Fire causes significant damage to NE Side apartment complex
24 units damaged at Oak Springs Apartments on Perrin Central
By David Ibanez - Web - Managing Editor Posted: 2:56 PM, September 26, 2016 Updated: 6:30 PM, September 26, 2016
SAN ANTONIO - A two-alarm fire damaged 24 units at an apartment complex Monday afternoon on the city's Northeast Side.
The fire, which was reported around 1 p.m. at the Oak Springs Apartments at 3919 Perrin Central, displaced 32 people, San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Woody Woodward said.
"Everything that we have, that we own, it's just all gone. Either from the fire or the water damage," Steven Navarro, an apartment resident, said.
Woodward said an electrical fire in a wall, possibly an electrical outlet in the second or third floor, was to blame for the blaze.
He said at one point, firefighters battled the fire from the outside as flames spread quickly.
"It's a situation where the fire is in the wall. And so, we see the smoke. We can detect that the walls are hot. It's hard to determine where the fire is coming from. and you can't see how fast it's spreading," he said.
Apartment management is trying to help displaced residents find a new place to live.
No one was injured in the fire.
UPDATED 4:54 PM EDT Sep 26, 2016
(CNN) —Beef products are probably the cause of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened seven people in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From June 27 to September 4, seven people ages 1 to 74 from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts contracted E. coli O157:H7. No deaths have been reported, but five of the seven have been hospitalized, the CDC reported.
The CDC, the Department of Agriculture and multiple states are investigating the outbreak, which was traced to the Adams Farm Slaughterhouse in Athol, Massachusetts.
Two to eight days after consuming contaminated meat, patients with E. coli infections typically have symptoms of dehydration, bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps. Most E. coli victims recover in about a week. In rare cases, the infection can cause kidney failure. This occurs most often in young children and older adults, and is evident by easy bruising, pallor and low urine output. People with these symptoms should seek medical help immediately.
Adams Farm is voluntarily recalling beef, veal and bison products due to the possible E. coli contamination. The products originated from animals slaughtered on July 15, 25 and 27 and August 3, 8, 10, 11, 17, 24 and 26; the meat was processed and packed between the dates of July 21 and September 22.
The items were shipped to farmers' markets, retailers and restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut and eastern New York, and might have been shipped to neighboring states, the CDC said. A full list of recalled products is available at the USDA website.
The USDA urges people to immediately throw out all recalled meat -- both frozen and refrigerated -- or return the products to the store where they were purchased. Restaurants and retailers should also get rid of recalled meat.
In a statement on its website, Adams Farm said the USDA instructed the farm to recall products from animals slaughtered over seven weeks, a period it called "both unjustified and unrealistic."
Adams Farm announced, "We have narrowed down the point of contamination to two days in the middle of August and have been working with our farmer customers to ensure that none of that product is sold and for them to inform their customers.
"While we are very concerned over the USDA's over-reaction and its impact on our customers, we have fully cooperated with their requirements but want our customers to be aware that we stand behind all of our products and will continue to stand behind all of our farmer customers and their consumers."
Fire at Former School in Fitchburg, Mass. Was Intentionally Set
One firefighter was injured in the blaze
By Tim Jones and Melissa Buja
Fire crews in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, are on the scene a 4-alarm fire at a former school Monday morning. (Published Monday, Sept. 26, 2016)
A 4-alarm fire at a former school in Fitchburg, Massachusetts was intentionally set, according to the state's fire marshal.
The fire broke out at 52 Academy Street, the former B.F. Brown Middle School building, just before 4 a.m.
One Leominster firefighter was injured in the blaze.
Fitchburg Schools cancelled classes at nearby Longsjo Middle School because of the fire.
4 People Killed in Greenfield House Fire (Published Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016)
Fitchburg Fire Chief Kevin D. Roy is urging anyone who saw or heard anything, to call the confidential, toll-free Arson Hotline at 1-800-682-9229. The hotline is part of the Arson Watch Reward Program which provides rewards of up TO $5,000.
Track worker dies in Owosso Speedway accident
By 6 News Web Staff Published: September 26, 2016, 2:22 pm Updated: September 26, 2016, 2:28 pm
OWOSSO, Mich (WLNS) – A track worker trying to divert race cars from an on-track accident has died after he was struck by a race car early Sunday morning.
