The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has activated its Hurricane Response Team as Hurricane Michael enters the Gulf of Mexico.

BSEE Reports Hurricane Michael Activity Statistics: Oct. 8, 2018







October 8, 2018

The BSEE Hurricane Response Team is activated and monitoring Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities.

NEW ORLEANS, LA — 

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has activated its Hurricane Response Team as Hurricane Michael enters the Gulf of Mexico. The Hurricane Response Team is monitoring offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf as they evacuate platforms and rigs in preparation for the storm. The team works with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies until operations return to normal and the storm is no longer a threat to Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 10 production platforms, 1.46 percent of the 687 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced. Unlike drilling rigs which typically move from location to location, production facilities remain in the same location throughout a project’s duration.

Personnel have been evacuated from no rigs (non-dynamically positioned), equivalent to 0 percent of the 20 rigs of this type currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can include several types of offshore drilling facilities including jackup rigs, platform rigs, all submersibles and moored semisubmersibles.

A total of five dynamically positioned rigs have moved off location out of the storm’s path as a precaution. This number represents 29.4 percent of the 17 rigs of this type currently operating in the Gulf. Dynamically positioned rigs maintain their location while conducting well operations by using thrusters and propellers, the rigs are not moored to the seafloor; therefore, they can move off location in a relatively short time-frame. Personnel remain on-board and return to the location once the storm has passed.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the applicable shut-in procedure, which can frequently be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the sub-surface safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas. During previous hurricane seasons, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time, efficiently shutting in production from wells on the Outer Continental Shelf and protecting the marine and coastal environments. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.

From operator reports, it is estimated that approximately 19.07 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in. It is also estimated that approximately 11.09 percent of the natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in. The production percentages are calculated using information submitted by offshore operators in daily reports. Shut-in production information included in these reports is based on the amount of oil and gas the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which BSEE compares to historical production reports to ensure the estimates follow a logical pattern.

After the hurricane has passed, facilities will be inspected. Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back on line immediately. Facilities sustaining damage may take longer to bring back on line. BSEE will continue to update the evacuation and shut-in statistics at 1:00 p.m. CDT each day as appropriate.

	Total	Percentage of GOM
Platforms Evacuated	10	1.46
Rigs Evacuated	0	0
DP Rigs Moved-off	5	29.4
	Total shut-in	Percentage of GOM Production
Oil, BOPD Shut-in	324,190	19.07
Gas, MMCFD Shut-in	283.88	11.09

 

This survey information is reflective of eight companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today.

2-year old Caleb Acuna died and his sister injured at JK’s Pumpkin Patch after strong winds blew over the bounce pillow he was playing on at the pumpkin patch north of Lincoln, Nebraska

The boy, Caleb Acuna of Lincoln, (bottom left) and his 5-year-old sister, Aura, were taken to Bryan West Campus after the incident at JK's Pumpkin Patch, 757 Bluff Road




A 2-year-old boy died Thursday afternoon after strong winds blew over the bounce pillow he was playing on at a pumpkin patch north of Lincoln on Wednesday.


The boy, Caleb Acuna of Lincoln, and his 5-year-old sister, Aura, were taken to Bryan West Campus after the incident at JK's Pumpkin Patch, 757 Bluff Road, according to Lancaster County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Gaston.


Aura was released from the hospital Thursday morning after being treated for her injuries.


Sheriff Terry Wagner and the sheriff’s office extended their deepest condolences to the boy's parents, Edward and Berna Acuna, and everyone involved.


"It's tragic," Capt. Tom Brookhouser said.


Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon ordered an autopsy, and the Sheriff's Office investigation into the incident was ongoing Friday.


Pumpkin patch owner Josh Kadavy didn't respond to a call seeking comment, but posted to Facebook that his attorney had advised him not to take media questions at this time.


"Our thoughts, prayers & deepest condolences & sympathies are with the family at this time," Kadavy said in the post. "It's been an extremely emotional situation for me and my family as well as the family of the little boy. We are continuing to lift the family up in prayer."


Staff at Candlewood Church in Lincoln set up a GoFundMe account for the Acuna family.


The young family hails from Colombia, South America, and Edward Acuna teaches and studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Modern Languages Department.


Caleb, along with his sister and mother, participated in Lincoln Literacy's Family Literacy Activities for Immigrants and Refugees program at Culler Middle School, according to an email from the organization aiding the fundraiser for the Acunas.


