Sunday, June 12, 2016

a small plane has crashed in Tennessee, killing two passengers and injuring two others

Official says 2 people dead in plane crash in Tennessee

Published June 11, 2016
Associated Press

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. – Officials say a small plane has crashed in Tennessee, killing two passengers and injuring two others.

Amy Maxwell, a spokesman for Hamilton County Emergency Services, said a single-engine plane crashed around 12:50 p.m. at the Collegedale airport.

She said all four victims were on the plane, and the two survivors were airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center.

Tonya Sadler, a spokeswoman for the Collegedale Police, said at least one of the victims was in critical condition and headed into surgery.

Sadler said the plane was coming into the Collegedale airport when it crashed. She said she did not if anyone else outside the plane was injured or if there was property damaged in the crash.

Collegedale is a city about 20 miles east of Chattanooga.

A man drove a boat into a breakwall on Sodus Bay, seriously injuring himself and one other person

2 injured in boat crash on Sodus Bay Victoria E. Freile, @vfreile 9:32 a.m. EDT June 12, 2016

WAYNE COUNTY, NY

A Wayne County man drove a boat into a breakwall on Sodus Bay late Saturday, seriously injuring himself and one other person.

Lawrence E. Wiegele, 49, of Wolcott was northbound on the water when his boat collided with the east breakwall just after 11 p.m., according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Wiegele was thrown into the dash and suffered life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment and was listed in guarded condition Sunday morning, according to a hospital spokesman.

A passenger in the boat, Anne Marie Wiegele, 56, also of Wolcott, suffered a broken arm and multiple contusions, deputies said. Authorities did not clarify how the two were related but said they lived in the same residence.

Deputies said it appeared that alcohol use and speed were primary factors in the crash, which remains under investigation. Charges are pending.

A woman was killed after crashing her motorcycle into a boat on I-75 in KY

Woman dies after boat crash on I-75

By WKYT News Staff |
Posted: Fri 5:15 PM, Jun 10, 2016 |
Updated: Sat 11:04 AM, Jun 11, 2016

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A woman taken to the hospital on Friday afternoon with critical injuries after crashing her motorcycle into a boat has died

The Fayette County Coroner has identified the woman as 45-year-old Nicole McGowan.

The accident happened shortly before 5:00 on Friday afternoon in Fayette County.

According to police, McGowan was heading south, near the 116 milemarker, when she lost control of the motorcycle and ran into a boat being hauled by a truck. Two southbound lanes were closed for a time after the crash.

A Kutztown-area man is dead and another person injured after an all-terrain vehicle collided with a tree in PA

Kutztown-area man dies after early morning ATV crash

Emily Opilo Of The Morning Call

Kutztown-area man dies after early morning ATV crash

A Kutztown-area man is dead and another person injured after an all-terrain vehicle crash early Saturday.

Jordan-Steffan Oraczewski, 24, was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital after crashing into a tree around 1:25 a.m. at Stump Road and Old Route 22 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. He was pronounced dead at 2:35 a.m., according to Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim.
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According to a state police report, Oraczewski and a passenger, Cameron R. Firestone, 23, of Berks County, were driving north when Oraczewski, who was driving, was unable to negotiate a right curve. The ATV drove off the road and hit a tree, throwing both people from the vehicle, according to the news release. Both were transported to the hospital.

Firestone suffered "significant injuries," according to police.

Oraczewski's death was attributed to multiple blunt force trauma. The manner of death has been ruled an accident, according to the coroner's office.

ATV crashes are on the rise. Please slow down around curves and do not speed. Also, please wear helmets and other body restraints.

7-year-old boy dies after ATV crash in Catawba County, NC

by: Dave Faherty, Elsa Gillis Updated: Jun 11, 2016 - 10:32 PM

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. —

Seven-year-old Travis Belton was at his great-grandfather's house on Golden Apple Way in Conover Friday, helping his uncle unload an all-terrain vehicle from a truck and put it in the garage, when he asked if he could hop on for the short ride.

Within minutes, his family said something happened and the ATV flipped over onto Travis.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died. Investigators say he suffered serious head injuries. His family told Channel 9 the child was not wearing a helmet.

"Sometimes we let stuff slide, you know, it's OK, you're just putting it in the building," Travis' father Jimmy told us. "Those two seconds just taking it to the building can take everything."

His family described Travis as a bright, selfless young boy. He had just graduated from first grade and received the "lifesaver award," given to a student for their positive and kind nature.

"If you met him, you loved him. He never met a stranger. He was just a good kid. He was happy. He loved the outdoors," his aunt Shameka Presnell said.

They said Travis knew to wear a helmet, but for this short trip, didn't put one on. They said that wearing a helmet could've saved his life.

As they work through the tragedy, the Belton family hopes others will remember Travis and keep their loved ones safe.

"Cherish every moment," Jimmy Belton said. "When you lose a child, you lose a part of your soul."

A memorial was held for Travis at his school, Lyle Creek Elementary.

Channel 9 reached out to the Catawba County Sheriff's Office for more on the investigation, and what caused the crash.

They tell Channel 9 alcohol was not involved.

Semi-truck driver killed after his truck caught fire following chain reaction with 3 other vehicles on I-75 in MI

Semi-Truck Driver Killed In Fiery Chain Reaction Crash On I-75

June 11, 2016 9:47 AM

ERIE TOWNSHIP (WWJ) – A stretch of I-75 in Monroe County was shut down for more than eight hours overnight following a deadly chain reaction crash that caused a semi-truck to burst into flames.

The crash happened around 11:30 p.m Friday on northbound I-75 just south of Sterns Road in Erie Township, not far from the Michigan-Ohio border.

Police say 38-year-old Amarveer Singh Dhugga, from Ontario, was driving a semi-truck when he encountered slow moving traffic and slammed into another semi-truck, which was stopped due to the congested traffic.

A chain of collisions occurred, involving two passenger vehicles and a third semi-truck. Dhugga’s semi-truck also ran off the road, as a result of the initial collision, and caught fire.

Dhugga was pronounced deceased at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

Police say alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Detectives are looking to speak with anyone who might have witnessed the crash. If you have any information, contact the the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 734-240-7715.

Northbound I-75 was closed for approximately 8.5 hours, but was reopened to traffic at 7 a.m. Saturday.

Driver killed after a truck caught fire after it hit a utility pole in Chatsworth, IL

Body found after fiery truck crash

PANTAGRAPH STAFF

CHATSWORTH, IL

Dental records will be used to identify a body found near a burning pickup truck late Friday northwest of Chatsworth.

Livingston County Coroner Danny Watson said the body was found on the ground on the east side of the truck, which caught fire after it hit a utility pole 75 yards west of the intersection of 1200 North and 3100 East roads.

The incident occurred about 11:45 p.m. The truck was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

An autopsy is scheduled. The incident remains under investigation.

Royal, IL man killed in a single truck crash. He was not wearing a seat belt

Sat, 06/11/2016 - 10:26am | Mary Schenk

ROYAL, IL - An autopsy is set for a Royal man killed in a truck crash discovered early Saturday.

Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup said Christopher Gossett, 32, apparently died from injuries he received in the crash.

Champaign County sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Vercler said an overturned pickup truck was spotted north of Royal about 3 a.m. by a conductor on a southbound train. The accident site was on County Road 2400 N near 2700 E, west of Illinois 49.

"The road dead ends at the railroad tracks. He was eastbound, went through the road closed sign, went airborne and crashed on the other side of the tracks," Vercler said.

Vercler said Mr. Gossett was alone in the Chevrolet S-10 pickup. The time of the accident is uncertain.

Vercler said it did not appear he was wearing a seat belt.

Marathon Petroleum Company to Reduce Air Pollution From Refineries in Five States

06/09/2016
Contact Information:
Julia Valentine (valentine.julia@epa.gov)
(202) 564-2663

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice today announced an agreement with Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum Company that will reduce air pollution from the company’s petroleum refineries in Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan and Ohio. Marathon will spend $319 million to install state-of-the-art Flare Gas Recovery Systems (FGRSs), which will capture and recycle gases that would otherwise be sent to combustion devices known as flares. Marathon will also spend $15.55 million on projects to reduce air pollution at three of the facilities and will pay a civil penalty of $326,500 to the United States.

