Ice strom damage: properly trimming your tree after a storm can help save your tree.

CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS -- After last week's freezing rain, many trees have broken limbs and branches. But a local tree service says properly trimming your tree after a storm can help save your tree.

The Hull family planted their pine tree in 1979, but because of last Friday's freezing rain it's now being cut down.

"It was just too much weight and it broke two sides of the tree down and we knew that eventually it would fall, and maybe on the house with the height of the tree," Delta Hull said.

Aaron's Tree Service spent the day at the Hull's house taking care of their damaged trees.

Owner James Smith says there are certain trees, like pines, that tend to experience more damage during storms.

"They have the pine needles, have more surface area for the ice to attach to, which makes the limbs more heavy. Next is probably cedar, and what we have behind us here is a birch tree. They have a lot of small, little branches, so again, more surface area," Smith explains.

No matter what kind of tree it is, if it has damage it needs to be taken care of immediately so it doesn't further damage the tree and become an even bigger problem when the next storm comes around.

"We can come out and look and see if the tree is diseased or if there's a hollow spot or maybe a previous storm has damaged part of it, and those are the most prone to breaking or falling in a wind or ice storm," he said.

While Delta Hull now has a smaller amount of pine trees in her yard, she says make sure you plant trees that will stand the test of time.

"Plant trees that are going to outlive you," Hull said. "Otherwise, you'll be having to deal with this more often."

Take proper care to make sure they last.

"Nine times out of 10, if you get the person to trim it properly, most trees can come back from ice damage," Smith said.

Delta Hull's husband plans to use what's left of their pine tree to make an eagle's nest and perch in hopes of attracting an eagle to their property.

43 Self-storage units burglarized at J&M Self Storage on Oak Tree Road in Edison, New Jersey

Dozens of units burglarized at self storage facilities in New Jersey

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Authorities are investigating after dozens of storage units were burglarized at two facilities in New Jersey.

Police say the first incident happened between 5 p.m. on Jan. 10th and 9:45 a.m. on Jan. 11th at J&M Self Storage on Oak Tree Road in Edison.

Padlocks on 50 units in two buildings were cut, and the units were burglarized.

It is not yet clear exactly what was taken.

Police are looking at surveillance video. So far there are no suspects.

Also, police in South Brunswick say over 40 storage units were broken into Wednesday night:


"I'm slowly getting my things out to move to another location," said theft victim Amanda Kestyus.

It took her just one day to decide to make several trips to her public storage unit on Route 1 to haul all of her stored belongings away, after management there got in touch with her and told her the bad news.

"They said yours was one of the units broken into, seems nothing was stolen," she said. "South Brunswick is a good town, if something's getting broken into in broad daylight in this highway, I want out."

South Brunswick police say it was actually too easy for thieves to access the property Wednesday. They say the rolling front gate was broken, opening and closing on its own.

"The next morning someone came, saw the office broken into and damage," said South Brunswick Police Detective Dennis Yuhasz.

Edwin Millan, A former police officer in Cleveland, Tenn., found guilty of insurance fraud, tampering with evidence and making a false report

A former police officer in Cleveland, Tenn., is going to state prison for three years for helping a friend commit insurance fraud.

A Bradley County jury in October found Edwin Millan guilty of insurance fraud, tampering with evidence and making a false report, according to court records. Two other counts, official misconduct and conspiracy, were dismissed.

The indictment charged that Millan agreed to help Steven Wayne Crisp report a motorcycle stolen so Crisp could collect the insurance. Judge Andrew Freiberg could have sentenced Millan to up to six years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Millan faces separate charges related to the torching of his own car for insurance purposes in May 2015.

Newspaper archives show Millan's Chrysler 300 was dumped just over the state line in Murray County, Ga., and set afire. Investigators found a red gas can in the car. Millan reported the $25,000 car stolen, but after an investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, he was suspended and indicted in September 2015.

The arson charges are pending, the Bradley County Criminal Court Clerk's office said Wednesday.

Millan also faces charges of first-degree arson in Murray County. Officials there have said those charges will be handled last, after the Bradley County cases are finished.

NEW JERSEY IS FULL WITH CROOKED ITALIANS: A Hudson County couple and their son, an employee at a now-defunct Teterboro used car dealership, falsified a loan application to buy a $139,000 Bentley, then burned the car and reported it stolen to recoup insurance money

  Michael Ricciardi 
 
A Hudson County couple and their son, an employee at a now-defunct Teterboro used car dealership, falsified a loan application to buy a $139,000 Bentley, then burned the car and reported it stolen to recoup insurance money, the state Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.



A Wayne man who worked as a bookkeeper for the dealership, D.I.B. Leasing, was charged with conspiracy, accused of helping the couple with the application. The bookkeeper, Michael Ricciardi, 53, also was charged — along with the company’s owner and four former employees — in a separate 10-count indictment for allegedly falsifying applications to dupe banks into approving a total of $1.4 million in auto loans.


