Cheryl A. Frey, A former Erie police officer, was sentenced to three to six years of prison for driving drunk and causing a head-on collision that killed 57-year-old Wade A. Schulze. She was off duty and driving home from a bar in McKean Township, PA

Cheryl A. Frey, A former Erie police officer,  was sentenced to three to six years of prison for driving drunk and causing a head-on collision that killed 57-year-old Wade A. Schulze. She was off duty and driving home from a bar in McKean Township

ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA

Judge declines to sentence Cheryl Frey in aggravated range, tells her that being a police officer ‘doesn’t give you a free pass.’

A former Erie police officer on Wednesday went from making a career of upholding the law to having to spend as many as the next six years in state prison.

The officer, Cheryl A. Frey, was sentenced to three to six years of incarceration plus three years of probation for driving drunk and causing a fatal crash when she was off duty and driving home from a bar in McKean Township in February 2017.

Frey was facing a mandatory minimum of three years in state prison after a jury on June 18 found her guilty of all charges, including homicide by vehicle while DUI.

Erie County Judge William R. Cunningham, who presided at Frey’s five-day trial, declined to give Frey a sentence in the aggravated range of the state sentencing guidelines, as the Erie County District Attorney’s Office requested. Cunningham sentenced Frey in the high end of the standard range of the guidelines and told her that her former job as a police officer spared her nothing.

Being a police officer “doesn’t give you a free pass,” Cunningham said. “It doesn’t allow you to violate the law.”

Cunningham said he had to consider a number of issues for sentencing purposes, including Frey’s lack of a prior record and the severity of the accident, in which Frey crossed the centerline of Route 99 and struck another motorist head-on, killing him.

“There are a host of factors to balance,” Cunningham said.

Frey, who rejected a plea deal in the case despite what the prosecutor called “a mountain of evidence” against her at trial, told Cunningham that she did not go to trial to cause more sorrow for the family of the victim, 57-year-old Wade A. Schulze.

“I cannot imagine the pain,” Frey told Cunningham of Schulze’s death. “I apologize.”


Frey resigned from the Erie police force shortly after her conviction, her lawyer, Andrew Sissinini, said in court. Frey, who had been an Erie police officer since 2008, had been on unpaid suspension since she waived her preliminary hearing in the case a year ago. The city had been waiting on the outcome of her trial to decide on whether to fire her.

Sissinini told Cunningham that Frey was a dedicated police officer whose passion is rescuing animals. He described Frey as a “selfless person” who was “not the person portrayed by the commonwealth in this case.”

“There was no malice in her heart that night,” Sissinini said, referring to the accident.

Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Lightner asked for a sentence in the aggravated range. He cited Frey’s level of drunkenness — nearly three times the legal limit — and said she did nothing to try to brake before driving into Schulze’s car and was “flooring it” just before impact.

“The recklessness rises to another level,” Lightner said. “There are so many factors that point to an aggravated-range sentence.”

Schulze’s daughter, Justine Sullivan, told Cunningham that Frey took from her a father who enjoyed animals and telling stories. She said she cannot walk by a display of birthday cards or father’s day cards without getting upset at the loss of her dad.

“His life was special,” Sullivan said.


She said Frey, as a police officer, should have known not to drive drunk.

“I believe she should be held to a higher standard,” Sullivan said.

Frey at trial was also convicted of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and two counts of DUI. Most of those charges merged at sentencing with the major count of homicide by vehicle while DUI.

The jury found that Frey was drunk and driving northbound on Route 99 when her black Subaru Crosstrek crossed into the opposing lane of traffic and struck Schulze’s southbound Honda Civic. The accident happened just north of the intersection with Old Route 99 on the early morning of Feb. 18, 2017.

Frey’s blood-alcohol content was 0.232 percent, according to information presented at the trial. The legal limit is 0.08 percent

The prosecution at trial presented surveillance video footage from inside two taverns — the St. Francis Ushers Club, on Route 99, and the Valley Inn, on Old Route 99 — that showed Frey consumed at least 13 drinks in the five hours before the crash.

The defense agreed that Frey was drunk during the collision. Sissinini told jurors that the directions of the vehicles were reversed: that Frey was driving south and Schulze, the driver of the Honda, was heading north.


Frey rejected a plea deal in the case.

She pleaded guilty a year ago to a second-degree felony count of homicide by vehicle while DUI and a misdemeanor count of DUI. Six other charges were dropped as part of her plea agreement.

Those charges were reinstated after Frey withdrew her plea at what had been scheduled to be her sentencing hearing in March. Sisinni, Frey’s lawyer, said Frey did not believe she was the “proximate cause” of the crash and that she believed Schulze, who had a BAC of 0.11 percent, played a significant role.

At the sentencing, Sullivan, Schulze’s daughter, said Frey alone was to blame, and now must go to prison.

“She was supposed to be a leading example of upholding the law,” Sullivan said.

An explosion and fire during a chemical process being done in a laboratory at Dietary Pro Labs Inc. in Wausau, WI injured one worker to the hospital. Fire investigators identified magnesium as one of the chemicals involved

One worker sent to hospital after explosion, fire in Wausau laboratory

By Cassandra Ambrosius, Content Manager




  July 31, 2018


WAUSAU, WI (WAOW) - 

An explosion and fire in a Wausau lab Tuesday sent one worker to the hospital and fire investigators identified magnesium as one of the chemicals involved.