“When companies like Marathon install state-of-the-art pollution controls, they reduce air pollution in some of our most vulnerable communities,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “By updating this agreement, we are furthering our commitment to protect communities across the Southeast and the Midwest, especially places like Detroit that are overburdened by pollution.”

“This agreement continues the significant pollution reductions achieved under our earlier consent decree with Marathon in 2012,” said John C. Cruden, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “All five communities near these refineries will breathe cleaner air as a result of this agreement and Detroit will see a reduction in flaring at the refinery’s fence line.”

“This agreement marks significant progress in environmental justice in southwest Detroit,” said U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan. “It shows that industry can thrive while protecting the environment. By investing in technology, Marathon will improve air quality for all of our residents throughout southeastern Michigan.”

The settlement filed today in the U.S. District Court in Detroit amends a 2012 consent decree involving the company’s flares. A flare is a mechanical device, ordinarily elevated high off the ground, used to combust waste gases.

When fully implemented, today’s agreement is expected to reduce harmful air pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxides (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by approximately 1,037 tons per year. In 2012, Marathon agreed to reduce air pollution from flares by generating less waste gas and by installing equipment designed to make flares burn more efficiently. The 2012 settlement has reduced emissions of VOCs and SO2 by over 5,200 tons per year.

Under the agreement filed today, Marathon will install seven FGRSs at an estimated cost of $319 million at five of its refineries located in Canton, Ohio; Catlettsburg, Ky.; Detroit; Garyville, La.; and Robinson, Ill. Marathon will be required to operate these FGRSs at a higher percentage of time than EPA has ever secured in prior enforcement actions. Marathon will also maintain two duplicates of a critical spare part to be delivered immediately to any of these refineries as necessary, to help make sure the FGRSs have minimal downtime.

Marathon will also spend approximately $6 million to shut down a flare at the fence line of its Detroit refinery and $9.55 million on projects to reduce NOx emissions at its Canton and Garyville refineries.

By installing advanced pollution controls at its refineries, Marathon will help reduce emissions that can cause respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts, which can disproportionately affect low-income and vulnerable populations, including children.

Under the settlement, some of Marathon’s obligations under the 2012 agreement to ensure high flare combustion efficiency will eventually be replaced by Marathon’s obligation to comply with a new, 2015 EPA rule on flare combustion efficiency. At four refineries, compliance with an EPA flare standard related to SO2 will be extended for a limited period. The projected temporary increase in pollution related to those extensions will be more than offset by contemporaneous decreases that will continue indefinitely.

To learn more about the settlement and to read a copy of the consent decree, visit: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/first-amendment-2012-us-v-marathon-petroleum-co-clean-air-act-consent-decree

To learn more about EPA’s civil enforcement of the Clean Air Act, visit: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/air-enforcement

To learn more about EPA’s refinery initiative, visit: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/petroleum-refinery-national-case-results

Here's a look at some of the nation's deadliest rampages since 2012

Florida nightclub attack just the latest US mass shooting

An Orange County Sheriff's Department SWAT member arrives to the scene of a fatal shooting at Pulse Orlando nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Phelan M. E

Sunday, June 12, 2016 08:17AM
NEW YORK -- A gunman took hostages and opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, early Sunday morning, killing 50 people and wounding 53 others before SWAT officers killed him, authorities said. Police Chief John Mina said the shooter had an assault-style rifle, a handgun and a "suspicious device" with him during the attack, which is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

Here's a look at some of the nation's deadliest rampages since 2012:

- Feb. 25, 2016: Cedric Ford, 38, killed three people and wounded 14 others lawnmower factory where he worked in the central Kansas community of Hesston. The local police chief killed him during a shootout with 200 to 300 workers still in the building, authorities said.

- Feb. 20, 2016: Jason Dalton, 45, is accused of randomly shooting and killing six people and severely wounding two others during a series of attacks over several hours in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area. Authorities say he paused between shootings to make money as an Uber driver. He faces murder and attempted murder charges.

- Dec. 2, 2015: Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, opened fire at a social services center in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people and wounding more than 20. They fled the scene but died hours later in a shootout with police.

- Oct. 1, 2015: A shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, left 10 people dead and seven wounded. Shooter Christopher Harper-Mercer, 26, exchanged gunfire with police then killed himself.

- June 17, 2015: Dylann Roof, 21, shot and killed nine African-American church members during a Bible study group inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Police contend the attack was racially motivated. Roof faces nine counts of murder in state court and dozens of federal charges, including hate crimes.

- May 23, 2014: A community college student, Elliot Rodger, 22, killed six people and wounded 13 in shooting and stabbing attacks in the area near the University of California, Santa Barbara, campus. Authorities said he apparently shot himself to death after a gunbattle with deputies.

- Sept. 16, 2013: Aaron Alexis, a mentally disturbed civilian contractor, shot 12 people to death at the Washington Navy Yard before he was killed in a police shootout.

- July 26, 2013: Pedro Vargas, 42, went on a shooting rampage at his Hialeah, Florida, apartment building, gunning down six people before officers fatally shot him.

- Dec. 14, 2012: In Newtown, Connecticut, an armed 20-year-old man entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 26 people, including 20 first graders and six adult school staff members. He then killed himself.

- Sept. 27, 2012: In Minnesota's deadliest workplace rampage, Andrew Engeldinger, who had just been fired, pulled a gun and fatally shot six people, including the company's founder. He also wounded two others at Accent Signage Systems in Minneapolis before taking his own life.

- Aug. 5, 2012: In Oak Creek, Wisconsin, 40-year-old gunman Wade Michael Page killed six worshippers at a Sikh Temple before killing himself.

- July 20, 2012: James Holmes, 27, fatally shot 12 people and injured 70 in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

- April 2, 2012: Seven people were killed and three were wounded when a 43-year-old former student opened fire at Oikos University in Oakland, California. One Goh was charged with seven counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, but psychiatric evaluations concluded he suffered from long-term paranoid schizophrenia and was unfit to stand trial.

Despite these mass killings, they are essentially insignificant compared with the number of people killed in traffic accidents (about 100 per day or 35,000 per year), other homicides (about 20,000 per year) or people killed by bacteria and viruses and cancer (about 1 million per year).

DO NOT SHOOT THE MESSENGER: Backlash to Trump's Tweet Accepting Congrats Over Warnings Against Radical Islam

MEGHAN KENEALLY
Updated 12 mins ago Donald Trump prompted outrage today after saying that he "appreciate[s] the congrats for being right on Islamic terrorism" in light of the deadly massacre in an Orlando nightclub.

At least 50 people died and an additional 53 people were hospitalized after a deadly shooting at a gay nightclub in Florida.

The tweet caused a firestorm online, with backlash coming quickly from other famous names both in and outside of the political arena.

Meghan McCain, the Republican commentator and daughter of Sen. John McCain, questioned the message Trump was sending.

Actor George Takei weighed in and shamed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Singer John Legend has been critical of Trump in the past, and used today's tweet as new ground to call him "truly an awful person."

All these Trump bashers also called for more Muslims be allowed to come into our country and to also provide them with guns just to show they know that they will not kill other Americans (sarcasm here).

Security tightened at large gatherings in NYC following Orlando shooting

Gov. Cuomo says security is being tightened in New York after the Orlando shooting.

Updated 14 mins ago

NEW YORK -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says security will be tightened at large gatherings in New York in the aftermath of the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub.

The governor said there will be extra police presence at events such as Sunday's Puerto Rican Day Parade, transportation hubs and sporting venues.

"This is a terrible reminder of the gun violence that we have in this nation," said Cuomo. "I'm glas that this state is taking action, because the gun violence is getting worse and worse and worse." Let us also bring more Muslims in our country, as this will show a good faith effort that we are not hating all Muslims, just the terrorist ones (sarcasm here).

Cuomo said New York stands in total solidarity with the LGBT community and that the only thing that would make the attack worse is if the victims were targeted because they were members of the LGBT community.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that as a mark of respect for the shooting victims, all flags will be flown at half-staff.

In addition, the city will light City Hall in rainbow colors to represent LGBT pride at sunset.