According to the Michigan State Police the accident happened just after just before 12:20 a.m. Sunday at the Owosso Speedway on the 7200 block of West M-21.
Investigators tell 6 News the track worker was standing on the track and attempting to slow traffic because of an earlier crash.
He was struck by one of the race cars.
The man was airlifted to Sparrow Hospital where he died.
The accident is still being investigated and the victim’s name has not been released.
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Track worker struck and killed during race at Owosso Speedway
Christopher Haxel, Lansing State Journal
4:37 p.m. EDT September 26, 2016
MIDDLEBURY TWP. - A track worker was struck by a race car during a race at Owosso Speedway early Sunday morning and later died at a hospital, officials said.
Michael Anthony Niebrzydowski, 49, was hit at 12:17 a.m., said Lt. Dave Kaiser, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police.
Witnesses told police Niebrzydowski was standing on the track and attempting to slow race traffic for an unrelated crash when he was struck by a vehicle, Kaiser said.
Niebrzydowski was airlifted to a hospital and later pronounced dead, Kaiser said. He was not immediately able to provide further information about the crash or investigation.
A man who answered the phone Monday at Owosso Speedway declined to comment.
The racetrack posted the following statement on its website: "Owosso Speedway is deeply saddened by the loss of Mike Niebrzydowski. Mike has been a prominent member of the racing community for years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all friends and family members. May he rest in peace with our Lord and Savior."
The racetrack, at 7204 W. M-21 in Shiawassee County, is a 3/8 mile banked, paved oval with a seating capacity of 3,500, according to its website.
Driver in deadly bus crash near Oakhurst was "inexperienced," authorities say
The crash left a child dead and one in critical condition after a bus full of students veered off the road and smashed into a tree near Oakhurst on Saturday. (KFSN)
By Nathalie Granda
Updated 45 mins ago
MADERA COUNTY (KFSN) -- The California Highway Patrol says speed is the primary factor in the charter bus accident that killed one. The department is still investigating the bus to see if there were any mechanical issues.
Authorities called the scene frightening. The crash left a child dead and one in critical condition after a bus full of students veered off the road and smashed into a tree near Oakhurst on Saturday. The many injuries made it hard to identify the passengers.
"All we had to go off of were passports," Kaci Lutz with the California Highway Patrol said. "It was hard to identify all the children based on what we saw at the collision."
The CHP said the investigation of the bus is ongoing.
"The bus is being looked at RN for evidence to make sure there were no other contributing factors like mechanical that we didn't see out there," -- said.
Authorities also released the identity of the driver as 53-year-old Kehong Niu and said he was "inexperienced" as a commercial driver. The department said the bus was carrying dozens of students from Chinese, aged 12 to 14, as well as two chaperones who were heading to Fresno from Yosemite National Park when the bus veered off Highway 41 near Sugar Pine.
The highway is marked at a speed limit of 55, and based on evidence and an eyewitness, authorities said speed is currently the primary factor.
"Your 'e talking about a tour bus, which is hauling a lot of weight," Lutz explained. "That has to be considered when driving at speeds through curved roads like the ones we have here."
A nearby bus service was called in to help transport some of the uninjured victims. Lynn Fulmer, a driver with Discover Yosemite, said he's also a volunteer search-and-rescue member of Madera County. Fulmer said he was able to get to the scene within minutes.
"They were frantically on phones, calling," he explained. "It was tough but I've been involved with the sheriff search-and-rescue for 30 years and it's something we deal with and help out any way we can."
CHP said the Chinese consulate is currently working with the family of the child killed, and the 13-year-old who is still in critical condition.
Tennessee Seeing Spike in Workplace Fatalities
Tuesday, August 23, 2016 | 9:43am
TOSHA Urges Increased Emphasis on Workplace Safety and Health
NASHVILLE – The Administrator of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Steve Hawkins, urges employers and workers pay special attention to workplace safety and health after 22 Tennessee workers suffered fatal job-related injuries since January.
"In the month of July alone, 10 Tennessee workers lost their lives in workplace accidents, devastating families, friends, co-workers and businesses. Most all of these could have been prevented,” said Hawkins.
