Heavy rain on led to flooding in several parts of eastern South Dakota, including more than eight inches of rain in Aurora and road closures in Brookings.

Heavy rainfall causes flooding in parts of South Dakota
Katie Nelson, Sioux Falls Argus Leader 

July 19, 2018


Flooding near the Hwy 14 bypass and Medary Avenue Brookings County Sheriff's Office



(Photo: Brookings County Sheriff's Office)


Heavy rain on Wednesday night led to flooding in several parts of eastern South Dakota, including more than eight inches of rain in Aurora and road closures in Brookings.

The National Weather Service said that as of 8 a.m. Thursday, the highest 24-hour rainfall total was 8.87 inches in Aurora. The city of Brookings received 6.63 inches, while the Sioux Falls airport only received 0.61 inches.

A flash flood warning remains in effect for Brookings County until 9:15 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Brookings County emergency manager Robert Hill said Highway 14 was closed near Brookings for at least two hours due to flooding. County roads 27, 34 and 35 were barricaded, and no travel was advised on 34th Avenue in Brookings due to unsafe driving conditions.

"The city of Brookings got hit pretty doggone hard last night," Hill said. No one had to be evacuated, but he had heard reports of several flooded basements and a car that became stuck in a cornfield after the driver tried to cross high water.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are still possible Thursday afternoon and evening, the National Weather Service said, with locally heavy rainfall the main concern. However, the bad weather is expected to clear up by Friday.

Gregory Pettis, 37, driving a 2005 Chrysler 300 nearly 100 mph, died after he crashed his car driving recklessly the wrong way in Charlotte, NC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 

A man killed in a north Charlotte crash was driving recklessly  nearly 100 mph on the wrong side of the road when he caused the wreck, police said.

The four-car crash shut down WT Harris Boulevard for hours Thursday afternoon.

Police said that around 1:30 p.m., Gregory Pettis, driving a 2005 Chrysler 300, went underneath a moving truck and caused a chain reaction of crashing cars.


Police said 37-year-old Gregory Pettis clipped a trailer, but instead of stopping, he hit a curb and accelerated into oncoming traffic.

Pettis hit a box truck that was making a U-turn before hitting two other cars.

Pettis died at the scene and four others suffered minor injuries.

A woman who was involved in the wreck, but was not seriously injured, said the car that hit the moving truck was driving on the wrong side of the road when it crashed.

“I wasn't sure if I was dead or alive,” said Natalie Frederick. “He was coming down the wrong side of the street. As the big truck was turning, he collided into it."


W.T. Harris Boulevard lanes are back open between Old Statesville Road and West Sugar Creek Boulevard.

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CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -

One person was killed and five others injured in a crash involving multiple vehicles in north Charlotte Thursday afternoon.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, officers responded to the 4600 block of W. WT Harris Blvd in reference to a four-vehicle crash.

Officers discovered a 2014 Freightliner moving truck, a 2016 Nissan Altima, a 2009 Toyota Camry, and a 2005 Chrysler 300 that had all been involved in a crash.

Gregory Scott Pettis, the Chrysler driver, was pronounced dead at the scene by MEDIC.

A total of five other individuals involved in this crash were taken to area hospitals.

Officials responded to the scene to investigate and determined that Pettis was driving on W. WT Harris Blvd in the left lane behind a truck with a trailer attached to it.

Pettis then moved into a left turn lane, striking the trailer as he sped past the truck and trailer.

Police say he did not make a left turn but continued to accelerate, hitting a curb then crossing over into the northwest lanes of the road.

Pettis continued to drive the wrong way at approximately 80-100 miles per hour.

He then drove through the intersection of Davis Lake Parkway and struck the Freightliner truck that was making a U-turn at a green light on W. WT Harris Blvd.

Pettis's car struck the Freightliner on the left side and drove underneath the truck before it came out on the right side.

After the car came from underneath the truck, it struck a Toyota Camry head-on. The Toyota was waiting at a red light.

After hitting the Toyota, Pettis's car ran off the road onto the shoulder where it came to a stop.

The Toyota was forced backwards and struck a Nissan Altima, The Nissan was waiting at the red light behind the Toyota.

Four people in the Freightliner were treated for minor injuries and were taken by MEDIC to local hospitals.

The passenger in the Toyota was also taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

All drivers and passengers in this crash were wearing seatbelts.

Alcohol or drug use is not suspected for the drivers of the Freightliner, Toyota, and Nissan.

Speed, driving the wrong way/left of center and failing to yield the right of way are all contributing factors for the Chrysler in this crash.

Alcohol and drug test results for Pettis are pending.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact detectives at 704-432-2169.

Four employees were injured by a small explosion and fire at a paint operation of a vehicle shop of the Letterkenny Army Depot in Franklin County, PA

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - Four employees were injured by a small explosion and fire Thursday morning in one of the major production areas of the Letterkenny Army Depot in Franklin County.