"It's an act of terror, there's no question about that. and it's an act of hate. We don't know all the details but we do know it was directed at an LGBT club and that was a club that was having a Latino night," said the mayor. "So the investigation will look into all of the motivations but from what we can see right now both an act of terror and an act of hate."

The mayor said the city is on high alert, but that there are no credible threats directed against New York City.

He added there will be added police presence in front of some key LGBT community institutions.

The Port Authority is on heightened alert at all of the agency's bridge, tunnel, rail, World Trade Center and other facilities, and the MTA has increased its patrols and surveillance in order to provide heightened protection across all its agencies.

Hazmat situation at Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena Saturday after three containers filled with potent acid fell from a passing truck

Spilled chemicals prompt closure of Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena

A hazardous materials crew cleans up after a truck dropped three one-gallon containers of hydrochloric acid onto Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena on Saturday. (Courtesy, Landon Jensen/Pasadena Fire Department)

By Brian Day, San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Posted: 06/11/16, 1:24 PM PDT

PASADENA >> Firefighters and hazardous materials crews shut down a portion of Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena Saturday after three containers filled with potent acid fell from a passing truck, authorities said.

The incident was first reported about 11:40 a.m. along Foothill Boulevard, between Rosemead Boulevard and Halstead Street, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.

Three unlabeled, orange-colored, one-gallon plastic containers slipped off a truck and fell into the roadway, prompting safety concerns, Derderian said.

“They’re still trying to neutralize it,” she said shortly after 1 p.m. “Preliminary reports are it’s some kind of hydrochloric acid.”

The powerful and highly corrosive acid is used for many industrial purposes, such as controlling the acidity levels in swimming pools.

It was later confirmed the substance was, in fact, pool-cleaning acid, officials said.

Nearby businesses remained open, however workers and customers were being asked to “shelter in place,” Derderian said.

Firefighters cleared the jugs from the roadway shortly after 1:30 p.m., officials said. Both directions of Foothill Boulevard, as well as the Rosemead Boulevard offramp of the westbound 210 Freeway, were shut down as a result of the spill, officials said. Affected streets were reopened shortly after 2 p.m.

A woman was critically injured and her passenger seriously wounded when they were hit head-on by a truck near the Texas A&M campus

Officers save 2 from fiery crash after teen drifts into oncoming traffic, College Station police say

Posted: Sunday, June 12, 2016 8:15 am

EAGLE STAFF REPORT

UPDATE: Raymond Stotzer Parkway near F.M. 2818 was opened within the last 10 minutes following an investigation into a two-car crash.

A woman was critically injured and her passenger seriously wounded this morning when they were hit head-on by a truck near the Texas A&M campus.

All three people involved in the fiery two-car crash on Raymond Stotzer Parkway just after 3 a.m. had to be extracted from their vehicles by College Station firefighters.

College Station police arrested the 19-year-old driver of the truck on two intoxication assault charges, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Armando Banuelos remained behind bars this morning after being treated and released for minor injuries.

The driver and passenger of the other vehicle, however, were at CHI St. Joseph hospital being treated for major injuries. Their names were not released yet by authorities.

The road near Discovery Drive in A&M's Research Park was shut down for hours as emergency crews worked the scene. Preliminary investigation findings show that Banuelos, who was driving an Ford F-150 truck, drifted into oncoming traffic, striking a Volkswagen Jetta, setting it on fire, according to authorities.

Officers used fire extinguishers to douse the fire, saving the two inside in the Jetta, officers said, adding that both were trapped but successfully removed by firefighters.

The case remains under investigation. Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 979-764-3600.

The passenger of a Yamaha motorcycle that crashed Saturday evening on Interstate 35 near Forest Lake died overnight

Interstate 35 motorcycle crash kills passenger

By Jaime DeLage | jdelage@pioneerpress.com
June 12, 2016 | UPDATED: 1 min ago

The passenger of a motorcycle that crashed Saturday evening on Interstate 35 near Forest Lake died overnight of injuries sustained.

The Yamaha motorcycle was heading south on I-35 shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday when its back tire started to wobble, according to a Minnesota State Patrol report. The bike went down and both riders were seriously injured. No other vehicles were involved.

The passenger died shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, the State Patrol said.
The patrol said it would release the victim’s name Sunday evening.

The Forest Lake accident followed fatal motorcycle crashes Thursday and Friday in Duluth and Rochester.

In Rochester, a motorcycle driver and passenger were killed in a collision with a vehicle Friday afternoon in the 2400 block of Marion Road in southeast Rochester. Curtis Buxton, 56, and Jennifer Buxton, 44, of Rochester were declared dead at the scene of the 3:40 p.m. collision, according to the Post-Bulletin.

The driver of the vehicle was hospitalized in critical condition at St. Marys Hospital.

In Duluth, a 23-year-old man died of injuries suffered in a crash involving a motorcycle and another vehicle Thursday night in Duluth’s Endion neighborhood. Duluth police reported the crash happened about 7:30 p.m. at 18th Avenue East and Fifth Street. The man, whose name has not been released, was riding a motorcycle west on Fifth Street and collided with a vehicle traveling north on 18th Avenue East.

The motorcycle rider, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver of the vehicle, a 63-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

Seven people were hurt, two of them critically, in a car crash Saturday evening in downtown Pittsburgh

Crash during busy downtown evening injures seven, two critically
Pittsburgh police say all injuries are non-life-threatening
UPDATED 11:45 PM EDT Jun 11, 2016

PITTSBURGH —Seven people were hurt, two of them critically, in a car crash Saturday evening in downtown Pittsburgh.

Six of those hurt, including the two women listed as critical, were pedestrians on Liberty Avenue. None of those hurt suffered life-threatening injuries, Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said.

Pittsburgh police say a driver lost control of her car as she was making a right-hand turn onto Liberty Avenue around 6:30 p.m.

In all, three cars were involved in the crash, which also took out a Port Authority bus overhang and the storefront of the Pittsburgh Popcorn Co.

Police Chief Cam McLay says it's fortunate that more people weren't hurt, given the Three Rivers Arts Festival and concerts associated with Pittsburgh Pride that were happening.

"We're extremely fortunate that the cars came this direction instead of towards the event area where there were hundreds of people lined up to get in," McLay said.

Because it was a busy night downtown, Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich, who was also a witness to the crash, said the response was quick.

"We had four paramedics on scene within a minute," Hissrich said.

A man died after a lawnmower he was riding overturned and landed on top of him in western Pennsylvania

Lawnmower overturns at Beaver County home, killing rider
Man dies on Ridge Road in Economy
UPDATED 11:07 AM EDT Jun 12, 2016

ECONOMY, Pa. —Authorities say a man died after a lawnmower he was riding overturned and landed on top of him in western Pennsylvania.

The Beaver County coroner's office said 64-year-old Richard Gala was riding his mower at his home in Economy at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday when he rolled backward over a four-foot wall.

Chief deputy Bill Pasquale told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it appeared that Gala was backing up the mower and misjudged his distance from the wall.

He said the mower landed on top of Gala, causing him to suffocate. The death was ruled accidental.

A Muslim gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub early Sunday, killing at least 50 people

Mayor: 50 casualties, including shooter, and 53 hospitalized

Updated 7 mins ago

ORLANDO, FL -- A gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub early Sunday, killing at least 50 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. It was the worst mass shooting in American history.

Authorities were investigating the attack on the Florida dance hall as an act of terrorism. The gunman's father recalled that his son got angry when he recently saw two men kissing in Miami. He said that might be related to the attack.

At least 53 people were hospitalized, most in critical condition, officials said. A surgeon at Orlando Regional Medical Center said the death toll was likely to climb.

Mayor Buddy Dyer said all of the dead were killed with the assault rifle.

"There's blood everywhere," Dyer said.

The suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the gay club known as Pulse around 2 a.m., when more than 300 people were inside. The gunman then went back inside and took hostages, Police Chief John Mina said.

Around 5 a.m., authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages.

How to locate friends and family following an emergency

Jackie Smith, who was inside the club, said two friends next to her were shot.

"Some guy walked in and started shooting everybody. He had an automatic rifle, so nobody stood a chance," Smith said. "I just tried to get out of there."