With 22 work-related deaths during the first seven months of 2016, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s TOSHA program encourages Tennessee employers to take immediate steps to ensure a safe workplace.
"If this trend in workplace deaths continues, Tennessee will see an increase of 36 percent in fatal accidents investigated by TOSHA in comparison to 2014,” Hawkins said. “Employers need to carefully review their injury and illness prevention programs and their work place safety and health procedures with their employees.”
In 2015, more than half all workplace fatalities were the result of being struck by an object or falls. The majority of workplace fatalities occurred in the manufacturing segment with only eight percent occurring in the construction industry. In 2016, almost half of the 22 workplace fatalities occurred on construction sites.
Immediate steps that can be taken by employers and workers to avoid workplace injuries and illnesses include:
- Conducting a safety and health "stand down" meeting and encourage discussion on recognizing and correcting hazards in the workplace.
- Pledging to work together with front line employees as a team to make the workplace a safer, healthier and happier place to work.
- Establishing and implementing a safety and health program for the work site with full employee involvement.
- Encouraging accident prevention and the reporting of hazards and injuries in the workplace. Many times minor injuries go unreported and more severe injuries result later on as a result of an uncorrected hazard in the workplace.
- Increasing attention toward the safety of vulnerable workers such as temporary workers or those who are not fluent in English.
- TOSHA offers free On-Site Consultation Services to help small businesses better understand and voluntarily comply with TOSHA standards. Priority is given to high hazard workplaces with 250 or fewer employees. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the TOSHA office closest to you or by contacting the Consultative Services at (800) 325-9901.
Additional Resources:
More information on INJURY AND ILLNESS PREVENT PROGRAMS can be found at: http://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/safetyhealth/index.html
More information on TRAINING for employees and employers can be found at: http://www.osha.gov/dte/index.html
More information on HAZARD IDENTIFICATION can be found at: http://www.osha.gov/hazfinder/
More information on assistance available to SMALL BUSINESSES can be found at: http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/index.html
More information on REPORTING workplace fatalities (within 8 hours) and severe work-related injuries - defined as a hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye (within 24 hours) - can be found at: http://www.osha.gov/report.html (fatalities and severe injuries can also be reported through OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742), or a local TOSHA office. - See more at: https://www.tn.gov/workforce/news/44967#sthash.uUb4XvFi.dpuf
13-car train derailment prompts hazmat precautions in west Eugene, Oregon
By Theresa Novak
The Register-Guard
Sept. 26, 2016
Eugene, Oregon
Thirteen railcars, one of them containing a hazardous, flammable liquid, derailed on a Union Pacific train Sunday, prompting a partial evacuation, detouring traffic well into the night and stalling Amtrak train passengers.
Eugene police and Eugene Springfield Fire personnel were called about 5 p.m. to the Union Pacific tracks behind Zip-O Log Mills on North Garfield Street near its intersection with Roosevelt Boulevard in west Eugene.
They found a black tanker car on its side, with 10 empty centerbeam rail cars behind them, tilted at crazy angles to the left and to the right. One empty grain car and one full grain car also derailed.
The train had been headed around a curve behind the lumber business through the Union Pacific railyard when the cars left the track in what initially was reported as an injury derailment. The injury report quicky proved to be unfounded, Justin Jacobs, a spokesman for Union Pacific, said Sunday evening.
“The main line wasn’t affected, and there was no release (of any hazardous material),” he said.
But police kept traffic and residents well away from the vicinity far into the evening because of concerns about an unspecified flammable liquid in the tanker car. Police diverted traffic at Highway 99, Roosevelt Boulevard and Park Avenue.
“We want to make sure we don’t have a hazmat leak,” Battalion Chief Jeff Kronser of Eugene Springfield Fire said, explaining that was why no one was allowed near the derailed cars.
Jacobs said Union Pacific officials remained at the scene as of 8 p.m.. He said that the derailment was entirely within the railyard.
Eugene residents watched the derailment site from the Chambers Street overpass, some with more than casual interest.
Anita Hollingsworth of the Bethel neighborhood said police told her that she could not go home to her residence at Wood Avenue and Bethel Drive because of the overturned tanker, and she was getting anxious because her Great Dane needed diabetes medication. She said she and the dog often walked those same tracks. She indicated the jumble of empty yellow railcars and said she thought it was the tracks themselves that gave out.
“I see those tracks all the time, and they each have dates stamped on them,” she said. “Some date to the 1960s, but there are even some that are stamped 1945.”
Debbie Holte said she and her mother, Cheryl Thaut, were taking a walk while Holte’s daughter, Hannah, was at a dance class when they heard the train pass under the Chambers Street overpass around 5 p.m. — and then abruptly stop.
“We didn’t even hear anything,” Holte said. “So we were surprised” to see the derailment, which soon was followed by lights and sirens. As the afternoon light began to fade toward sunset, the flashing of emergency lights from about 10 emergency vehicles around the scene remained visible.
And it wasn’t only pedestrians and vehicles being kept from the scene.
Although the derailment wasn’t on the main rail line through Eugene, it nonetheless affected passenger train service, said Kimberly Woods, an Oakland-based spokeswoman for Amtrak. The passenger rail’s No. 11 Coast Starlight train had been stopped north of the site of the incident and remained that way as of 7:30 p.m. The train runs daily between Seattle and San Diego.
“Service will resume once authorities give us the clearance to proceed,” Woods said.
Jacobs said Union Pacific will not know what caused the dertailment until its investigation is completed.
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EUGENE, Ore – A train derailed in Eugene Sunday evening, causing traffic delays, but no injuries.
A 13-car Union Pacific train went off the tracks in the rail yard near Roosevelt Boulevard and N Garfield Street around 5 p.m.
Only one of the cars was carrying a hazardous chemical, propane.
Scott Bishop from Eugene Springfield Fire says this car was not damaged and does not appear to be leaking.
Hazmat surveyed the scene and will oversee the process along with Eugene Springfield Fire as crews upright the propane car Monday morning.
Bishop said crews will work overnight to upright the other cars and survey the damage.
One car carrying corn spilled in the rail yard. Union Pacific workers will also clean up the grain.
Some damage was done to the train tracks, but the extent is unknown until all the cars are removed from the tracks.
Bishop said he consulted Union Pacific Hazmat officials from Portland and Salt Lake City.
Officials say no one was injured.
Union Pacific, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, the Eugene Police Department, and Eugene Springfield Fire responded to the scene.
Engineers investigating soil and bedrock to determine why San Francisco Millennium Tower is sinking much more than designed
Engineers dig into the soil to find out why Millennium Tower is sinking on Monday, September 26, 2016 in San Francisco. (KGO-TV)
Monday, September 26, 2016 12:47PM
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Engineers are digging into the soil to find out why San Francisco's Millennium Tower is sinking.
The first of three holes will be bored into the bedrock and equipment will then be lowered into the holes to measure movement.
Engineers hope data will then show why the 58-story tower has sunk 16 inches and tilted two inches since it was completed in 2009.
Experts only expected it to settle four to six inches in all.
The data collected by the soil engineers could ultimately determine who's to blame and who could possibly be forced to pay millions to solve the problem.
Click here to read the subpoena formally filed by San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera.
Coast Guard, Oregon DEQ responding to sunken vessel in Goble, Ore.
Sep 26th, 2016
An oil spill responder from the National Response Cooperation puts boom in place around the motor vessel Earnest to mitigate environmental impact from the vessel sinking, Sept. 26, 2016. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Alisha Carr.
WARRENTON, Ore. — Coast Guard and Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality personnel are responding to the sunken 82-foot tug Earnest, on the Columbia River, which sank Sunday evening in Goble.
Incident Management Division Portland personnel from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and contracted Ballard Diving to address any oil or other sources of pollution on the vessel Monday morning.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received the report of the sunken vessel at 8:49 p.m., Sunday, via a report from the National Response Center.
The owner of the wooden-hulled vessel, Clay Jonak, reported only 100 gallons of residual diesel fuel was onboard the vessel when it sank. Oil spill containment boom was deployed around the area where the vessel sank. National Response Corporation personnel deployed boom around the vessel to minimize further environmental impact.