"Caleb (...) was adored by all in the FLAIR program," the email said.


Program manager Sandra Rojo said news that Caleb and his sister were hurt in the incident was devastating.


"Those kids were perfect, just perfect," she said in the email. "I can't believe this has happened."


The two were playing on the unenclosed bounce pillow with their parents during a private event shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday. The parents got off the pillow just before a gust of wind, measured nearby at 59 mph, shifted and tore the inflatable from its moorings, lifting it 30 to 40 feet into the air, Raymond Fire Safety Officer Nick Monnier said.


Aura was thrown about 30 feet, but the pillow wrapped around the boy "like a taco shell," Monnier said, and trapped him. It landed about 40 yards away.


The gust also blew another large bounce house more than 100 yards, Monnier said.


Wagner called the wind gust "unusual" and said the bounce pad had been tied down.


The National Weather Service had issued a wind advisory Wednesday afternoon, warning of gusts up to 60 mph. Winds throughout the day had consistently exceeded 20 mph.


In August, the Lancaster County Board of Commissions approved an amusement license for the pumpkin patch, which is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The pumpkin patch was not open to the public Wednesday.


JK’s Pumpkin Patch carries the requisite liability insurance from Western Agricultural Insurance Co., according to its license application.


JK's was closed the previous weekend because of concerns about safety amid forecast rain.

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





A 2-year-old boy remained in critical condition Thursday after strong winds blew over a bounce pillow at a pumpkin patch north of Lincoln late Wednesday afternoon.


The boy and his 5-year-old sister were taken to Bryan West Campus after the incident, which happened at JK's Pumpkin Patch, 757 Bluff Road, according to Lancaster County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Gaston.


The girl was released from the hospital Thursday morning after being treated for her injuries. The boy's injuries were more serious, Sheriff Terry Wagner said.


The siblings were playing on the unenclosed bounce pillow with their parents shortly after 6 p.m. The parents got off the pillow just before a gust of wind, measured nearby at 59 mph, shifted and tore the inflatable from its moorings, lifting it 30 to 40 feet into the air, said Raymond Fire Safety Officer Nick Monnier.


The girl was thrown about 30 feet, but the pillow wrapped around the boy "like a taco shell," Monnier said, and trapped him. It landed about 40 yards away.


First responders from Raymond were on scene in four minutes, Monnier said, and the Valparaiso Fire Department assisted on the call.


It was originally reported that three children were injured in the mishap. Believing that, Monnier and other rescue workers searched the area, including around another large bounce house, which was blown more than 100 yards by the same wind gust, before people on the scene informed them that there were no others involved.


Wagner called the wind gust "unusual" and said the bounce pad had been tied down.


The Journal Star doesn't know what brand of inflatable bounce pad JK's had.


A website for Inflatable 2000, a large manufacturer of bounce pillows and items, warns inflatables should never be used when wind speeds exceed 20 mph.


The National Weather Service had issued a wind advisory Wednesday afternoon, warning of gusts up to 60 mph. Winds throughout the day had consistently exceeded 20 mph.


Inflatables aren't regulated by the Nebraska Department of Labor, which inspects and permits other amusement rides under Nebraska's Amusement Ride Law.


In August, the Lancaster County Board of Commissions approved an amusement license for the pumpkin patch, which is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The pumpkin patch was not open to the public on Wednesday.


JK’s Pumpkin Patch carries the requisite liability insurance from Western Agricultural Insurance Co., according to its license application.


The owners of the patch didn't immediately respond to a call seeking comment.


Wednesday night on Facebook, co-owner Josh Kadavy said it was an "emotional night" and encouraged people to pray for the family involved in the incident.


"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time," he wrote.


JK's was closed the previous weekend because of concerns about safety amid forecast rain.


The patch isn't within Lincoln city limits. The city requires people hosting events at local parks to discontinue use of bounce houses during inclement or severe weather, defined by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department’s rule as rain, snow or winds higher than 15 mph.


Jump pads and bounce houses have made headlines in recent years following other flyaway incidents that have injured adults and children, according to news reports.


A 2015 Consumer Product Safety Commission report found that more than 113,000 people's injuries stemmed from these inflatable amusements between 2003 and 2012.


Twelve deaths were reported during that time frame, according to the commission.