Omar Mateen of St. Lucie County in Florida has been identified as the shooting suspect

Authorities were looking into whether the attack was an act of domestic or international terror, and if the shooter acted alone, according to Danny Banks, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

"This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

The suspect was identified as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida.

VIDEO: Police give updates after deadly Orlando nightclub shooting

Rep. Alan Grayson named the shooter, citing law enforcement officials. A federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation also confirmed the name. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mateen's father, Mir Seddique, told NBC News about his son seeing the men kissing a couple of months ago.

"We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident," Seddique said. "We are in shock like the whole country."

The attack had nothing to do with religion, he said.

FBI agent Ron Hopper said there was no further threat to Orlando or the surrounding area.

When asked if the gunman had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, Hopper said authorities had "suggestions that individual has leanings towards that."

In addition to the guns, the shooter also had some sort of "suspicious device," Mina said.

Authorities said they had secured the suspect's vehicle, a van, outside the club.

Relatives and friends, many in tears, gathered outside the hospital to learn the fate of loved ones.

WATCH: Raw footage from eyewitness Anthony Torres

Family members wait for word from police after arriving down the street from a shooting involving multiple fatalities at Pulse Orlando nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

"These are nonsensical killings of our children," she said, sobbing. "They're killing our babies!"

She said her son's friend Brandon Wolf made it out alive by hiding in a bathroom and running out as the bullets flew.

A woman who was outside the dance club early Sunday was trying to contact her 30-year-old son, Eddie, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He told her he ran into a bathroom with other club patrons to hide. He then texted her: "He's coming."

"The next text said: 'He has us, and he's in here with us,'" Mina Justice said. "That was the last conversation."

Pulse posted on its own Facebook page around 2 a.m.: "Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running." Just before 6 a.m., the club posted an update: "As soon as we have any information, we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love."

The wounded included one police officer who was shot and suffered injuries to his face, officials said.

Police had said previously on Twitter that there was a "controlled explosion" at the scene of the shooting. Mina said that noise was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack and asked for regular updates on the investigation, the White House said.

Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club's rooms when a man holding a weapon came into the front of the room.

"I heard 20, 40, 50 shots," Alamo said. "The music stopped."

Club-goer Rob Rick said the shooting started just before closing time.

"Everybody was drinking their last sip," he said.

He estimated more than 100 people were still inside when he heard shots, got on the ground and crawled toward a DJ booth. A bouncer knocked down a partition between the club area and an area in the back where only workers are allowed. People inside were able to then escape through the back of the club.

Christopher Hansen said he was in the VIP lounge when he heard gunshots. He continued to hear shooting even after he emerged and police urged people to back away from the club. He saw the wounded being tended to across the street.

"I was thinking, 'Are you kidding me?' So I just dropped down. I just said, 'Please, please, please, I want to make it out,'" he said. "And when I did, I saw people shot. I saw blood. You hope and pray you don't get shot."

The attack follows the fatal shooting late Friday of 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie, who was killed after her concert in Orlando by a 27-year-old Florida man who later killed himself. Grimmie was a YouTube sensation and former contestant on "The Voice."

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Terrance Harris in Orlando contributed to this report.

Search on for driver who struck Newark police officer as he was issuing a traffic summons

Kristin Thorne reports on the search for a driver who struck a police officer in Newark.

Sunday, June 12, 2016 08:06AM
NEWARK, New Jersey -- Police are searching for a driver who struck a Newark police officer early Sunday, leaving him seriously hurt.

The officer was struck at the intersection of Foundry and Roanoke Streets in an industrial area.

Authorities say he was issuing a traffic summons when he was struck by another car, which dragged the officer and then fled the scene.

He was transported to University Hospital and is in serious but stable condition.

The incident is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department.

Inside the Orlando Nightclub Carnage: Witnesses Speak Out

MEGHAN KENEALLY
Updated 14 mins ago A man who was inside the Orlando nightclub that was the scene of a massacre early this morning described the mayhem as people were trying to figure out what was going on.

Luis Burbano said that at first he thought the sound of gunshots was just being done by the DJ who was adding effects to the set.

"I don't remember screaming. I don't even remember breathing. I just remember dragging my best friend down," Burbano told ABC News.

As he was trying to get out of the club, called Pulse Orlando, Burbano said it was somewhat difficult because there was "everything from drinks on the floor to blood."

Once there was a break in the shooting, Burbano said that he and his friends "started jetting toward the side exit" but as they headed in that direction, "the volume of the gunshots started getting closer and louder."

"I lost my shirt because I used them as tourniquets," he said, telling of how he saw one man who "lost half his arm and this other man was walking around with a bullet in his leg and he had no idea."

Brandon Wolf was another one of the patrons who survived. Wolf told ABC News that he was dancing and "having a great time" before telling friends that he was going to the bathroom. He heard 12 to 20 gunshots fired when they were in the bathroom and so they just ran for the front door. They were able to make it out of the building but they still heard shots firing "for minutes."

Joshua McGill was at the club with his roommates and was in "kind of a daze" at first because he didn't see the gunshots or the shooter.

"It was just a loud sound, so we didn't know what it could have been," McGill told ABC News.

McGill and his friends sneaked out the back door and jumped over a fence to flee the site before he saw that he needed to take action.

"I happened to see someone covered in blood stumbling through the parking lot," McGill said, adding that he then saw that the man had gunshots in both arms so McGill took off his shirt to make a tourniquet before helping get him to the hospital in an ambulance.

"I said a prayer for him and I let him know that I'll be there waiting for him as long as I can," McGill said, noting that he did not know the man before this morning. McGill has been in touch with the man's friends.

Other witnesses have posted their accounts on the club's Facebook page, including Ricardo J. Negron Almodovar who identified himself as a survivor who was inside Pulse when the shooting unfolded.

"People on the dance floor and bar got down on the floor and some of us who were near the bar and back exit managed to go out through the outdoor area and just ran," he wrote on the club's Facebook page.

Officials have now confirmed that 50 people were killed in the shooting and at least 53 others have been hospitalized.

50 dead, 53 wounded in Florida nightclub shooting, worst in US history; Islamic terrorism ties possible.

Kristin Thorne has the latest developments in the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub.

Updated 51 mins ago

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded gay nightclub early Sunday, killing at least 50 people before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. It was the worst mass shooting in American history.

Authorities were investigating the attack on the Florida dance hall as an act of terrorism. The gunman's father recalled that his son got angry when he recently saw two men kissing in Miami. He said that might be related to the attack.

At least 53 people were hospitalized, most in critical condition, officials said. A surgeon at Orlando Regional Medical Center said the death toll was likely to climb.

Mayor Buddy Dyer said all of the dead were killed with the assault rifle.

"There's blood everywhere," Dyer said.

The suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the gay club known as Pulse around 2 a.m., when more than 300 people were inside. The gunman then went back inside and took hostages, Police Chief John Mina said.

Around 5 a.m., authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages.

Family members wait for word from police after arriving down the street from a shooting involving multiple fatalities at Pulse Orlando nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Jackie Smith, who was inside the club, said two friends next to her were shot.

"Some guy walked in and started shooting everybody. He had an automatic rifle, so nobody stood a chance," Smith said. "I just tried to get out of there."

Authorities were looking into whether the attack was an act of domestic or international terror, and if the shooter acted alone, according to Danny Banks, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

"This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

The suspect was identified as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Rep. Alan Grayson named the shooter, citing law enforcement officials. A federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation also confirmed the name. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mateen's father, Mir Seddique, told NBC News about his son seeing the men kissing a couple of months ago.

"We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident," Seddique said. "We are in shock like the whole country."

Former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly discussed the shooting in Orlando:

The attack had nothing to do with religion, he said.

FBI agent Ron Hopper said there was no further threat to Orlando or the surrounding area.

When asked if the gunman had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, Hopper said authorities had "suggestions that individual has leanings towards that."

In addition to the guns, the shooter also had some sort of "suspicious device," Mina said.

Authorities said they had secured the suspect's vehicle, a van, outside the club.

Relatives and friends, many in tears, gathered outside the hospital to learn the fate of loved ones.