Divers from Ballard Diving removed a total of 300 gallons of oil product from five tanks on the sunken vessel, and containment boom will remain around the vessel overnight.
“The Coast Guard and several Oregon State agencies have been monitoring the Goble site for several years,” said Capt. David Berliner, deputy commander, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “The Coast Guard has used the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to conduct more than $200,000 worth of cleanup operations.”
Jonak owns several old tugs and barges in the Goble area, and has been attempting to scrap or salvage them.
No hazards to navigation or affected wildlife have been reported.
Eyewitness News
Monday, September 26, 2016 04:04PM
CYPRESS HILLS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- An NYPD officer has been indicted and is expected to be charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man during an apparent road rage incident in Brooklyn that was caught on surveillance camera.
Authorities say 37-year-old Wayne Isaacs, who was off duty at the time, is expected to be appear in Brooklyn Criminal Court Tuesday in connection with the July 4 incident, which happened on Atlantic Avenue in East New York.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is then expected to discuss the prosecution, his first as a special prosecutor in police interactions that lead to an unarmed civilian's death.
Schneiderman was appointed special prosecutor by Governor Andrew Cuomo last year to review cases where there is a question whether the civilian was armed and dangerous at the time of his or her death.
Schneiderman's office declined to comment ahead of the expected unsealing of the indictment.
The shooting of Delrawn Small was captured on video, showing Isaacs opening fire on Small from the driver's seat, just moments after the victim ran up to his car when it was stopped at a red light. The confrontation was apparently the culmination of an ongoing road rage dispute.
Construction Worker Injured After Accident in Grafton
An accident involving a front loader in Grafton reportedly caused injuries.
By Charlene Arsenault (Patch Staff) - September 25, 2016 8:00 pm ET
GRAFTON, MA—A front end loaded rolled down an embankment, causing reported injuries, in Grafton on Saturday morning.
At about 10:39 a.m., Grafton police received a request for an ambulance for someone who suffered injuries from a fall at a construction site near 75 Carroll Road.
Officer Tom Farrell was the first to arrive on scene and found that a front end loader had tipped sideways over a trench approximately five feet deep, said police. The operator of the loader, Patrick Kennedy (age 51), an employee of EarthWorks Site Development & Utilities, was injured and trapped in the cab.
Grafton Fire personnel arrived on scene and due to the instability of the trench, notified the MA Fire District 7 Technical Rescue Team to assist. Fire District 7 and Grafton Fire personnel shored the trench walls and at approximately 1:55 p.m., extricated Kennedy, who was conscious and alert.
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Kennedy was examined at the scene by MedStar Ambulance personnel and subsequently transported to UMass Medical Center for treatment.
Firefighters and paramedics free injured worker from hot tar truck in Toronto
Man in his 30s suffered critical injuries when hot tar spilled over him
By Ramna Shahzad, CBC News Posted: Sep 26, 2016 8:43 AM ET Last Updated: Sep 26, 2016 1:10 PM ET
The paramedics that treated a man who had hot tar spill over him say the burn injuries he has to his head and arms are serious. (CBC News)
A worker covered in hot tar suffered serious burns following an industrial accident in the Toronto area of Logan Avenue and Danforth Avenue, police say.
The hot tar spilled over the man just before 8 a.m. ET, according to Const. David Hopkinson.
The man, in his 30s, was in the back of the truck, and has since been removed from it by paramedics, as well as firefighters who cut the vehicle open. He was taken to the burn centre at Sunnybrook Hospital. Police describe his injuries as critical.
Police say the worker was wearing a protective suit, but the lower part of his body was immersed in the tar. When he was pulled out, the man was able to wave towards the nearby crowd.
Fire crews cut open the truck to remove the worker following a serious industrial accident in the Toronto area of Logan Avenue and Danforth Avenue. (Jean Carter/ CBC News)
"The tar truck was forced to make a hard stop. The tar in the back of the truck continued to flow forward, spilling onto his body," said fire department Capt. David Eckerman.
Paramedics working on treating the man said he has serious burns on his head and arms.
Firefighters estimated the tar to be as hot as 204 C. They said removing the worker was difficult because he was stuck inside the truck, encased in tar that started to solidify.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has been notified.
