The Loomis employee killed in a brazen robbery of a Loomis armed vehicle in New Orleans has been identified as Jame McBride, 33-years old. $50,000 reward offered in tips leading to the capture of the murderer

Dead armored truck employee identified



Friday, June 2nd 2017, 11:14 am EDT



Written by: Chris Finch, Digital Content Director


The man killed in a brazen robbery of an armed vehicle has been identified as Jame McBride. New Orleans police responded to the scene, Tuesday afternoon, at a bank in the 400 block of South Galvez Street.

He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

New Orleans Police Chief Michael Harrison said he did not say if the workers returned fire nor would he disclose if money was stolen from the vehicle.




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$50,000 reward offered in armored truck employee murder 


Thursday, June 1st 2017, 10:23 pm EDT
Written by: Ryan Naquin, Reporter


NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -

Investigators believe that a $50,000 reward might help solve Wednesday's murder of a Loomis armored vehicle employee in New Orleans.

The FBI said there was a shootout between the employees and two gunmen at the Campus Federal Credit Union on South Galvez near Tulane Avenue around 4:30 p.m.

During the shootout, one of the employees was shot and died at the hospital.

"We will not stop until we have gotten the people who are responsible for this heinous act," New Orleans FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeff Sallet said. "For the person, if you're out there, you will not have a lot of friends with a $50,000 reward on your head."

Loomis donated $25,000 to the effort, along with the FBI's $20,000 and Crimestoppers' $5,000.

Investigators have revealed little information about the murder.

The name of the victim has not been released.

Sallet would not say if cash was stolen during the murder, but he did say money was the gunmen's goal.

"The senseless violence in this city is absolutely unacceptable and someone's greed led to the death of another human being," Sallet said.

"It was a brazen attack on actually three individuals that were armed," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. "We're going to be very aggressive and find the perpetrators who did that but again we rely on the public to give us a lot of help."  

Wednesday's killing adds to the list of unsolved cases involving armored trucks in New Orleans.

In December of 2013, three gunmen shot and killed 45-year-old Hector Trochez as he unloaded money from a Loomis truck in a bank parking lot at Carrollton and Claiborne. The shooters got away with cash.

Seven months later, a Dunbar armored vehicle made a stop at an office in the Tulane University Square when a robber forced his way into the truck. The robber made the employee drive a few blocks before he took a bag of cash and took off running.

The FBI did not say if it believes any of the robberies are related.

"We will continue to work to hold those folks accountable," Sallet said. "It is something that is active and ongoing."

There are cameras surrounding the credit union's ATM drive through where Wednesday's killing took place.

Investigators have not said if they plan to release video to the public.

The FBI is asking anyone with information to call its field office at (504) 816-3000 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. 

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UPDATE, 9 a.m.

New Orleans police confirmed Thursday morning that the fatal shooting of an armored truck driver occurred after an attempted robbery.

The shooting occurred outside a Mid-City bank near the intersection of Tulane Avenue and N. Galvez Street about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The worker was transported to an area hospital where he later died.

ORIGINAL STORY

An armored truck employee servicing an automated teller machine outside a Mid-City bank was killed by gunfire that erupted when he and a colleague were attacked by at least two people Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Witnesses described seeing at least one of the workers servicing the ATM shoot a weapon at the attackers, but during a news conference New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Michael Harrison declined to confirm whether there was an exchange of gunfire.

Harrison pleaded with residents to come forward and turn in whoever killed the dead employee, calling the slaying a targeted and "brazen act."

Officials did not immediately identify the victim or say whether any money was taken.

According to Harrison, the slaying occurred when the men servicing a Campus Federal Credit Union branch's ATM facing South Galvez Street were ambushed by at least two people about 4:30 p.m. Gunfire erupted.

The wounded employee was taken to a hospital by ambulance but died there. The unidentified attackers escaped.

Outside the bank Wednesday evening, a Loomis truck idled near the ATM under a steady drizzle, its emergency lights flashing and its engine still running.

Crime scene technicians placed more than 20 evidence cones, typically used to mark shell casings, in two separate spots. One was at the foot of the bank's drive-thru ATM exit on Galvez and the other along an entrance alley on Gravier Street.

The cones seemed to support accounts given to reporters by people who said they were across Galvez at the time of the deadly attack.

One man said he saw one person, who seemed to be trying to protect the slain man, fire a gun toward people apparently attempting to rob the truck, at least one of whom was shooting a weapon.