Depot commander Col. Stephen Ledbetter said three workers were flown to Baltimore area hospitals.

Ledbetter did not specify what injuries the workers received and did not have their conditions at a 1 p.m. news conference, but earlier he said the civilian employees sustained injuries he would "classify as serious."

The Franklin Fire Company said the workers were airlifted for burns.

A fourth worker was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The Associated Press reported the worker was treated for minor non-burn injuries and released.

The explosion and fire occurred in Building 350 around 7:20 a.m. The 320,000 square foot facility is used for painting military vehicles and equipment, and the injured workers were "supporting painting operations," Ledbetter said.

More than 300 workers were evacuated from the building and then sent home for the day. Second and third-shift workers were told not to report.

Ledbetter said the depot expected to resume normal operations in the paint area on Sunday, beginning with the third shift.

Normal operations continue across the rest of the depot.

Officials continue to investigate what caused the explosion. Ledbetter said the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is assisting, and they're looking at "all angles, all avenues."

He said there is "no suspicion of terrorist activity at this time."



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




By Mark Scolforo, Associated Press |
  Updated: Thu 12:04 PM, Jul 19, 2018



LETTERKENNY, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on an explosion at a Pennsylvania Army depot (all times local):

11:15 a.m.

A worker has been treated and released from a hospital after receiving minor injuries in an explosion at a Pennsylvania Army depot.

The worker had been taken by ambulance early Thursday to a hospital near the Letterkenny Army Depot, about 160 miles (257 kilometers) west of Philadelphia, shortly after the explosion and fire at a paint operation of a vehicle shop. A hospital spokeswoman says the worker did not receive treatment for burns, but did not release further details of the injury.

Officials say three other employees were airlifted to Baltimore area hospitals with burn-related injuries. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Army officials say the cause of the blast is still under investigation. It was contained to a single area of the depot, and there was no suspicion of terrorist activity.

___

A small explosion Thursday in a vehicle shop at an Army depot injured four workers, leaving at least three with burns, officials said.

The blast occurred at Letterkenny Army Depot about 7:15 a.m. Army Depot officials quickly posted on social media that the blast was contained, that operations elsewhere on the base would not be affected and that there was no suspicion of terrorist activity.

Col. Stephen Ledbetter, the depot commander, said three victims were flown to Baltimore area hospitals and the fourth left in an ambulance.

A fire company said three had burns. Their conditions were not immediately available.

Ledbetter said the explosion occurred in the painting area of a vehicle shop.

Both the Army and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate, he said.

The depot, located 160 miles (257 kilometers) west of Philadelphia, or about 55 miles (88 kilometers) southwest of Harrisburg, employs about 3,600 people. The depot's website says work there focuses on air defense tactical missile ground support equipment, mobile electric power generation equipment, Patriot missile recertification and route guidance vehicles.
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Letterkenny Army Depot (originally Letterkenny Ordnance Depot), the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) for Air Defense and Tactical Missile Systems, was established in 1942. The Depot is under the command structure of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM). The facilities at Letterkenny are used to conduct maintenance, modification, storage, and demilitarization operations on tactical missiles and ammunition. 

Located primarily in Letterkenny Township and extending into Greene Township and Hamilton Township, all in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, just northwest of the borough of Chambersburg, the Depot consists of nearly 18,000 acres (71 km²). It is the largest employer in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and adds over one-quarter of a billion dollars annually to the region's economy.

A U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter landing in a remote training area kicked up wind that caused the tent structure to collapse, injuring 22 soldiers at Fort Hunter Liggett on California's central coast

 

Did you know the Army no longer calls their field hospitals MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) units? They are now called "Cash" - Combat Support Hospitals. The last MASH unit was deactivated in 2006. Army Reserve units from around the country, including the 396th Combat Support Hospital and 325th Combat Support Hospital are at FHL for their annual training during #CSTX 91-18-01, with doctors, nurses and other medical Soldiers responding to various scenarios.

U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Gen. Charles D. Luckey, chief, Army Reserve and commanding general for the United States Army Reserve Command, visits Soldiers and assesses how they are doing during the 91st Training Division's Combat Support Training Exercise on Fort Hunter Liggett, July 17, 2018. The CSTX 91-18-01 ensures America’s Army Reserve units are trained to deploy bringing capable, combat-ready, and lethal firepower in support of the Army and our joint partners anywhere in the world. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. Derek Cummings)

US ARMY UPDATE. All Soldiers involved in training incident have been released to their units.

 

 

Follow-up press conference at 8am at Mission/Jolon Rd, across from the tank. No update at this point. Priority right is getting Soldiers treated and contacting family members. We thank the community and media for helping us keeping the public informed.

 

We understand the concern friends and family have for their loved ones currently training at Fort Hunter Liggett. The Garrison, however, is not currently authorized to release any personal information regarding the condition of injured Soldiers. There are 22 confirmed injures and NO FATALITIES. The majority of injuries are minor and are being treated on site in the field, or at the Troop Medical Clinic (TMC) on post. Unit leadership should be contacting families as appropriate. We will continue to release updates using Facebook as the situation develops and details are confirmed.

