Woman found dead after Germantown house fire
A woman was found dead after a house fire in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. (WPVI)
Saturday, June 25, 2016 11:35PM
GERMANTOWN, PA (WPVI) -- A woman was found dead after a house fire in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
The fire started just before 9 p.m. Saturday at 222 East Price Street.
Upon arrival, officials reported smoke and heavy fire showing from the rear of the three-story house.
The fire was brought under control in about 40 minutes, officials say.
Officials say the woman was found dead in the basement.
A second victim was taken to Einstein Medical Center. No word on their condition.
The building is believed to be a vacant property.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Obama OKs Federal Aid for West Virginia; at Least 24 Dead
By jonathan mattise, associated pressCLENDENIN, W.Va. — Jun 26, 2016, 9:58 AM ET
The Associated Press. West Virginia State Trooper C.S. Hartman, walks from a shed that he checked out as he and other crews search homes in Rainelle, W. Va., Saturday, June 25, 2016. Heavy rains that pummeled West Virginia left multiple people dead, and authorities said Saturday that an unknown number of people in the hardest-hit county remained unaccounted for. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
With the missing accounted for in all but one county, West Virginia has begun turning its attention to recovery after disastrous floods killed at least 24 people and rendered many more homeless. The deluge tore through roads and bridges and knocked out utilities that still haven't been restored in some communities.
Federal money will be part of the rebuilding equation.
Sunday marks the first day people can apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid in Greenbrier, Kanawha and Nicholas counties.
Obama's signature Saturday on the federal disaster declaration lets residents in three counties get aid for temporary housing and home repairs, receive low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and qualify for other assistance for individuals and business owners. Federal money to help the state and local governments is also available on a cost-sharing basis.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's administration still believes there are people missing in Greenbrier County, and the death toll there rose by one Saturday, said Tomblin chief of staff Chris Stadelman.
The focus is moving away from the days-long, difficult search and rescue process, where residents were helped off roofs, out of attics, and shimmied down trees into rescue boats. Through that arduous process, bodies were sometimes found and the death toll continued to rise.
On Saturday, FEMA officials were in the state to begin assessing the damage to infrastructure, homes and other property.
Obama spoke by phone to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Saturday while returning to Washington, D.C., from Seattle, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement Saturday.
Schultz said Obama is committed to ensuring that Tomblin has the federal resources he needs for all recovery efforts. The president has directed White House staff to coordinate closely with Tomblin's team to make sure the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, is providing all appropriate assistance.
After a pounding by storms and floods, basic necessities still aren't up and running in some areas.
More than 24,000 homes and businesses remained without power Saturday evening. Water is still not running in the Clendenin area, and residents are filling up jugs of water at stations provided by West Virginia American Water.
Fifteen of the 16 deaths in Greenbrier County struck the tiny town of Rainelle. Six other deaths were reported in Kanawha, in addition to one each in Jackson and Ohio counties.
Rainelle Mayor Andrea "Andy" Pendleton wept as she surveyed her town Saturday.
"I weep for my people, I weep for the businesses," she said.
About six buses full of people whose homes were either without power or too damaged to inhabit were evacuated. Some were taken initially to a fire department facility, but then it flooded so they were moved to an abandoned store. When that started to flood, buses took the evacuees to a church 40 miles away.
Search and rescue teams went house to house, marking those checked with a spray-painted 'X.' Abandoned pets were taken to a shelter. A water department filtration system, built with a $2.6 million loan, was damaged, Pendleton said.
Help came from multiple sources, including two search and rescue teams from Virginia.
Located in its namesake county, The Greenbrier luxury resort and golf course is nestled in the mountains. The PGA Tour has canceled a tournament there from July 4-10 because the course is overrun by floodwaters.
"Cancelling The Greenbrier Classic is certainly the most prudent course of action as our foremost concern is the well-being of those who are having to live through this tragic situation," PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said in a news release Saturday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them."
The resort will offer a limited amount of free rooms and meals to those affected by the floods for as long as the resort is closed for business, owner and CEO Jim Justice said in a statement Saturday evening.
"All of our focus needs to be on helping all of the people of our great state," Justice said in a news release.
Three people died in a fiery three-vehicle crash in Woodland Hills on Saturday, June 25, 2016. (Spencer Hariton)
By ABC7.com staff
Sunday, June 26, 2016 01:14AM
WOODLAND HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Three people died and five were injured in a fiery three-vehicle collision in Woodland Hills Saturday night, officials said.
The incident happened on Ventura Boulevard near DeSoto Avenue around 9 p.m. Five people were transported to area hospitals, and three of them were later pronounced dead. Three others were evaluated at the scene, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.
One vehicle caught on fire at the scene with two people trapped inside, Humphrey said. He said bystanders used fire extinguishers and buckets of water to help control the flames until firefighters arrived.
Three people died and five were injured in a fiery three-vehicle crash in Woodland Hills on Saturday, June 25, 2016.
At least one or possibly two other vehicles that were parked at the scene were also damaged, Humphrey said.
Ventura Boulevard was closed in both directions between DeSoto and Paralta Avenue while officials investigate.
3 dead, 4 rescued after boat capsizes off Catalina Island coast
Updated 7 mins ago
CATALINA ISLAND, Calif. (KABC) -- Three people died and four others were hospitalized after a boat capsized off the Catalina Island coast Saturday morning.
Authorities received a call around 9:32 a.m. on reports of a capsized boat with people in the water. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, several agencies and a Good Samaritan rescued four people.
Coast Guard watchstanders received a call from a vessel called Pacific Quest, reporting that a 15-foot skiff with seven people on board had overturned near Salta Verde Point on the backside of Catalina.
The boater recovered four of the seven people out of the water and two were unresponsive, the Coast Guard said. Another crew rescued another person from the rocks and took them to Long Beach Memorial Hospital in an unknown condition.
Another officer located another person on the beach. The Coast Guard then launched a 45-foot patrol boat, a helicopter and received help from multiple agencies to search for any other victims.
It was unclear what led to the boat turning over. The ages and genders of the victims were not released.
No further information was immediately available.
Hoboken hit-and-run leaves 1 dead
Eyewitness News
Saturday, June 25, 2016 12:51PM
HOBOKEN, New Jersey (WABC) -- A 21-year-old man died after a hit-and-run incident in Hoboken Saturday.
The fatal collision was around 3:30 a.m. on Willow Avenue at Sixth Street.
The victim, a pedestrian, was identified as Zackhary Simmons, of Ramsey, N.J. He was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center.
It appears that the impact threw Simmons' body into the rear of a parked vehicle.
According to Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, police are looking for a large black SUV, like a Yukon, Tahoe or Escalade with New York plates.
A picture from surveillance video released by Hudson County Sheriff's Office:
The Hudson County Sheriff's Crash Investigation Unit and Hoboken Police are investigating. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call either agency.
