Debra Muse, 63, of Wallingford in Fleming County sentenced to five years in prison as part an investigation into pervasive and severe $6 million crop insurance fraud

 Debra Muse (left), 63, of Wallingford in Fleming County sentenced to five years in prison as part an investigation into pervasive and severe $6 million crop insurance fraud

Agent is first sentenced for ‘pervasive and severe’ $6 million crop insurance fraud


By Greg Kocher

gkocher1@herald-leader.com

September 11, 2018

Updated 4 hours 32 minutes ago

A crop insurance agent whose actions defrauded taxpayers of nearly $6 million was sentenced Tuesday to five years in federal prison.

Debra Muse, 63, of Wallingford in Fleming County was the first defendant to be sentenced as part an investigation into crop insurance fraud. She pleaded guilty in April to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making a false statement and report.

The initial indictment said the loss amounted to $169,000 but court documents filed in advance of the sentencing said Muse “churned out” fake documents and reports to cause the government to pay out $5,917,515 in crop insurance indemnity payments “to producers who did not deserve that money” over the course of 2013 and 2014.

During sentencing, a federal judge considers not only the specific acts for which a defendant is convicted but also considers the scope of behavior involved.

“This investigation has revealed that the abuse of the crop insurance program is pervasive and severe,” a government sentencing memorandum said. “Like any government benefit program, people find a way to abuse and unjustly benefit from the system designed to help those that need it.”

Muse, who must report to prison on Oct. 1, was ordered to pay $1.6 million in restitution. She had no comment after the sentencing.

In addition to working as a crop insurance agent, Muse was employed as a seasonal worker at Clay’s Tobacco Warehouse in Mount Sterling.

For the warehouse, Muse entered information into a software program that tracked the purchases, sales and shipments of tobacco. The government says Muse created false sales bills, shipping reports and tobacco grade reports used in filing fraudulent claims.

As a crop insurance agent, Muse obtained policies for her client farmers. Those farmers, with help from Muse, filed false claims that defrauded the government of $1,656,276. But the government said Muse also helped farmers on insurance claims sold by other agents in the crop years 2013 and 2014. Those claims totaled $4,261,239, the government says.

Co-conspiring farmers profited under the scheme because they were paid twice for each pound of tobacco: once through the false crop insurance claim and also through the sale of unreported, hidden tobacco.

Muse profited by collecting the original insurance commission, by retaining and expanding the business of her crop insurance clients, and by securing business for the tobacco warehouse. Her commissions rose from more than $40,000 in 2013 to $56,879 in 2014, according to testimony during a two-day sentencing hearing.

Six Central Kentucky farmers have been indicted in three other fraud cases pending in federal court in Lexington. Other farmers who have not been indicted are in negotiations to reach a settlement in which they agree to pay damages to the government. One farmer who has already reached a civil settlement with the government is Brandon Overley, Muse’s son-in-law, according to a court record.

The investigation into Clay’s Tobacco Warehouse became public in December 2015 when federal agents raided the Mount Sterling business. Nevertheless, Muse created one false document in January 2016, after the warehouse had already been searched.

“She continued to break the law,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Anderson.

Investigators said some of the warehouse records were obviously falsified to the point of being comical. For example, one customer’s name was listed as “Go Cats.”

But U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood interrupted to say from the bench, “I guarantee you, somewhere in Eastern Kentucky there’s somebody named Go Cats.”

Defense attorney John Helmuth had objected to the calculations for the loss amount. Helmuth argued that others had access to a computer at the warehouse and others could have falsified records.

Hood didn’t buy that argument. “She (Muse) used her skills to run this deal. She used her computer skills to do this,” Hood said.

ANOTHER BACKOVER DEATH: 53-year-old Scott Allen Olewski died from blunt force trauma after he was struck by a truck backing up at Bay Valley Foods in North East, PA

53-year-old Scott Allen Olewski died from blunt force trauma after he was struck by a backing up truck

 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018


North East, PA



Federal safety investigators continue to look into what led to the death of an east county man killed in a workplace accident.

Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook has ruled that 53-year-old Scott Olewski died from blunt force trauma. Olewski was working in the loading dock at Bay Valley Foods in North East when he was struck by a truck backing up.

Olewski was wearing work headphones at the time. Safety inspectors from the occupational safety and health administration are reviewing the case along with State Police.

Bay Valley Foods is a leading provider of private label foods and food service goods in North America.

Look closely the next time you visit a grocery store or happen into a restaurant kitchen. Most likely, you’ll see our products there. We’re Bay Valley Foods, a leading provider of shelf stable foods, including pickles, relish, non-dairy coffee creamers, salad dressings, marinades and BBQ sauces, cheese sauces, puddings, aseptic broths & stocks, salsa and picante, and special sauces. Our customers rely on us for quality private label products, strong regional brands and reliable foodservice products and shelf stable foods. 

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


By Tim Hahn

September 2, 2018

The man was pronounced dead on Friday night. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

NORTH EAST, PA — 

The Pennsylvania State Police and the Erie County Coroner’s Office are investigating the death of an Erie man who was killed in a workplace accident at a North East Township business on Friday.