About 61 percent of those injured were children ages 4 to 15, and most injuries were to limbs, the report said.


Flyaway accidents are rare but give the inflatable amusements industry a black eye, Kevin Baldree, a Texas-based inflatable owner, told the Boston Globe and Stateline last year.


Despite the rise in injuries, regulation of these attractions varies widely from state to state, the Globe-Stateline investigation found.


Injuries stemming from other accidents are more common, often the result of rough play or falls from the inflatable onto a hard surface, according to the article.

New Jersey Transit’s Montclair-bound Train 6279 went off the tracks Thursday at 6:20 p.m. near the Hudson River tunnel, where Amtrak last year oversaw $30 million of stepped-up maintenance after three trains derailed

N.J. Derailment Shows How Pain Persists for NYC Commuters By
Elise Young 

October 5, 2018

Round-the-clock repairs at Pennsylvania Station were supposed to guarantee smoother New York City train commutes. They haven’t.


New Jersey Transit’s Montclair-bound Train 6279 went off the tracks Thursday at 6:20 p.m. near the Hudson River tunnel, where Amtrak last year oversaw $30 million of stepped-up maintenance after three trains derailed. Amtrak, which owns the Manhattan station and shares it with commuter railroads, “ruled out any issue with the infrastructure” after investigating the latest mishap, spokesman Jason Abrams said in an emailed statement.


NJ Transit expected no major delays for Friday evening’s rush hour. It was “looking into the possibility that an equipment issue with the train may have been a contributing factor,” spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said in an emailed statement.

The crumbling and century-old Hudson River tunnel provides the only New York City access for NJ Transit trains, and Amtrak has said it has less than 20 years of serviceable life. It’s key to the Boston-to-Washington Northeast Corridor route, serving an area that generates 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Amtrak’s proposed $30 billion Gateway project includes a second tunnel and other improvements, but President Donald Trump’s administration hasn’t pledged a federal cost share.

“Every time something like this happens, it’s a reminder of why we need another set of tunnels,” Stewart Mader, chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Riders Council, said in an interview.

A tunnel power failure stranded about 1,600 passengers on two trains on Sept. 8. A moment after one re-started, a piece of metal, possibly displaced from the overhead electrical system, pierced the roof of one car. Amtrak this week said it was continuing to look for a cause.

NJ Transit described the Thursday incident as a “minor slow-speed train derailment” with no reported injuries. Some riders on social media described reaching their destinations as much as three hours late initially and on Friday morning.

Occasional passengers complained on Twitter about missing shows and family outings. Commuters, though, ranted about a week of unexpected delays heaped atop service cuts as the agency pulls locomotives from service to install federally mandated emergency braking systems. Crowding, already a chief complaint, will worsen in November, when the railroad makes a push to hit its Dec. 31 installation deadline.

To appease riders for the scheduled inconvenience, the nation’s second-biggest commuter rail operator will cut fares 10 percent for three months. No discount is on offer, though, for delays that NJ Transit says are beyond its control. On separate days this week alone, the Morris and Essex line was disrupted by a downed tree, a fatality and a disabled train. On other lines, schedules were re-jiggered because of staffing shortages, the railroad said.

Once recognized as a national leader, New Jersey Transit service declined and accidents and crowding escalated as former Republican Governor Chris Christie shifted $3.44 billion to operating expenses from the capital account. Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat who took office in January, has pledged to rebuild the agency’s bus and train operations.

The pilot and lawyer, 65-year-old Ralph C. Young of Fayetteville, West Virginia, died after he crashed his 1941 Piper J3C-65 Cub plane in southwest Fancy Gap Mountain, Virginia

CARROLL Co., Va. (WSET) -- 

Virginia State Police are investigating a plane crash in Carroll County.

State Police say that at 2:10 a.m. Sunday morning they were alerted to a missing aircraft that was suspected of crashing in Carroll County.

They were able to locate the fixed-wing, single-engine 1941 Piper off of Cemetery Road on Fancy Gap Mountain just after 3:00 a.m. with the help of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

They say the pilot, 65-year-old Ralph C. Young of Fayetteville, West Virginia, did not survive the crash.  He had bought the plane just last year (August 2017).  Although he was an experienced pilot, he did not realize what he was getting into with this 1941 Piper, as the winds in the mountains are atrocious and unpredictable and can bring down a small plane like the Piper Cub in no time.

Officials found his remains among the wreckage.

Police say the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke also responded to the scene.

The cause of the plane crash is under investigation.

They say Young was making a round-trip flight from Fayetteville to Elkin, North Carolina.  Perhaps he was visiting insurance clients in North Carolina for the recent massive insured losses in that state.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services, and Hillsville and Cana Fire Departments have assisted state police at the scene.


The FAA and NTSB are assisting state police with the investigation.

Ralph C. Young

Attorney

Location:

Fayetteville, West Virginia

Phone:

304-574-2727
888-279-7919 (Toll Free)

Email:

Email Me

Ralph C. Young holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Science in Industrial Relations, and a Juris Doctor degree, all from West Virginia University. Mr. Young is a trial lawyer who has been practicing law since 1979; his law practice emphasizes personal injury, insurance and consumer matters. Mr. Young has frequently appeared before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

Ralph, his wife Cathy, and their three children, Clint, Joel, and Ashton, reside near Fayetteville. During the spring, summer and autumn, Ralph is an avid whitewater kayaker on the New and Gauley Rivers. During the winter, Ralph and his family are avid skiers. Ralph is a Trustee of the Oak Hill United Methodist Church. Ralph and his sons enjoy restoring their collection of antique tractors and jeeps.

Areas of Practice

• Consumer Matters
• Insurance
• Personal Injury

Litigation Percentage

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• West Virginia, 1979
• U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit

Education

• West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia - 1979
• West Virginia University
  • M.S. - 1979
  • Major: Industrial Relations
• West Virginia University
  • B.A. - 1974
  • Major: English

 A typical 1941 Piper J3C-65 Cub plane

 These two piper planes were owned by Ralph Young.  He was an experienced pilot playing with dangerous old planes.  He finally payed the piper with his life.

==============================================
Narrative:
The aircraft impacted trees and terrain in southwest Fancy Gap, Virginia. The airplane was destroyed during the accident sequence and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.

Sources:
https://wset.com/news/local/man-dies-after-personal-plane-crashes-in-carroll-county
https://www.thecarrollnews.com/news/5194/fatal-plane-crash-in-carroll-county-under-investigation
https://www.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=us&entry=s&sa=X&ll=36.6487242,-80.7020641&z=13&ftid=0x8852193c8ea861d5:0x30d4bb092c63735d&q=Cemetary+Rd,+Fancy+Gap,+VA+24328&gmm=CgIgAQ%3D%3D&ved=2ahUKEwi8xIj6iPXdAhWFJnwKHRfNB-gQ8gEwAXoECAoQAQ
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=38811
Date: 07-OCT-2018
Time: -14:10
Type:
Piper J3C-65 Cub
Owner/operator: Private
Registration: N38811
C/n / msn: 7288
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Carroll County, SSW Fancy Gap, VA - United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature: Unknown
Departure airport: Fayetteville (WV59)
Destination airport: Elkin Muni (KZEF)

MUSLIM PRESTIGE LIMOUSINE DRIVER MAYBE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF 19 PEOPLE IN SCHOHARIE, NEW YORK

MUSLIM PRESTIGE LIMOUSINE DRIVER MAYBE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF 19 PEOPLE IN SCHOHARIE, NEW YORK


We have been warning people to be careful and vigilant when Muslim drivers operate vehicles.  This COULD BE a terrorist act by a Muslim driver of the Prestige Limousine.  The facts are as follows:


The limo was speeding as it was approaching the stop sign.  It made no effort to brake, as if the driver wanted to crash.  The limo driver then hit two pedestrians and crashed into the woods in the creek.  Again, no braking signs whatsoever.  The Prestige Limousine of Saratoga, NY is owned by Shahed Hussain.  The driver's name has not been released, but we would not be surprsised if he is a Muslim driver.  If the NTSB finds that the limo had no mechanical problems, then terrorism should be suspected here.

A pair of newlyweds and a young upstate New York couple were among the victims of a deadly limousine crash over the weekend, according to their families.

Newlyweds Erin Vertucci, 34, and Shane McGowan, 30, were among the 20 people killed near Albany on Saturday, their family said, in what officials are calling the country’s deadliest transportation accident in nearly a decade.

The newlyweds were heading to a birthday party with another couple and several other friends when their stretch limousine skipped a stop sign and slammed into an unoccupied SUV in Schoharie -- about 43 miles west of Albany, authorities said.

Investigators have not released details about the victims, but officials said all of the limo’s 18 occupants were killed, as well as two pedestrians who were standing nearby, authorities said.


The Associated PressA New York state trooper and members of the National Transportation Safety Board view the scene of Saturday's fatal crash in Schoharie, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. A limousine loaded with revelers headed to a 30th birthday party blew a stop sign



Chris Fiore, first deputy superintendent of the New York State Police, said the limousine failed to stop at the intersection. The speed limit on that road is 50 mph, but it was not immediately clear how fast the Ford limo was going, he said.

“I’ve been on the board for 12 years and this is one of the biggest losses of live I’ve seen in a long time,” National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said Sunday. “This is the most deadly transportation accident in this country since February 2009.”

“It’s important to figure out what happened and why it happened to prevent things like this from happening in the future,” he added.

The company which operated the vehicle, Prestige Limousine, has had vehicles inspected five times in the past five years and had four vehicles taken out of service, according to Department of Transportation records. The company had not had any crashes over the last two years, records show.


Limos, which are chopped up by second-stage manufacturers and extended in length, are not subject to any regulatory agency. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer has pushed for stronger safety measures for limos in the past and said he was "heartbroken" by the tragedy.

Authorities have not confirmed victims’ identities, but Barbara Douglas said her nieces were among the passengers killed.

"I had four nieces. They are all dead. They were in there," Douglas told ABC News, without identifying them.


The Associated PressPeople place flowers, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, at the scene where 20 people died as the result of a limousine crashing into a parked and unoccupied SUV at an intersection a day earlier, in Schoharie, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)




The Associated PressDebris scatters an area Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, at the site of yesterday's fatal crash Schoharie, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)



Karina Halse said investigators identified her 26-year-old sister, Amanda Halse, and her sister’s boyfriend, 31-year-old Patrick Cushing, as passengers as well.

Amanda Halse and Cushing, who’d been dating for about a year, were traveling with Cushing’s friends to a party at Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, about an hour west of Schoharie, when the crash happened, Karina Halse told “Good Morning America.”

“I mean she told me she got a limo and she was going to this brewery in Cooperstown and then this morning I saw a limo accident and 20 people dead,” Karina Halse, 21, told “GMA.” “I just put two and two together, hoping it wasn’t true. But then it happened to be true.”

She said sister sent her a text message just an hour before the crash occurred, telling her about the limo, but she wasn’t able to respond in time.


The Associated PressFlowers are placed at a roadside memorial at the scene of Saturday's fatal limousine crash in Schoharie, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. A limousine loaded with revelers headed to a 30th birthday party blew a stop sign at the end of a highway and slammed


“I was at work yesterday, so I didn't reply to her until around 2 p.m. when I heard about the accident happening just before 2 p.m., so I was just late replying to her,” Karina Halse said. “But I just knew something was off when she wasn't replying to me right away.”

Authorities notified Halse of her sister’s death about a day after the crash happened, crushing her and leaving her family in a total state of shock, she said.

“She was just a great human being all around. She just wanted to make sure everyone was happy and she was a peacekeeper of the family,” Karina Halse said. “You know she was the best sister I could have ever had in my life.

“I'm so grateful that I had her and I will cherish her memory forever,” she added.


Karina HalseAmanda Halse and Patrick Cushing were among the victims of a limousine crash that killed 20 people in Schoharie, N.Y., on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018.


New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sent his condolences to all the families of the victims in a statement on Sunday.

"I join all New Yorkers in mourning these deaths and share in the unspeakable sorrow experienced by their families and loved ones during this extremely difficult time," the governor said. "State police are working with federal and local authorities to investigate the crash, and I have directed State agencies to provide every resource necessary to aid in this investigation and determine what led to this tragedy."


The Associated PressIn this Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018 photo, a limousine, left, has landed in the woods following a fatal crash in Schoharie, N.Y. (Tom Heffernan Sr. via AP)



Investigators had not released any information about limousine or its driver as of early Monday morning.

A vigil will be held Monday night for the victims, many of whom were from Amsterdam, New York, at the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook, New York state Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara said.

ABC News' Wil Cruz, David Kerley, Whitney Lloyd and Suzanne Yeo contributed to this report.