Malibu is filing suit against the state of California, the city of Los Angeles, L.A. County and additional public entities. Saying the seaside enclave’s “entire character” was changed by the Palisades fire, the city is seeking damages for the loss of property, business and city revenue.
Malibu officials confirmed Wednesday that the city had filed a civil complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court with a list of defendants that included the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
Malibu officials said the decision was necessary to try to recoup losses that affect “the long-term fiscal implications for Malibu and its taxpayers,” according to a news release. The complaint does not list a specific dollar amount the city is seeking in damages.
“The lawsuit seeks accountability for the extraordinary losses suffered by our community while recognizing that Malibu must continue to work collaboratively with our regional partners going forward,” Mayor Bruce Silverstein said in a statement.
The city’s “entire character changed” on Jan. 7, 2025, when the defendants’ “unlawful conduct caused the Palisades Fire to ignite,” according to the complaint.
The ensuing blaze killed 12 people, half of whom were Malibu residents, according to the city. Roughly 700 Malibu homes and dozens of businesses also were destroyed, the complaint states.
Those businesses included restaurants that were local institutions, such as Moonshadows, the Reel Inn and Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio.
Malibu “is still reeling from the destruction” of the fire, “a hollowed out community, burned and destroyed buildings and homes, a shrinking tax base, emotionally and physically scarred citizens, and untold environmental damage,” the complaint states.
Malibu claims that the fire was “not an accident” but a “foreseeable and proximate result of unlawful conduct” by the defendants.
Each of the entities was blamed for its role in the fire, including not properly addressing the burn scar from the Lachman fire, which rekindled to become the Palisades fire; leaving “reservoirs empty for over a year”; and failing to ensure “essential firefighting infrastructure,” according to the complaint.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Silverstein said. “The city has an obligation to act in the best interests of our residents and taxpayers.”
The Boathouse restaurant in Disney Springs is being sued after a customer choked to death on a piece of steak, according to court records. According to the complaint, Kevin Duncan, a Marion County resident, was eating at the restaurant in June 2025 when he began choking on his steak. The lawsuit filed in October 2025 against Boathouse Restaurants LLC is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, alleging that staff negligence, including a delay in calling emergency services, led to Duncan’s death.While family and friends attempted the Heimlich maneuver, the lawsuit claims that restaurant staff “did not promptly call 911; instead, staff initially contacted security, causing a delay in summoning emergency medical services.”The family is seeking a jury trial and demanding judgment for damages, including medical and funeral expenses, loss of support and services, mental pain and suffering of survivors, and net accumulations of the estate.The lawsuit was moved to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida after initially being filed in Orange County circuit court.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. —
The Boathouse restaurant in Disney Springs is being sued after a customer choked to death on a piece of steak, according to court records.
According to the complaint, Kevin Duncan, a Marion County resident, was eating at the restaurant in June 2025 when he began choking on his steak.
The lawsuit filed in October 2025 against Boathouse Restaurants LLC is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, alleging that staff negligence, including a delay in calling emergency services, led to Duncan’s death.
While family and friends attempted the Heimlich maneuver, the lawsuit claims that restaurant staff “did not promptly call 911; instead, staff initially contacted security, causing a delay in summoning emergency medical services.”
The family is seeking a jury trial and demanding judgment for damages, including medical and funeral expenses, loss of support and services, mental pain and suffering of survivors, and net accumulations of the estate.
The lawsuit was moved to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida after initially being filed in Orange County circuit court.
A man has been taken into custody by police after officers and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.William DeFoor, 26, has been charged with criminal damaging/endangering, obstructing official business and criminal trespass, all misdemeanors, as well as one count of vandalism, a fifth-degree felony, according to a police report.Cincinnati Police say DeFoor is accused of being seen by a Secret Service agent and on security footage walking onto the property without permission and damaging four windows, as well as a vehicle. Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house. The Secret Service said the incident happened shortly after midnight early Monday morning. The Secret Service is coordinating with CPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon. This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.
CINCINNATI —
A man has been taken into custody by police after officers and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.
William DeFoor, 26, has been charged with criminal damaging/endangering, obstructing official business and criminal trespass, all misdemeanors, as well as one count of vandalism, a fifth-degree felony, according to a police report.
Cincinnati Police say DeFoor is accused of being seen by a Secret Service agent and on security footage walking onto the property without permission and damaging four windows, as well as a vehicle.
Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house.
Hearst Owned
WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene in the East Walnut Hills area for several hours, going in and out of the house.
The Secret Service said the incident happened shortly after midnight early Monday morning. The Secret Service is coordinating with CPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon.
This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.
Police respond to Ohio home of VP JD Vance as part of hours-long investigation
PEOPLE LINE UP TO WATCH THE HISTORIC ARRAIGNMENT. THIS IS WLWT NEWS 5 LEADING THE WAY WITH BREAKING NEWS. LET’S GET RIGHT TO THAT BREAKING NEWS. WE ARE STILL WORKING TO GET ANSWERS AFTER CINCINNATI POLICE AND THE U.S. SECRET SERVICE RESPONDED TO THE HOME OF JD VANCE OVERNIGHT. THEY WERE THERE IN EAST WALNUT HILLS FOR SEVERAL HOURS. WLWT NEWS FIVE’S NICOLE APONTE LIVE FOR US THERE THIS MORNING. NICOLE, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? KELLY, WE’RE IN THE VICINITY OF WHERE JD VANCE HOME IS IN EAST WALNUT HILLS. THERE IS STILL VERY LIMITED INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT CINCINNATI POLICE AND SECRET SERVICE AGENTS RESPONDED TO VANCE’S HOME OVERNIGHT. IN THIS VIDEO, RIGHT HERE, OUR PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURED WHAT APPEARS TO BE DAMAGE TO THE WINDOWS. OFFICERS WERE ON SCENE IN THE AREA FOR SEVERAL HOURS, GOING IN AND OUT OF THIS HOME, BUT POLICE HERE COULD ONLY TELL US THEY, QUOTE, HAVE A SUSPECT. IT’S NOT CLEAR IF THAT PERSON IS IN CUSTODY, WHAT THEY’RE CHARGED WITH, OR IF THEY’RE CONNECTED TO THIS INVESTIGATION. VICE PRESIDENT VANCE WAS IN CINCINNATI FOR THE LAST WEEK AND LEFT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. WE’VE SPOKEN WITH SECRET SERVICE AGENTS HERE ON THE SCENE. THEY TELL US THAT THERE SHOULD BE A STATEMENT MADE LATER THIS MORNING. MEANTIME, WE’LL STILL MONITOR THE SITUATION HERE IN EAST WALNUT HILLS AND BRING YOU THESE UPDATES AS THE
Police respond to Ohio home of VP JD Vance as part of hours-long investigation
Police and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house.Cincinnati police there could say only that they “have a suspect.”It’s not clear if that person is in custody or what they’re charged with.WLWT has spoken with Secret Service agents who say a statement will likely be made later Monday morning.Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon. This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.
CINCINNATI —
Police and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.
Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house.
Hearst Owned
WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene in the East Walnut Hills area for several hours, going in and out of the house.
Cincinnati police there could say only that they “have a suspect.”
It’s not clear if that person is in custody or what they’re charged with.
WLWT has spoken with Secret Service agents who say a statement will likely be made later Monday morning.
Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon.
This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.
Here, they renew their annual tradition of looking at the year past and offering some thoughts on what the new year may bring.
Chabria: Welp, that was something. I can’t say 2025 was a stellar year for the American experiment, but it certainly will make the history books.
Before we dive into pure politics, I’ll start with something positive. I met a married couple at a No Kings rally in Sacramento who were dressed up as dinosaurs, inspired by the Portland Frog, an activist who wears an inflatable amphibian suit.
When I asked why, the husband told me, “If you don’t do something soon, you will have democracy be extinct.”
Crowds participate in No Kings Day in downtown Los Angeles in October.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
I loved that so many Americans were doing something by turning out to not just protest policies that hit personally, but to rally in support of democracy writ large. For many, it was their first time taking this kind of action, and they were doing it in a way that expressed optimism and possibility rather than giving in to anger or despair. Where there is humor, there is hope.
While eggs and gas are no longer exorbitant, the cost of just about everything else continues to climb. Or, in the case of beef, utility bills and insurance, skyrocket.
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is another of the long-standing institutions Trump has smeared his name across.
(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)
Meantime, the president seems less concerned with improving voters’ lives than smearing his name on every object he lays his eyes on, one of the latest examples being the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
I wonder: Why stop there? Why not brand these the United States of Trump-erica, then boast we live in the “hottest” country on Planet Trump?