The 53-year-old man, whose name has not been released, died after he was hit by a truck while working around a loading dock at Bay Valley Foods, Erie County Deputy Coroner John Maloney said Sunday. Bay Valley Foods is located on Parkway Drive, off Loomis Street east of North East Borough.

Emergency responders were called to the business after the incident was reported on Friday at 5:45 p.m., according to East Erie County Emergency Communications. Maloney said he pronounced the man dead at the scene at 7:02 p.m. Friday. An autopsy will be performed on Tuesday, he said.

State police in Lawrence Park Township confirmed on Sunday that they are investigating the incident but did not release any other information.

A spokesman for Bay Valley Foods parent company TreeHouse Foods Inc. on Sunday confirmed the incident and expressed sympathy to the man’s family. He said the company is working with the authorities in their investigation.

Michael Don Tuntland, 66, an employee of Barney’s Sooper Markets in Spokane, Washington, was coming down a ladder, missed a rung and fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Michael Tuntland, an employee of Barney’s Sooper Markets in Spokane, Washington,  was coming down a ladder, missed a rung and fell.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Michael Don Tuntland, 62

Michael Don Tuntland, 62, passed away far too soon on Monday, Sept. 3, 2018, at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. Mike was born to Donald Tuntland and Beverly (Wendlandt) Hanks in Spokane on Nov. 3, 1955, after the birth of his older brother, Ken and before his younger brother, Jon. Mike’s first chapter of life was full of him and his brothers raising hell, constantly doing everything they could to keep their mother on her toes and living a youthful Idaho life to its fullest.

Mike married Kelly Corey in 1981 (amicably ending in 2003), and two years later began his second great chapter in life — and what he would consider his most important — fatherhood. His daughters, Lindsey and Brianna (“Bri”), were born in 1983, followed by his youngest, Kristina (“Kristi”), in 1986. From his daughters’ first breaths until his last, Mike gave every ounce of his heart to his kids. His daughters lived a childhood with a remarkable father who unconditionally stood in their corner and supported them through the good, the bad and the unknown.

As his daughters grew older, he returned to one of his greatest passions — riding his motorcycle. He felt a harmony on two wheels that gave him endless joy in the rare times that he wasn’t working, with his family, reading a great book, or simply giving his time to anyone who needed a helping hand.

One by one his daughters married (Lindsey to Eli Neidig, Brianna to Beau LaTourette and Kristi to Graham Hanson), and then the third and most precious chapter of his life began — grandparenthood. Over the course of five years Mike had six granddaughters: Tenley (7), Mia (6), Sloane (5), Sienna (3), Molly (2) and Camryn (2). The light in Mike’s eyes when he saw his grandkids could only be rivaled by the love and laughter those girls showed him when he pulled up on his motorcycle, wrestled them to the ground, gave them mustache kisses, or rocked them to sleep to the sound of classic rock. The man who likened himself to a rough, beer-drinking, motorcycle riding, tattoo-sporting (a flower for every granddaughter), gun-loving, rock and roll-blaring Idaho good ol’ boy was completely melted by the smiles and love of the daughters and granddaughters that made his life whole. Though far too premature, Mike’s life ended just as he would have wanted, surrounded by the daughters that gave him his life’s absolute joy.

In his usual selfless manner Mike didn’t want services on his behalf. Instead, his family will be hosting a celebration of life at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, at the Fort Ground Grill. The family asks only for you to bring a story about Mike that will help honor the life and legacy he leaves behind.

Mike was preceded in death by his father, Donald Tuntland and his infant nephew, Barney Tuntland.

It appears that Tuntland was more than employee.  His father built the Barney's Sooper Market chain, now known as Barney's Harvest Foods.

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


Donald E. TUNTLAND
Obituary



 
TUNTLAND, Donald E. Passed away on May 11, 2013 in Lewiston, ID. He was born on August 18, 1931 to Barney and Elvina Tuntland in Shields, ND. He spent his childhood in Montana before moving to Spokane in 1942. Donald graduated from West Valley High School in 1949 and attended WSU. 

He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951 and after his discharge from the service he returned to Spokane. He joined his father in the grocery business and went on to build the Barney's Sooper Market chain, now known as Barney's Harvest Foods. He retired from the company in 1990. 

Donald served as a board member for URM Stores, Inc. for 24 years. He moved to Lewiston ID in 1975. He started a furniture manufacturing company, Contempo in Clarkston, WA, which he operated with his wife Sandra. He later sold the company in 2009 and retired full time. 

Donald is survived by his wife of 28 years, Sandra of Julietta, ID; sons, Ken, Mike and Jon all of Post Falls, ID; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Richard and his great-grandson, Benjamin Michael. The Tuntland family will have a celebration of Donald's life on Saturday, June 22nd at the Quality Inn, 700 Port Ave. in Clarkston, WA at 2:00 PM. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.

MENTALLY ILL POLICE OFFICERS ARE POLICING THE STREETS: An on-duty Chicago police officer, 47-year-old sergeant, Steven Bechina, fatally shot himself on the Near West Side.

On-duty CPD officer kills self while sitting in vehicle on Near West Side 


Bechina’s apparent suicide comes months after another police officer, a 36-year-old man, shot himself in a patrol car with his service weapon. The officer killed himself after “battling personal hardships,” Guglielmi tweeted in July.

By Tom Schuba


An on-duty Chicago police officer fatally shot himself Monday afternoon on the Near West Side.

The 47-year-old officer, Steven Bechina, was found unresponsive inside his vehicle in the first block of North Desplaines, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead, police said.

An autopsy Tuesday found Bechina died of his wound and his death was ruled a suicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Bechina was a sergeant in the Chicago Police Department’s Mass Transit Unit, police said.

“Our hearts are heavy and deepest condolences are with his family and fellow officers tonight,” Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted.


He is survived by his wife, Lori; his children, Marty and Luke; his mother, Noreen; his sister, Kim (Jim) Galbraith; and his many nieces, nephews, friends and young athletes he coached.
============================


A police sergeant in Chicago fatally shot himself in a squad car while working on Labor Day, officials said.

Steven Bechina, 47, was found unresponsive in his vehicle by fellow officers Monday afternoon in the city’s West Loop. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but was later pronounced dead, the Chicago Sun-Times reports, citing police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Anthony Guglielmi, a police department spokesman, confirmed the officer’s death Monday on Twitter.

“Devastating news as an on duty #ChicagoPolice officer has taken his own life this evening,” Guglielmi wrote. “Our hearts are heavy and deepest condolences are with his family and fellow officers tonight.”

There’s no indication that anything job-related — such as a call for service or an encounter with a citizen — played a role in Bechina’s death. The officer used his own service weapon in the shooting, Guglielmi told The Post early Tuesday.

Bechina’s apparent suicide comes months after another police officer, a 36-year-old man, shot himself in a patrol car with his service weapon. The officer killed himself after “battling personal hardships,” Guglielmi tweeted in July.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and certainly his police family,” Guglielmi told the Chicago Tribune at the time. “We know they’re very affected. The superintendent talked to those folks today. It’s very difficult for us and we’ve made awareness about suicide a priority because we know we’re one of the departments with the highest rates of suicide.”

Chicago, CPD Police Officer Steve Bechina Commits Suicide By Fatally Shooting Himself In Squad Car On Labour Day In Downtown Chicago

The father of three reportedly shot himself in a squard car as American marks 2018 Labor Day on Monday the 3rd of September 2018.

47-year-old Steve whose lifeless body was found by a fellow officer was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead moments later.

Steve’s apparent suicide comes months after another officer fatal shot himself in a patrol car with his service weapon after struggling with untold hardships.

66-year-old truck driver Rickey Amos Pilkington killed by falling pipe while unloading shipment of steel pipes at Vulcan Painters in Bessemer, AL

66-year-old truck driver Rickey Amos Pilkington killed by falling pipe while unloading shipment of steel pipes at Vulcan Painters in Bessemer, AL

The accident happened at Vulcan Painters in Bessemer on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018.
 


66-year-old truck driver killed by falling pipe while unloading shipment
September 6, 2018



By Carol Robinson

crobinson@al.com


A 66-year-old northern Jefferson County man was killed in an industrial accident in Bessemer.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Rickey Amos Pilkington. He lived in Morris.

Pilkington, authorities said, was a truck driver. On Wednesday morning, he picked up a load of pipe from U.S. Pipe in Bessemer and delivered it to Vulcan Painters on Woodward Road, also in Bessemer.

As Pilkington prepared to unload the shipment, the top row came crashing down on him. He was struck by the falling load, and pronounced dead on the scene at 8:57 a.m.

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

66-year-old truck driver Rickey Amos Pilkington killed by falling pipe while unloading shipment of steel pipes at Vulcan Painters in Bessemer, AL

Rickey Amos Pilkington passed away after a tragic accident on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at age 66. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Sharon Pilkington; one son, Rickey Allen Pilkington; one brother, Ralph (Marilyn) Cotton; one sister, Shelby Creel; sister-in-law, Cathy Cotton; and a host of extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gordy and Louise Pilkington; two brothers, Marvin Cotton and Ronnie Brasher; and one sister, Carolyn Wilson. He proudly served his country in the US Marine Corps. Rickey worked as a truck driver for many years. Visitation will be Sunday, September 9, 2018 from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at The New Gardendale Funeral Home. The funeral will follow at 2:00 p.m. with burial at Liberty Minter Cemetery.

Two Navy fighter jets were damaged during an aerial refueling exercise off the coast of Virginia late last month, including an F-35C participating in its first round of operational tests aboard an aircraft carrier.

Navy's F-35C Suffers 1st Major Mishap, Costing Millions in Damages
     

An F-35C Lightning II attached to the Argonauts of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 approaches the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel E. Gheesling)
Military.com 6 Sep 2018 By Gina Harkins

Two Navy fighter jets were damaged during an aerial refueling exercise off the coast of Virginia late last month, including an F-35C participating in its first round of operational tests aboard an aircraft carrier.

The F-35C was receiving fuel from an F/A-18F Super Hornet off the coast of Virginia on Aug. 23 when debris from an aerial-refueling basket was ingested into the Joint Strike Fighter jet's engine intake, said Lt. Travis Callaghan, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces.

The mishap led to engine damage for the F-35C, assigned to the California-based "Rough Riders" with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125. While rare, Callahan said parts of refueling baskets being sucked into an engine's intake are the most common form of non-bird foreign object or debris strikes in the Navy's tactical aviation fleet.

USNI News first reported the mishap.

The incident marked the first Class-A mishap for the Navy's carrier variant of the F-35, which means the aircraft suffered at least $2 million in damages. Damages to the Super Hornet are still being assessed, Callahan said, but it's currently classified as a Class-C mishap, putting estimated damages between $50,000 and $500,000.

One day earlier, an Air Force F-35A pilot from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida encountered an in-flight emergency. When the pilot turned back to return to base, the aircraft's nose gear collapsed following a safe landing.

There were no injuries reported in either aircraft and both landed safely. The F-35C returned to the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and the F/A-18F to Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, where it is based with the "Jolly Rogers" of VFA-103.

The incident remains under investigation, Callahan said.

About a half dozen F-35C Lightning II aircraft have been operating aboard the Lincoln for the last month. It's part of the new joint strike fighter's operational tests. The Navy's F-35 variant, designed specifically for taking off and landing on aircraft carriers, is expected to reach initial-operational capability in February

https://www.military.com/defensetech/2018/09/06/navys-f-35c-suffers-1st-major-mishap-suffering-millions-damages.html

WARRIOR WINGS CLIPPED, YET ANOTHER TIME: The two pilots were injured but in stable condition after they crashed and totaled their T-38C Talon II trainer aircraft at the Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas

THESE ICARUSES ARE NOT READY TO FLY YET

A T-38C Talon II trainer aircraft crashed after it departed the runway before taking off from Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, Tuesday morning, the base said in a release.

The two pilots of the T-38 ejected from the aircraft and were taken to local medical centers, Sheppard said. Their condition is stable.

The plane, from the 80th Flying Training Wing, crashed at about 10:13 a.m. local time at the Sheppard air field, the release said. Emergency crews are responding to the crash and an investigation into its causes has begun.

One pilot was taken to United Regional Medical Center in Wichita Falls, and the other was taken to the clinic at Sheppard.

In addition to training U.S. pilots, the 80th Flying Training Wing teaches the fighter pilots of 14 NATO allies as part of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. This program trains half of the Air Force’s fighter pilots and conducts all fighter pilot training for NATO allies Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Norway, the 80th’s website said.

There have been several T-38 crashes in recent months.

A Talon II from Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma crashed Aug. 17, but the pilot ejected safely and was not seriously injured.

However, a T-38 crash near Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas last November killed one of the two pilots. That accident was caused by a dual failure of the trainer’s troubled airframe-mounted gearboxes, according to a report released last month. The accident investigation board also said the pilots became distracted during checklist procedures, which led to one pilot’s ejection seat not being armed, which contributed directly to his death.

Narrative:
The aircraft impacted airport terrain during a takeoff attempt at Sheppard Air Force Base/Wichita Falls Municipal Airport (KSPS),Wichita Falls, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the two pilots onboard survived ejection with unspecified injuries.

Sources:
https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/local-news/aircraft-incident-reported-at-sheppard-air-force-base/1434189627
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/09/11/t-38-crashes-at-sheppard-pilots-stable-after-ejecting/

Date: 11-SEP-2018
Time: 10:20
Type:
Northrop T-38 Talon II
Owner/operator: USAF (United States Air Force)
Registration:

C/n / msn:

Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Location: Sheppard AFB/Wichita Falls Municipal Airport (KSPS),Wichita Falls, TX - United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Sheppard AFB (KSPS)
Destination airport:

Truck driver Scott M. Swartz, 35, from Eau Claire working for Mack Priority Transport was killed after his USPS-cotracted truck was struck by a Norfolk Southern train at the railroad crossing at Hogarth Street in Eau Claire, Wisc.

Officials might never know why the driver of a mail-hauling truck failed to stop for a Union Pacific Railroad train Wednesday morning.

But the motorist, driving a truck for Mack Priority Transport, attempted to cross railroad tracks at Hogarth Street, northwest of Business U.S. 53, a portion of the city of Eau Claire in Chippewa County.

The eastbound vehicle was struck by the lead locomotive of a mainly empty northeast-bound train, and the driver, identified by police as an adult male, was killed, said Jeff DeGraff, a spokesman for Union Pacific, which also owns the tracks. No Union Pacific employees were injured.

“It’s difficult to understand how it happened,” DeGraff said. “Did the driver not see the train? Was (the motorist) looking down or distracted? We might never know.”

DeGraff and Eau Claire police spokeswoman Bridget Coit remind motorists to use care at rail crossings.

“We ask that you continually be diligent when driving and pay attention,” Coit said.

“If you’re driving and you’re coming up to a railroad crossing — and they are all marked in some form or another — always expect that there is going to be a train,” DeGraff said. “Then, slow down and look in both directions.

“If there is a train approaching, once the lights start flashing — (if there are lights at the crossing), that’s not a warning. That is an actual stop sign.”

DeGraff offered the following additional advice:

• If there is a white stripe on the road before the tracks, stop there. Trains can overhang the width of the tracks by up to 6 feet.

• If the crossing has gates, don’t try to go around them. If there are no gates, don’t try to beat the train.

“Sometimes, it can be deceptive how fast the train is moving,” said DeGraff, noting that a fully loaded freight train traveling at 55 mph can take up to a mile to stop. “Regardless of how fast a train is traveling, it isn’t going to stop on a dime.”

The collision, reported to the Eau Claire Police and Fire departments at 5:59 a.m., dragged the truck along the west side of the tracks, and by the time the freight train was able to stop, its four locomotives and 128 cars blocked crossings at Hogarth, Melby Street and Delbert Road.

The crossings at Melby and Delbert, west of Business U.S. 53, were reopened at about 10 a.m., according to Eau Claire police. Hogarth Street reopened around 1 p.m.

Mack Priority Transport is contracted to haul mail for the U.S. Postal Service, which has a facility on Hogarth Street. The truck involved in the collision was carrying mail and packages and serviced routes or post office boxes in Independence, Osseo, Pigeon Falls and Whitehall, according to a U.S. Postal Service statement.

“Those deliveries will be delayed until the investigation is complete, and mail is released to USPS,” the statement said.

Between 2007 and 2017, there were 546 accidents involving trains with 38 fatalities in Wisconsin, DeGraff said.

If a train is coming, “it might take one minute, two minutes for the train to go through,” he said. “Go ahead, be patient and wait for the train to go through. Your life is worth the wait.”

The Eau Claire Police Department, with the assistance of the Wisconsin State Patrol, is continuing to investigate the crash. Union Pacific Railroad also is investigating the incident.



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

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU)-- 

Police have released the name of the truck driver killed in a crash with a train.
 
It happened at the railroad crossing at Hogarth Street Wednesday.

Eau Claire Police identified the driver Friday as Scott Swartz from Eau Claire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Swartz was driving a truck that was contracted by the U.S. Postal Service through Mack Priority Transport. He was on his way to deliver mail and packages to more than 500 P.O. boxes south of Eau Claire when the crash happened.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash and are asking anyone who witnessed it to call their dispatch center at (715) 839-4972. 
============================




EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) -- As investigators worked to clean up the scene on Eau Claire’s far north side Wednesday, U.S. Postal Service employees collected mail which was delayed because of the crash, which killed one person. 

 
The truck was contracted through Mack Priority Transport and was en route to delivering mail and packages to more than 500 P.O. boxes south of Eau Claire.

"It's significant enough to where, you know, a lot of people are sitting there waiting on important things,” Kristy Anderson, a strategic communications specialist for the U.S. Postal Service, said to WEAU 13 News on Wednesday. “So, we want to make sure that they get it as soon as they can. So, we always try and pull through to do stuff like that for our customers because that's our job."

Delays in mail delivery were seen in areas including osseo, whitehall, independence or pigeon falls.

Anderson said the person killed was male, was the driver of the truck, and the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash. She also said next-of-kin had been notified.

The crash happened at a railroad crossing at Hogarth St., which calls for drivers to yield as they approach the tracks.

"It's important that we're paying attention to all signs ... and especially at railroad crossings,” Officer Bridget Coit, with the Eau Claire Police Department, said to WEAU 13 News on Wednesday. “You know, they're marked. They're marked as a railroad crossing and a lot of people that pass in that area do so on a frequent basis. So, it's just very important that we don't get complacent and that we pay attention continuously to what's going around us."

Coit said ECPD is still trying to find witnesses to the crash to help with the investigation. If you know anything about the crash, you're asked to contact the dispatch center at (715) 839-4972.

While the cause of the crash remains unclear, Anderson said safety remains a high concern for the U.S. Postal Service.

"We have an obligation to our community and our customers as well to ensure that we do carry on and we still have a plan,” she said. “Just like everything else, unfortunately, we need to get everyone else taken care of as well and we know that's what our employees and contractors that work with us would want that it carries on."

An official with the U.S. Postal Service confirms one person was killed in Wednesday morning’s crash involving a USPS contracted mail-hauling truck and a train.

The official said the male driver of the truck was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash and that next-of-kin have been notified.

The United States Postal Service says one of their trucks was the vehicle involved in the train crash at the intersection of Business 53 and Hogarth Street.

USPS is telling customers that mail will be delayed in Osseo, Whitehall, Independence and Pigeon Falls. The truck contained mail and packages which serviced four routes and 200 PO Boxes in Osseo, WI; two routes and 150 PO Boxes in Whitehall, WI; two routes and 75 PO Boxes in Independence, WI; and 100 PO Boxes in Pigeon Falls, WI.

Specific delivery addresses are unknown at this time.

Eau Claire Police say Melby and Highway 53 are now back open following the crash.




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



Scott M. Swartz, 35, of Eau Claire passed away on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 as a result of a vehicle accident.

He was born August 30, 1983 in Chippewa Falls, the son of Louie and Judy (Bohl) Swartz.

Scott attended St. Peter’s Elementary School in Tilden and graduated from McDonell Central High School in 2002.

He was employed by Mac Trucking and was a member of Jacob’s Well.

Scott is survived by his parents; grandmother, Mary Jane Bohl; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, William Bohl, and Elmer and Angeline Swartz.

Scott proudly shared his birthday with his dad, grandpa and cousin.

Scott grew up playing hockey and baseball and later coached baseball. He remained a big fan of baseball, hockey and football.

Scott always had a smile on his face. He will always be remembered for having a loud infectious laugh that made everyone laugh with him.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, September 10 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Tilden. Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Gorman will be celebrant of the funeral Mass. Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Friends may call from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 9 and from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Monday at the Horan Funeral Home in Chippewa Falls. There will be a Christian vigil service at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home.

Family and friends may express condolences online at www.horanfuneralhome.com


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



Car hits train at Woodburn crossing, neighbors say "pay attention"

By: WANE Staff Reports

Posted: Sep 06, 2018 03:09 PM EDT


WOODBURN, Ind. (WANE) - 

A vehicle crashed into a train and ended up on its top along Woodburn Road Thursday afternoon.

Around 2 p.m., emergency responders were called to Woodburn Road near Sampson Road. There, dispatchers told WANE 15 a westbound vehicle struck a train.

At the scene, a vehicle could be seen sitting on its top to the south of Woodburn Road.

Dispatchers said the driver of the vehicle suffered only minor injuries.

It's not clear yet how the crash happened.

The crossing does not have signals or arms, only a yield sign and typical railroad crossing signs.

The Norfolk Southern train had seven cars. The train was used to pull the vehicle back onto the roadway.

People who live in the area don't see crashed like this often. Michael Voors has lived in his house just a matter of yards away from the crossing for 40 years. He says wrecks at that crossing happen "maybe once every t wo or three years."

Trains can only go ten miles an hour through the crossing, but cars can go 55 miles an hour with only a yield sign to slow them down, but Voors said that should not be an excuse for people not to pay attention.

"Personally I think that's sufficient," Voors said. "If you're driving, you have to pay attention to what you're doing. Part of the responsibility of driving that vehicle is to pay attention as to where you are and what's going on around you."

A firefighter who has been with the Woodburn Fire Department for 11 years, said this was the first train versus car accident he has responded in the area.

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The train crossing on Eau Claire’s north side where the driver of a mail-hauling truck was killed when a train struck his vehicle Wednesday morning was reviewed by state officials in recent years but was not scheduled to receive upgrades to make it safer, officials said.

However, the fatality now will prompt a review of the crossing, action that could result in improvements such as more signage and a crossing gate, an official with the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads said.


“Any time there is an accident at a site, especially a fatality, we would take another look at the safety of that location,” said Heather Graves, a public policy analyst with the state railroads oversight organization.

Authorities on Friday identified the driver of the mail truck as Scott Swartz, 35, of Eau Claire. No Union Pacific employees were injured in the incident, said Jeff DeGraff, a company spokesman.

DeGraff said how the crash happened remains uncertain. Swartz was an employee of Mack Priority Transport, which hauls mail for the U.S. Postal Service and has a facility on Hogarth Street.

Seven train crossings of Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties, including the Hogarth Street crossing, were studied in 2016 and 2017 for possible safety upgrades. Of those, five are scheduled to be addressed by the end of 2019.

In Eau Claire, crossings at Starr Avenue, Melby Street and Eddy Lane are to receive safety equipment improvements. Likewise, crossings at Pumphouse Road and Main Street in Chippewa Falls will receive updates to reduce the chance of accidents there.

Besides the Hogarth Street crossing, crossing improvements are not scheduled for 40th Street in Lake Hallie.

Eau Claire Councilwoman Emily Berge said safety upgrades at those crossings are needed. Many of her constituents in District 1, which is on Eau Claire’s north side, have expressed concerns about railroad crossing safety, she said.

“Definitely this is a step in the right direction,” Berge said.

An inspection of the Hogarth location in April 2016 recommended improved warning equipment at the Hogarth Street crossing, records show. However, after further study the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads decided current warning apparatus at the site was adequate.

The crossing is marked by yield and railroad crossing signs. No train-vehicle accidents have happened there since 1973.

Sight lines allow motorists to see oncoming trains for a safe distance, inspection records show, and traffic, measured at about 450 vehicles per day there is less than at many other crossings.

“The analysis of that crossing showed it did not meet the specifications required to make improvements there,” city engineer Dave Solberg said.

Whether that decision changes remains to be seen, Graves said. Her office has not received reports detailing the train’s collision with the mail truck, she said.

“We will review this again and then decide if any improvements at the Hogarth site would be made,” she said.

Berge has met with Solberg to discuss train crossing safety, an issue which likely will gain increased attention in the wake of Wednesday’s collision, she said.

“This is something that is on the city’s radar,” Berge said. “I have been working with city staff to make these improvements, and then this unfortunate event happened. We need to make it so it doesn’t happen.”

Effective 8 a.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) set port condition X-ray for the Port of Charleston and all other terminals and facilities due to the expectation of sustained gale force winds generated by Hurricane Florence that may arrive within 48 hours.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — 

Effective 8 a.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) set port condition X-ray for the Port of Charleston and all other terminals and facilities due to the expectation of sustained gale force winds generated by Hurricane Florence that may arrive within 48 hours.
 
These ports and facilities are currently open to all commercial traffic and all transfer operations may continue while X-ray remains in effect.

Sustained winds between 39 and 54 mph are possible within 48 hours. Mariners are reminded there are no safe havens in these facilities, and ports are safest when the inventory of vessels is at a minimum. All ocean-going commercial vessels and ocean-going barges greater than 500 gross tons should make plans for departing the port.

Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Commercial vessel operators authorized by the COTP to remain inside Sector Charleston’s harbors, and recreational boat owners, should ensure their vessels are secure at berth and will not pose a hazard to surrounding vessels, the navigable channel, or the environment. 

Mariners are reminded that drawbridges may not operate when sustained wind speeds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress. Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be operating if sustained winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress. Port facilities are advised to review their heavy weather plans and take all necessary precautions to adequately prepare for the expected conditions. Mariners can view the latest port updates on the Coast Guard’s Homeport site.

If and when port condition Yankee is set, meaning sustained gale force winds are expected within 24 hours, vessel movement shall be restricted, and all movements must be approved by the respective COTP.

The Coast Guard is warning the public of these important safety messages:

• Stay off the water. The Coast Guard’s search and rescue capabilities degrade as storm conditions strengthen. This means help could be delayed. Boaters should heed weather watches, warnings and small craft advisories.
  Evacuate as necessary. If mandatory evacuations are set for an area, the public should evacuate without delay. Coast Guard personnel and other emergency responders may not be able to evacuate or rescue those in danger during the storm.
• Secure belongings. Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less vulnerable to breaking free of their moorings or to sustaining damage. Trailer-able boats should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Remove all loose items including EPIRBS. These devices often float free from vessels in marinas or at docks during hurricanes and signal a distress when there is none. Ensure life rings, lifejackets and small boats are secured. These items, if not properly secured, can break free and require valuable search and rescue resources be diverted to ensure people are not in distress.
• Stay clear of beaches. Wave heights and currents typically increase before a storm makes landfall. Even the best swimmers can fall victim to the strong waves and rip currents caused by hurricanes. Swimmers should stay clear of beaches until local lifeguards and law enforcement officials say the water is safe.
• Be prepared. Area residents should be prepared by developing a family plan, creating a disaster supply kit, having a place to go, securing their home and having a plan for pets. Information can be found at the National Hurricane Center’s webpage.
• Stay informed. The public should monitor the progress and strength of the storm through local television, radio and Internet. Boaters can monitor its progress on VHF radio channel 16. Information can also be obtained on small craft advisories and warnings on VHF radio channel 16.

People in distress should use 911 to request assistance whenever possible. Social media should not be used to report life threatening distress due to limited resources to monitor the dozen of social media platforms during a hurricane or large-scale rescue event.
For information on Hurricane Florence progress and hurricane preparedness, please visit the National Hurricane Center’s webpage.

Coast Guard port conditions

The US Coast Guard uses a system of port conditions ranging from Whiskey to Zulu telling ship operators how to respond to coming tropical weather. 

Port conditions are set by a Coast Guard captain of the port and apply to the official’s entire area of responsibility. The condition statuses are as follows:

Whiskey: Set when gale force winds are expected to arrive at the port within 72 hours. Port remains open to all commercial traffic, but oceangoing ships and barges must report their intention to remain in port or depart. If they are departing, they must do so within 12 hours of gale-force winds.

X-Ray: Gale force winds are expected within 48 hours. The rules are similar to port condition Whiskey.

Yankee: Gale force winds predicted within 24 hours. Vessels seeking to depart must arrange immediate departure. Cargo operations must cease with 18 kilometre per hour (kph) winds. Transfer hoses must be disconnected with 22 kph winds. Ships seeking to arrive in port should seek an alternate destination.

Zulu: Gale force winds within 12 hours. The port is closed.

5 Best Practices for Cannabis Extraction Laboratory Safety

5 Best Practices for Cannabis Extraction Laboratory Safety

Supplement - Extraction Essentials

From employee protection to adhering to widely recognized manufacturing standards, follow these tips to ensure a safe working environment for your employees and your business.

August 27, 2018

Markus Roggen, Ph.D., VP, Extraction, Outco

 

Cannabis extraction has a dark history of burned-down apartment buildings, exploded cabins, toxic byproducts in extracts, and oils of questionable quality. With a maturing industry that is stepping out of the shadows and into regulatory oversight, many of those dangers will be mitigated through rules and regulations, but a large burden still lies with the extraction operator. 

Operators have reduced the risk of commercial cannabis extractors burning down due to compliance and the use of proven extraction practices, but that doesn’t mean one can be lackadaisical. Ignoring extraction safety can lead to the laboratory literally exploding, making you legally liable for staff injuries and potentially dooming your professional cannabis career. 

Here are five tips to help ensure that no security measure is forgotten.

1. Protect Staff

With the focus on producing great extracts, it is often overlooked that the most important aspect of laboratory safety is workers’ safety. For the cannabis industry, specific hazards to consider are the extraction solvent and cannabis material. 

The explosion of butane laboratories is well publicized, and closed-loop BHO extractors mitigate the risk. Even CO₂ poses dangers, as it can displace a room’s breathable oxygen. Therefore, ensure that CO₂ levels stay below 3,000 ppm. As the extraction staff works with dried milled material, protect them with particle masks, safety goggles and coveralls.

2. Protect Instruments

Extraction instruments are sophisticated machines that are the foundation of a company’s success. They need to be well maintained, both to ensure their uninterrupted use and their operational safety. Follow the manufacturer’s advice regarding cleaning and maintenance. Focus on valves, connections and seals that can wear out over time and start leaking solvent and extract. Also, the pump is your economic engine, make sure it does not slow down or break. 

While these efforts might be painstaking in the short term, keeping your machines running at optimal performance is the more profitable, and safer, approach.

3. Protect Starting Material

As the extraction process will extract and concentrate not only cannabinoids and terpenes, but also contaminants like pesticides, it is important to ensure the quality of the starting material. Conduct regular quality control (QC) checks on received material. Whenever pesticides make it into the extraction instrument, removing residues may become a monumental effort. 

Furthermore, the wrong storage condition for the starting material can lead to cannabinoid degradation, terpene loss and mold growth. Implement a just-in-time material supply to reduce storage time.

4. Protect Product

Many factors can influence extract quality. Check that your final product is within the expected parameters on cannabinoid concentration to validate the production process. Continue the regular QC checks to avoid missing any unexpected pesticide contaminations. 

It is often best to perform internal QC tests so that you know the results of the final compliant test beforehand, either by investing into your own testing instruments, or collaborating with a third-party lab for R&D samples.

5. Plan and Follow Acronyms

Workers’ and production safety are not new. There have been well-practiced standards across every other industry, and those structures can quickly be adopted to address the current needs of the fledgling cannabis field. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans are a good starting point to ensure the safety of every aspect in production. These plans can eventually evolve to a full Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) implementation. 

Whatever protocols are adopted, make sure they are written and adhered to. Even consider hiring a dedicated QC person for your operation.


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Everyone expects Meth labs to explode regularly because the process of making Meth, while simple, is inherently vulnerable to explosion because of the chemicals involved or if, as often is the case, the operator is inexperienced, careless, inattentive or stoned or, as also often happens, the equipment is poorly made or the work location is poorly vented.

But for some reason, makers of Hash Oil appear to think that they are working with a less dangerous process, or that they have more leeway to be careless or stupid, which isn’t the case – a fact testified to by dozens of hash oil facility explosions every month, especially in states where Cannabis is now legal and so there is a surplus of waste material that practically begs to be used. Squeezing the last drop of goodness out of waste Cannabis leaf is an almost irresistible temptation, and that is completely understandable.

While making hash oil safely on a large scale is absolutely possible, given the right knowledge, equipment and procedures, in this short blog I want to address the small-scale grower/maker who is equally vulnerable to deadly explosion and fire unless they are informed and careful, but who are much more often working in a basement or garage where other people, often their own children are present.

There are safe and effective ways to extract the delightful properties of Cannabis from waste leaf left over from trimming, and the internet if full of kitchen chemists and their advice. I’m writing this blog to encourage these small-scale alchemists to think twice before just googling “How To Make Hash Oil” and then following the first advice that pops up on their screen.

Like the old coach says – there’s a right way, and a wrong way to do things. Here then is a short set of illustrations of what to watch for, illustrating the range of good-to-bad advice available on the internet.

This Recipe is Safe

https://steemit.com/cannabis/@the-stoned-ape/tutorial-how-to-make-cannabis-shatter-budder-wax-with-alcohol

This excellent article offers safe method for small-batch home extraction. It is detailed and the steps are all well-illustrated, and the results should please anyone who is willing to follow the directions.

Safe, But Confusing

http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2006/09/19/4821

Lengthy article that reviews a lot of different methods and is full of cautionary notes that should be read and clearly understood, but given the length and complexity of the piece not everybody will come away knowing exactly how to make hash oil safely.

Safe – If You Take Precautions

http://www.a1b2c3.com/Marijuana-Extracts-Make-Hash-Oil-Alcohol-501.html

This is a decent description of how to use alcohol instead of butane to make small batches of hash oil. The writer doesn’t seem to care much about the quality of the Cannabis being used, but the steps to take are well-illustrated with photos and if you follow the directions the method is safe. The key is evaporating the alcohol without an open flame and the writer’s suggestion of a rice cooker is a good one.

Downright Dangerous

http://herb.co/2016/08/24/best-medical-cannabis-oil/

Here is an example of a well-meaning writer giving advice that can cause serious injury or death. Although the article has a lot of positives – it talks about using high quality organic Cannabis and being selective about the strains you choose – your first clue to the fact that the writer may not be totally safety conscious is the first photo.

He is illustrating the point that you need to work in a well-organized, clean space and the shot is of a very nice kitchen – with a four-burner gas stove! Later on, he goes into great detail about how to use a double boiler over high heat (on the stove!) to evaporate the alcohol.

There’s only one thing to say about this – alcohol fumes ignite, and they are ignited by open flames, and they can ignite explosively. This article is an excellent example of why you have to be careful where you get your advice!but

I hope that the following suggestion isn’t too self-serving, if you want dozens of safe, effective, and diverse Cannabis extraction methods explained in clear, step-by-step fashion, I believe that my 1981 book “Marijuana Foods” is probably still one of the best around. I covered dozens of natural, non-explosive extraction methods for producing Cannabis extracts for cooking medibles, and they are all safe and effective. In fact, even with all the recipes floating around today, almost 40 years later, there’s not much that wasn’t covered pretty thoroughly in this original book – the first of its kind, incidentally. 

 Here’s the Amazon link if you want to take a look. Note: while the cover is different from the original, the contents have not been altered. Enjoy!

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