A woman who said she was parking her car said she saw one man who appeared to be trying to protect the truck firing toward the armored vehicle.

Near the vehicle, the man who was taken to the hospital spent a few moments kneeling before lying down and never getting back up, the woman said.

Both witnesses insisted on anonymity, citing fear for their safety.

The witnesses' accounts suggested the armored truck's attackers may have left the scene by running along the entrance alley facing Gravier, but Harrison wouldn't say how investigators believe they fled, whether by car or on foot.


Harrison said investigators needed to finish reviewing security camera footage. He said other officers were canvassing the surrounding neighborhood for signs of those responsible for Wednesday's mayhem.

Officials with the State Police and the FBI, which investigates all bank robberies, were also at the scene. They were joined by people in Loomis uniforms, at least one of whom could be seen weeping while standing near the bank.

The attack recalled the slaying of armored-truck employee Hector Trochez in December 2013. Trochez, who also worked for Loomis, was shot to death by three gunmen during a robbery outside a Chase bank at South Carrollton and South Claiborne avenues; no arrests have ever been made in that killing.

In October 2015, robbers held up an armored car outside a Chase bank at 1425 North Broad St.

Wednesday's deadly attack was at least the 79th homicide reported in New Orleans this year.

Another homicide was reported about 6:25 p.m. Wednesday, when a double shooting left one man dead and another man wounded in the 3000 block of Pauger Street in the 7th Ward, police said.

Anyone with information on any of the city's unsolved killings is asked to call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.

The body of a third worker (packing machine operator Pawel Tordoff) was recovered Friday from the ruins of the Didion Milling Plant in Cambria that exploded in southern Wisconsin, and company executives insisted safety violations were corrected years ago.

Robert Goodenow and Duelle Block

Duelle Block

 
3rd worker found dead after blast at Wisconsin corn mill

By TODD RICHMOND Published June 02, 2017
Associated Press


JOHNSON CREEK, Wis. – The body of a third worker was recovered Friday from the ruins of a corn mill that exploded in southern Wisconsin, and company executives insisted safety violations were corrected years ago.

The explosion occurred late Wednesday night at the Didion Milling Plant in Cambria, a rural village about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Madison. The blast leveled most of the plant.

Sixteen people were inside the plant at the time of the explosion. Eleven were taken to hospitals.

Didion Milling Plant executive Derrick Clark told reporters during a news conference Friday afternoon that emergency crews recovered packing machine operator Pawel Tordoff's body from the rubble earlier that morning.

Searchers recovered forklift driver Robert Goodenow's body in the debris Thursday evening and found mill operator Duelle Block dead shortly after the explosion.

"The loss of these three team members is a very emotional incident for us and has really torn a hole in the heart of the Didion Milling team and the Cambria community," Clark said.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

A fire broke out at the plant on Monday, but Clark said it was unrelated to the explosion. He said the cause of that fire is still undetermined but the company has a good idea of what caused it and it involved "a distinctly separate system" than what was involved in the explosion. He declined to elaborate.

U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration records show the plant was cited in 2011 for not taking precautions against dust explosions. They can occur when high concentrations of dust particles are suspended in the air in a confined space during grain handling. A spark from something like a cigarette butt ignites it, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

There were five grain dust explosions in the U.S. last year, including two that were fatal, according to a Purdue University annual report. Keeping facilities clean of dust and equipment in good working order to reduce the possibility of igniting the dust are key to preventing explosions, the report said.

The federal safety agency ordered the mill to correct the problem by April 2011, and the records show Didion paid a $3,465 fine and the case was closed in September 2013. Clark and James Brunker, a senior executive with M3 Insurance, which insures the company, said the problem was corrected.

Brunker called the violation "ancient history." The plant's insurance risk assessment has been improving since the violation, he said.

OSHA, the state fire marshal and the state Department of Justice are all investigating the explosion, Clark said. The company has also started its own probe of the blast, he said. He added that employees weren't allowed to smoke inside the building but he refused to speculate on other causes for the explosions besides dust ignition.

"It's just too early for us to comment on any potential sources," he said. "We're confidant the systems we have in place protect our workers."

Didion Milling employs more than 200 people at multiple facilities around southern Wisconsin. Most of them work at the Cambria corn mill plant, Clark said.