Chabria: Stop giving him ideas!
You and I agree that it’s been a difficult year full of absurdity, but we’ve disagreed on how seriously to take Trump as a threat to democracy. As the year closes, I am more concerned than ever.
It’s not the ugly antics of ego that alarm me, but the devastating policies that will be hard to undo — if we get the chance to undo them.
Now, we are seeing overt antisemitism and racism on the MAGA right, with alarming acceptance from many. The far right has championed a debate as dumb as it is frightening, about “heritage” Americans being somehow a higher class of citizens than nonwhites.
Vice President JD Vance speaks at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
(Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)
Recently, Vice President JD Vance gave a speech in which he announced, “In the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore,” and Trump has said he wants to start taking away citizenship from legal immigrants. Both men claim America is a Christian nation, and eschew diversity as a value.
Do you still think American democracy is secure, and this political moment will pass without lasting damage to our democratic norms?
Barabak: I’ll start with some differentiation.
I agree that Trump is sowing seeds or, more specifically, enacting policies and programs, that will germinate and do damage for many years to come.
Alienating our allies, terrorizing communities with his prejudicial anti-immigrant policies — which go far beyond a reasonable tightening of border security — starving science and other research programs. The list is a long and depressing one, as you suggest.
But I do believe — cue the trumpets and cherubs — there is nothing beyond the power of voters to fix.
To quote, well, me, there is no organism on the planet more sensitive to heat and light than a politician. We’ve already seen an anti-Trump backlash in a series of elections held this year, in red and blue state alike. A strong repudiation in the 2026 midterm election will do more than all the editorial tut-tutting and protest marches combined. (Not that either are bad things.)
A stressed-out seeming poll worker in a polling station at Los Angeles’ Union Station.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The best way to preserve our democracy and uphold America’s values is for unhappy citizens to register their dissent via the ballot box. And to address at least one of your concerns, I’m not too worried about Trump somehow nullifying the results, given legal checks and the decentralization of our election system.
Installing lawmakers in Congress with a mandate to hold Trump to account would be a good start toward repairing at least some of the damage he’s wrought. And if it turns into a Republican rout, it’ll be quite something to watch the president’s onetime allies run for the hills as fast as their weak knees allow.
Chabria: OMG! It’s a holiday miracle. We agree!
I think the midterms will be messy, but I don’t think this will be an election where Trump, or anyone, outright tries to undo overall results.
Although I do think the groundwork will be laid to sow further doubt in our election integrity ahead of 2028, and we will see bogus claims of fraud and lawsuits.
So the midterms very well could be a reset if Democrats take control of something, anything. We would likely not see past damage repaired, but may see enough opposition to slow the pace of whatever is happening now, and offer transparency and oversight.
But the 2026 election only matters if people vote, which historically is not something a great number of people do in midterms. At this point, there are few people out there who haven’t heard about the stakes in November, but that still doesn’t translate to folks — lazy, busy, distracted — weighing in.
If proposed restrictions on mail-in ballots or voter identification take effect, even just in some states, that will also change the outcomes.
But there is hope, always hope.
Barabak: On that note, let’s recognize a few of the many good things that happened in 2025.
MacKenzie Scott donated $700 million to more than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities, showing that not all tech billionaires are selfish and venal.
The Dodgers won their second championship and, while this San Francisco Giants fan was not pleased, their seven-game thriller against the Toronto Blue Jays was a World Series for the ages.
Any others, beside your demonstrating dinos, who deserve commendation?
Pope Leo XIV waves after delivering the Christmas Day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
(Gregorio Borgia / Associated Press)
Chabria: Though I’m not Catholic, I have been surprisingly inspired by Pope Leo XIV.
So I’ll leave us with a bit of his advice for the future: “Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism.”
Many of us are tired, and suffering from Trump fatigue. Regardless, to put it in nonpapal terms, it may be a dumpster — but we’re all in it together.
Barabak: I’d like to end, as we do each year, with a thank you to our readers.
Anita and I wouldn’t be here — which would greatly please some folks — but for you. (And a special nod to the paid subscribers out there. You help keep the lights on.)