NJ Attorney General's Office
Patsy Galasso of Cliffside Park; Lisa Ghobrial of Ridgefield


NJ Attorney Generals Office
Clockwise from top left: Chester Jarzabek, Anna Jarzabek, Hector Marquez and John Jarzabek.ricc

Chester Jarzabek, 63, of Harrison, his wife, Anna, 61, and their son John, 26, were charged with conspiracy, insurance fraud, theft by deception and other offenses. Authorities said that John Jarzabek, who worked as a salesman at D.I.B., and his parents conspired with Hector Marquez, the dealership’s general manager, to fraudulently obtain a loan from TD Bank for just over $112,000 to finance the purchase of a used 2008 Bentley Continental GTC convertible for $139,000.

The four provided fake documents to inflate their income in a bid to obtain the loan, authorities said. Ricciardi, who authorities said was not a D.I.B. employee, is accused of fabricating pay stubs for the Jarzabeks.

A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said the Bentley was burned in the Bronx on Aug. 4, 2013, at approximately 1 a.m. John Jarzabek and Hector Marquez reported the car stolen to the Moonachie police the next day according to the indictment. John Jarzabek filed a claim with the Plymouth Insurance Co. later that week, and special investigators for the insurance company met or spoke by phone with Marquez and all three Jarzabeks over the course of the following weeks, the indictment says.

The insurance company notified authorities because the insurance claim looked “suspicious,” according to the Attorney General’s Office spokesman.

“These defendants are accused of pulling out all the stops to line their own pockets,” John J. Hoffman, the acting state attorney general, said in a statement. “It is especially distasteful that the alleged criminal behavior was a family affair. This kind of blatant fraud against banks and insurance companies will be prosecuted vigorously.”

Anna Jarzabek declined to comment when reached by phone on Wednesday and referred questions to her attorney, John Lynch of Union City. Lynch said he had not seen the indictment and could not comment.

In a brief telephone interview, Ricciardi said Wednesday he had “no knowledge” of Jarzabeks. He said that he had not been notified of any indictments, but denied the allegations.

D.I.B.’s owner, Patsy Galasso, 75, of Cliffside Park, was not implicated in the alleged scheme involving the Bentley, but he was accused along with Ricciardi, Marquez and three other former employees of conspiring to fraudulently obtain $1.4 million in car loans.

Authorities said that Galasso, Ricciardi and Marquez worked with the dealership’s title manager, Lisa Ghobrial, 43, of Ridgefield; its finance manager, Paul Russo, 40,of Scotch Plains; and another employee, Jennifer Perez, 30, of Union City, to submit phony pay stubs and other documents to a number of financial institutions between August 2012 and February 2015.

Four of the resulting loans were taken out in the names of D.I.B. customers who had submitted personal information when they applied for financing through the dealership but ultimately did not buy cars there, authorities said. In one case, however, a loan application was submitted in the name of a victim who had never been to D.I.B. or applied for financing there, authorities said.

“None of the victims had any idea car loans were taken out in their name until they began receiving bank notices that they were behind on payment for vehicles they didn’t own,” Christopher Iu, the state’s acting insurance fraud prosecutor, said in a statement. “This was a brazen scheme that defrauded consumers and banks alike.”

Galasso declined to comment when reached by phone on Wednesday. An attorney for him could not be located.

Galasso, Ricciardi, Marquez, Ghobrial, and Perez were indicted on first-degree charges of conspiracy, financial facilitation of a criminal activity and trafficking in personal identifying information pertaining to another person in connection with the fraudulent loans, authorities said. Russo was previously charged with financial facilitation and misconduct by a corporate official in connection with the alleged scheme.

In addition, Galasso, Marquez, Ghobrial and Ricciardi also were charged with second-degree identity theft and 62 counts of theft by deception — two in the second degree and 60 in the third.

The Jarzabeks and Marquez were charged with second-degree conspiracy and insurance fraud, and two counts each of third-degree theft by deception, in connection with the alleged scheme involving the Bentley. Along with Ricciardi, they were indicted on two counts of third-degree theft by deception, authorities said.

Ricciardi also was charged with conspiracy in connection with the alleged scheme.

Marquez and John Jarzabek are in custody; the other defendants will be “issued summonses based on the indictments,” according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Second degree crimes typically carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, according to the Attorney General’s office.

==============================





A Hudson County man was sentenced to four years in prison in an insurance fraud case, authorities said.

John Jarzabek, 27, of Harrison, was sentenced in Bergen County Superior Court in keeping with the plea agreement reached when he pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud last August, Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in a news release.

Jarzabek and his parents, Chester Jarzabek, 64, and Anna Jarzabek, 62, were accused of conspiracy, insurance fraud, and other offenses for allegedly falsifying a car loan application to buy the used luxury vehicle, Porrino said.

John Jarzabek was also accused of playing a part in a scheme to falsify an insurance claim on the used $139,000 Bentley he purchased with his parents and reported stolen after it was set on fire. By pleading guilty, he admitted to misrepresenting to an insurance company that the car had been stolen when it was not, Porrino said.

Jarzabek and his parents purchased the Bentley from D.I.B. Leasing in Teterboro, a now-defunct dealership where Jarzabek worked, authorities said. A fourth member of the conspiracy, Michael Ricciardi, 53, of Wayne, was a bookkeeper for the dealership. He pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy for his part in the loan scheme. He was sentenced to four years of probation last month.

The general manager of the dealership, Hector Marquez, 44, of Monroe, pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud for his part in loan scheme. The state has agreed to recommend a seven-year prison term when he is sentenced on Jan. 20.