The company has closed until further notice, but Clark said Friday all the plant workers will keep their jobs. Some may be moved to other facilities or retrained to handle other duties, he said.

He expects production to resume at an ethanol plant adjacent to the corn mill soon, he added.

"(The explosion has) impacted our operations but that's the least of our worries," he said.

Brothers John and Dow Didion began Didion Milling in 1972. Construction on the Cambria corn mill was completed in 1991, according to the website. The company's corn products are used in brewing beer as well as in making chips, breakfast cereals, bathroom moldings, steel and ethanol.

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The Didion Milling Plant in Cambria, Wisconsin  that exploded late Wednesday night and killed at least 1 worker, was reprimanded by federal safety inspectors six years ago for not taking precautions against dust explosions, which are a major hazard in handling grain, records show.

The blast at the Didion Milling Plant in Cambria, a rural village about 45 miles (72.42 kilometers) northeast of Madison, left at least one person dead. Emergency workers were still searching for two employees as of Thursday afternoon. Nearly a dozen other employees were taken to area hospitals. None of the workers have been identified.

The cause of the blast remained unknown as of Thursday afternoon, Didion officials said. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators were on the scene.

"The safety and security of our employees is our top priority," Didion Vice President of Operations Derrick Clark said in a news release. "Over the past 44 years, the Didion team has grown to be a close-knit family, and we ask for your prayers during this difficult time."

The plant processes corn for ethanol and other uses. A review of online OSHA records shows the plant was cited in January 2011 for exposing its workers to dust explosion hazards. The records state that plant filters lacked an explosion protective system.

The agency ordered the mill to correct the problem by April 2011. The records show Didion paid a $3,465 fine and the case was closed in September 2013. OSHA hasn't cited the plant for anything since, the records show.

Dust explosions are a serious problem in handling grain, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. There were five grain dust explosions in the United States last year and two of the incidents resulted in fatalities, Purdue University said in an annual report. Keeping facilities clean of dust and equipment in good working order to reduce the possibility of igniting the dust are critical to preventing explosions, the report said.

Dust explosions can occur when high concentrations of dust particles are suspended in the air in a confined space during grain handling and a spark from something like a cigarette butt ignites it, according to the USDA's website.

Emails sent to several Didion officials Thursday and a voicemail left for Vice President of Sales Jeff Dillon weren't immediately returned. A note posted on the company's website said the company would be closed until further notice.

Nearly two dozen fire departments and four police departments responded.

Cambria Village President Glen Williams said the fire was contained by early Thursday and there were no evacuations in the area. Schools in the Cambria-Friesland district closed Thursday because of the incident.

The district houses early childhood through 12th grade in one building about an eighth of a mile from the plant, Superintendent Timothy Raymond said. School officials wanted to be sure the danger was over on Thursday, he said. Classes were set to resume on Friday.

The number of employees inside the building during the explosion fluctuated through the day Thursday.

Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards initially said 16 people were in the plant. Village of Cambria officials later said 17 were inside before revising the number back to 16.

In addition to the fatality, two other plant employees were treated and released. Eleven more were taken to area hospitals via ambulance and helicopter. Recovery crews were still searching a mountain of debris Thursday for the two missing workers.

Cambria is a community of about 770 people. Wiliams, the village president, said the plant is an economic anchor for the entire area. Raymond, the schools superintendent, said his district plans to have counselors on hand when students return Friday.

"Quite a few of the employees live in the village and surrounding area. So it's going to affect the whole area. Not just the shock of the event, but the economic hardship to the families," Williams said.

OSHA spokesman Scott Allen said personnel from the federal agency were on the scene Thursday to begin an investigation. The agency has six months to complete its work.

The company employs more than 200 people. It has offices and a soybean plant in Jefferson County to the southwest, the mill and an ethanol plant in Cambria and an oil packaging plant in Green Lake County to the north, according to the company website.

Brothers John and Dow Didion began Didion Milling in 1972 and construction on the Cambria corn mill was completed in 1991, according to the website. The company's corn products are used in brewing beer as well as in making chips, breakfast cereals, bathroom moldings, steel and ethanol.

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

A fourth worker died of his injuries Tuesday after an explosion destroyed a corn mill in southern Wisconsin last week, the company said.

Angel Reyes, 46, died at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, Didion Milling said in a statement. Reyes was a pack operator at the plant and died from injuries he suffered in the explosion, the company said.