Here’s wishing each and all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
A Sacramento teacher is demanding $2.3 million from the Sacramento City Unified School District, alleging discrimination and retaliation after being disciplined for removing carpet from her classroom. KCRA 3 obtained a legal letter from Jeanine Rupert’s attorney, which claims the district discriminated against the long-time Phoebe Hearst Elementary School teacher.The letter describes Rupert’s removal from her class as a “cruel punishment.” Rupert said she tore up dirty, frayed carpet last year after years of complaints, similar to actions taken by two male teachers in their classrooms who removed carpet from their classrooms. She said her classroom, Room 7, was known for being in disarray before she took it over and that she and her father had previously painted its walls without objection. Rupert’s students assisted with the carpet removal by using hammers and a crowbar. She argued that the use of similar tools by students at the school was commonplace, with students using power tools, mowing the school lawn and trimming bushes with shears. In a disciplinary letter, the district labeled the carpet removal as vandalism, stating Rupert put students at risk and caused more than $22,000 in damage. A SCUSD spokesperson previously said that district staff assessed the carpet and determined it was not time for replacement. In a notice sent to Rupert, the district said that after Rupert’s actions the bulk of the cost to repair and replace the flooring, $12,600, was for asbestos removal. The notice said the students weren’t exposed to asbestos.Initially, Rupert offered to repay the district if she was reinstated. Now, she is demanding $2.3 million in damages. She also alleges that the district failed to comply with the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act by never notifying her or “district employees generally that there were asbestos hazards in the classrooms.” Some students and their parents have staged walkouts in support of Rupert, who was transferred out of the school. Parents have also served the school board’s president with a recall notice. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A Sacramento teacher is demanding $2.3 million from the Sacramento City Unified School District, alleging discrimination and retaliation after being disciplined for removing carpet from her classroom.
KCRA 3 obtained a legal letter from Jeanine Rupert’s attorney, which claims the district discriminated against the long-time Phoebe Hearst Elementary School teacher.
The letter describes Rupert’s removal from her class as a “cruel punishment.”
Rupert said she tore up dirty, frayed carpet last year after years of complaints, similar to actions taken by two male teachers in their classrooms who removed carpet from their classrooms.
She said her classroom, Room 7, was known for being in disarray before she took it over and that she and her father had previously painted its walls without objection.
Rupert’s students assisted with the carpet removal by using hammers and a crowbar. She argued that the use of similar tools by students at the school was commonplace, with students using power tools, mowing the school lawn and trimming bushes with shears.
In a disciplinary letter, the district labeled the carpet removal as vandalism, stating Rupert put students at risk and caused more than $22,000 in damage.
A SCUSD spokesperson previously said that district staff assessed the carpet and determined it was not time for replacement. In a notice sent to Rupert, the district said that after Rupert’s actions the bulk of the cost to repair and replace the flooring, $12,600, was for asbestos removal.
The notice said the students weren’t exposed to asbestos.
Initially, Rupert offered to repay the district if she was reinstated. Now, she is demanding $2.3 million in damages.
She also alleges that the district failed to comply with the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act by never notifying her or “district employees generally that there were asbestos hazards in the classrooms.”
A driver trying to evade law enforcement crossed into opposing lanes of traffic before crashing into a tanker truck on Highway 50 in El Dorado County, according to the California Highway Patrol. Around 9:48 p.m. Thursday, CHP said an officer tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. But instead of stopping, the driver continued and a short pursuit ensued. CHP said the driver was in the eastbound lanes of Highway 50, but crossed over the center median into the westbound lanes near El Dorado Road before hitting the rear of a tanker truck. Officials said the woman who was driving was taken to an area hospital for major injuries. It’s unclear if the driver of the tanker truck was injured, and the extent of damage to the truck is unknown.CHP said the westbound lanes of Highway 50 would be closed as Caltrans crews worked to clear the area. Find the latest traffic updates here. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
DIAMOND SPRINGS, Calif. —
A driver trying to evade law enforcement crossed into opposing lanes of traffic before crashing into a tanker truck on Highway 50 in El Dorado County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Around 9:48 p.m. Thursday, CHP said an officer tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. But instead of stopping, the driver continued and a short pursuit ensued.
CHP said the driver was in the eastbound lanes of Highway 50, but crossed over the center median into the westbound lanes near El Dorado Road before hitting the rear of a tanker truck.
Officials said the woman who was driving was taken to an area hospital for major injuries. It’s unclear if the driver of the tanker truck was injured, and the extent of damage to the truck is unknown.