In March 2016, authorities said that Jarzabek, who worked as a salesman at D.I.B., and his parents had conspired with Marquez, the dealership’s general manager, to fraudulently obtain a loan from TD Bank for just over $112,000 to finance the purchase of a used 2008 Bentley Continental GTC convertible for $139,000. They then provided fake documents to inflate their income in a bid to obtain the loan, authorities said.

A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said that the Bentley was burned in the Bronx on Aug. 4, 2013, at approximately 1 a.m. Jarzabek and Marquez reported the car stolen to the Moonachie police the next day, according to the indictment. Jarzabek filed a claim with the Plymouth Insurance Co. later that week, and special investigators for the insurance company met or spoke by phone with Marquez and all three Jarzabeks over the course of the following weeks, the indictment says.

The insurance company notified authorities because the insurance claim looked “suspicious,” according to the spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

Chester Jarzabek was admitted into the Pre-Trial Intervention program in September and charges against Anna Jarzabek are pending.

John Jarzabek, 27, of Harrison, New Jersey was sentenced in Bergen County Superior Court to four years in prison in an insurance fraud where he set a Bentley on fire and reported it stolen

A Hudson County man was sentenced to four years in prison in an insurance fraud case, authorities said.

John Jarzabek, 27, of Harrison, was sentenced in Bergen County Superior Court in keeping with the plea agreement reached when he pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud last August, Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in a news release.

Jarzabek and his parents, Chester Jarzabek, 64, and Anna Jarzabek, 62, were accused of conspiracy, insurance fraud, and other offenses for allegedly falsifying a car loan application to buy the used luxury vehicle, Porrino said.

John Jarzabek was also accused of playing a part in a scheme to falsify an insurance claim on the used $139,000 Bentley he purchased with his parents and reported stolen after it was set on fire.  By pleading guilty, he admitted to misrepresenting to an insurance company that the car had been stolen when it was not, Porrino said.

Jarzabek and his parents purchased the Bentley from D.I.B. Leasing in Teterboro, a now-defunct dealership where Jarzabek worked, authorities said. A fourth member of the conspiracy, Michael Ricciardi, 53, of Wayne, was a bookkeeper for the dealership. He pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy for his part in the loan scheme. He was sentenced to four years of probation last month.

The general manager of the dealership, Hector Marquez, 44, of Monroe, pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud for his part in loan scheme. The state has agreed to recommend a seven-year prison term when he is sentenced on Jan. 20.

In March 2016, authorities said that Jarzabek, who worked as a salesman at D.I.B., and his parents had conspired with Marquez, the dealership’s general manager, to fraudulently obtain a loan from TD Bank for just over $112,000 to finance the purchase of a used 2008 Bentley Continental GTC convertible for $139,000. They then provided fake documents to inflate their income in a bid to obtain the loan, authorities said.

A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said that the Bentley was burned in the Bronx on Aug. 4, 2013, at approximately 1 a.m. Jarzabek and Marquez reported the car stolen to the Moonachie police the next day, according to the indictment. Jarzabek filed a claim with the Plymouth Insurance Co. later that week, and special investigators for the insurance company met or spoke by phone with Marquez and all three Jarzabeks over the course of the following weeks, the indictment says.

The insurance company notified authorities because the insurance claim looked “suspicious,” according to the spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

Chester Jarzabek was admitted into the Pre-Trial Intervention program in September and charges against Anna Jarzabek are pending.

Amtrak retaliated against a supervisory special agent in its inspector general's office when he raised concerns about railroad safety, fraud and abuse involving an Amtrak contractor

January 18, 2017 BOS 2017-012

OSHA orders Amtrak to reinstate, pay $892K to employee
discharged in violation of Federal Railroad Safety Act

BOSTON - The National Railroad Passenger Corp., better known as Amtrak, retaliated against a supervisory special agent in its inspector general's office when he raised concerns about railroad safety, fraud and abuse involving an Amtrak contractor and when he supported a fellow agent's safety concerns during an internal investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

In early to mid-2010, the agent was investigating an Amtrak contractor that had been convicted in a New York state court for fraud in examining and testing concrete at building projects in the New York City area. This Amtrak contractor had performed testing on certain Amtrak tunnel projects. Strongly believing it was necessary for safety and security reasons, the agent raised safety concerns regarding work performed by this contractor on Amtrak projects.

Then, in October 2010, the agent gave Amtrak's Dispute Resolution Office information and provided support for a fellow employee who had received a letter of reprimand after he raised safety concerns in a separate matter. The following month, the agent received his first-ever negative performance review. In March 2011, Amtrak notified him that - as a part of an overall reorganization - his position was being eliminated. In the course of the next few months, the agent applied for other positions, but was told that he lacked the required law enforcement training, despite a 40-year law enforcement career that included equivalent training. In June 2011, Amtrak notified the agent that he would be terminated due to his not being placed in a new position.

The terminated agent later filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA. After concluding its investigation, the agency determined that the complainant engaged in protected Federal Railroad Safety Act activities when he raised concerns about safety issues related to work conducted by the Amtrak contractor and when he expressed his support of his fellow agent's safety complaints. OSHA also found these protected activities contributed as factors in his termination by Amtrak.