Smith did not know the conditions of her friends and came out of the hospital and burst into tears.

Christine Leinonen drove to Orlando at 4 a.m. after learning of the shooting from a friend of her 32-year-old son, Christopher Leinonen, who was at Pulse and is missing.

She has not heard from her son and fears the worse.

"These are nonsensical killings of our children," she said, sobbing. "They're killing our babies!"

She said her son's friend Brandon Wolf made it out alive by hiding in a bathroom and running out as the bullets flew.

A woman who was outside the dance club early Sunday was trying to contact her 30-year-old son, Eddie, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He told her he ran into a bathroom with other club patrons to hide. He then texted her: "He's coming."

"The next text said: 'He has us, and he's in here with us,'" Mina Justice said. "That was the last conversation."

Pulse posted on its own Facebook page around 2 a.m.: "Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running." Just before 6 a.m., the club posted an update: "As soon as we have any information, we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love."

The wounded included one police officer who was shot and suffered injuries to his face, officials said.

Police had said previously on Twitter that there was a "controlled explosion" at the scene of the shooting. Mina said that noise was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack and asked for regular updates on the investigation, the White House said.

Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club's rooms when a man holding a weapon came into the front of the room.

"I heard 20, 40, 50 shots," Alamo said. "The music stopped."

Club-goer Rob Rick said the shooting started just before closing time.

"Everybody was drinking their last sip," he said.

He estimated more than 100 people were still inside when he heard shots, got on the ground and crawled toward a DJ booth. A bouncer knocked down a partition between the club area and an area in the back where only workers are allowed. People inside were able to then escape through the back of the club.

Christopher Hansen said he was in the VIP lounge when he heard gunshots. He continued to hear shooting even after he emerged and police urged people to back away from the club. He saw the wounded being tended to across the street.

"I was thinking, 'Are you kidding me?' So I just dropped down. I just said, 'Please, please, please, I want to make it out,'" he said. "And when I did, I saw people shot. I saw blood. You hope and pray you don't get shot."

The attack follows the fatal shooting late Friday of 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie, who was killed after her concert in Orlando by a 27-year-old Florida man who later killed himself. Grimmie was a YouTube sensation and former contestant on "The Voice."

2 DETROIT FIREFIGHTERS HOSPITALIZED AFTER EARLY MORNING FIRE

June 11, 2016

Authorities say two Detroit firefighters are hospitalized after being injured while battling an early morning fire on Detroit’s west side.

The fire took off just after 4 a.m. Saturday on Wheeler Street, in a neighborhood along Warren Avenue just west of Livernois Avenue.

Arson Chief Patrick McNulty told WWJ’s Laura Bonnell both firefighters were taken to Henry Ford Hospital.

Protecting Young Workers in Retail Jobs

June 8th, 2016 1:26 pm ET - Donna Pfirman

June, which is National Safety Month, is an appropriate time to focus on young workers, as they head out of school and into the workforce. Many of them will find jobs in the retail industry, a leading employer of young workers in the United States.

In 2014, there were approximately 18.1 million workers younger than age 24 in the U.S. These workers represented 13% of the U.S. workforce. Young workers have high workplace injury rates, explained in part by the high frequency of hazards in their typical workplaces. In retail work settings, for instance, slippery floors and use of knives and energized equipment are common hazards. Inexperience and lack of safety training also increase injury risks for young workers. The youngest— those in middle and high schools—may have physical and psychosocial limitations that lead to higher injury rates.

In 2014, about 23,000 (1 of every 4) young retail workers were injured in a retail job. The rate of emergency department–treated workplace injuries was found to be about two times higher for young workers than for workers 25 years and older.

Miranda, who had just turned 16, was at her first job in a local grocery store. One evening she was to stock three departments. First, she had to open boxes with a box-cutting knife, and she felt pressure to get that done fast. Miranda ran the knife through a box, and the blade slid off the box and slashed her leg. It was bleeding. She was a good worker and did not want to get into trouble for hurting herself or not doing her work. Instead of telling her supervisor or anyone she was hurt, she went to the restroom to tend to her leg. She made a bandage to cover the cut and stop the bleeding. Then she continued working and finished her shift.

When Miranda got home from work, the makeshift bandage on her leg was soaked with blood. She was worried because the bleeding did not stop. She showed her mom and dad the cut, and they took her to the emergency room for medical treatment.

The doctor closed the cut with 10 stitches and told Miranda to limit her activities for 3 days. She needed to report her injury to her supervisor, but she was afraid she would be in trouble or be fired for making a mistake and getting hurt. She also worried that she could be fired for not telling anyone sooner about her injury. This job meant a lot to her, and she needed it to save for college.

Miranda was not aware of some important things about workplace safety.

First, there are laws to protect teenagers from hazardous jobs. Second, she has worker rights and responsibilities. Safety training is required, and she should report any injuries at work to her supervisor. Third, employers have workplace responsibilities, and one is to keep employees safe.

After Miranda told her supervisor what happened, the company was able to fill out the required paperwork for workplace injuries. She continued working, but when she stocked shelves the boxes were opened for her.

In 2014, 18.1 million United States workers were under age 24.

One of the most frequently reported injuries in retail is lacerations, or cuts. (Read Miranda’s story in the sidebar for a true account of a young person injured while working in retail.)

To address their increased risk for work-related injury, NIOSH developed a new webpage for young retail workers. This webpage includes safety tips for recognizing hazards and understanding the injuries they can cause, such as being struck by or stuck in an object or equipment; doing too much (overexertion); slips, trips, and falls; driving or riding incidents on the road; and workplace violence. Remember, what you know can keep you safe and healthy at work.

If you are an employer of young workers in retail, we would like to hear from you. How have you worked to keep young works safe? If you are interested in collaborating with the NIOSH Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector contact Dr. Vern Anderson (vanderson@cdc.gov) or Donna Pfirman (dpfirman@cdc.gov).

More Information:

Vist the new website Young Retail Worker Safety and Health for information on protecting young workers in this industry.

The NIOSH Safe · Skilled · Ready Workforce program conducts research and interventions to help protect young workers.

The NIOSH Young Worker Safety and Health webpage, and NIOSH Youth@Work: Talking Safety highlights NIOSH resources and research related to protecting young workers.

The Director’s Desk column in the June NIOSH eNews also provided updates on NIOSH young worker research and resources.

Donna Pfirman is a Program Analyst in the NIOSH Education and Information Division

COSCO's Vessel Departs Greece for Inaugural Transit through Extended Panama

By Joseph R. Fonseca
Sunday, June 12, 2016, 6:00 AM

Departing Greek Port of Piraeus today, COSCO Shipping Panama will make the inaugural transit of Expanded Panama Canal on Sunday, June 26 Photo COSCO

The container vessel COSCO Shipping Panama set sail from the Greek Port of Piraeus today on its way to Panama to make history. The Neopanamax vessel will make the inaugural transit of the Expanded Panama Canal on Sunday, June 26, after a 14-day journey.

Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano met with COSCO Shipping Panama’s Captain Jude Rodrigues and crew members prior to the ship’s departure.

“I am very excited to be here today to witness the sailing of the ship from Greece, but also meet the Captain and his crew,” said Administrator Quijano. “We are very pleased to be here watching it leave from Port of Piraeus. He is very thrilled to be part of this inaugural transit.”

“I had transited the Panama Canal many times before and it has been a great experience, but being the master of the first vessel to transit the expanded Canal is an experience of a century,” said Captain Rodrigues. “The Panama Canal is testament to the diligence and wisdom of the people of Panama. The Panama Canal Expansion is a major event on itself and a milestone in global history. I would like to congratulate the people of Panama for their efforts and contribution to global economy.”

Cosco Shipping Panama is a new vessel constructed and launched on January 2016. The Neopanamax containership is 299.98 meters in length and 48.25 meters in beam, and has a container carrying capacity of 9,472 TEUs. Originally named Andronikos, the vessel was renamed by China COSCO Shipping to pay respect to the people of Panama and for the honor of the inaugural transit. This ship was selected during a draw for the inaugural transit through the expanded waterway. Coincidentally, the ship was built in Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co., Ltd, the same company that constructed the valves that control the flow of water through the new locks of the Canal.