Nineteen people are dead or missing after a massive blast obliterated a building at a Tennessee explosives facility on Friday, authorities said — a “mass detonation” so significant that it rattled homes miles away.The early-morning explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, which manufactures military and demolitions explosives, left charred debris and mangled vehicles across a vast area. The blast was felt as far as 15 miles away and scattered debris over half a square mile.Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said there are fatalities, but did not want to declare a death toll yet — just that “we’re missing 19 souls.”“I always wish for the best,” Davis said. “Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes.”Davis described the aftermath of the explosion as “the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”“It’s hell,” Davis told reporters Friday evening. “It’s hell on us. It’s hell on everybody involved.”Video below: Aerial footage shows the extent of the damageWork at the explosion site will continue into the night, he said.“We’re working for our people, and we want to take care of our families,” an emotional Davis said. “I understand that some families get mad. I understand that some people get upset … We’re doing the very best we can to take care of this.”Davis said investigators from multiple agencies have been assisting with the response, but have not yet determined what caused the explosion. The FBI will be assisting.“Do I see a short-term explanation? No. Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that,” he said.Families of the victims were still being notified, said Davis, noting that people were undergoing a “gauntlet of emotions” as first responders continued to search the area. The tragedy hit close-knit communities.“I can tell you right off the top of my head that there’s three families that’s involved in this that I’m very close to,” Davis said. “When you have small counties like this, we know each other, we communicate with each other, we love each other.”The blast shook nearby homes and set off smaller explosions, local officials say.The explosion, which happened around 7:45 a.m. local time, was a “devastating blast,” but responders were able to secure the scene by late morning, Davis said.Three people with “minor injuries” from the explosion were treated at TriStar medical facilities in Dickson, Casey Stapp, the spokesperson for TriStar Health, said. Stapp said two people were released, and one person is still receiving treatment at an emergency room.Accurate Energetic Systems is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.Numerous law enforcement resources from across the state of Tennessee have been dispatched to assist in the investigation, a source familiar told CNN. Those personnel include federal agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, among other agencies. The relatively remote area is typically patrolled by smaller law enforcement departments, the person said, which has prompted other agencies to volunteer resources for support.Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said the facility has about 80 employees, but it’s unclear how many were in the building when the explosion happened. Bates said one building on the site was completely destroyed.“It’s pretty devastating to see this,” Bates said.“It’s going to be an investigation that’s probably going to go on for days,” the mayor said. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”Tennessee state Sen. Kerry Roberts told CNN the facility sits on a 1,300-acre campus and is a beloved employer for many people in the community.He said it’s common to see employees at community events and people wearing baseball caps with the company name on them.“It is a well-loved company in the area,” Roberts said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”Residents who live near the facility say they felt the impact of the explosion.“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover told The Associated Press by phone. “I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”Cody Warren, who lives in Lobelville, which is 21 miles away from the facility, said the sound from the explosion woke him up, and he thought lightning struck his house.Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in making military explosives, according to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.The company’s Facebook page says it manufactures “various high explosive compositions and specialty products for the U.S. DoD and U.S. Industrial markets.”In April 2014, one person was killed and four others injured during a blast at the plant, CNN affiliate WSMV reported. The explosion, in the back of a building that housed shotgun ammunition, caused extensive damage. At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.In the player below: Here is a look at what the plant looked like after the 2014 explosionLast month, the US Department of Defense awarded Accurate Energetic Systems a contract for nearly $120 million “for the procurement of TNT.”The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.
Nineteen people are dead or missing after a massive blast obliterated a building at a Tennessee explosives facility on Friday, authorities said — a “mass detonation” so significant that it rattled homes miles away.
The early-morning explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, which manufactures military and demolitions explosives, left charred debris and mangled vehicles across a vast area. The blast was felt as far as 15 miles away and scattered debris over half a square mile.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said there are fatalities, but did not want to declare a death toll yet — just that “we’re missing 19 souls.”
“I always wish for the best,” Davis said. “Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes.”
Davis described the aftermath of the explosion as “the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”
“It’s hell,” Davis told reporters Friday evening. “It’s hell on us. It’s hell on everybody involved.”
Video below: Aerial footage shows the extent of the damage
Work at the explosion site will continue into the night, he said.