"In this case, an employee was terminated for pursuing and reporting safety concerns. The employer's retaliation is unacceptable and illegal. Federal law gives rail carrier employees the right to raise safety, health and security concerns with their supervisors without fear of retaliation. When retaliation occurs, it can have a chilling effect on employees and create a climate of silence where employees' fear to speak up masks conditions that could impact their health and well-being, and that of their customers," said Jeffrey Erskine, OSHA's acting New England regional administrator.

OSHA has issued a notice of findings to Amtrak ordering it to take the following corrective actions:

• Reinstate the employee to his former or a similar position with all rights, seniority and benefits he would have received had he not been discharged.
• Pay him a total of $892,551, which is comprised of $723,332 in back wages plus $34,218 in interest; $100,000 in punitive damages; $35,000 in compensatory damages; plus reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
• Expunge from Amtrak's records all references related to his discharge and exercise of his FRSA rights; make no adverse statements concerning his employment at Amtrak; and not retaliate or discriminate against him in any manner.

Post a notice to all railroad employees about their FRSA rights.

The employee and Amtrak each have 30 days from receipt of OSHA's findings to file objections and request a hearing before the Labor Department's Office of Administrative Law Judges.

OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the FRSA and 21 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health care reform, nuclear, pipeline, worker safety, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime and securities laws.

Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who raise various protected concerns or provide protected information to the employer or to the government. Employees who believe that they have been retaliated against for engaging in protected conduct may file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor to request an investigation by OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program. Detailed information on employee whistleblower rights, including fact sheets, is available at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

# # #

INSURANCE FRAUD: FORMER PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER RONALD A. LUCAS LIED DURING HIS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT HE INJURED HIS LEFT SHOULDER DURING A FALL AT A WAYNE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY PROPERTY. HE IN FACT HAD PRIOR INJURIES BY PLAYING FOOTBALL FOR MANY YEARS AND LIFTING WEIGHTS

FORMER PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER RONALD A. LUCAS LIED DURING HIS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT HE INJURED HIS LEFT SHOULDER DURING A FALL AT A WAYNE TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY PROPERTY.  HE IN FACT HAD PRIOR INJURIES BY PLAYING FOOTBALL FOR MANY YEARS AND LIFTING WEIGHTS

As part of an investigation we have been performing, we discovered that Ronald A. Lucas, a former Passaic County sheriff officer with the Civil Division lied about his on-the-job shoulder injury.  Lucas claimed that he fell on the job on June 28, 2011 at 687 Indian Road, Wayne, NJ and that he injured his left shoulder requiring several pins.    This bravest of the braves (a very well-known bully) also claimed that he suffered from PTSD!

He then filed a disability claim with the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits (Police and Firemen Retirement System).  He was granted disability for one year with subsequent review.  After he retired with claimed disability and, he obtained a job as part-time security guard at the Pequannock High School.

We discovered that Mr. Lucas suffered shoulder injuries while playing football and lifting heavy weights over his lifetime.  He was a linebacker with the Pompton Lakes Cardinals, using his shoulder to hit and tackle his opponents during practice and during football games.  We are attaching a picture showing that he was #41 in the Cardinal’s Pompton Lake football team.  

 Lucas has fallen on his shoulder probably thousand times during his athletic and training career.

Everybody knows that linebackers hit and tackle their opponents using their shoulders.  These athletes also lift heavy weights and they end-up injuries their shoulders.   He even made the All County Team in 1980, showing how hard he was working out.  Based on our investigation, we found that weight lifting athletes do suffer shoulder injuries of the type claimed by Lucas.

He also trained his two sons (Dean Lucas and Ronnie Lucas) into playing TE and DE positions also with the Cardinals football team.  In fact, linebackers suffer at least 13.5 percent of all football injuries and at least 65 percent of the linebackers end up undergoing surgery.

We have obtained photos showing Mr. Lucas lifting weights, after his alleged job-ending disability.  See for example the attached image that is dated December 2013.

It is obvious to a reasonable and objective person that Lucas (in his mid-50s) took this incident on June 28, 2011 to claim on-the job-injury to be able to repair his previously injured shoulder at taxpayers’ expense and to retire and then blame Basilis Stephanatos for his injuries.  After he retired, he started the double dipping.  The finest of New Jersey at "work".  But he was caught and he will face the consequences.  He has been reported to the Fraud Division of the New Jersey Attorney General's Office and the Passaic County Fraud Hotline.

ANOTHER MASSIVE JERSEY CITY WATER MAIN BREAK: Suez North America said that repairs are underway at Grand Street and Marin Boulevard

Crews repairing water main break in Downtown Jersey City
   January 19, 2017 at 10:34 AM




The water company that services Jersey City is currently repairing a water main break in a Downtown neighborhood.

Suez North America said on Twitter at around 9:30 a.m. that repairs are underway at Grand Street and Marin Boulevard and that customers should begin to see an increase in water pressure.

A spokeswoman for Suez did not immediately return a message seeking more information on the repairs.

Crews are currently digging to repair the main on Grand Street & Marin Blvd. Pressure should continue to rise throughout the morning.


Crews are currently digging to repair the main on Grand Street & Marin Blvd. Pressure should continue to rise throughout the morning. pic.twitter.com/GaMbWYlwyx -- SUEZ Water NJ (@SUEZwaterNJ) January 19, 2017



Meanwhile, CBS New York is reporting that Suez is also repairing a smaller water main break near the Jersey City Fire Department headquarters on Marin Boulevard.

TOO MUCH WATER IN CALIFORNIA! After Ten Years, The Sacramento Weir LET dangerously high water spill over its top to prevent flooding of the City of Sacramento

California Floods Its Fields to Keep Its Cities From Flooding




Water from the Sacramento River and Sutter Bypass travels over the Fremont Weir, the beginning of the Yolo Bypass, as it heads toward Sacramento.  Randy Pench/The Sacramento Bee/ZUMA Press

To see how close California is to being drowned by its recent winter storms, just look to the small crowd of spectators and TV newscasters gathered yesterday on the northwest side of the state capital hoping to watch state water managers open the gates of the Sacramento Weir. The weir, something between a dam and a levee, lets dangerously high water spill over its top into a long, narrow, floodplain filled with rice paddies, grain fields, and other row crops.

Californians pay attention to the weir for three reasons. One: People here are obsessed with water. Two: The thing hasn’t been opened in a decade. Three: Opening the 100-year old piece of infrastructure is a spectacle, requiring a person wielding a long, hooked pole to manually unlatch each of its 48 wooden floodgates. The crowd slept through that spectacle; state workers opened the weir in the dark, early this morning. They can still catch the sight of water thundering over the weir and into the Yolo Bypass, flooding the plain to protect the city of Sacramento.


 

From 1850 on, Sacramento has flooded numerous times. This was why, in 1916, the city built the Sacramento Weir to protect itself. In the following decades, the state added five more upstream weirs, and several additional spillways. Besides the Sacramento Weir, all of these are automatic failsafes: If the river reaches a certain height, it spills over a weir into the adjoining bypass.

But because the Sacramento Weir’s gates must be manually opened, they must be manually closed, too. And that cannot be done until the water recedes below the weir gate levels. “Once you open them, you’re making a decision that you’re going to stick with,” says Michael Anderson, state climatologist for the California Department of Water Resources. And when that decision happens, Yolo Bypass becomes an inland sea. Birds flock in, and fish swim below.

The state doesn’t make that choice lightly. Before it deploys its hook-wielder to unlatch the gates, it has to meet specific protocols set by the Army Corps of Engineers. First, about three and a half miles downstream from the weir—less than a mile upstream from downtown Sacramento—a gauge reports the river’s depth. To proceed, it must read that the river has risen past 30 feet.

On top of that, a quorum of meteorologists and water managers must report that the river will keep rising. This forecast is not so simple. It involves calculating outflows from the Sacramento River’s major tributaries—some dammed, some with major reservoirs, some that run wild.

“Let’s start with the American River, which has Folsom Lake,” says Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources. “In the last 24 hours, Folsom gained over 60,000 acre feet.” (An acre foot of water would cover an acre in one foot of water.) This water, which, during the height of the storm came in at over 140,000 cubic feet per second, pushed the dam past its winter storage limit—meaning it must drain some of that water to make room for more, in case there’s another big storm coming (which there is).
 
The lake’s managers can’t drain it without first getting the go-ahead from the Department of Water Resources, which gets reports from the managers of every other river and reservoir, including Lakes Shasta and Oroville—two monster basins now preparing to shunt off this winter’s storm water. Each reservoir’s managers measure water levels, inflow, precipitation, and snow melt rates before calculating who gets to flush their excess down the shared drainpipe: the Sacramento River.

A few factors confound those equations. First, the reservoirs don’t want to give up too much water—this is, after all, California. Also, a bunch of dam-less rivers and creeks flow into the Sacramento. “Each of these can kick out between 30 and 50 cubic feet per second,” says Anderson. So the state has hydrologists who measure all the rain falling and snow melting into those. Once all the data is in, the Department of Water Resources confers with the National Weather Service’s California Nevada River Forecast Center to figure out if the water level at Sacramento’s I Street gauge is still rising.

All of these checks and balances are in place because California’s tendency to flood is almost as notorious as its habit of running dry. “Turns out, we have the most variable climate in nation for water,” says Marty Ralph, research meteorologist and director of the Scripps Institution’s Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes. “Year to year, we vary by 40 or even 50 percent from average.” Most eastern states only fluctuate by 10 percent either way.

California doesn’t get a lot of credit for how well it manages water. Even during the worst of the drought—still technically happening, by the way—the state still delivered water to nearly all its residents. Some disasters can’t be avoided. But, in the midst of a historic barrage of storms, the bureaucrats and engineers are keeping the state’s largest river system from flooding the capital.

THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR BLESSINGS: After many years waiting for the liquid gold, Mother Nature floods California with storm after storm with no end in sight

When it rains, it pours.  1st of 3 storms soaks Southern California, bringing heavy rain, snow.  At least fifty percent of California is out of drought warning!  Bless the Lord.


One of three storm systems is moving through the Southland, with the possibility of bringing up to 2 inches of rain Thursday. (KABC)



Following on its heels is another, colder storm moving in Friday, then a heavier drenching is expected Sunday and Monday that could bring several more inches of rain and flooding in burn areas.

Los Angeles and Orange counties should see about an inch of rain Thursday, with a high temperature of 61 degrees.

The valleys and Inland Empire will see heavier rainfall, with up to 2 inches. There will be a high temperature of 59 degrees.

A cold weather alert has been issued for the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles County mountain areas. The alert expires Tuesday for the Antelope Valley, while the mountains one expires Friday.

Beaches will also see rain, with 3-6 foot surf and a high temperature of 60 degrees.

Ocean and bay water advisories have been issued for the possibility of elevated bacteria in the water connected to storm and urban runoff.

Mountains could see about 5-10 inches of snowfall at the 6,000-foot elevation, with thunder and a high temperature of only 34 degrees. More snow is expected on Friday, with a mix of rain and snow through the weekend.

By the time the series of storms finishes, the mountains could see a total of two feet or more of snow at higher elevations.

Anyone traveling to the mountains should make sure they have chains on their vehicles.

Deserts will see rain and wind with a high temperature of 52 degrees.



7-Day Forecasts
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Bay Fabrication, a Green Bay manufacturer, faces more than $219K in proposed penalties after two workers suffer severe injuries within 10 days

Green Bay manufacturer faces more than $219K in proposed penalties after two workers suffer severe injuries within 10 days
Machinery was returned to service before providing effective safety guards


GREEN BAY, Wis. – In less than 10 days in 2016, two employees at a Green Bay muffler component manufacturer suffered severe injuries as they operated machinery without adequate safety guards and procedures in place, federal workplace safety investigators have determined.

On Jan. 18, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued one willful, one repeated, one other-than-serious violation and two serious violations to Bay Fabrication. The company, part of the Bay Family of Companies with 75 locations in the U.S., faces $219,242 in proposed penalties.

Investigators determined a worker had his left hand crushed on July 21, 2016, by a molding machine, when the tamp head smashed his hand as he removed a mold from the machine. OSHA found the machine’s safety interlock on the door guarding the operating parts was damaged and not functional properly which disabled the safety guard and led to the injury.

On July 30, 2016, another worker suffered the partial amputation of his left middle finger­. In this instance, investigators found the molding machine cycled and caught his finger in an unguarded pinch point. They determined the machine was not locked out as required.

“The fact that two workers suffered debilitating injuries is tragic. The reality is that the company failed to re-evaluate its machine safety procedures and continued to expose other workers to the same hazards even after these injuries,” said Robert Bonack, OSHA’s area director in Appleton. “Adequate and properly installed machine safety guards and lockout/tag out procedures must be in place to prevent workers from coming in contact with operating parts.”

OSHA also found the company:

• Failed to guard operating parts on various machines in the facility.
• Improperly installed safety guards on machines that created a hazard for employees.
• Failed to record work related injury on the illness and injury logs.

View current citations here.

Based in Green Bay, the Bay Family of Companies operates 40 corporations that produce a variety of insulation products used in the industrial and automotive industries. The employer has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Appleton Area Office at 920-734-4521.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
OSHA News Release:
01/18/2017

SanCasT Inc. faces $235K in proposed penalties after follow-up inspection finds workers remain exposed to machine, fall hazards

OSHA cites Ohio railroad parts manufacturer after follow-up inspection finds workers remain exposed to machine, fall hazards
SanCasT faces $235K in proposed penalties


COSHOCTON, Ohio – A follow-up inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found a casting and foundry facility operator continues to expose workers to machine and fall hazards at its Coshocton plant.

On Jan. 17, 2017, the agency issued SanCasT Inc. three repeated, and four serious safety violations carrying proposed penalties of $235,879. The agency cited the company for similar violations in both 2013 and 2014.

“Companies cited repeatedly for the same safety violations demonstrate a lack of concern for employee safety,” said Larry Johnson, OSHA’s area director in Columbus. “Manufacturing facilities need to take a hard look at machinery operations, guarding and safety training to protect employees from injuries on the job.”

In its inspection, OSHA found the company:

• Failed to develop and implement adequate lockout/tag out procedures and periodically inspect such procedures.
• Exposed workers to live electrical contacts.
• Did not install machine guards.
• Exposed workers to fall hazards because guardrails lacked a top rail and floor holes were not covered.

View current citation here.

Based in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, SanCasT is a subsidiary of Wabtec which manufactures parts and equipment for locomotives, freight cars and passenger transit vehicles.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Columbus Area Office at 614-469-5582.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
OSHA News Release:
01/18/2017

Two affiliated subsidiaries of Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. to perform a $600 million cleanup of 94 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, EPA AND THE NAVAJO NATION ANNOUNCE SETTLEMENT FOR CLEANUP OF 94 ABANDONED URANIUM MINES ON THE NAVAJO NATION
01/17/2017
Contact Information:
Margot Perez-Sullivan (perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov)
415-947-4149

SAN FRANCISCO– The United States and the Navajo Nation have entered into a settlement agreement with two affiliated subsidiaries of Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., for the cleanup of 94 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation. Under the settlement, valued at over $600 million, Cyprus Amax Minerals Company and Western Nuclear, Inc., will perform the work and the United States will contribute approximately half of the costs. The settlement terms are outlined in a proposed consent decree filed today in federal court in Phoenix, Arizona. With this settlement, funds are now committed to begin the cleanup process at over 200 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation.

The work to be conducted is subject to oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency.

“This remarkable settlement will result in significant environmental restoration on Navajo lands and will help build a healthier future for the Navajo people,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We appreciate the extraordinary commitment by Freeport’s affiliated subsidiaries to clean up 94 mines, and to achieve this settlement without litigation. The Justice Department is always ready to work cooperatively with the Navajo Nation and responsible private parties to address the legacy of uranium mining on Navajo lands.”

“This historic settlement will clean up almost twenty percent of the abandoned mines on the Navajo Nation,” said Acting Regional Administrator, Alexis Strauss for the EPA Pacific Southwest. “Cleaning up the uranium contamination continues to be a top environmental priority for our Regional office.”

The Navajo Nation encompasses more than 27,000 square miles within Utah, New Mexico and Arizona in the Four Corners area. The unique geology of the region makes the Navajo Nation rich in uranium, a radioactive ore in high demand after the development of atomic power and weapons at the close of World War II. Many private entities, including Cyprus Amax (a successor-in-interest to Vanadium Corporation of America and Climax Uranium Company) and Western Nuclear, mined approximately thirty million tons of uranium ore on or near the Navajo Nation between 1944 and 1986. The federal government, through the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), was the sole purchaser of uranium until 1966, when commercial sales of uranium began. The AEC continued to purchase ore until 1970. The last uranium mine on the Navajo Nation shut down in 1986.

Many Navajo people worked in and near the mines, often living and raising families in close proximity to the mines and mills where ore was processed. Since 2008, federal agencies—including EPA, the Department of Energy, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of the Interior, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Indian Health Service—have collaborated to address uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation. The federal government has invested more than $130 million to address the legacy of abandoned uranium mines on Navajo lands. EPA has also compiled a list of 46 “priority mines” for cleanup and performed stabilization or cleanup work at 9 of those mines. Further, EPA’s cleanup efforts have generated over 100 jobs for Navajo citizens and work for several Navajo owned businesses. The settlement announced today includes 10 priority mines and is expected to create many jobs for Navajo workers.

This settlement agreement resolves the claims of the United States on behalf of EPA against Cyprus Amax and Western Nuclear; of the Navajo Nation against the United States, and against Cyprus Amax and Western Nuclear; and of Cyprus Amax and Western Nuclear against the United States. Cyprus Amax and Western Nuclear agree to perform removal site evaluations, engineering evaluations and cost analyses, and cleanups at the 94 mines. In return for that commitment, the United States, on behalf of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy, agrees to place $335 million into a trust account to help fund the cleanup.

In April 2014, the Justice Department and EPA announced in a separate matter that approximately $985 million of a multi-billion dollar settlement of litigation against subsidiaries of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. will be paid to EPA to fund the clean-up of approximately 50 abandoned uranium mines in and around the Navajo Nation, where radioactive waste remains from Kerr-McGee mining operations. EPA commenced field work with the proceeds from this settlement last year. In addition, the United States previously entered into two settlement agreements with the Navajo Nation to fund cleanups at 16 priority mines and investigations at an additional 30 mines for which no viable responsible private party has been identified.

The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. Information about submitting a public comment is available at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees

Bandit Industries, Inc., to Pay $3 Million in Penalties to Settle Alleged Clean Air Act Violations for Manufacturing and Selling Wood Processing Equipment That Failed to Meet Emissions Standards

Bandit Industries, Inc., Settles Alleged Clean Air Act Violations for Manufacturing and Selling Wood Processing Equipment That Failed to Meet Emissions Standards
01/18/2017
Contact Information:
Tricia Lynn (lynn.tricia@epa.gov)
(202) 564-2615

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with Bandit Industries, Inc., for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act for selling non-road diesel engines and equipment used to process wood and waste that do not meet federal standards. Bandit, based in Remus, Michigan, will pay a $3 million civil penalty.

Bandit is a manufacturer of self-powered, industrial-strength wood and waste processing equipment, such as wood chippers. The complaint alleges that Bandit sold non-road diesel-fueled engines and equipment that were neither covered by the certificates of conformity required by the Clean Air Act, nor exempt from that certification requirement under the requirements of the Transition Program for Equipment Manufacturers (TPEM). Additionally, as alleged, Bandit built and sold equipment with engines using older emission standards in exceedance of normal inventory restrictions, commonly referred to as “stockpiling.”

To meet current diesel-fuel emissions standards, equipment manufacturers generally modify their equipment designs to accommodate engines with additional and improved emissions control devices. In the TPEM program, EPA adopted transition provisions for equipment manufacturers to provide flexibility to selectively delay compliance with current emissions standards for up to seven years. The complaint alleges that Bandit did not transition to the current emissions standards in time, and sold equipment with older noncompliant engines, creating a competitive advantage over manufacturers offering compliant products.


Use of equipment that does not meet current more stringent emissions standards increases emissions of particulate matter, among other pollutants. Particulate matter has been linked to a range of serious respiratory health problems that include premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravated asthma, acute respiratory symptoms including aggravated coughing and difficult or painful breathing, chronic bronchitis and decreased lung function that can be experienced as shortness of breath. Symptoms of immunological effects such as wheezing and increased allergenicity have also been observed. In addition, EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee has concluded that diesel exhaust is likely to be carcinogenic to humans.