The blast and fire May 31 destroyed the corn milling plant in Cambria, a community about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Madison. The bodies of three other workers were recovered from the rubble. About a dozen of the 16 employees working the overnight shift were hurt. At least four remained hospitalized Tuesday.

A company executive said some employees have started returning to work at the mill complex.

The company's president, Riley Didion, told Cambria village board members Monday night that the neighboring ethanol plant, which was not damaged, will begin accepting loads of corn from farmers in the coming days.

Didion had no word on the conditions of the employees who were injured.

Village president Glen Williams said the ethanol plant is about 300 yards from what's left of the mill.

Cambria Fire Chief Cody Doucette said the rubble continues to smolder, but is contained by cement. The corn meal that continues to smolder will eventually burn out, Doucette said at the meeting.

Didion Milling employs more than 200 in facilities in Johnson Creek, Cambria and Markesan.

The Oakhurst-Sierra Lakes Water Treatment Facility is a step closer to completion. It includes facilities to treat for iron, manganese, arsenic, and uranium-- as well as massive water storage tanks and new wells.

OAKHURST, Calif. (KFSN) -- It is not something you want to see when you open the tap, but discolored water is something Oakhurst residents said they have been dealing with for years.

"The only thing we do is wash clothes, and basically bathe in it. Everything else is done with bottled water," said Michael Sesto, Oakhurst resident.

They said the water is dirty water tainted with traces of uranium and arsenic. Now, officials said a solution to the murky water is on its way.

"This will bring the water quality of Oakhurst, the Hillview Water Company, in compliance with all state and federal water requirements," said Rami Kahlon, California Public Utilities Commission.

State and county officials came together on Friday to mark the start of a clear future for Oakhurst water.

The Oakhurst-Sierra Lakes Water Treatment Facility is a step closer to completion. It includes facilities to treat for iron, manganese, arsenic, and uranium-- as well as massive water storage tanks and new wells.

The president of Hillview Water Company said this will help with the discoloration, but customers could still see that brown water throughout the construction of the plant.

"They won't see a lot of change until the project is done, then we'll have to do extensive flushing to get all the precipitation out of the pipeline so it doesn't come through," said Roger Forrester, Hillview Water Company.

The Forest Ridge and Sierra Lakes project are grant funded projects, so customers won't have to shell out the money. However, customers could see higher water bills down the road.

"As these two treatment plans come online later this year and spring 2018, there will be some additional expenses associated with that," said Kahlon.

But residents are hoping it's finished sooner rather than later.

"The quicker they can get it done, the better it will be for everybody," said Sesto.

Water tanks similar to those being built are already online in Sierra Lakes. Those being built need some more work done, but they are expected to be online by the end of this year.



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Hillview To Break Ground On New Water Treatment Plant

Posted by: Kellie Flanagan 

March 22, 2017 - 4:00 pm

OAKHURST — Hillview Water Company (HWC) recently announced awarding a $2 million contract to Hobbs Construction, of Fresno, to build the Sierra Lakes uranium, arsenic, iron, and manganese water treatment plant. The existing tanks on Road 426 at the current Sierra Lakes facility will be removed and replaced by an all-new facility.

“We are pleased to have Hobbs Construction as our general contractor to build this long-awaited and much needed water treatment plant,” says Manager James Foster. “This project will allow us to filter the uranium, iron, arsenic, and manganese out of the water we pump from deep in these granitic mountains. We have been working hard to start this project for many years.”

Hillview provides more than 161 million gallons of water annually to 1,000-plus customers, according to the company’s president, Roger Forrester.

“We have finally received the green light to use the grant fund monies we were awarded in 2007. This treatment plant will filter the unwanted elements out of the water we provide, meet and exceed all state and EPA standards, and enable us to deliver the fresh, pure water our community wants and deserves.”

Waterboards Senior Engineer Kassy Chauhan agrees.

“Hillview Water Company has worked long and hard for many years to bring this project to fruition,” notes Chauhan. “In partnership with the State Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance and the Division of Drinking Water, the HWC was able to develop innovative ways to best utilize the grant dollars to ensure that the project is completed on time and within the allocated budget.”

At the completion of the project Chauhan says HWC will be delivering water to their customers that complies with all primary and secondary drinking water standards.

“HWC has been a regional resource in the area by consolidating private homes as well as other community water systems into the HWC system,” she continues.”As such, the region as a whole will have access to water that meets all of the drinking water standards.”

The uranium removal system and water tanks have been ordered and Hobbs Construction is scheduled to begin building the water purification plant in early May. The plant is scheduled to be operational by this winter. A ground breaking celebration is scheduled.

Source: Hillview Water

3 people injured after boat explodes at a dock at the Ocean Isle Fishing Center at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina

Boat explosion injures 3 at Ocean Isle Beach.

Friday, June 02, 2017 10:46PM
OCEAN ISLE BEACH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A boat exploded at a dock on the North Carolina coast, and an official says three people were injured.

Local media outlets report the explosion occurred around 4 p.m. Friday at the Ocean Isle Fishing Center at Ocean Isle Beach, which is 175 miles south of Raleigh.

Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith told local media outlets that two people on the boat were airlifted to hospitals, and a third person who was on the dock was taken to a hospital in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Brunswick County Fire Marshal Scott Garner said the boat was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

He said they brought the fire under control and were working to limit the spread of leaking fuel in the water.

“Every 15 Minutes,” a two-day program that focuses on high school juniors and seniors in Newport Beach that challenges the students to think about drinking and personal safety

A student participant is removed from a vehicle during the “Every 15 Minutes” simulated collision on Wednesday.
— Photo courtesy of Newport Beach Fire Department ©

Local authorities worked together this week to teach an important lesson to Newport Beach students.

For the 14th year in a row, Newport Beach fire and police departments participated in “Every 15 Minutes,” a two-day program that focuses on high school juniors and seniors in Newport Beach that challenges the students to think about drinking and personal safety, NBFD Life Safety Specialist Matt Brisbois explained in a press release.

The title of the program comes from the fact that every 15 minutes someone in the United States dies in an alcohol-related traffic collision, according to authorities.

On Wednesday, fire and police officials participated in part of the program at Newport Harbor High School that recreated a drunk driving accident. The two departments worked with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District to set-up a realistic scenario to show students prior to their prom and grad night activities. Knott’s Berry Farm make-up artists volunteered their time to create realistic injuries on the simulated fatal accident.

“The program has been extremely successful in underscoring the dangers and consequences of drinking alcohol and driving,” Brisbois wrote in the press release.

“Every 15 Minutes” is a national program that has been implemented in thousands of schools across the country. Locally, the program alternates each year between Newport Harbor and Corona Del Mar high schools.


A student participant is removed from a vehicle during the “Every 15 Minutes” simulated crash on Wednesday.
— Photo courtesy of Newport Beach Fire Department ©

According to the “Every 15 Minutes” website, the “Grim Reaper” calls one student out of class every 15 minutes during the first half of the day. Students were selected from a cross-section of the entire student body. A NBPD officer read an “obituary,” written by each of the “dead” student’s parent(s), which explains the circumstances of the their classmate’s demise and the contributions the student has made to the school and the community.

“A few minutes later, the student will return to class as the “living dead,” complete with white face make-up, a coroner’s tag, and a black “Every 15 Minutes” T-shirt,” explains the website.

The “victims” were not allowed to speak or interact with other students for the rest of the school day on Wednesday, according to officials. Police also made mock death notifications to the parents.

The simulated traffic collision was on display on school grounds after lunch. The program included rescue workers treating the “injured,” using the jaws of life to extract students and a coroner handling the “fatalities” at the scene.

“These students will experience first-hand, the sensations of being involved in a tragic, alcohol-related and texting while driving collision.

It continued to play out as police investigated the collision, ending with arresting and booking the “drunk driver” students. Student participants also visited the morgue, hospital emergency room, and jail.

The student participants then stayed overnight at a local hotel for a “retreat,” which was meant to “simulate the separation from friends and family.” A support staff of counselors and police officers facilitated the retreat.

For more information, visit EveryFifteenMinutes.org.


Newport Beach firefighters work to extract student participants in the “Every 15 Minutes” simulated collision on Wednesday as the rest of the Newport Harbor High School junior and senior classes watch the scene unfold.
— Photo courtesy of Newport Beach Fire Department ©

Fluor worker Kevin Clayton, 59, died of natural causes while working at Plant Vogtle in Burke County, Georgia

BURKE COUNTY, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- 

A Plant Vogtle worker was found dead at the plant on Tuesday.