“We’re working for our people, and we want to take care of our families,” an emotional Davis said. “I understand that some families get mad. I understand that some people get upset … We’re doing the very best we can to take care of this.”
Davis said investigators from multiple agencies have been assisting with the response, but have not yet determined what caused the explosion. The FBI will be assisting.
“Do I see a short-term explanation? No. Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that,” he said.
Families of the victims were still being notified, said Davis, noting that people were undergoing a “gauntlet of emotions” as first responders continued to search the area. The tragedy hit close-knit communities.
“I can tell you right off the top of my head that there’s three families that’s involved in this that I’m very close to,” Davis said. “When you have small counties like this, we know each other, we communicate with each other, we love each other.”
The blast shook nearby homes and set off smaller explosions, local officials say.
The explosion, which happened around 7:45 a.m. local time, was a “devastating blast,” but responders were able to secure the scene by late morning, Davis said.
Three people with “minor injuries” from the explosion were treated at TriStar medical facilities in Dickson, Casey Stapp, the spokesperson for TriStar Health, said. Stapp said two people were released, and one person is still receiving treatment at an emergency room.
Accurate Energetic Systems is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.
Numerous law enforcement resources from across the state of Tennessee have been dispatched to assist in the investigation, a source familiar told CNN. Those personnel include federal agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, among other agencies. The relatively remote area is typically patrolled by smaller law enforcement departments, the person said, which has prompted other agencies to volunteer resources for support.
Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said the facility has about 80 employees, but it’s unclear how many were in the building when the explosion happened. Bates said one building on the site was completely destroyed.
“It’s pretty devastating to see this,” Bates said.
“It’s going to be an investigation that’s probably going to go on for days,” the mayor said. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”
Tennessee state Sen. Kerry Roberts told CNN the facility sits on a 1,300-acre campus and is a beloved employer for many people in the community.
He said it’s common to see employees at community events and people wearing baseball caps with the company name on them.
“It is a well-loved company in the area,” Roberts said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”
Residents who live near the facility say they felt the impact of the explosion.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover told The Associated Press by phone. “I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
Cody Warren, who lives in Lobelville, which is 21 miles away from the facility, said the sound from the explosion woke him up, and he thought lightning struck his house.
Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in making military explosives, according to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.
The company’s Facebook page says it manufactures “various high explosive compositions and specialty products for the U.S. DoD and U.S. Industrial markets.”
In April 2014, one person was killed and four others injured during a blast at the plant, CNN affiliate WSMV reported. The explosion, in the back of a building that housed shotgun ammunition, caused extensive damage. At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.
In the player below: Here is a look at what the plant looked like after the 2014 explosion
Last month, the US Department of Defense awarded Accurate Energetic Systems a contract for nearly $120 million “for the procurement of TNT.”
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.
A firefiighter checks to see if anyone needs Red Cross help. Evaleen Buhl (in yellow, wth her daughter and granddaughter) said a neighbor saved her life. (Photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
Neighbors at Lakeside’s Monterey Mobile Lodge community say Sharon Edwards cares for everyone around her.
On Monday, Evaleen Buhl called her “Sharon our angel” as Edwards played the role of guardian angel even as a fire from a street below burned down her own shed and flames licked at her mobile home.
Buhl, who turns 90 next month, is blind and can’t walk.
“I didn’t smell anything … until my neighbor came banging on my house and got me out of here, but that’s the only way,” Buhl said. “I would still have been in there.”
A corner of Buhl’s home was damaged (and contents of a shed were destroyed), but Edwards was one of at least four owners whose homes were gutted by the brush fire southwest of Lake Jennings. Two people were reportedly taken to the hospital — one with burns and another suffering smoke inhalation.
By 10 p.m., firefighters had halted the spread at roughly 5 1/2 acres, said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with Cal Fire. It was 100% contained by late evening.
“If we didn’t have her.… She helps everybody. In this park, she is amazing,” Hickman said. “She was always there to help my mom because we don’t live with her.”
“We need to all pull together and help Sharon now,” Hickman said.
Buhl, Evaleen Hickman and son-in-law Dwayne Hickman know much about losing it all. In 2003 they lost their home in the Cedar Fire.
Recalling that time, Evaleen Hickman said, “It was so devastating to lose everything you’ve worked for, you owned. All your life is gone. We didn’t get to save anything. My heart was in that house.”