 

Approx. 9:30 pm, a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter landing’s rotor wash blew over a tent structure and injured a number Soldiers. There are NO FATALITES reported at this time. First responders on site report there are 22 injuries. The majority of injuries are minor and are being treated on site. Two of the injured were evacuated by air to Fresno, CA and two were evacuated by ground to Twin Cites Medical Center in Templeton, CA. This incident occurred during an annual U.S. Army Reserve exercise, Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) that trains Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers.

 

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FRESNO, California (WABC) --

Army officials say 22 soldiers were injured at Fort Hunter Liggett on California's central coast after a large tent collapsed.

The Army says that at around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, a Blackhawk helicopter landing in a remote training area kicked up wind that caused the tent structure to collapse.
Two of the injured were flown to the trauma center at Community Regional Medical Center in Downtown Fresno, while two others were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Templeton.

The rest of the injured were treated on site. Officials at the base said there were no reported fatalities.

Fort Hunter Liggett is located about an hour northwest of San Luis Obispo and is primarily used as a training facility, where soldiers learn maneuvers and participate in live fire exercises. The sprawling base is the largest U.S. Army Reserve Command post.
A training event was being conducted at the Fort at the time of the incident. Officials say that it is an Army Reserve training exercise called a Combat Support Training Exercise. Thousands of Army, Navy, Air Force, Army National Guard, Army Reserve and Canadian Armed Forces troops are participating in the exercise.

Timothy Moore, 54, and Penny Nickeson, 49, died after their powerboat hit the inside of the outer steel breakwater at the inlet by the Black River on Lake Erie

Timothy Moore, 54, and Penny Nickeson, 49, died after their powerboat hit the inside of the outer steel breakwater at the inlet by the Black River on Lake Erie

Timothy Moore, 54, and Penny Nickeson, 49, died after their powerboat hit the inside of the outer steel breakwater at the inlet by the Black River on Lake Erie

Lorain boat crash on Black River kills 2
  A powerboat with three people on board hit the inside of the outer steel breakwater at the inlet by the Black River on Lake Erie after the July 4 fireworks display in Lorain. Courtesy William Hart


By Zach Srnis, The Morning Journal

July 5, 2018


 

  A powerboat with three people on board hit the inside of the outer steel breakwater at the inlet by the Black River on Lake Erie after the July 4 fireworks display in Lorain. Courtesy William Hart

Two people are dead following a July 4 boat crash on the Black River in Lorain.

A powerboat with three people on board hit the inside of the outer steel breakwater at the inlet by the Black River on Lake Erie at a high rate of speed after the Lorain fireworks display at 10:25 p.m., according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Timothy Moore, 54, of Lorain was pronounced dead at the scene, and Penny Nickeson, 49, also of Lorain, was pronounced dead at Mercy Health Regional Medical Center in Lorain from her injuries, ODNR Lt. Chuck Stiver said during a July 5 news conference at the Lorain Port Authority, 319 Black River Lane in Lorain.

A 10-year-old boy, the grandson of Moore, was hospitalized with minor injuries and released, Stiver said.

Authorities declined to say where the victims lived.

“Our condolences go out to the family,” Stiver said. “This is a tragedy, and our first concern was the safety and well-being of the juvenile involved.”

Stiver said a witness to the event described the boat as being “up on plane” when it crashed.

“That is when the boat is going at a speed where it rises on top of the waves,” he said. “There are a wide range of speeds that fall in that category, and our investigator will determine the speed as the investigation continues. It is also too early to determine the cause of the crash.”

Officer Kris Nyland of the Lorain County U.S. Coast Guard, which was the first unit to respond, said they don’t believe lighting was an issue.

“We arrived on scene to find two people, who appeared unconscious, and the boat missing its bow,” Nyland said. “The lighting has been inspected and everything is working well at this time. That is something that will be checked throughout the investigation.”

Ed Favre, chief of Lorain Marine Patrol, said the wall is six feet tall and the boat struck it about a third of the way up.

“It appears the boat was heading east and struck the wall,” he said.

Stiver said they are unsure who was operating the boat.

“We don’t know who was controlling it at the time of the crash,” he said. “We found a truck and trailer, owned by Moore, near the Alabama Avenue boat launch. So, we believe the boat started from Lorain.”

Stiver said there are a few things that can contribute to obstructing viewpoints while in a boat.

“We try to educate boaters on making sure they know the area,” he said. “A good navigation system is the best way to pick up things you can’t see.”

Stiver said the investigation is a several week process.

“Our investigator will reconstruct the boat and determine the place everyone was seated during the crash,” he said. “It will also take time to find the actual cause. The juvenile will be able to help us, but we are going to wait until he is ready out of respect for him and his family.

“This matter is a joint investigation between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources along with the Lorain Marine Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and the Lorain County coroner.”