mercury in their system when tested and in 2012 medical monitoring was ordered for the kids affected.