Evaleen Buhl watches her family survey fire damage at her home. (Photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
Surveying the damage to her mother’s mobile home, Hickman said, “Compared to losing everything in the Cedar Fire, this is OK.”
For neighbor Bob Hayne, Monday was a sad day.
“I feel badly, badly because these are our friends like right here that lost their houses and stuff.”
Hayne pointed at the rubble of a home a few doors down on the other side of the street.
Nothing in the pile was recognizable.
“He was at work,” he said of his neighbor. “He lost his two cats in there.”
Hayne said his neighbor contacted a relative to retrieve the cats, but by the time the brother-in-law arrived, the roof had collapsed, and it was too late.
Hayne, 87, who has lived in his home for 39 years, thinks he knows the culprit of the home fires — a tall eucalyptus tree off Highway 8 Business, just below the hill behind his house.
This eucalyptus tree was blamed for spreading the fire to the mobile home park. (Photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
“We have a large eucalyptus tree behind us that the county would never take care of,” Hayne said. “It’s on county property across the fence line, next to Old 8.”
He said that tree has worried neighbors for 30 years.
“When the fire came up old (Highway) 8,” he said, “it caught that eucalyptus tree on fire, and it exploded. And that’s what got us, and it hit the back of our house,” melting the house skirts and buckling the front side of his home.
Times of San Diego has reached out to county officials for comment.
Embers from the tree flew over his house and ignited the home across the road and up a hill.
Before engines arrived, Hayne was in his back yard. Calling the blaze “intense,” he said, “I was back there with the hose, trying did do something, which was not much.”
Asked if he felt the need to evacuate with his wife, Pattie, 80, he said: “Yeah, right away.”
“Cops chased me off three times,” he said, but stayed in an effort to save his home of 39 years. “Then I tripped and fell over the fire hoses.”
He had moved his car away and gotten computers out of the house.
The Coches 2 Fire broke out shortly before 3 p.m. off the 13300 block of Los Coches Road East in the Glenview area, just north of El Cajon, according to Cal Fire.
For a time, 17,300 resients were under evacuation orders, county Supervisor Joel Anderson said in an email listing resources.
As ground personnel and crews aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters worked to extinguish the fire, authorities cleared people out of an area bounded by Interstate 8 to the south and west, Los Coches Road to the east and Business Route 8 to the north.
A temporary shelter for the displaced was at Viejas Casino in nearby Alpine.
Dan Lauridsen, 72, stayed put on another hill, trying to save his home of 42 years. He said he felt “extremely lucky.”
Workers next door and a neighbor spotted him in his garage as the fire spread.
Lauridsen stood outside his mobile home as helicopters repeatedly dropped water near his house. Before firefighters arrived, he ran, got his hose and began watering the hillside behind his house.
Asked how he thought the firefighters were handling the blaze, he said: “really, really, really, really, really well.”
It was not immediately clear how many people were injured by the fire, though none were firefighters, said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with the state agency.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
The evacuation area for the Coches 2 Fire. (Map courtesy of San Diego Sheriff)
A moment of levity came amid the devastation as Dwayne Hickman jokingly told a fireman, “Don’t let that house burn. I don’t want my mother-in-law living with me.”
Hickman said the fireman replied, “OK, I understand,” and turned the hose on the home. The family laughed at his story.
Evaleen Hickman assured her mother that there would be a place for her with them in the future if needed.
“We already have a room you,” she told her mother.
“I hope that they find out who did it,” she said. “It better not be a cigarette or intentional.”