A stipulation of judgment and a complaint will be simultaneously filed in the Western District of Michigan. Since there is no injunctive relief in the stipulation, there is no public comment period.

For more information on this settlement: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/bandit-industries-inc-clean-air-act-settlement

Tauber Oil Company will pay a $700,000 civil penalty and settle Allegations of selling unregistered fuel additive in violation of clean air act

01/18/2017
Contact Information:
Tricia Lynn (lynn.tricia@epa.gov)
(202) 564-2615

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with Tauber Oil Company, resolving alleged Clean Air Act violations stemming from the company's sale of a fuel additive that was not registered with the EPA. Tauber stopped selling the unregistered fuel additive and will pay a $700,000 civil penalty.

The settlement resolves claims that Tauber produced a fuel additive called Mixed Alcohol by blending together various alcohol streams, then sold approximately 1.9 million gallons of Mixed Alcohol without first registering it as a fuel additive with the EPA or meeting the Clean Air Act requirement that fuel and fuel additives are substantially similar to what was used in the certification of motor vehicles. Tauber is a manufacturer and marketer of petroleum and petrochemical products based in Houston, Texas.

The Clean Air Act establishes fuel quality and emissions standards, including requirements relating to the registration and sale of fuel additives, to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles, like passenger cars. These requirements provide EPA with information on fuel additive composition to prevent potential increases in harmful pollutants that may result either directly from the combustion of additive-containing fuel or indirectly due to the degradation of vehicle emission control systems that additive-containing fuel can cause.

The Clean Air Act requires that a fuel additive manufacturer must register the fuel additive with the EPA before selling, offering for sale, or introducing the additive into commerce. Also, the Clean Air Act makes it unlawful for fuel additive manufacturers to first introduce into commerce, or to increase the concentration in use of, any fuel or fuel additive in motor vehicles that is not substantially similar to any fuel or fuel additive utilized in engine certification.

The stipulation of settlement and order, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, will undergo a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. Information about submitting a public comment is available at: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees

For more information on this settlement: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/tauber-oil-company-clean-air-act-settlement

The Standard

The Tauber Companies aim to exceed customer expectations on a daily basis by providing superior customer service, honest relationships, and competitively priced products that exceed our customer’s requirements. At the Tauber Companies, we value creativity, respect diversity, and continually look for ways to expand our footprint into the future.

The Tauber Companies

• 55 Waugh Drive
• Suite 700
• Houston, Texas 77007
• (713) 869-8700 Office
• (713) 869-8069 Fax

A fast moving fire damaged three townhouses in New Castle, Delaware.

A fast moving fire damaged three townhouses in New Castle, Delaware.

Updated 32 mins ago
NEW CASTLE, Del. (WPVI) -- A fast moving fire damaged three townhouses in New Castle, Delaware.

The fire started around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday on the unit block of Fresconi Court.

Flames started outside one of the homes and then spread to the interior.








January 19, 2017 - A fast moving fire damaged three townhouses in New Castle, Delaware.
Officials say the fire then spread through the roof and extended to two neighboring homes.

Everyone was evacuated from the houses. So far, there are no reports of injuries.

The fire marshal is working to determine the cause of the blaze.

Floodwaters wreak havoc on Houston roadways after some metro areas received more than five inches of rain

Thursday, January 19, 2017 03:13AM
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Emergency crews made dozens of high-water rescues as thunderstorms flooded streets in the Houston area on Wednesday morning.

Flash flood warnings were in effect for much of the Houston region, where torrential rains prompted officials to close some schools and delay opening of many others on Wednesday.

PHOTOS: Floodwaters wreak havoc on Houston roadways














If you're viewing on our ABC13 news app, tap on the photo above to see more images.

Public transportation was delayed or suspended for several hours in the area. Click here for a full list of closings and delays.




Flood waters swallowed Highway 288 during the morning rush hour on Thursday.

State Highway 288 was hit particularly hard, and some motorists were stranded for up to five hours as they waited for floodwaters to recede.

VIDEO: Traffic lets up on SH-288




By late afternoon, traffic on SH 288 had let up significantly following. Some motorists were stranded on the roadway for five hours as they waited for floodwaters to recede.

In southwest Houston, a good Samaritan jumped into action and rescued a driver and two passengers of a METRO bus and two other drivers stuck in rising water.

Exclusive video shows Carlos Castellanos walking through high water approaching the METRO bus. The bus driver starts to climb through the driver's side of the window as Castellanos tries to help her out.




METRO bus driver rescued by good Samaritan

Forecasters say some metro areas received more than five inches of rain overnight. Rainfall earlier in the week left the ground saturated and created prime conditions for street flooding.

Houston fire officials say they've received more than 65 calls for high-water rescues, primarily from motorists stranded along flooded roadways.

Emergency management officials in the city of 2.2 million residents asked people to avoid travel on Wednesday.

VIDEO: Floodwaters cover I-45 northbound at N. Main




Street flooding on I-45 NB at N. Main.

Heavy rain and lightning also hit in the region extending from San Antonio to Austin, while North Texas was experiencing scattered showers.