“Over a hundred years ago, the SS Ancon made history as the first vessel to transit the Panama Canal,” said Administrator Quijano. “In a few weeks, COSCO Shipping Panama, the Panama Canal, and the people of Panama will change the face of global shipping and international commerce. I am humbled and honored to lead the Panama Canal to this great milestone with the thousands who made this bold vision a reality.”

During the inauguration, COSCO Shipping Panama will transit Agua Clara Locks on the Atlantic side during the early morning and Cocoli Locks in the afternoon. The regular schedule of transits through the Expanded Canal will follow the next day, June 27.

The Panama Canal Expansion Program is the largest construction project undertaken in the waterway since its opening in 1914. Considered and analyzed for a decade with more than 100 studies, construction on the first-ever expansion began in 2007 to provide the world with greater shipping options, better maritime service, enhanced logistics and supply-chain reliability.

The project doubles the waterway’s cargo capacity, enhancing the Canal’s efficiency, reliability and customer service. Since Neopanamax vessels can now take advantage of the Canal’s vast benefits, new routes, liner services and other maritime changes are expected to emerge.

Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano met with COSCO Shipping Panama’s Captain Jude Rodrigues and crew members prior to the ship’s departure. Photo COSCO

Coast Guard Rescues 2 Men After Boat Capsizes Near Fire Island, NY

Jun 11th, 2016

NEW YORK — A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Fire Island rescued two people after their personal watercraft capsized near Democrat Point, New York, at approximately 12:10 p.m. Saturday.

A nearby Coast Guard boatcrew was immediately diverted after receiving a report of the incident from a passing mariner who notified the Coast Guard via VHF-FM marine radio channel 16.

The Coast Guard boatcrew arrived on scene at 12:12 p.m. in a 29-foot Response Boat and located the two men in the Good Samaritan’s vessel.

The boatcrew transferred both men aboard the response boat and were safely transported to Station Fire Island. An EMS crew was called to the station where one of the men received medical treatment.

The vessel remains capsized on a shoal nearby. There is no pollution and the craft is not a hazard to navigation at this time.

M/V Roger Blough enroute to Sturgeon Bay for repairs

Jun 11th, 2016

CLEVELAND — The U.S. Coast Guard captain of the port, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, gave the motor vessel Roger Blough permission Saturday to transit down the St. Marys River to anchorage in Potagannissing Bay in the vicinity of DeTour Village, Michigan.

The Blough had been anchored in Waiska Bay in Lake Superior since June 4 after grounding on Gros Cap Reef May 27.

Just before 11:30 a.m., the Blough weighed anchor from Waiska Bay and began its transit down the St. Marys River.

The Blough is being escorted by the tug Candace Elise, and it is expected the Blough will pass through the Soo Locks early Saturday afternoon.

Coast Guard officials in Sault Ste. Marie and Milwaukee are currently reviewing the vessel’s full transit plan as it intends to make its way to the shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

The Coast Guard Friday ensured the safe recovery of the sunken 55-foot tug Emily Anne from the bottom of Massachusetts Bay near Deer Island.

Sunken tug Emily Anne recovered from Massachusetts Bay
Jun 11th, 2016

Tug Emily Anne rises from the water, wrapped in chains, upside down on Friday, June 10, 2016 from Massachusetts Bay in Boston. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Wade Thompson)

BOSTON – The Coast Guard Friday ensured the safe recovery of the sunken 55-foot tug Emily Anne from the bottom of Massachusetts Bay near Deer Island.

The Emily Anne sank in February with three people aboard, all of which were saved.

After nearly four months of coordinating a capable crane, commercial salvers, and port partners, all while waiting for optimal weather, the Coast Guard worked with Semper Diving and Marine and followed the salvage plan developed by the tug’s owner, North Shore Marine, to ensure the operation commenced safely. At about noon, with fair winds and calm seas, the salvage crew arrived at the tug’s location, which had been marked since February with a hazard buoy.

The Coast Guard partnered with Boston Harbor Pilots Association and local port partners to minimize impacts to the environment. The Coast Guard oversaw the Oil Spill Response Organization, who deployed boom to capture any oil released as the tug was moved to the surface. Once raised, the Emily Anne was loaded onto a barge and transported to East Boston for unloading.

Initially on Feb. 16, the Emily Anne suffered a breached hull and was taking on water in the North Channel entrance of Boston Harbor. A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Point Allerton and a MH-60 helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod launched. A nearby crew on a Boston Harbor Pilot Association boat heard the report over the radio and raced to the rescue. They arrived on scene and recovered all three crewmen from the frigid water moments before th Emily Anne sank.

“We applaud the work of everyone involved with today’s salvage operation to remove the potential hazard to navigation,” said Coast Guard Capt. Claudia Gelzer, commander, Sector Boston. “And we especially commend Capt. Joseph Maloney and co-pilot, Capt. Shawn Kelly of the Boston Harbor Pilots for their heroism in the rescue of those three crew members that day.”

The cause of the sinking is under investigation.

Autopsy: Aubrey McClendon's death in crash accidental

Wednesday, June 08, 2016 12:45PM OKLAHOMA CITY -- The fiery car crash in which energy industry magnate Aubrey McClendon died was an accident, the Oklahoma medical examiner's office ruled Wednesday, also noting that he had traces of a drug in his system commonly used in sleep aids.

The eight-page autopsy report shows the 56-year-old suffered numerous broken bones and other serious injuries in the March 2 crash and that his body was badly burned after he died. The report, which comes a day after police said there wasn't enough evidence to prove whether the crash was intentional, lists multiple blunt force trauma as the cause of death.

Besides traces of the antihistamine doxylamine, there were no other drugs or alcohol in his system, the report said.

The crash happened the day after the former Chesapeake Energy CEO and part-owner of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder was indicted by a federal grand jury for bid rigging, leading to speculation of a possible suicide.

"We spoke to anybody who may have had contact with him after he found out about the indictment," Oklahoma City Police Capt. Paco Balderrama said Tuesday. "He did not leave anything that would be interpreted as a suicide note or message."

Police have said McClendon was driving 78 mph when his SUV hit a bridge support and burst into flames and that there was no evidence suggesting he tried to avoid the crash.

The vehicle's data recorder showed McClendon was driving 88 mph and then tapped his brakes before impact, police have said. McClendon had his gas pedal floored until 1 1/2 seconds before impact, when he reduced it from 99 to 25 percent depressed, they said. Investigators found tire tracks but no skid marks.

Pearland, Texas officer killed in two car crash this morning while responding to a call

Officer killed in car crash at Country Club and Broadway in Pearland.

Updated 2 mins ago
PEARLAND, TEXAS (KTRK) -- A Pearland officer was killed in an overnight wreck.

It happened near Countryclub and Broadway at around 3:15am as the officer was responding to a non-emergency call.

Police are saying that the officer was pinned in his patrol car and unresponsive when paramedics arrived. He was airlifted and ended up dying at the hospital.

The other driver was also pinned in her car and was transported.

No lights or sirens were on and no witnesses have come forwarded.

Pearland hasn't had an officer killed in the line of duty in around 40 years.

We're following this story on Eyewitness News. Watch for updates on air, online and on our mobile news app.

Driver killed in horrific single-vehicle Colerain Township, Ohio crash

WCPO Staff
12:13 AM, Jun 12, 2016

Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Ron Crittenden

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A driver was killed in a crash Saturday evening.

The one-vehicle crash occurred on Pippin Road between Mercury and Compton at 7:59 p.m., firefighters said.

Pippin Road was closed for several hours.

Check back for more details when they become available.

Approximately 20 killed, 42 injured in Pulse Orlando Florida club shooting; act of terrorism?

Police: Approximately 20 killed in Florida club shooting Mike Schneider, Associated Press,Associated Press 9 minutes ago

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun took hostages and opened fire inside a crowded Florida nightclub, killing approximately 20 people and wounding 42 others before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said Sunday.

Police Chief John Mina also said the shooter had some sort of "suspicious device." He said the suspect exchanged gunfire with an officer working at the club around 2 a.m., then went back inside and took hostages among more than 300 people inside.