The small explosion and fire happened about 11 a.m. during a chemical process being done in a laboratory at Dietary Pros Inc., a company on Wausau's west side that makes dietary supplements, according to the Wausau Fire Department.

Battalion Chief Alan Antolik said smoke was coming from the side of the building when crews arrived. All workers were evacuated.

Fire officials and Wausau police remained on the scene for hours, monitoring air quality, removing some of the products and chemicals and talking to workers.

Investigators say they don't know exactly what went wrong in the laboratory. Magnesium, an abundant mineral in the body, is naturally present in many foods, added to other food products, available as a dietary supplement and present in some medicines, such as antacids and laxatives.

Details of the worker's injuries were also not immediately released.

The head of Dietary Pros declined comment. The company was founded in 1999, according to its web site.

****************************

UPDATE* Officials at the scene say there was a magnesium leak in the building, but the cause remains unknown.

Everyone was evacuated from the building. One person was taken to a nearby hospital, and there is no current word on the person's condition.

Officials are still investigating.

News 9 will have more updates as they become available.

------

Fire crews are on the scene of an incident at a lab in Wausau.

The Wausau Fire Department was dispatched to Dietary Pros Inc. on Stewart Ave. Tuesday morning.

Stewart Ave. is blocked off in both directions in the area, according to a News 9 reporter on scene.
 =====================

Manufacturing

Dietary Pros offers several options for your dietary supplement:

• Chewable Tablet Formulation
• Ready To Drink Powder Formulation
• Specialized Probiotic Handling
• Tablet Pressing
• Encapsulation
• Granulation
• Tablet Coating
• Grinding

Packaging Options Include:

• Bottling from 50cc up to 3000cc sizes
• Resealable Pouches
• Bulk Packaging
• More options available upon request

Mercury spill inside 9 Ships Way condo in Bourne, Mass. prompts hazmat response

Mercury spill inside Bourne condo prompts hazmat response

By: Mike Saccone Updated: Jul 31, 2018 - 9:56 PM


  Mercury spill inside Bourne condo prompts hazmat response

BOURNE, Mass. - 

Bourne firefighters and a hazardous materials team are on the scene of a mercury spill at a condo complex Tuesday night.

First responders were called around 6 p.m. to 9 Ships Way after a vial of mercury spilled.

The unit was immediately evacuated and secured.

Bourne Fire requested a Tier 1 hazmat response. Bourne Fire is part of Department of Fire Services Hazmat District #1, which consists of 110 cities and towns. Each department has firefighters who are trained hazmat technicians. A Tier 1 response calls for 5 firefighters from surrounding cities and towns to respond to the scene. Bourne Fire Chief Norman Sylvester, a hazmat technician, is the incident commander.

The hazmat team is trying to collect as much of the mercury as possible.

When spilled, mercury breaks apart in beads instead of clumping in a puddle. These beads can be very tiny, making them hard to find. Mercury also evaporates at room temperature and its fumes do not have a smell, which makes it difficult to detect without sensors or other specialized instruments.

Bourne Fire Deputy Joseph Carrara told Boston 25 News the mercury spilled on a hardwood floor, which is harder to clean up than a tile or linoleum surface. The spaces in the hardwood floors make it harder to remove all of the mercury.

Mercury can turn into poisonous vapors that can have dangerous health effects, especially for children and pregnant women.

There are no reported injuries in this incident.

Carrara said as of 9:15 p.m., the hazmat team was still showing elevated readings of mercury inside the unit. It will likely have to remain secured and unoccupied until the Department of Environmental Protection can get to the scene with more specialized equipment and clean up the remainder of the spill. This is a developing story.

Investigators said they’ve determined the origin but not the cause of the deadly fire started at the Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos, Texas. Five young adults were found dead in the rubble: Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio; Haley Michele Frizzell, 19, of San Angelo; David Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena; and James Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant.

San Marcos, Texas

Investigators in San Marcos say they have determined the origin of the deadly fire at an apartment complex on July 20. However officials say the cause is not being revealed at this time.

ATF says it will conduct lab testing and analysis of what was recovered from the Iconic Village and Vintage Pad apartments in the coming weeks and after that a final classification of the fire will be released.

Five people were killed in the fire that started just before 4:30 a.m. on July 20.




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



Nearly two weeks after a deadly inferno swept through a San Marcos apartment complex near Texas State University, investigators said they’ve determined where the fire started but that further laboratory analysis is needed to determine what caused the blaze.

Five young adults were found dead in the rubble in the days following the July 20 fire that gutted the Iconic Village Apartments. All of the victims had been living or staying on the second floor of the same apartment building two blocks from the Texas State campus.


Four of them were identified as Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio; Haley Michele Frizzell, 19, of San Angelo; David Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena; and James Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant.

A fifth victim still is unidentified. Authorities are conducting DNA analysis to determine whether the remains are those of Belinda Moats, 21, of Big Wells, who lived in the complex and has been missing since the fire.

A sixth person — Zachary Sutterfield, 20, of San Angelo — suffered severe injuries, including third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body. He is recovering at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center in San Antonio.

San Marcos city officials issued a statement Tuesday saying authorities “have completed the on-scene portion of the investigation.”

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ National Response Team, the lead agency in the investigation, has “determined the origin of the fire,” the statement said. But it provided no details.

“In the coming weeks, after laboratory testing and analysis is complete, the final classification of the fire will be announced,” the statement said. “At this time, no further information concerning the ongoing investigation or the details surrounding the investigation will be released.”


Miranda’s father Monday filed the first in what could be a series of lawsuits against the owner and manager of the apartment complex, accusing them of gross negligence for alleged safety lapses, including an absence of fire sprinklers.

Iconic Village was home to a mix of students, artists and musicians drawn by the relaxed ambience, a community garden and amenities that included a pool with a swim-up bar.

The fire erupted shortly before 4:30 a.m. July 20. In the pre-dawn darkness, residents awoke to screams, thick smoke and the sound of glass shattering. Some suffered broken bones and other injuries after leaping from second-story windows.

The fire prompted a massive investigation involving 50 ATF agents who traveled to San Marcos from all over the country; six investigators from the state fire marshal’s office; and officials from the San Marcos Fire and Police departments. Investigators have conducted more than 100 interviews so far. ATF dogs trained to detect accelerants combed through the rubble.

Investigators told one survivor they suspected arson.

After days of searching the structure most severely damaged — Building 500, where all five bodies were found — authorities released the site Tuesday, turning all of the Iconic Village buildings back to the property’s owner.


Investigators determined that battery-powered smoke alarms had been installed in apartments in compliance with state law, according to the statement released by the city.

The property management company for Iconic Village provided reports to investigators showing smoke detectors had been inspected in May and June in the three buildings damaged by fire.


Authorities are looking at whether a large tree that stood in the middle of a courtyard in Building 500 played a role in the spread of the fire, San Marcos Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner said recently.

The tree “is being considered during the investigation specifically with regards to the spread of the fire,” Kistner said.

The tree, which was blackened and destroyed, stood taller than the two-story apartment building and had a canopy that stretched across the center courtyard, he said.

The lawsuit filed by Miranda’s father, Phillip Miranda of Cove, Ark., names San Marcos Green Investors LLC, the owner of the apartments; property management company Elevate Multifamily LLC; and Deborah Jones, a Travis County woman who helps manage the complex.

The suit contends they failed to enforce adequate safety procedures, didn’t maintain a safe living environment, didn’t provide a sprinkler system or “adequate safety equipment,” and didn’t warn James Miranda of “hidden dangers” at the property.

Phillip Miranda is seeking more than $1 million in damages. James Miranda’s mother, who lives in Northeast Texas, has not joined in the suit.
 

Bill Bennett, a Chicago-based real estate entrepreneur who is listed in state records as manager of the company that has owned the apartments since 2010, did not return a call seeking comment Tuesday. Iconic Village and the nearby Vintage Pads apartment complex are owned by limited liability companies connected with Bennett.

Bennett also is founder and principal of Elevate Multifamily, which manages both apartment complexes. Elevate officials said in an email Tuesday that they don’t comment on ongoing litigation.


Jones did not respond to a request for comment.

Iconic Village was built in 1970, when sprinklers weren’t required in San Marcos. The city fire code doesn’t oblige owners to install sprinklers in older buildings unless major renovations are carried out.

Elevate officials have said each apartment was equipped with smoke detectors and that fire extinguishers were installed in the outdoor breezeways. They also said maintenance workers inspected those smoke detectors regularly.

Even so, some residents claimed that their smoke detectors did not sound during the fire.

San Marcos fire inspectors found violations during previous inspections of Iconic Village, Vintage Pads and the nearby Vintage Suites, city records made available Tuesday showed. Elevate Multifamily began managing Iconic Village and Vintage Pads in June 2017, after those inspections were done.

In May 2014, a fire inspector flagged the properties for having an inadequate number of smoke detectors, noting that such equipment was required “on every floor, every bedroom and every access way to a bedroom.” That problem apparently had been corrected by the time a follow-up inspection was conducted four months later.

A previous inspection, in 2009, turned up issues like an improperly installed smoke detector in the apartments’ office; improper electric wiring in the workout room; fire lanes that needed painting, and a missing fire extinguisher. Most of those problems were corrected within a month, the report shows.

The fire that killed the three Croad children in Rome, New York may have started from an electrical appliance in the laundry room

By Edward Harris / eharris@uticaod.com


Posted Jul 31, 2018 at 6:21 PM Updated Jul 31, 2018 at 6:21 PM




ROME — A fatal mobile home fire that killed three children in late July was ruled accidental Tuesday evening, according to state police.

Temprince J. Croad, 2, Patrick G. Croad III, 3, and Eliesse A. Croad, 4, were found dead inside the 154 Pine Haven Circle residence after the July 23 fire, officials said. Parents Gabrielle M. Croad, 24, and Patrick G. Croad, 25, were taken to SUNY Upstate Medical Center with second-degree burns.

One-year-old Kaydence J. Croad also was taken to SUNY Upstate with burns to both arms. Officials said she and her parents are expected to recover.

“We have determined the cause of the fire to be accidental and not criminal,” State Police Troop D Public Information Officer Trooper Jack Keller said via text message.

Keller further stated that authorities are working with fire investigators on the exact cause and origin of the fire.

It is believed that the fire may have been started by an electrical appliance in the laundry room, Keller said.

At about 11:48 p.m. on Monday, July 23, Oneida County 911 received a call of a structure fire at the mobile home. When officials and fire personnel arrived, they observed heavy fire conditions and learned that six people lived inside the residence.

Gabrielle and Patrick Croad were able to escape out the rear door with 1-year-old Kaydence. Patrick Croad tried getting back inside the front of the structure to get the rest of the children but was driven back by the flames, officials said.

Despite the lack of fire hydrants in the heavily wooded neighborhood, the “fully engulfed” fire was knocked down within 10 minutes, officials said



===========================
Police say fatal Rome fire was accidental; collection being held in Vernon Center




New York State Police say the fire that killed three children in Rome last week has been ruled accidental rather than criminal, but the cause is still unknown.

Updated: July 31, 2018
Posted By: WKTV




ROME – New York State Police say the fire that killed three children in Rome last week has been ruled accidental rather than criminal, but the cause is still unknown.

Police say the fire may have started from an electrical appliance in the laundry room, but they're still working with fire investigators to determine the exact cause and origin. Investigators were back at the scene of the fire on Tuesday to continue their investigation.

  Temprince Croad (left), Patrick Croad III (center), and Eliesse Croad (right)

Two-year-old Temprince Croad, three-year-old Patrick Croad III, and four-year-old Eliesse Croad were killed in the fire at 154 Pine Haven Circle in the outer district of Rome on July 24. The children’s parents, 24-year-old Gabrielle Croad and 25-year-old Patrick Croad, and their sister, one-year-old Kaydence Croad, survived the fire.

Witnesses and survivors of the fire say the flames started in the center of the mobile home, separating the parents from their children. The parents got out of the mobile home and tried going back inside from another way to get their children, but they were burned in the process.

A new community center is set to open in Vernon Center, and organizers with the center say their first order of business is to help the Croad family. The community center will open in the old Presbyterian Church, and a tour of the center will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The woman behind the effort says she lost three children in a fire 15 years ago.

“There will be a donation box, much like a wedding box for cards, and we will have sympathy cards free and pens and a table for folks to sit down and fill out a card,” said Sharon Leavitt. “If they want to put money in that card, they can for the family. If they would just like to send their best wishes and prayers in a card, they can do that.”

Calling hours for the three children will be held 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Nunn and Harper Funeral Home, located at 418 N. George St. in Rome. A memorial service will follow.

A lightning strike resulted in the death of an 89-year-old woman in Phoenix, Arizona as massive monsoon storms carrying 70 mph winds hit the area, causing large damage

PHOENIX, AZ - 

A lightning strike apparently resulted in the death of an 89-year-old woman who was removed from her burning home by firefighters when strong storms lashed the Phoenix area, authorities said Tuesday.

The storms Monday night caused power outages, downing trees and damaging roofs. Traffic signals at many Phoenix intersections remained dark during the Tuesday morning commute, clogging traffic.

Maricopa County sheriff's Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez said firefighters performed CPR after finding the woman unconscious and unresponsive in a bedroom of her Sun City home but that she was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Her identity and cause of death weren't released, and Enriquez said the investigation was ongoing.

The National Weather Service reported that Glendale Municipal Airport and Phoenix Deer Valley Airport recorded winds of 74 mph (119 kph) while Luke Air Force Base in Glendale had winds up to 69 mph (111 kph).

Winds downed power lines, uprooted trees across the metro area and blew off part of a roof of a building at an apartment complex in Glendale as blowing dust cut visibility for drivers in some areas.

Electric utilities reported that a total of more than 120,000 customers lost power Monday night but that the vast majority saw power restored by Tuesday morning.

A senior housing facility operated by the city of Phoenix near downtown remained without power Tuesday, and firefighters helped staff move residents to the ground floor.

Portable generators and air conditioners were brought in to cool residents, including those who choose to stay at the facility and those preparing to be temporarily located to another facility, Fire Capt. Jake Van Hook said.

Power for some of the lights went out in Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, delaying the game between Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers for 21 minutes during the sixth inning. 

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




What started as blowing dust Monday night turned into the most severe monsoon storm to hit the Valley so far this summer.

Bursts of rain and damaging winds struck the Phoenix area around 6 p.m. Monday night, resulting in uprooted trees and felled power lines that left thousands of residents in the dark.

Fewer than 5,000 utility customers still remained without power early Tuesday afternoon. At the height of last night’s storm, about 100,000 customers were without power, reports from the Arizona Public Service Electric Co. and the Salt River Project show.

Winds speeds exceeded 70 mph in Glendale and Deer Valley, the National Weather Service said. Meanwhile, winds at Luke Air Force Base reached 69 miles per hour, and Scottsdale and east Mesa had winds over 50 mph.

More than 4,000 lightning strikes and 35,000 flashes sparked within the clouds at the storm's peak, the National Weather Service said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mark O'Malley said that amount of lightning isn't a record breaker, but it is more than what is seen during a typical monsoon storm.

Measurable rain fell over most of the Valley, data from the Maricopa Flood Control District show; outlying areas received the most precipitation. Nearly an inch of rain fell in Fountain Hills and north Scottsdale; about a quarter inch of rain fell in downtown Phoenix.


Crews from the Phoenix Fire Department on Tuesday continued to assist residents of a senior housing facility after it lost power Monday night.

The Washington Manor, near 11th and Monroe streets in downtown Phoenix, typically houses about 120 residents.

Captain Jake Van Hook of the Phoenix Fire Department said fire crews had taken three residents to hospitals: a 73-year-old woman with heat-related issues, a 74-year-old man with abdominal pain and a 64-year-old woman with difficulty breathing.

Firefighters began helping to relocate residents at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, Van Hook said. Crews carried people, some in wheelchairs, down flights of stairs to help get them to the ground floor.

Staff members at the facility have coordinated with the McDowell Place Senior Service Center near McDowell Road and State Route 51 to temporarily move residents there so they have access to food and air conditioning, Van Hook said.

As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Van Hook said 30 people were at the McDowell facility, 25 people were still at the Washington facility waiting to be transported, and 20 people were refusing to leave their homes.

Van Hook said fire officials are continuing to monitor those refusing to leave. Some other residents have also left on their own or have been picked up by family or friends, Van Hook said.

Phoenix Fire officials set up two portable generators and portable air conditioners to cool down those who are awaiting transportation to the McDowell senior center, Van Hook said. The equipment is part of the Phoenix Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team cache and CERT team members are on the scene.


Phoenix Fire Department crews assist residents of a senior housing facility that lost power during a monsoon storm July 30, 2018, and was still without electricity 18 hours later. (Photo: Phoenix Fire Department)
Storm chances for the days ahead

O'Malley said it's unlikely that another destructive storm will hit the Valley later this week.

There is less than a 10 percent chance of rain Tuesday in metropolitan Phoenix, with any potential storms staying north and east, O'Malley said.

The storm chances increase to 20 percent on Wednesday and Thursday.

The forecast high temperature is 108 degrees this week, with lows forecast to reach 81 degrees, the National Weather Service said. For an extended forecast, visit weather.azcentral.com.

A civilian employee, 64, of the NYPD was killed by a loose tire that came off a private sanitation vehicle and shuttered his Toyota RAV 4 vehicle windshield causing him to crash on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn

Tire flies off truck, kills NYPD employee on Gowanus Expressway


Traffic camera view of scene on Gowanus Expressway where a tire killed a NYPD worker



BAY RIDGE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A driver was killed when a tire struck his car on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn Wednesday morning.

The 64-year-old driver's vehicle was struck in the eastbound Gowanus Expressway, near exit 3, just after 6:40 a.m.

He was traveling in the HOV lane along the eastbound Gowanus Expressway when a tire came loose from a private sanitation vehicle, traveling westbound.

The tire struck and shattered the windshield of the Toyota RAV 4m, which then crashed into the divider.

The driver sustained severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.

The operator of the private sanitation vehicle truck remained at the scene. No charges were initially filed.

The victim was a civilian employee of the NYPD who works in building maintenance at Police Headquarters.

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




 
NBC.com
 
A 64-year-old NYPD employee died when a tire flew off a truck on the Gowanus Expressway and smashed into his windshield as he drove in the HOV lane, authorities said Wednesday.

The unidentified NYPD worker, a civilian member of the service, was traveling east near exit 3 around 6:30 a.m. when the tire somehow became unhinged from a westbound truck and flew to the opposite side of the highway, hitting the victim's RAV 4. The sudden impact drove the NYPD employee, whose exact role within the department wasn't immediately clear, into a barrier.

He sustained massive head trauma and was unresponsive when authorities arrived at the scene. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The RAV 4 also sustained heavy damage, authorities said.

The truck driver stayed at the scene. It's not clear if any charges were expected to be filed. The NYPD's District Collision Team is investigating.

The roadway was shut down in the area for a time as authorities investigated.

It's the second flying tire freak accident that killed someone in New York in less than a month. In early July, a man was driving on Sunrise Highway in East Babylon when a tire flew off another vehicle and hit him. That truck driver later came forward and was said to be cooperating with police.

Two workers were badly burned and seriously injured in explosion and fire at the Grand Compressor Station near Cisco, UT natural gas collection and compression facility near the San Arroyo Gas Plant north of I-70 in Grand County, Utah

Medical personnel load an injured man onto a helicopter Saturday to be airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital at exit 214 on Interstate 70 in Utah, after a natural gas explosion at a nearby collection facility. Two people suffered significant injuries, according to Lt. Beau Edic with the Lower Valley Fire Protection District.
Chancey Bush

Utah Gas Compressor Explosion Injures Two

Richard Nemec
July 31, 2018

An investigation is continuing into an explosion last Saturday that ripped through a natural gas compression facility in eastern Utah, injuring two workers and shutting down the plant.

The Grand Compressor Station near Cisco, UT, about 50 miles west of Grand Junction, CO, feeds supplies to the San Arroyo Gas Processing Plant.

As of late Monday an investigation was continuing into the incident, which included a fire at the station. Local fire protection district personnel and the Grand County, UT, Sheriff’s Department responded to the incident, which was about two miles north of Interstate Highway 70 and 12 miles west of the Utah-Colorado border.

According to Utah oil and gas records, the current owner/operator of the compressor station is Rockies Standard Oil Co. (Cisco Dome Right-of-Way), said a spokesperson in the Bureau of Land Management's Moab, UT, office.

The two male victims, whose identities were not released, were described as sustaining "significant injuries," and they were taken to a nearby hospital. 

 Running Foxes Petroleum, Incorporated (Running Foxes Petroleum), owner and
operator of the natural gas processing plant near Cisco, Grand County has
requested permission to add equipment. A pneumatic methanol pump will be
installed. The glycol dehydrator has been resized to 2,500,000 cubic feet per day
capacity and the attached re-boiler capacity is lower, 125,000 Btu/hr. The
composition of the supplied well gas has changed and PTE values have been
recalculated accordingly.

This remote Grand County compressor station consists of one 420 hp
compressor engine, one 245 hp compressor engine, one 57 hp power generator
engine, one gas dehydration unit, an inlet separation unit, two storage tanks, heat
exchange equipment including a pneumatic pump device, a thermal expansion
unit, a nitrogen rejection unit, and a flare device. The plant will process as much
as 2,500,000 cubic feet of natural gas per day to produce natural gas and natural
gas liquids. 


Running Foxes Petroleum Inc. engages in the drilling and development of natural gas and oil projects in the continental United States. The company primarily focuses on shallow conventional oil and gas, and unconventional shale oil and gas plays in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions. Its operations include the Cisco project located in Grand County, Utah; the Nemaha project consisting of the Livengood and Kizler fields located on the western side of the Forest City Basin; the Leavenworth project located in Leavenworth County, Kansas; and the Bourbon Arch project consisting of heavy to medium oil gravity and unconventional gas fields in Bourbon, Linn, and Vernon counties. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Centennial, Colorado.

UTAH

The Cisco Project, Grand County, Utah.

Production is from the Dakota, Cedar Mountain, Brushy Basin and Salt Wash interbedded channel sandstone reservoirs of Cretaceous Age from 1,000 to 2,000 feet. There are approximately 60 wells of which 15 are producing oil.
The Company recently re-perforated all 15 wells and saw production increase from 5 to 7 to 20 to 25 BOPD. The project was originally gas focused but since 2009 low prices have made it uneconomic. The reservoirs have up to darcy permeability, 20% to 28% porosity and are both structure and stratigraphically controlled. The Company is beginning the permitting to inject gas into several wells adjacent to producers. This secondary recovery method was attempted in the 1980s with limited success because of price but production increased about 15% over a 30 day period. The project is cash flow positive and the Company has identified up to 20 development locations.

 

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

CISCO, Utah — 

Two men were badly injured Saturday when an explosion occurred about 10 a.m. at a natural gas collection facility near a gas processing plant about 50 miles west of Grand Junction.


The two men, whose identities were not released, were "badly burned" and suffered "significant injuries" in the explosion at a natural gas compression station on the north side of Interstate 70.


The reason behind the explosion was still under investigation Saturday, local authorities said.


"We got called for a building that had exploded with multiple injuries," said Lower Valley Fire Protection District Lt. Beau Edic, whose department was first on the scene. "The parties actually removed themselves and drove to I-70, and we LifeFlighted both of them. They did have very significant injuries from the blast."


Three helicopters were dispatched to the Cisco exit on Interstate 70, where the two men were flown to St. Mary's Medical Center and the University of Utah Hospital. Utah Highway 128 was closed for several hours as the two men were transported out of the area.


The fire was still burning when Lower Valley personnel left the scene about noon, leaving the fire under the control of the Moab Valley Fire Protection District.


"It's a dangerous situation up there with everything they've got going," Edic said. "They've got air monitoring and everything, but they have to let it burn down before they can do any kind of suppression, so it's a lengthy process."


Grand County Sheriff's Deputy Jamison Wiggins said little is known about how the explosion occurred, but he said it was at a collection facility at or near the San Arroyo Gas Plant, which provides compression for natural gas from regional pipelines.


Compression is needed to keep natural gas flowing through pipelines.


He said an emergency valve to the facility was immediately shut off to prevent the fire from burning more gas or spreading to other parts of the plant.


An analysis of oil and gas infrastructure conducted by the Bureau of Land Management's Moab field office in 2005, the most recent report on the San Arroyo plant available, said pipelines there had been in place for 30 to 40 years, but that "it is likely that the equipment would need to be repaired or replaced during the next 15 years."


It is unknown if such repairs or replacements have taken place since that report was issued.


The majority of natural gas produced from fields in the nearby Book Cliffs is processed through the plant, according to the Bureau of Land Management.


The primary function of the plant is to provide gas compression, but it also strips some butane and methane from the natural gas that goes through it.


At the time of the 2005 analysis, the plant was operating at or near capacity.

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

July 28, 2018
Explosion near gas plant in Cisco, Utah seriously injures two

SENTINEL STAFF


Two people were injured in an explosion near a natural gas processing plant in Cisco, Utah, near Interstate 70 in the area of the Colorado-Utah state line.

Authorities with the Grand County (Utah) Sheriff's Office said two men were "badly burned" and suffered "significant injuries" as a result of an explosion this morning at a natural gas collection facility near a gas processing plant in the area.

A fire is still burning at the site of the explosion. The Lower Valley Fire Department was among those to first respond to the scene, and their crew continues to try to contain the fire along with other firefighting resources. The flow of natural gas in area pipelines has been shut off.

According to the Bureau of Land Management, the San Arroyo Gas Plant operates near Cisco, providing compression for gathering gas from regional pipelines.

Pipeline systems in the area of the explosion have been in place for 30 to 40 years, but "it is likely that the equipment would need to be repaired or replaced during the next 15 years," according to a 2005 BLM analysis.

Utah Highway 128 is closed near the exit to I-70.
===========================

GRAND COUNTY, Utah (News4Utah) – 

Two people were injured in fire at a gas facility around 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning says the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials say a call was received about an explosion at a gas facility at approximately 2 miles north of I-70 off the 214 Exit.

Lower Valley Emergency Services, Grand County Emergency Services, Moab Fire Department and Thompson Fire responded to the scene.


Two victims were transported by medical helicopters to hospitals in Utah and Colorado with unknown injuries authorities say.

The scene is still under investigation officials say. Gas has been shut off and the fire has been put out.

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




GRAND COUNTY, Utah — 

Two people were injured Saturday in an explosion at a gas collecting facility near the town of Cisco in Grand County.

According to a news release from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, the explosion happened at 10:13 a.m. at the facility off Interstate 70, about midway between Green River, Utah and Grand Junction, Colo.

Two victims were transported by medical helicopters to hospitals in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction.

Details on the severity of the injuries had not been released Saturday afternoon.

Gas has been shut off at the facility and the fire is out.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office will investigate the explosion and fire, but were waiting to get access to the facility Saturday afternoon.

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Monday, July 30, 201
gHale

Two people suffered injuries in fire at a Grand County, Utah, natural gas collection facility Saturday morning, officials said.

Grand County Sheriff’s Office got the call there was an explosion at a gas facility at approximately 2 miles north of I-70 off the 214 Exit in Grand County.


Two victims were transported by medical helicopters to hospitals in Utah and Colorado with unknown injuries, officials said.

“We had a report of two individuals that were hurt, we had three helicopters respond to the location,” said Grand County Sheriff’s Deputy Jamison Wiggins.

The condition of the injured is unknown, Wiggins said. One was transported by a medical helicopter to a hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. The other was flown to University Hospital in Salt Lake City.

“It’s an ongoing investigation at the plant right now as to what caused the explosion,” Wiggins said. “But it is a collection facility.”

Police have not released the name of the facility.

“It’s not a pumping station,” Wiggins said. “Usually the gas lines go to the station and then they collect gas.”


Wiggins said workers turned off the gas line shortly after the explosion at 10:15 a.m., but they have yet to go inside.

“There’s no visible flame anymore because they shut off the emergency valve,” he said.

A worker has been killed in a fall in from a tower of a building that is being demolished at Hanson Pipe and Precast at 2930 East Crescentville Road in West Chester Twp., Ohio

WEST CHESTER TWP. —

UPDATE @ 1:04 p.m. Aug. 1

The Butler County Coroner’s Office has identified the man who fell from a tower Tuesday morning and died as Terry L. Wogenstahl.


The 64-year-old Hamilton man was working on an East Crescentville Road building that was being demolished.

 
UPDATE @ 2:35 p.m. July 31

There are still scant details in the OSHA investigation into the death of a worker who fell from a tower this morning.

Ken Montgomery, area director for OSHA, said his office has a compliance officer on site to interview officials there. He said he has not yet been briefed on those interviews and did not have any information to release other than a fatality occurred to an employee of a private company.



======================== WEST CHESTER TWP., OHIO—

Federal safety officials continues to investigate the death of a worker in the demolition of an industrial site Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred when a worker fell from a tower of a building that is being demolished at Hanson Pipe and Precast at 2930 East Crescentville Road, according to Barb Wilson, township spokeswoman.

Emergency units were dispatched to the site at around 9:45 a.m. A West Chester Fire Department ambulance was called to the scene but drove away. Instead the Butler County Coroner’s Office responded.


Other agencies responding to the scene were the West Chester Police Department and Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Scant details into an investigation by the The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were available Tuesday afternoon. Ken Montgomery, area director for OSHA, told this news outlet his office had sent a compliance officer to the site to interview officials.

Montgomery said he had not yet been briefed on those interviews and did not have any information to release other than a fatality occurred to an employee of a private company.

Initial reports indicated the worker fell 80 feet but Montgomery and OSHA officials could not confirm how far the person fell.

This is third work-related death this month in Butler County.

On July 12, 60-year-old Ramon P. Rangel-Luna, of Cincinnati, was working as a rigger for a roofing project in the 300 block of Gates Road in Reily Twp. when he was electrocuted.

Rangel-Luna, who was working for Cincinnati-based Avendano Carpentry, had both hands on the load line and was electrocuted when the load line from the crane came in contact with an overhead power line, according to OSHA, which opened an investigation into the fatality.

On July 14, 67-year-old David E. Robertson, of Hamilton, was doing chimney work on a house in the 2300 block of Pleasant Avenue when he made contact with a power line, according to Hamilton police.

Robertson was found unresponsive and could not be revived by the Hamilton Fire Department.
==========================
OSHA investigating fatal fall from West Chester tower

Published: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 @ 10:18 AM
Updated: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 @ 2:35 PM
By: Lauren Pack, Nick Graham, Eric Schwartzberg - Staff Writer



Coroner on scene of industrial accident in West Chester




WEST CHESTER TWP., OHIO — UPDATE @ 2:35 p.m.

There are still scant details in the OSHA investigation into the death of a worker who fell from a tower this morning.

Ken Montgomery, area director for OSHA, said his office has a compliance officer on site to interview officials there. He said he has not yet been briefed on those interviews and did not have any information to release other than a fatality occurred to an employee of a private company.
Content Continues Below

Initial reports indicated the worker fell 80 feet but Montgomery, nor OSHA officials, could not confirm how far the person fell.

UPDATE @10:30 a.m.

A person has been killed in a fall in from a tower of a building that is being demolished at Hanson Pipe and Precast at 2930 East Crescentville Road, according to Barb Wilson, township spokeswoman.


A man fell 80 feet from a tower Tuesday morning and died, according to West Chester Twp. police. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF(Staff Writer)

An ambulance was called to the scene but drove away. The Butler County Coroner’s Office is in route the scene.

Police and firefighters are also at the scene. 
INITIAL REPORT

Emergency units are responding this morning to a report of person who reportedly fell at a site in West Chester Twp. that is being demolished.

Units were dispatched at about 9:45 a.m. to the 2900 block of East Crescentville Road. The person reportedly fell 80 feet.

We have a reporter heading to the scene.

A man fell 80 feet from a tower Tuesday morning and died, according to West Chester Twp. police. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF(Staff Writer)

A man fell 80 feet from a tower Tuesday morning and died, according to West Chester Twp. police. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF(Staff Writer)

Benjamin D. Coblentz, a Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania forestry and logging company, will pay $26,985 in civil money penalties after the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found violations of child labor provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Pennsylvania Logging Company Paying $26,985 in Penalties for Child Labor Violations


PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA - Benjamin D. Coblentz, a Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania forestry and logging company, will pay $26,985 in civil money penalties after the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found violations of child labor provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) during an investigation of a serious injury sustained by an employee under the age of 16.

WHD investigators found that Benjamin D. Coblentz - doing business as Coblentz Custom Sawing - employed two minors under the age of 16 in violation of the FLSA's child labor requirements, which, with very few exceptions, prohibit performance of all occupations in a sawmill by workers less than 18 years old. WHD also found the company willfully violated FLSA requirements when it employed one of the minors specifically to operate a wood saw. This minor suffered a deep cut on his arm while operating the saw, requiring hospitalization.

WHD also cited the company for its failure to maintain records of the dates of birth for the two minors and for failing to display a FLSA poster, as required.

"This injury didn't have to happen," said Wage and Hour Division District Office Director John DuMont, in Pittsburgh. "Child labor laws exist to strike a balance between providing meaningful work experience for young people, and keeping them safe on the job. The Wage and Hour Division remains committed to providing employers the tools they need to understand their responsibilities."

The FLSA prohibits minors from working in occupations declared hazardous by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, including, in most instances, all occupations in forestry service, logging and sawmilling operations.

Employees and employers can get more information about federal wage laws administered by the Division by calling the agency's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employees can also file complaints confidentially. More information also is available online at https://www.dol.gov/whd.

U.S. District Court Orders Macuil's Tire And Service Center LLC and owner Sergio Macuil to Pay $76,648 in Back Wages and Damages After U.S. Department of Labor Investigation

U.S. District Court Orders Little Rock Tire Shop to Pay $76,648 in Back Wages and Damages After U.S. Department of Labor Investigation

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas has ordered Macuil's Tire And Service Center LLC and owner Sergio Macuil to pay $76,648 in back wages and liquidated damages to 12 employees for willful violations of the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer was also assessed a $14,160 civil penalty.

The action follows the company's failure to respond to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor after its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigated the company's pay practices. In its order, the court also found the company violated the FLSA's recordkeeping provisions, and granted a permanent injunction prohibiting future violations of the FLSA.

WHD investigators determined that the company and Macuil willfully failed to pay overtime to 12 technicians at its four Little Rock locations. When employees worked more than 40 hours in a workweek, the company failed to pay overtime and instead compensated them at their regular rates of pay. The company also failed to keep required records of hours worked and weekly earnings.

"All employees are entitled to receive the wages they have earned," said Little Rock Wage and Hour Division District Director Hanz Grünauer. "The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to stopping willful violations of the FLSA and to providing employers the tools they need to comply with the law."

The Department offers numerous resources to ensure employers have the tools they need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with federal law, such as online videos, confidential calls, or in-person visits to local WHD offices.

Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at www.dol.gov/whd including a search tool for workers who may be owed back wages collected by WHD.