Burke County Coroner Susan Salemi said Kevin Clayton, 59, died of natural causes. He was taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur for an autopsy.

Salemi notes that there were no signs of foul play. It appears Clayton may have died from a heart attack.

In an email sent to Plant Vogtle workers on Wednesday night, Southern Nuclear states that Clayton was a Fluor worker and was found dead within the construction area of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Clayton's family has been notified.

Many viewers that spoke to us claim that Clayton had been missing for several hours before he was found.

Fire investigators say they still don’t know what caused a $50 million dollar fire that destroyed an unfinished downtown apartment building in North Carolina's capital. Mecklenburg County is banning all swimming near a cove on Lake Norman after nearly 400 gallons of sewage spilled into the water Thursday.

400 Gallons Of Sewage Spill Into Lake Norman; Cause Of Massive Fire In Raleigh Still Unknown

By Nick de la Canal & Associated Press • 8 hours ago

Mecklenburg County is banning all swimming near a cove on Lake Norman after nearly 400 gallons of sewage spilled into the water Thursday. Meanwhile, fire investigators in Raleigh say they still haven't determined what caused a $50 million fire at an unfinished apartment building in March. And, police in Charlotte are investigating after an infant was allegedly abandoned by her mother overnight.

Here are some of Friday afternoon's top headlines on WFAE.

Swimming Banned After 400 Gallons Of Sewage Spills Into Lake Norman
Mecklenburg County is banning all swimming near a cove on Lake Norman after nearly 400 gallons of sewage spilled into the water Thursday.

County officials say the spill occurred in Cornelius near 20220 Bethel Church Road when a sewer line was broken by nearby construction. The county is collecting water samples of the spill. The swimming ban will remain in effect at least until Monday, when sample results will be available. The swimming ban will continue until the county determines that bacteria levels in the water are safe.
In April of this year, the county reported 8,000 gallons of sewage spilled into Lake Norman off I-77 exit 33 near Mooresville. County officials said that spill was caused by a clogged manhole.

Cause Of Fire That Gutted Unfinished Raleigh Apartments Is Unknown
Fire investigators say they still don’t know what caused a $50 million dollar fire that destroyed an unfinished downtown apartment building in North Carolina's capital.

Raleigh officials say weeks of work by more than 100 investigators, hundreds of interviews and the results of multiple search warrants have failed to find the cause for the March 17 blaze. The fire forced the evacuation of nearby business and residential buildings and shut down roads.

Raleigh Fire Chief John McGrath has previously said that The Metropolitan apartment building had been inspected dozens of times during the course of construction and met all code requirements.

Woman Accused Of Abandoning Infant Overnight In Charlotte
The North Carolina Department of Social Services is investigating after police say a woman abandoned her infant Thursday night in west Charlotte.

A man told police he was walking through the Lakewood Manor complex on Watson Drive around 9 p.m. when a woman asked him to watch her child for a while. He later told police she never returned.

The child was taken in by the Department of Social Services at 7 a.m. Friday. The mother later identified herself to police. Police say they’ve received conflicting statements from the man and the woman, though the two appear to know each other. The child remains in DSS custody.

Update: CMPD has issued the woman, 29-year-old Ya'kesha Patterson, with a citations for misdemeanor child neglect.

North Carolina Inmate Escapes Gaston County Prison
A North Carolina inmate has escaped from a Gaston County prison. The state's Department of Public Safety is searching for Tony Meeks, 40, who officials say was discovered missing Friday morning.
Meeks was serving an 11 month sentence for robbery with a dangerous weapon and is scheduled to be released in September 2020.
Prison officials have not said whether they know how Meeks escaped from Gaston Correctional Center in Dallas, NC.

Co-Defendant Testifies Against Minister In Church Abuse Case
One of five people charged with trying to beat "homosexual demons" out of a fellow church member in North Carolina testified for prosecutors on Friday, saying she threw the first slap after their minister began the attack.

Sarah Anderson took the stand despite defense objections in the trial of Word of Faith minister Brooke Covington. Anderson accused her of starting the confrontation with Matthew Fenner after a January 2013 service at the Spindale church.

Anderson, 30, left the church in February 2016 after accusing Covington and other church leaders of abusing her 1-year-old son. She said she made no deal with prosecutors, and gave no reason on the stand why she decided to incriminate herself.

Covington, 58, faces up to two years in prison if convicted. She is the first of the five church members charged to face trial.