Around 5 a.m., authorities sent in a SWAT team to rescue the hostages, and the suspect then died in a gunfight with those officers. Mina said police have not determined an exact number of casualties, but that "approximately 20" people were dead inside the club.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Danny Banks said during a news conference that the mass shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. He says authorities are looking into whether this was an act of domestic or international terror, and if the shooter was a lone wolf.

"This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Ron Hopper said there's no further threat to Orlando or the surrounding area.

When asked if the gunman had a connection to radical Islamic terrorism, Hopper said, "we do have suggestions that individual has leanings towards that."

Police had said previously on Twitter that there was a "controlled explosion" at the scene of the shooting at Pulse Orlando, a popular gay dance club. Mina said that noise was caused by a device intended to distract the shooter.

Mina Justice was outside the club early Sunday trying to contact her 30-year-old son Eddie, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police. He told her he ran into a bathroom with other club patrons to hide. He then texted her: "He's coming."

"The next text said: 'He has us, and he's in here with us,'" she said. "That was the last conversation."

Dozens of police vehicles, including a SWAT team, swarmed the area around the club. At least two police pickup trucks were seen taking what appeared to be shooting victims to the Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Pulse Orlando posted on its own Facebook page around 2 a.m.: "Everyone get out of pulse and keep running." Just before 6 a.m., the club posted an update: "As soon as we have any information we will update everyone. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we work through this tragic event. Thank you for your thoughts and love."

Police said local, state and federal agencies were investigating.

The incident follows the fatal shooting late Friday of 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie, who was killed after her concert in Orlando by a 27-year-old Florida man who later killed himself. Grimmie was a YouTube sensation and former contestant on "The Voice."

Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club's rooms when a man holding a weapon came into the front of the room.

"I heard 20, 40, 50 shots," Alamo said. "The music stopped."

Club-goer Rob Rick said it happened around, 2 a.m., just before closing time.

"Everybody was drinking their last sip," he said.

He estimated more than 100 people were still inside when he heard shots, got on the ground and crawled toward a DJ booth. A bouncer knocked down a partition between the club area and an area in the back where only workers are allowed. People inside were able to then escape through the back of the club.

Christopher Hansen said he was in the VIP lounge when he started hearing gunshots. He continued to hear shooting even after he emerged, where police were telling people to back away from the club. He saw injured people being tended to across the street.

"I was thinking, are you kidding me? So I just dropped down. I just said please, please, please, I want to make it out," he said. "And when I did, I saw people shot. I saw blood. You hope and pray you don't get shot."

OSHA is ordering NFI Interactive Logistics to reinstate and compensate a driver who was fired for refusing to violate hours of service to complete a delivery.

OSHA Backs Driver Fired for Refusing to Violate Safety Regs

June 9, 2016

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is ordering NFI Interactive Logistics to reinstate and compensate a driver who was fired for refusing to violate hours of service to complete a delivery.

In August 2012, NFI had assigned the driver to deliver Poland Spring bottled water from Northborough, Mass., to Jersey City, N.J., but due to severe weather and flooding, the trip took longer than expected. The driver did not believe he had enough time to complete the delivery and return home without violating hours of service restrictions.

To solve the dilemma, the driver delivered the load to a closer customer facility in Kearny, N.J., but NFI objected to this solution. When the delivery arrived in Kearny, arrangements were made to have a different NFI driver take the load to its original destination. Both NFI and the customer approved the new arrangement, according to the Department of Labor.

The load was eventually delivered and the driver was able to return home without violating hours of service. NFI fired him the next day for insubordination and the driver filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA. OSHA investigated the driver’s complaint and ultimately found merit to the case.

Both the driver and NFI each have 30 days from receipt of OSHA’s findings to file objections and request a hearing before the Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.

“The law is clear: Drivers have the right to raise legitimate safety concerns to their employer– including refusing to violate safety regulations– without fear of termination or other retaliation,” said Kim Stille, OSHA’s New England regional administrator. “NFI must reverse its actions and compensate this driver for the financial and other losses he has suffered as a result of his illegal termination.”

As a result of its findings, OSHA is ordering NFI to take the following corrective actions:

Immediately reinstate the driver to his former position, with all rights, seniority, pay raises and benefits to which he was entitled absent the discharge.
Pay the driver $126,870 in back pay and interest covering the period from August 17, 2012 to June 7, 2016, plus additional amounts accruing up to the day the company makes the driver a bona fide offer of reinstatement.
Pay him $50,000 in compensatory damages for pain and suffering, including emotional distress, depression, mental pain, humiliation and embarrassment.
Pay him $100,000 in punitive damages and also pay his reasonable attorney fees.
Expunge from all of its files any reference to the discharge, or the driver’s exercise of his rights under STAA.
Make no adverse statements about the driver’s termination and/or any of the facts at issue in this case in response to any inquiry regarding his employment with NFI.
Not retaliate against the driver in any manner for his instituting or causing to be instituted any proceeding under or related to STAA.
Immediately post in a conspicuous location in its workplace a signed and dated notice to employees informing them of the order and their rights under STAA.

Stacey Konwiser, the lead zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo who was killed by a Malayan tiger on April 15, did not follow “established safety procedures"

USDA report: Zookeeper killed by tiger did not follow safety protocol

by: Hannah Winston, Palm Beach Post Updated: May 12, 2016 - 12:18 PM

Stacey Konwiser feeds Berapi Api, a 10-year-old Malayan tiger who mothered three male cubs at the Palm Beach Zoo in 2011. Konwiser was killed April 15 when she was mauled by another tiger at the zoo.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —

Stacey Konwiser, the lead zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo who was killed by a Malayan tiger on April 15, did not follow “established safety procedures,” according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released by the zoo this week.

The inspection, which was conducted Monday, found at least two issues with the tiger enclosure, including the handling of the tiger and sanitation. The report did not detail what the 37-year-old Konwiser did that failed to follow safety procedures.

The zoo previously said that Konwiser knowingly went into the cage while a tiger was inside, which is prohibited, but whether she entered on purpose is still unknown, zoo President and CEO Andrew Aiken told the media in April. A former colleague of Konwiser's told The Palm Beach Post that the zoo’s story didn’t add up and that Konwiser would never put herself in danger.

In addition to Konwiser not following safety procedures on the day she was killed, shooting the tiger with a dart caused the animal to undergo “behavioral stress, unnecessary discomfort and potential harm” and prevented first responders from getting to Konwiser, the USDA said.

Aiken previously said the tiger was “prey guarding” — a protective position that tigers take over prey in the wild — Konwiser’s body so zoo officials decided not to shoot to kill because they might have hit her. The medical examiner said Konwiser died of a neck injury.

The USDA also found a problem with sanitation around the tiger enclosure. Investigators found tree-limb cuttings and other miscellaneous items piled along the keeper access area between the fences of the enclosure.

“These cuttings need to be cleared from this area to prevent a keeper from possibly falling against the fencing of the tiger enclosure,” investigators wrote in the one-page report.

Aiken previously said that there are still questions surrounding the death, some of which may never be answered.

Investigations by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, West Palm Beach police, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture remain open.

OSHA said there’s no timeline for when its investigation will be complete, but the scope of the investigation is beyond just the tiger incident.

“Inspectors are looking at all areas of the zoo in regards to safety and health compliance. They are not just focusing on the tiger cage or any single area,” spokeswoman Lindsay Williams wrote in an email.

OSHA should go through a public rulemaking process before imposing new Process Safety Management (PSM) regulations on fertilizer dealers who handle anhydrous ammonia

Spending bill chides OSHA on regs for fertilizer dealers

By Stephen Davies

© Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2016 - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration should go through a public rulemaking process before imposing new Process Safety Management (PSM) regulations on fertilizer dealers who handle anhydrous ammonia, a committee report accompanying a Senate appropriations bill says.

The fight over the requirements has been going on since OSHA issued guidance last July that revoked the so-called “retailer exemption” from the PSM standards. Ag retailers, who contend that implementing PSM requirements would cost them dearly, protested and then sued. A ruling from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is pending.

Meanwhile, dealers' champions in Congress have been nudging OSHA using report language, which does not have the force of law, but is designed to get the agency's attention. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) pushed to include the language.

The report accompanying the omnibus spending bill for fiscal 2016 urges OSHA to propose a rule and accept public comment. OSHA recently began a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness process as the first step in a “comprehensive rulemaking” to update the 20-year-old PSM standard but said that in the meantime, it would not exempt dealers from the inspection, recordkeeping and training requirements of the PSM standard.

The latest report, accompanying the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill, says OSHA should not enforce that standard against retailers until it goes through the full regulatory process and has “an independent third party” conduct a cost-benefit analysis on the effect of lifting the exemption.

Says the report: “OSHA has issued letters of interpretation on substantive policy matters that leave the agency open to liability that can be avoided by going through the proper rulemaking process, including notice and period of public comment. OSHA is expected to implement agency policy changes through the formal regulatory process.”

The spending bill also maintains the current exemption from occupational safety and health laws for farms with fewer than 10 employees that do not have a temporary labor camp.

“The continued exemption for small farms and recognition of limits of the OSHA regulatory authority are critical for family farms,” the committee report says. “It is also important the Department of Agriculture be consulted in any future attempts by OSHA to redefine or modify any aspect of the small farm exemption.”

The bill would provide about $82 million for migrant and seasonal farmworker programs, “which serve members of economically disadvantaged families whose principal livelihood is derived from migratory and other forms of seasonal farm work, fishing, or logging activities,” according to the report.

The committee bill also would give $163 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria initiative.
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In its report, the committee said it “recognizes the importance of addressing antibiotic-resistant bacteria through a ‘One Health' approach, simultaneously combating antibiotic resistance in human, animal, and environmental settings.”

In another part of the report, the committee said that “a number of disease-causing microbes have developed resistance to drugs previously used to treat them” due to “increased global availability and over-prescription of antimicrobial medicines to humans and animals.” The report urged CDC “to consider partnering with a coalition of hospitals, state public health departments, global health nongovernmental organizations, and biotech companies, among others, with the goal of linking global patterns of emerging resistance to their impact in U.S. hospitals and clinical settings. Such a coalition would attempt to identify the most important factors that contribute to the emergence and the spread of (antimicrobial) infections worldwide, and how they are spread to the United States.”

Federal officials are facing criticism over a recently released inconclusive study on birth defects of children born to IBM workers exposed to the chemical TCE.

POISON OF POLLUTION: Did feds' IBM study go far enough?
Tom Wilber, twilber@gannett.com | @wilberwrites 6:49 a.m. EDT June 10, 2016

(Photo: ANDREW THAYER / Staff Photo)

Federal officials are facing criticism over a recently released inconclusive study on birth defects of children born to IBM workers exposed to the chemical TCE.

“For people who worked at IBM — in fact, people exposed to TCE across the country — the study was fatally flawed,” said Lenny Siegel, executive director of the Center for Public Environmental Oversight, of the long-awaited $3.2 million study released by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in late May.

Siegel serves as liaison with federal and state governments shaping policy for communities polluted with TCE, a toxic industrial solvent found at thousands of former industrial sites across the country.

The NIOSH study, which focused on the once-thriving IBM’s microelectronics plant in Endicott, made no mention of TCE levels measured at 45 buildings in 2005.

NIOSH researcher and lead author Sharon Silver defended the decision because including the data would be “scientifically problematic.”

Despite the lack of a firm conclusion about TCE, Silver said results contributed to the understanding of risks from other exposures during daily operations. The study found that contaminants, lead in particular, on clothes or shoes of male workers presented risks to childbearing women outside the plant, a phenomenon called "take-home exposure." Elevated cases of a rare heart defect also were found in children of male workers potentially exposed to lead and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons include TCE, PCE, methylene chloride and other solvents historically used in a range of manufacturing applications. Lead was used as soldering material for circuit board manufacture, repair, testing, and research and development. Use of lead at the plant likely peaked between 1986 and 1993, according to the NIOSH report.

The federal study was launched in 2008 in response to community concerns over TCE pollution in a 450-acre area under the IBM plant and surrounding commercial and residential neighborhoods.

In 2002, officials found the pollutant was in soil and water tables in Endicott and drifting into buildings through “vapor intrusion.” The discovery prompted a statewide re-evaluation of TCE sites.

Concerns over residential TCE exposure intensified when a 2005 Department of Health study found a “statistically significant” spike in rare cardiac heart defects, as well as kidney and testicular cancers, in a contaminated area next to the Endicott plant.

The findings of a federal study on birth defects of children of IBM workers were released on May 25, 2016 and a community meeting was held the next day. Andrew Thayer / Staff Video

Gauging vapor intrusion risks in an occupational setting such as IBM is more complicated than in residential settings because many more chemicals and exposure possibilities have to be considered, according to Silver.

For the occupational study, researchers looked at the health of workers' children born between 1983 and 2001. They found the rate for ventricular septal heart defect to be “significantly elevated” in children of some groups of male manufacturing workers potentially exposed to lead and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Other defects fell within the norm.

Because TCE was largely phased out of production by 1986, “no conclusion can be drawn” about the chemical’s impacts on births for workers exposed during daily operations, according to the study.

But the research did not factor in 2005 data showing building-by-building TCE levels from residual pollution at the plant.

“The researchers seemed unaware why the study was requested in the first place,” Siegel said. “They started with a methodology, not a hypothesis. And as far as I can tell, they didn’t let people know in advance that they wouldn’t be studying TCE exposures.”

Silver said it was too difficult to track the locations of workers in relation to each building's TCE levels, which would likely be lower than levels of TCE or other chlorinated hydrocarbons on manufacturing lines. Further, TCE levels may have fluctuated with efforts to clean the pollution, which was first discovered in 1979.

But critics argue vapor intrusion levels would have been even higher during the study period than they were in 2005, after 25 years of cleanup had removed more than 70,000 gallons of solvent from the ground.

Air samples collected by the state Department of Health in 2005 in 42 buildings ranged from 0 to 17 micrograms per cubic meter in some areas that tended to be occupied. Levels were much higher in other areas — for example, often registering between 50 and 300 micrograms per cubic meter in tunnels and tank rooms under Building 18. Concentrations in the soil directly below the buildings often exceeded 10,000 and sometimes were over 100,000.

At the time, the Department of Health determined TCE levels at the plant present a "low" health risk, meaning state health officials "do not expect to be able to associate health effects" from exposure.

Since those tests, the EPA has found risks for non-cancer illnesses, such as birth defects, from short-term TCE exposure in residential settings to increase at levels at or above 2 micrograms per cubic meter.

Frank Roma, head of a citizens group that worked with officials on the scope of the study, said he was disappointed NIOSH did not at least address the vapor intrusion factor for workers.

“They left that part out, and they did not give a lot of information on it,” said Roma, of the Western Broome Environmental Stakeholders Coalition. “We’re still very concerned about the plant.”

Siegel, of the national environmental nonprofit, characterized the study as “inconclusive by design … To me, the problem is that the experts viewed the study as an academic exercise, not information that real people were counting on to resolve their concerns.”

Impacts of TCE vapor intrusion, apart from occupational exposure, is a sensitive topic for the chemical industry and manufacturers. IBM recently settled a lawsuit for claims related to TCE pollution in neighborhoods around its former Endicott plant for $13.4 million.

Silver acknowledged the study’s inability to reconcile TCE vapor intrusion data at the IBM plant as “a limitation” but not a flaw. The spike in the number of rare heart defects in the children of male workers would not change, according to Silver, even if TCE exposure were factored in.

Richard Clapp, an industrial exposure expert at Boston University's School of Public Health, agreed.

Risks from lead and chlorinated hydrocarbons are “important findings and add to the literature" concerning male workers exposed to toxic chemicals, Clapp said. “The fact that the study did not take vapor intrusion inside the plant into account is perhaps a limitation, but it wouldn't change the issue.”

Today, approximately 4,000 people work for various companies at the plant, now owned by Huron Real Estate Associates.

Last year, the Health Department, taking into account studies that showed TCE was a more potent hazard than previously believed, lowered its threshold for TCE vapor intrusion exposure from 5 micrograms per cubic meter to 2.

The new guideline has prompted a new set of tests at the campus, with results expected later this year.