The federal government filed two lawsuits Thursday against Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked fires including January’s Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures and killed 17 people.“The lawsuits filed today allege a troubling pattern of negligence resulting in death, destruction, and tens of millions of federal taxpayer dollars spent to clean up one utility company’s mistakes,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said at a news conference Thursday.(Video above: LA, Maui wildfires tied to hundreds more deaths, new studies show.)The filings allege that Edison failed to properly maintain its power and transmission infrastructure in the area where the Eaton Fire ignited on Jan. 7. It asks for more than $40 million in damages to the federal, state and local governments. Edison spokesperson Jeff Monford said the utility is reviewing the lawsuits.“We continue our work to reduce the likelihood of our equipment starting a wildfire,” Monford said. “Southern California Edison is committed to wildfire mitigation through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.”The company has stated it operates three transmission towers in the Eaton Canyon area overlooking the unincorporated area of Altadena, which was ravaged by the fire. In early reports to the California Public Utility Commission, Edison has said it detected a “fault” on one of its transmission lines around the time that the Eaton Fire started.In a July 31 report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the utility said while it has “not conclusively determined” its equipment was responsible for the fire, there was “concerning circumstantial evidence” that suggests its transmission facilities in the area could have been associated with the starting of the fire.It also said it was “not aware of evidence pointing to another possible source of ignition,” according to the report cited in the lawsuit.Though the investigation into the fire is still ongoing, Essayli said the government is confident moving forward with the lawsuit, especially with fire season quickly approaching.“There’s no reason to wait,” Essayli said. “We believe that the evidence is clear that Edison is at fault, and by their own admissions, no one else is at fault.” A second lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that Edison’s negligence led to the sparking of the Fairview Fire in September 2022, which scorched the San Bernardino National Forest in Riverside County.According to the filing, a sagging power line in Hemet, California, operated by Edison came into contact with a Frontier Communications messenger cable, which created sparks and ignited the vegetation below.That fire burned more than 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of forest, killing two people and destroying 44 structures. The government is seeking $37 million in damages incurred by the U.S. Forest Service.Essayli said he will seek terms that prevent Edison from paying for the lawsuits by raising their utility rates.Several Altadena residents who lost their homes sued Edison in January, days after the fire broke out. Their attorneys said at the time they believed Edison’s equipment caused it, pointing to video taken during the fire’s early minutes that showed a large blaze directly beneath electrical towers.Los Angeles County sued Edison in March, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for costs and damages sustained from the blaze.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
LOS ANGELES —
The federal government filed two lawsuits Thursday against Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked fires including January’s Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures and killed 17 people.
“The lawsuits filed today allege a troubling pattern of negligence resulting in death, destruction, and tens of millions of federal taxpayer dollars spent to clean up one utility company’s mistakes,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said at a news conference Thursday.
(Video above: LA, Maui wildfires tied to hundreds more deaths, new studies show.)
The filings allege that Edison failed to properly maintain its power and transmission infrastructure in the area where the Eaton Fire ignited on Jan. 7. It asks for more than $40 million in damages to the federal, state and local governments.
Edison spokesperson Jeff Monford said the utility is reviewing the lawsuits.
“We continue our work to reduce the likelihood of our equipment starting a wildfire,” Monford said. “Southern California Edison is committed to wildfire mitigation through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.”
The company has stated it operates three transmission towers in the Eaton Canyon area overlooking the unincorporated area of Altadena, which was ravaged by the fire. In early reports to the California Public Utility Commission, Edison has said it detected a “fault” on one of its transmission lines around the time that the Eaton Fire started.
In a July 31 report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the utility said while it has “not conclusively determined” its equipment was responsible for the fire, there was “concerning circumstantial evidence” that suggests its transmission facilities in the area could have been associated with the starting of the fire.
It also said it was “not aware of evidence pointing to another possible source of ignition,” according to the report cited in the lawsuit.
Though the investigation into the fire is still ongoing, Essayli said the government is confident moving forward with the lawsuit, especially with fire season quickly approaching.
“There’s no reason to wait,” Essayli said. “We believe that the evidence is clear that Edison is at fault, and by their own admissions, no one else is at fault.”
A second lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that Edison’s negligence led to the sparking of the Fairview Fire in September 2022, which scorched the San Bernardino National Forest in Riverside County.
According to the filing, a sagging power line in Hemet, California, operated by Edison came into contact with a Frontier Communications messenger cable, which created sparks and ignited the vegetation below.
That fire burned more than 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of forest, killing two people and destroying 44 structures. The government is seeking $37 million in damages incurred by the U.S. Forest Service.
Essayli said he will seek terms that prevent Edison from paying for the lawsuits by raising their utility rates.
Several Altadena residents who lost their homes sued Edison in January, days after the fire broke out. Their attorneys said at the time they believed Edison’s equipment caused it, pointing to video taken during the fire’s early minutes that showed a large blaze directly beneath electrical towers.
Los Angeles County sued Edison in March, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for costs and damages sustained from the blaze.
More than 30 people have been arrested after officials say “influencers” broke into the Kentucky Speedway and posted videos to social media.Gallatin County Sheriff Bud Webster says it’s been happening since June, when the first video was posted to social media. