The Diamond Terrace Condominiums were evacuated after a pipe burst and water began flooding into the apartments in San Diego, CA

SAN DIEGO, CA (KGTV) -- 

Residents of a 14-story downtown high-rise evacuated due to flooding Sunday morning will not be allowed to return for several days.

Firefighters were called to the Diamond Terrace Condominiums on the 400 block of Ninth Ave. just before 5 a.m. Sunday.

According to residents, a pipe burst and water began flooding into their apartments around that time. One resident told 10News the flooding looked like a waterfall coming down from the ceiling.

"I was sound asleep and my neighbor rang the doorbell very anxiously because her apartment was getting flooded, and at that point the fire alarms went off and the announcement came over the whole building that we needed to evacuate," said Victoria Villanueva.


"I looked in the hallway and I saw in the stairwells water coming down like the downstairs of the Titanic," Villanueva said.

Once crews made it to the roof, they discovered that a pipe leading to the water heater was leaking, causing water to drain down throughout the entire building. In total, the high-rise contains more than 100 apartments.

The American Red Cross is responding to help residents find a place to stay while damage is being assessed.

A logging worker with White Oak Logging of Bristol was crushed to death by falling tree on Morrell Creek Lane in Bluff City, Tennessee

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE (12:30 p.m.)

One person is dead following a logging accident on Morrell Creek Lane in Bluff City.

According to the sheriff's office, 911 received a call about 9:45 a.m. Monday reporting a logging accident.

The caller advised a tree fell on a logging employee of White Oak Logging of Bristol.

Sullivan County EMS, Bluff City Rescue Squad and sheriff's deputies were sent to the scene.

Emergency medical personnel on the scene determined that the logging employee was deceased. Investigators from the Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and the Sullivan County Coroner was notified to respond.

At this time, the deceased is not being identified until next-of-kin is notified.

They cut these beautiful white oak trees to place the lousy bourbon in it.  Finally, one of the trees took its revenge.  But these people will not stop cutting these amazing trees and there is a severe shortage already, as they have decimated them.

ORIGINAL STORY

Officials have confirmed that a worker has died in a Sullivan County logging accident Monday morning.

The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. in the Hickory Tree section of the county. Crews were called to a logging site on Morrell Creek Lane. Officials have not released how the accident happened.

We have a crew at the scene and will have more information as it becomes available.

Tree service worker Keith B. Hussey, 44, of Rochester, employed by Urban Tree Service, was struck by a falling tree and died in Exeter, New Hampshire

Tree service worker Keith B. Hussey, 44, of Rochester, employed by Urban Tree Service, was struck by a falling tree and died in Exeter, New Hampshire

Tree service worker Keith Hussey, 44, of Rochester, employed by Urban Tree Service, was struck by a falling tree and died in Exeter, New York




EXETER, NH-- 

A Rochester man died Friday in a logging accident while working for Urban Tree Service, his longtime employer.

Keith Hussey, 44, of Rochester, was struck by a falling tree while working at 11 Garrison Lane about 11:30 a.m., according to Exeter police.

Police stated Hussey was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation.

Rosemarie Cole, area director for OSHA in New Hampshire, confirmed an investigation into Hussey’s death was underway but would not comment further.

According to Hussey’s obituary, he was planning to marry his fiancée, Candy M. Edgerly, on Oct. 13. Instead, there will now be a celebration of Hussey’s life at American Legion Post 7 in Rochester that night.


Keith B. Hussey
Obituary


ROCHESTER, N.H. - Keith B. Hussey, 44, of 137 Jaimey Drive died Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 in Exeter, N.H. as a result of a logging accident.

He was born June 30, 1974 in Rochester the son of Rosalie (Wilmont) Hussey Goodwin and the late Edward "Ted" Hussey. Keith has resided in Rochester all of his life and has worked for Urban Tree Company as a foreman for 12 years. He enjoyed camping and the outdoors. Keith was a member of American Legion Post # 7 of Rochester, N.H.

Members of his family include his mother Rosalie Goodwin; his fiancée Candy M. (Knox) Edgerly who he was to marry on Oct. 13, 2018; her children, Michael and Kingston; his brothers, Michael, Timothy Hussey, Nathan Goodwin and Aaron Hussey; sisters, Germaine Elliott, Michelle Hussey; paternal grandmother, Hattie Hussey, many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, his dog "Valley" and his Urban Tree Family.

SERVICES: Family and friends may visit Tuesday 4 to 8 p.m. at the R.M. Edgerly & Son Funeral Home, 86 South Main St., Rochester, N.H.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the American Legion, Post # 7, Eastern Avenue, Rochester, N.H.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Cocheco Valley Humane Society, County Farm Road, Dover, NH 03820.

Drunk driver Mathew Krear, 28, and his girlfriend Morgan Leigh Lasley, 20, both of Chetek, died in a collision between their automobile and a semi-truck driven by Jeremy Loeffelholz, 43, of Orfordville on U.S. 53 in Barron County

Morgan Leigh Lasley, 20, of Hixson passed away on Sunday, September 23, 2018 in Rice Lake Wisconsin from injuries sustained in an automobile accident

A recent study done by 24/7 Wall Street ranked Wisconsin the second-drunkest state in America, only behind North Dakota.

BARRON,  Wisc.— 

Two people died early Sunday in a collision between a semi truck and automobile on U.S. 53 in Barron County, Wisconsin.

Mathew Krear, 28, and his girlfriend Morgan Leigh Lasley, 20, both of Chetek, died on the scene of the crash north of Haugen around 1:00 am.

The driver of the semi, Jeremy Loeffelholz, 43, of Orfordville was treated at the scene and released.

According to the Barron County sheriff’s office, Krear was driving an automobile and Lasley was his passenger. Krear’s vehicle was traveling in the southbound lane, but then crossed the median and struck the semi driven by Loeffelholz.

Loeffelholz’s semi was carrying liquid oxygen, but its tanks were not ruptured in the crash.

The crash, which happened at about 12:50 a.m., remains under investigation.  Most likely these two were drunk or impaired.  Most of the wrong-way crashes occurring in the early a.m. hours are attributed to impaired driving (drunk or on drugs).  And of course native Americans and the Germanic are known to be heavy drinkers, especially the ones in Wisconsin (go Brewers).  Do not drink and drive unless you want to die.

There is also a possibility that Mathew Krear was speeding and he failed to negotiate the curve on the road; he ended up crossing the center line and colliding with the semi-truck, killing himself and his poor girlfriend of 8 years younger.

The driver of the semi, Jeremy Loeffelholz, 43, of Orfordville was treated at the scene and released.
==============================


A recent study done by 24/7 Wall Street ranked Wisconsin the second-drunkest state in America, only behind North Dakota. 

HAUGEN, Wisc.–


Two Chetek persons died when their car hit a semi head on early on Sunday morning, September 23.

Mathew Krear, 28, and his girlfriend Morgan Lasley, 20, were in the car and died at the scene. The semi driver, Jeremy Loeffelholz, 43, of Orfordville was treated for injuries at the scene and released.

Loeffelholz was driving a semi loaded with liquid oxygen north on Hwy. 53, north of Haugen, just before 1 a.m. Krear was driving south, crossed the median, and struck the semi head on, the Barron County Sheriff’s Department said.

No oxygen was released during the crash.

It is not known why Krear crossed the median, and an investigation into the crash continues by the Barron County Sheriff’s Department assisted by the Barron County medical examiner, said Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald.

Other than drunk or otherwise impaired, there is a possibility that Mathew Krear was speeding and he failed to negotiate the curve on the road; he ended up crossing the center line and colliding with the semi-truck, killing himself and his poor girlfriend of 8 years younger. 

The crash was reconstructed by the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Barron and Washburn county deputies, along with Rice Lake police officers, the Bear Lake-Haugen and Rice Lake fire departments, and LMC Ambulance and Life Link Helicopter crews responded to the scene.

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



Obituary of Morgan Leigh Lasley, 20



Morgan Leigh Lasley, 20, of Hixson passed away on Sunday, September 23, 2018 in Rice Lake Wisconsin from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Morgan was a member of Middle Valley Baptist Church and she attended Soddy-Daisy High School before starting a home school program. She was currently enrolled in the EMT training program at WITC in Rice Lake, WI.

She was preceded in death by her father, Lamar Lasley and maternal grandfather, Ferman R. Chandler.

Survivors include her mother, Dana Lasley; sister, Lauren Condroski; paternal grandparents, Hayden and Margie Lasley; maternal grandmother, Barbara N. Chandler; aunts, Darcia (Donald) Wise, Barbara S. Chandler and Sheila (Hank) Mallicoat; uncle, Mark (Jane) Chandler; nieces, Kayleigh and Nolen Condroski and several cousins.

Speeding motorist Emmanuel Onsongo, 25, of Winona, Minn. crashed his 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV into a cement pillar at the ticket dispensing kiosk at a Twin Cities airport ramp and was killed

ID released of speeding driver who rammed MSP ramp ticketing kiosk and died

September 24, 2018

Minneapolis, MN
 
A speeding motorist crashed his SUV into the ticket dispensing kiosk this weekend at a Twin Cities airport ramp and was killed, authorities said Monday.

The State Patrol identified the motorist Monday afternoon as Emmanuel Onsongo, 25, of Winona, Minn.

The wreck occurred about 1 a.m. Saturday at the entrance to the Terminal 1 (Lindbergh) ramp for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, said airport spokesman Patrick Hogan.

The driver "sideswiped a light post, then crashed into the [concrete] structure that surrounds the ticket spitters" for daily and short-term parking, Hogan said.

The patrol ruled out alcohol as a factor, but did not address what might have led to the crash.

Onsongo was traveling at "a high rate of speed" at a point where the limit is 30 miles per hour, Hogan said.

Nothing at the scene suggested Onsongo was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Hogan said. The driver was wearing his seat belt, he said.

Hogan said the ramp entrance was closed for nearly four hours, from shortly after 1 a.m. until about 4:45 a.m., to allow investigators to do their work and remove the vehicle.

"There aren't a lot of vehicles parking at that time, and we were able to accommodate them at other ramps," he said.

Hogan said Onsongo recently bought the SUV and had not yet put the title in his name.

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


September 24, 2018 05:16 PM

A 26-year-old man was killed early Saturday after crashing his SUV into a kiosk at a parking ramp at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Airport director of public affairs and marketing Patrick Hogan confirmed the driver crashed into the ticket dispensing kiosk around 1 a.m. Saturday at the entrance to the parking ramp at Terminal 1.


The state patrol incident report said the man - identified as 25-year-old Emmanuel Onsongo of Winona, was traveling at a high rate of speed in a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe when he lost control, striking a cement pillar.

Hogan said there is no visible damage to the kiosk.

Noe Antonio Nolasco Amaya entered Alford pleas of guilty to two counts of felony murder and one count of arson for the July 31, 2016, fire in the Manassas area of Prince William County, that killed Willian Alexander Molina-Rivas, 36, and Jose Javier Avalos, 17

Jose Javier Avalos, 17, died in the arson fire
 

THE MONSTER:  Noe Antonio Nolasco Amaya entered Alford pleas of guilty to two counts of felony murder and one count of arson

A man charged in connection with a Manassas-area house fire that killed a 36-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy in 2016 was convicted Monday in Prince William Circuit Court of felony murder and arson charges.

Noe Antonio Nolasco Amaya entered Alford pleas of guilty to two counts of felony murder and one count of arson for the July 31, 2016, fire on the 10300 block of Lomond Drive, in the Manassas area of Prince William County, that killed Willian Alexander Molina-Rivas, 36, and Jose Javier Avalos, 17.

In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him if the case were to go to trial.

The felony murder charges allege that Nolasco Amaya accidentally killed the victims while committing another crime. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped two charges of first-degree murder.

Just before 12:30 a.m. on July 31, 2016, police responded to reports of a fire at a house on the 10300 block of Lomond Drive, Prince William County police said at the time.

In court Monday, Sept. 24, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Claiborne Richardson said the first officer who arrived on scene tried to extinguish the flames at the house, but couldn’t. Firefighters then arrived and were eventually able to force their way into the home, he said.

“The firefighters were able to gain access by kicking in the door. The door was locked,” Richardson said.

Once in the home, firefighters found Avalos’s body lying facedown in the house by the door, Richardson said.

Firefighters then found the second body, Molina-Rivas, and pulled both from the home. Both men died of their injuries. The medical examiner’s report said the cause of their deaths was “thermal and inhalation injuries” from the fire, Richardson said.

A short time later, around 1:45 a.m., police found Nolasco Amaya walking in the area of Manassas Mall, police said at the time. He had burns below his knees and on the front of his legs and the top of his feet, Richardson said. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Police and rescue workers responding to the house at the time of the fire reported “smelling gasoline throughout the foyer area of the home,” Richardson said. Investigators found gasoline throughout the house and on the clothes Avalos and Molina-Rivas had been wearing, Richardson said. No gasoline was found on Nolasco Amaya’s clothes. Investigators determined that the fire had been set, Richardson said.

Sylvia Flores, the mother of the 17-year-old victim, told investigators “there had been some problems” between Avalos and Molina-Rivas and Nolasco Amaya, who all lived in the home.

Just before the night of the fire, Flores argued with Nolasco Amaya and “told him to leave the house,” Richardson said.

Flores and her husband were not home at the time of the fire, Richardson said, and “a couple of people” who lived in the basement were able to escape the fire safely, he said.

Richardson said Nolasco Amaya made several conflicting statements to police, first saying he didn’t know what happened the night of the fire, then saying someone else came into the house and threw gasoline on him and later saying he might have run into the room to try to help after the fire broke out, Richardson said.

Family members of the victims filled one row of the courtroom at Monday’s hearing.

“They have suffered a great loss,” Richardson said of the family. “Not only the loss of a beloved family member and friend [but also] the damage that was done to their home.”

Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of 15 years in prison, with five years suspended, for each charge. The recommended sentence would give Nolasco Amaya a total of 15 years to serve in prison. A judge will sentence Nolasco Amaya on Feb. 7. The judge is not required to follow the prosecutors’ recommendation.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Steven Smith addressed the victims’ family members, thanking them for coming and expressing his sympathy.

“My heart goes out to you,” he said.
============================






Lomond Drive Arson Investigation and Arrest
For Release
August 18, 2016

On August 3rd, investigators from the Prince William County Fire Marshal's Office obtained a warrant for the suspect involved in setting a house on fire resulting in the deaths of two occupants and four dogs. The accused, identified as Noe Antonio NOLASCO AMAYA, was arrested and transferred to the Prince William/Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center on August 11th. The incident is still under a combined investigation by the Fire Marshal's Office and the Prince William County Police Homicide Unit with the assistance of the B.A.T.F. Arson and Explosives Unit.

Arrested on August 11th:

Noe Antonio NOLASCO AMAYA, 35 years old, of 10300 Lomond Drive, Manassas, Virginia

Charged with Arson to an Occupied Dwelling

Preliminary Hearing date: September 15th, 2016 | Bond: No Bond Status



Double Homicide Investigation *SECOND VICTIM IDENTIFIED [Previously Released] - On August 3, detectives from the Homicide Unit received confirmation regarding the identity of the second victim involved in the fatal house fire which occurred at a residence located in the 10300 block of Lomond Dr. in Manassas on July 31. The third man who was located nearby suffering from burn injuries is still hospitalized and is expected to survive. The investigation into this incident and the deaths is continuing.

Identified:
The second victim has been identified as Willian Alexander MOLINA-RIVAS, 36, of Manassas.

Double Homicide Investigation [Previously Released] – Based upon further investigation into the July 31 deaths of two men from a house fire on Lomond Dr. in Manassas, detectives from the Homicide Unit and investigators from the Fire Marshals' Office are investigating this incident as an arson-related double homicide. One of the victims has been positively identified as a 17-year-old male juvenile of Manassas. Due to extensive injuries, the identity of the second deceased male victim is pending confirmation through the Medical Examiner's Office. The third man located by officers near Manassas Mall has been identified as a 35-year-old man of Manassas and is still hospitalized. No arrests have been made at this point in connection to this incident. The deaths related to this investigation are Prince William County's 14th and 15th homicide for 2016. The investigation continues.

Identified:
One of the victims has been identified as Jose Javier AVALOS, 17, of Manassas

Death Investigation [Previously Released] – On July 31 at 12:24 a.m., officers responded to a residence located in the 10300 block of Lomond Dr. in Manassas (20109) to assist the Department of Fire and Rescue with a house fire. During their checks of the residence, fire crews located two men inside the home. One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was flown to an area hospital where he later died as a result of his injuries. Four dogs were also located deceased inside the residence and were turned over to Animal Control. A short time later, around 1:45 a.m., police received a call about a third man walking in the area of Manassas Mall appearing to be injured. Officers arrived and located the man suffering from extensive burns to his body. This man was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries. The remains of the two deceased men will be transported to the Medical Examiner's Office for further analysis and identification. The identity of the deceased men will be released once confirmed and their next of kin has been notified. This incident is being jointly investigated by the Prince William County Police Homicide Unit and the Department of Fire and Rescue's Fire Marshals' Office. More information will be released when available. The investigation continues.

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



Two men, four dogs dead after house fire in Virginia






By Mary Hui July 31, 2016

Two men are dead after a house fire in Manassas in the early hours of Sunday, Prince William County police said, and the incident is being investigated by homicide detectives as well as the fire department.

Authorities responded to a house in the 10300 block of Lomond Drive at 12:24 a.m., officials said.

Fire crews found two men inside the home. One was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other was flown to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, officials said.

It is unknown whether the men’s injuries were from the fire or from other trauma.

Four dogs were also found dead inside the house. Their bodies were handed over to animal control, police said.

About 1:45 a.m., police responded to another call about an apparently injured man walking near Manassas Mall, about a mile from the house.

After finding the man, officers saw he had extensive burns on his body.

The man was receiving treatment at a hospital, police said, and detectives are trying to determine whether his injuries are connected to the house fire and the men who were killed.

“It is a little suspicious right now,” said Jonathan Perok, a Prince William County police spokesman.

Perok said he had no further details because the investigation is ongoing.

The identities of the deceased men had not been released by Sunday afternoon.

The fire is being investigated by the Prince William County police homicide unit and the fire marshal’s office, authorities said.

The cause of a July 17 fatal fire in Brockport, PA that took the life of Terri Gustafson, 50, has been classified as “undetermined”; the fire originated on the second floor of the home near the stairway

The fire, which occurred at about 11 p.m. at 36 Howard Road, claimed the life of 50-year-old Terri Gustafson


Fire marshal: Cause of fatal Brockport fire 'undetermined'

By Elaine Haskins ehaskins@thecourierexpress.com


BROCKPORT, PA — 

The cause of a July 17 fatal fire in Brockport has been classified as “undetermined,” according to Cpl. Greg A. Agosti of the Pennsylvania State Police.


The fire, which occurred at about 11 p.m. at 36 Howard Road, claimed the life of 50-year-old Terri Gustafson, who lived at the home.


“There has been no evidence discovered indicating the fire was the result of arson,” said Agosti, deputy fire marshal and supervisor of the Troop C state police fire marshal unit based in Ridgway.

“The cause is believed to be accidental,” he said.

According to Agosti, the fire originated on the second floor of the home near the stairway.

“The origin location prevented the victim from escaping via the stairway,” he said.

Gustafson’s mother, Donna Truesdale, 70, and her grandmother, Elizabeth Hetrick, 95, both of Brockport, were able to escape the home without injury, according to a previously published Courier Express article.

The fire had fully engulfed the home by the time firefighters arrived at the scene. Firefighters tried to gain access to the second floor of the home, where Gustafson was, but could not due to the heavy fire conditions.

PHMSA Rescinds Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) Brake Mandate After Regulatory Impact Analysis Finds Costs Outweigh Benefits

PHMSA Rescinds ECP Brake Mandate After RIA Finds Costs Outweigh Benefits



Monday, September 24, 2018


The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today finalized amendments to the Hazardous Materials Regulations which remove the requirement, while still allowing, for High Hazard Flammable Unit Trains (HHFUT) to operate using electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking systems. The Department's updated Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) shows that the expected costs of requiring ECP brakes would be higher than the expected benefits of the requirement.
The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act required further analysis of the ECP brake requirements, including physical testing, to improve general knowledge and understanding of how much more effective ECP brakes are in comparison to other brake systems. It also required DOT to determine whether the ECP brake requirements are justified based on the expected costs and benefits. The updated RIA incorporated new findings from ECP brake testing conducted by the Federal Railroad Administration, which were reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences. The updated RIA also incorporated recommendations from U.S. Government Accountability Office, and updated costs and benefits of the ECP brake provision based on current economic conditions. The updated RIA found that the expected costs of ECP brakes are higher than the expected benefits, and DOT determined, as required by the FAST Act, to repeal the ECP brake requirement.

For more details, the Department's Final Rule announcing its decision, along with the final updated RIA that responds to comments received, are available for review at http://www.regulations.gov in Docket Number PHMSA-2017-0102.



Updated: Monday, September 24, 2018

LOCO IOCCO: Teresa Iocco, 37, of Bear, Del. has been arrested by deputy fire marshals and charged with Arson following the huge Fox Run apartment complex fire in Bear, Delaware:

Suspect arrested in Delaware apartment building fire







September 23, 2018

BEAR, Del. — Investigators say a fire that destroyed a Delaware apartment building was deliberately set.

State fire marshal deputies said a suspect has been arrested and charged with first-degree arson and three counts of reckless endangering. They identified the suspect as 37-year-old Teresa Iocco of Bear.

Iocco was awaiting arraignment late Sunday in the Justice of the Peace Magistrate Court.

The blaze reported in Bear shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday engulfed the three-story building and caused more than $1 million in damage. There were no reported injuries.

Building management at the Fox Run Apartment complex was working on relocating residents. It was not immediately clear how many residents were displaced. A total of 24 apartment units were damaged.

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

Woman charged with arson following large apartment complex fire in Bear, Delaware



Woman charged with arson following large apartment complex fire in Delaware: Trish Hartman reports on Action News at 11 p.m., September 23, 2018


Sunday, September 23, 2018 11:30PM
BEAR, Del. (WPVI) -- Fire officials said a fire that destroyed an apartment building in Bear, Delaware early Sunday morning was intentionally set.

Teresa Iocco, 37, of Bear, Del. has been arrested by deputy fire marshals and charged with Arson in the first degree and three counts of reckless endangering in the first degree. All charges are felonies.

According to court documents, Iocco started the fire on the patio of one of the apartments knowing people were inside. Witnesses said they saw flames coming from a trash can on the patio before it spread to the rest of the building.

"It's sad. I'm not sure why someone would even think about doing that," said Mike Koeppel. "It's kind of crazy actually."

Iocco was taken into custody without incident and arraigned Sunday.


Delaware apartment fire intentionally set, officials say: Trish Hartman reports on Action News at 5:30 p.m., September 23, 2018

The fire was reported shortly after 6 a.m. at the Fox Run Apartment Complex on the 2900 block of Squirrel Drive, near Route 40 and Wrangle Hill Road.
Crews arrived on scene to find flames engulfing the three-story occupied dwelling.

Investigators said the fire damaged 24 apartment units, 12 of which will not be able to be reoccupied.


Firefighters battle 4-alarm apartment fire in Bear, Delaware. Jeannette Reyes reports during Action News at 9 a.m. on September 23, 2018.

The management of the complex is working on relocating the displaced residents.

The heavy fire damage is expected to exceed $1,000,000.

No injuries were reported.

The Red Cross is assisting with recovery efforts.

A preliminary hearing for Iocco is tentatively scheduled for October 8.

PETDEAD; the mysterious deaths of 47 pets who visited PetSmart locations for a short grooming appointment and died shortly after

Furious pet owners are demanding answers after 47 animal deaths were reportedly linked to PetSmart grooming appointments




Mary Hanbury
September 21, 2018

A new investigation by NJ Advance Media explores the mysterious deaths of 47 pets who visited PetSmart locations for a grooming appointment and died shortly after.
The pets' cause of death has not been definitively proven, but according to former employees cited in the report, workers are sometimes pushed to meet sales quotas, and safety restrictions are ignored.
At least three owners have reportedly filed suit against PetSmart, accusing the retailer of being responsible for their pet's death. Other owners were offered out-of-court settlements in exchange for signing non-disclosure agreements.

A new investigation by NJ Advance Media explores the mysterious deaths of 47 pets who visited PetSmart locations for a short grooming appointment and died shortly after.

At least three owners have reportedly filed suit against PetSmart, accusing the retailer of being responsible for their pet's death.

The cause of the pets' deaths has not been definitively proven. However, 20 of the 47 pets that reportedly died were either bulldogs or similar breeds that have trouble breathing in stressful or hot environments.

Workers are sometimes pushed to meet sales quotas, and safety restrictions are ignored, according to former employees cited in the report.

A spokesperson for PetSmart denied allegations of wrongdoing in a statement to Business Insider.

"The death of a pet is always heartbreaking. As a company of pet lovers who are dedicated to the health and happiness of all pets, we empathize with these grieving families. Nevertheless, we are not aware of any evidence suggesting that PetSmart services caused the deaths of these pets," the spokesperson said.

PetSmart said that it does not have grooming records for 14 of the 47 pets mentioned in the story. In one case, it alleges that the owner repeatedly hid veterinary records and necropsy reports in order to secure an appointment.

"We expect the truth will be revealed through the ongoing litigation process," the spokesperson said.

The vast majority of the pet deaths also coincided with the business being taken over by a private-equity firm in 2015, when the working environment became increasingly high-pressure, former employees said.

"When the new owners bought it, they demanded six to eight dogs in eight hours," Marti Fernandez, who was a salon manager in two New Jersey PetSmart stores from 2006 to 2016, told NJ Advance Media.

"There's always pressure to do more dogs. It was enough to make me quit," she said.

Several owners have taken to social media to share their stories, and many of these posts have now gone viral.

According to the report, PetSmart has attempted to hush other owners by settling out-of-court payments for a few hundred dollars and asking them to sign non-disclosure agreements or remove posts on social media in return.

During the investigation, NJ Advance Media requested tours of the grooming areas at four PetSmart locations, but it was denied access. Amid the investigation and pending lawsuits, PetSmart has announced new procedures to improve the grooming experience by making more detailed assessments of the pet's health before grooming, committing to install cameras into grooming areas by August 2019, and allowing customers to tour these areas starting on September 23.

The construction industry has the second-highest rate of pain medication and opioid misuse after the entertainment, recreation and food business

Workers Overdose on the Job, and Employers Struggle to Respond
Jimmy Sullivan has been a bricklayer for more than two decades. For several years, Mr. Sullivan injected a shot of heroin in his car before starting work.CreditCreditHeidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News


By Jenny Gold
Sept. 21, 2018



Jimmy Sullivan prepared for his job as a bricklayer the same way every morning for years: injecting a shot of heroin before leaving his car.

The first time he overdosed on the job, in 2013 at a Virginia construction site, a co-worker who is his cousin stealthily injected a dose of Narcan, an opioid antidote, into Mr. Sullivan’s leg. He woke up and went straight back to work.

The second time, in 2014, his cousin revived him again, and after resting for an hour in his car, Mr. Sullivan was back on the job. His boss told him not to let it happen again. But within a month, Mr. Sullivan had again overdosed on the job site. This time, another worker called 911. After a few hours at the hospital, he went back to work.

As the opioid epidemic continues to rage across the country, with a record 72,000 drug overdose deaths estimated in 2017, the fallout is increasingly manifesting itself at construction sites, factories, warehouses, offices and other workplaces. A stunning 70 percent of employers reported that their businesses had been affected by prescription drug abuse, including absenteeism, positive drug tests, injuries, accidents and overdoses, according to a 2017 survey by the National Safety Council, a research and advocacy organization.

At least 217 workers died from an unintentional drug or alcohol overdose while at work in 2016, up 32 percent from 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workplace overdose deaths have been increasing by 25 percent or more a year since 2010. Those numbers don’t include the many more overdoses that don’t end in death, like Mr. Sullivan’s, or accidents caused primarily or partly by drug impairment.

Incident reports from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration paint a grim national picture of workplace overdose deaths: a mechanic at a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plant in Michigan, a construction worker on a barge in Rhode Island, a crawfish fisherman in Louisiana and a Sam’s Club worker who died while stocking shelves in a Texas warehouse.

But despite the growing problem, many employers have turned a blind eye to addiction within their work force, ill-equipped or unwilling to confront a complicated issue they do not know how to address, according to researchers and business executives.

The National Safety Council survey, which was based on interviews with 501 managers at businesses with 50 or more employees, found that fewer than one in five companies felt extremely well-prepared to combat the opioid crisis. Just 13 percent were very confident they could identify risky use. And a little more than half said they screened all employees for drugs, but 40 percent of those had failed to screen for synthetic opioids like oxycodone and fentanyl.

“Employers have been asleep at the wheel,” said Dave Chase, co-founder of Health Rosetta, a company that certifies employer health benefits, and author of “The Opioid Crisis Wake-Up Call.” Some companies are “key, unwitting enablers,” he added.

It is not that businesses are unaware of the toll the crisis is taking. Large employers spent $2.6 billion on treating opioid abuse and overdoses in 2016, up from $300 million 12 years earlier, according to the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker. Those numbers do not include the cost of lost productivity. Workers who misuse pain medication miss an average of 29 days a year, compared with 10 and a half days for other employees.

Yet, many managers are unwilling to acknowledge drug use at their businesses.

“If you ask them if they believe they have an opioid problem within their population, a very high percentage of them would say, ‘No, we don’t,’” said Pat Sullivan, executive vice president of employee benefits at Hylant, a large insurance broker in Indiana that manages benefit plans for more than 19,000 businesses. “And yet we have access to prescription reports that are absolutely telling me there’s abuse happening” among their workers.
Pain Comes With The Job

Jimmy Sullivan, now 39, is slender and serious. He wears a heavy silver cross around his neck and has a half-finished tattoo of two barracudas, teeth gnashing, on his arm.

A bricklayer for more than two decades, he is proud of his skills. “I love my job. All over the city I drive around and say, ‘Hey, I built that,’” he said over lunch in Portland, Ore., where he grew up and now lives. “It’s really tough work and not too many people can do it.”

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A construction site in Portland, Ore. In 2016, two in five workers’ compensation claims for prescriptions included an opioid.CreditHeidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News


The construction industry has the second-highest rate of pain medication and opioid misuse after the entertainment, recreation and food business. About 1.3 percent of construction workers are thought to be addicted to opioids, or nearly twice the addiction rate for all working adults, according to data from the 2012-14 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Construction workers had the highest proportion of heroin- and methadone-related overdose deaths from 2007 to 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Massachusetts, a recent report found that one in four opioid deaths involved construction workers.


On-the-job injuries are common in that industry, and many workers begin their addiction with a prescription intended to help get them back to work. In 2016, two in five workers’ compensation claims for prescriptions included an opioid. Laborers tend to come and go on job sites, meaning employers often don’t know much about their workers.

Mr. Sullivan said he worked nonstop as a bricklayer in Portland during the 2000s, despite a serious drug habit — in those days, crystal meth. By 2011, he was a father of three girls and often so strung out that he didn’t recognize himself.

Alarmed by his descent, he moved across the country to Newport News, Va., where he would be far from his dealers and drug-using friends. Though he readily found a job in Virginia, he also quickly got hooked — this time to opioids. That part of the country was awash in cheap heroin, which he augmented with Dilaudid, a semi-synthetic opioid prescribed by a doctor for back pain.

He’s certain that several of his employers knew he was using, but they seemed not to care as long as he didn’t get caught. “I was so productive that a lot of crews just swept it under the rug,” he said. His employers did not respond to requests for comment.

At times he contemplated going into rehab at the suggestion of his family, but he did not seek treatment.
Employer Intervention

Mr. Sullivan said no employer asked him to take a drug test, even though he had a criminal history that included arrests for drug possession and distribution in Portland.

It was an open secret on job sites that many workers were using drugs, he said. They were the ones who disappeared for long lunches, isolated themselves and occasionally nodded off. “If you drug-tested everyone, you wouldn’t find many people to work with you,” Mr. Sullivan said.

In theory, employers are in a unique position to confront opioid misuse, through random testing and spotting erratic behavior or absenteeism, said Mr. Chase, the author of “The Opioid Crisis Wake-Up Call.” They could change their health insurance policies to limit opioid prescriptions to five days and waive deductibles for addiction treatment — an option that is often not available to construction firms because they typically do not provide health insurance.

But many employers have been slow to act.

The Nord Family Foundation, a charity in northern Ohio, hosted an event in May in Elyria, near Cleveland, that was designed to teach employers how to identify and treat employees with substance use problems. Dr. Donald S. Sheldon, a trustee at the foundation and a former hospital president, advertised in local newspapers and reserved a room at the local community college that would seat 200.

Just 30 people showed up, he said.

Of the 10 companies whose employees’ suspected opioid overdose deaths were detailed in O.S.H.A. reports since 2014, most did not respond or refused to address specific incidents.

Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart, said in a statement that it provided mental health and substance abuse coverage to employees and offered an employee assistance program. Fiat Chrysler said in an email that it had adopted more stringent opioid prescribing guidelines in its health plan and supported the use of medication-assisted addiction treatment.

Just one employer, Giovanna Painting in Spencerport, N.Y., agreed to an interview. Alan Hart, the company’s president, said he was shocked when one of his employees was discovered dead from a heroin overdose in a port-a-potty on a job site in 2017.

A recovered addict himself, Mr. Hart said he tries to be sympathetic and help workers get into rehab, though he does not provide health insurance.
Image
Jimmy Sullivan (left) meets with Matthew Eleazer (far right) and Mike Titus (center) at a pub in Portland, Ore., on July 25. Mr. Eleazer and Mr. Titus, union officials, offered to find Mr. Sullivan a job if he could pass a drug test. “Matt and Mike were the first ones who cared enough,” Mr. Sullivan said.CreditHeidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News


“We’re much, much stricter now,” since the 2017 overdose death, he said. “We’re doing a lot more drug testing. I’m on the sites a great deal more. I’m walking and talking, and I pull the guys aside and look in their eyes.”


This summer, Mr. Hart fired 12 of his 50 employees for suspected drug abuse. It pained him to do it, he said, and it was difficult to lose so many workers in his busiest season. But he said the risk of keeping someone on who was using drugs was too high.

The Association of Union Constructors recently devoted the spring issue of its magazine to the opioid epidemic. The group says an increasing number of union contractors provide naloxone, the opioid antidote, on job sites.
A Lifesaving Union Benefit

After his third overdose on the job for the same contractor in Virginia, Mr. Sullivan was fired. In 2015, he returned to Portland, which was in the throes of its own heroin crisis. Amid clusters of homeless encampments that dot downtown Portland, users can be spotted leaning against buildings, heads nodding back, needles in arms.

Back in his hometown, enticed by union retirement benefits, Mr. Sullivan joined the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, Oregon in 2016, which turned out to be a turning point for him.

Shortly after he joined the union, Mr. Sullivan was laid off for erratic behavior and his local learned he was abusing drugs. But unlike his previous employers, the union had a plan to get him back to work.

Having seen many of its members struggle with addiction, officials at the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers had over several years come up with a suite of programs to prevent substance abuse, to identify affected workers and to steer them into treatment.

Matthew Eleazer, the president of Mr. Sullivan’s local, said at least 10 of his approximately 650 members had recently struggled with opioid use disorders, some with lethal outcomes. One was a single father prescribed opioids for a back injury who accidentally took too many pills. Another was a promising young apprentice found by the side of the road with a needle in his arm on his way to a wedding.

Mr. Eleazer said the union tests all members when they join and randomly after that; he often gets reports from employers when a member doesn’t show up for work or is repeatedly tardy.

The union told Mr. Sullivan he could return to work if he went into rehab, but there was a problem: He had an arrest warrant out for violating parole from a prior arrest, and the treatment centers would not accept him until he served his jail term.

Mr. Sullivan was unwilling to go to jail and disappeared. Union officials tracked him down and called the police to arrest him when he was passed out in his car. The union persuaded a parole officer who helped convince a judge to let him serve his time at a drug treatment facility instead of jail, and union representatives called him several times a week.

As promised, they found him a job when he was released in 2017, but this year he was laid off at the end of a construction project and relapsed again. Weeks later, Mr. Sullivan called to say he was living in his two-door Honda, claiming to have been clean for a couple of weeks.

“Do you remember what I told you to do when you were in that situation? That I was your first phone call?” Mike Titus, a union official, said to him when they met up at a bar. “Could you pass a drug test right now?”

If so, the union had a job for him and he could shower at the union hall until he found a place to live. “Matt and Mike were the first ones who cared enough,” Mr. Sullivan said. “None of my employers gave a [expletive] enough to even ask.”

A month later, Mr. Sullivan was back to work on a union job, living in a new home and clean once again.


This article was produced in collaboration with Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The author is a reporter for Kaiser Health News

Rose Marie Edouard, 50, of Cape Coral, Florida died and she crushed her 2001 Nissan Xterra SUV into Fins Seafood & Dive Bar at 3422 Del Prado in Cape Coral, Florida

(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

Police confirm woman in SUV who crashed into Cape Coral restaurant Saturday has died


Michael Braun, Fort Myers News-Press
September 23, 2018


Cape Coral, Florida

Rose Marie Edouard, 50, of Cape Coral, identified by Cape Coral police as the driver who crashed an SUV into the side of a restaurant on Del Prado Boulevard Saturday, has died.

A Cape Coral police report said that Edouard's vehicle was traveling north in the 3400-block of Del Prado in the inside lane when it drifted to the left out of its lane and drove onto the center median.

The red 2001 Nissan Xterra SUV continued north along the center median where it collided with a bush and several trees, veered left and entered the southbound lanes of Del Prado, crossed all three southbound lanes and hit the curb in front of Fins Seafood & Dive Bar at 3422 Del Prado.

The SUV crossed the front lawn of the business and collided with the front of the building, turned counterclockwise and hit the business' sign.

Edouard, found unresponsive in the driver’s seat, was taken to a hospital emergency room where she was later pronounced dead. Police said she may have suffered a medical issue that led to the loss of vehicle control and the crash.

One of FIns' customers received minor injuries from flying debris but was treated at the scene. Several witnesses reported seeing the driver of the vehicle slumped over prior to the crash.

The crash happened around 5 p.m. Saturday.

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



Vehicle Crashes into Cape Coral Business

September 23, 2018

(September 23, 2018)- On September 22, 2018 around 5:00 PM, Cape Coral Police responded to a single vehicle traffic crash at 3422 Del Prado Blvd S, Fins Seafood & Dive Bar.

The driver was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A patron inside the business was also injured from flying debris which was minor and was released from the scene. A Major Crash Investigator, Victim Advocate, Forensics, and a Drug Recognition Expert responded to assist with this investigation. A Ping4alerts! was sent, warning drivers and residents of the traffic hazard.

The preliminary synopsis of the Major Crash Investigator is below:

DATE: September 22, 2018

TIME: 5:08 PM

LOCATION: 3422 Del Prado Blvd S

CR#: 18-018341

ASSIGNED THI: Officer D. Gray

VEHICLE 1: Red 2001 Nissan Xterra SUV, Florida tag# M117TB.

DRIVER 1: Rose Marie Edouard, B/F, 5/16/1968, of Cape Coral.

DRIVER 1 INJURIES: Edouard died as a result of a possible medical episode leading to the crash.

SYNOPSIS:

Vehicle 1 was traveling north at the 3400-block of Del Prado Blvd S in the inside lane. Vehicle 1 drifted to the left out of its lane and drove onto the center median. Vehicle 1 continued north along the center median where it collided with a bush and several small palm trees. Vehicle 1 then veered to the left and entered the southbound lanes of Del Prado Blvd S, crossed all three southbound lanes, and then collided with the curb in front of Fins Seafood & Dive Bar located at 3422 Del Prado Blvd S. Vehicle 1 crossed the front lawn of the business and collided with the front of the building. After impacting the building, Vehicle 1 rotated counter-clockwise and its right side impacted the business sign where it came to final rest.

The driver of Vehicle 1 was found unresponsive in the driver’s seat. The driver was trauma alerted to a local hospital Emergency Room where she was later pronounced deceased. The driver of Vehicle 1 may have suffered a medical issue that contributed to the loss of vehicle control and the collision.

One of the business customers received minor injuries from flying debris but was treated and released from the scene. Several witnesses reported seeing the driver of Vehicle 1 slumped over immediately prior to the crash.

Alcohol/drugs DO NOT appear to be a factor in the traffic crash. Next-of-kin HAVE BEEN notified.

Two southbound and one northbound lane(s) were closed for approximately 3 hours at the 3400-block of Del Prado Blvd S.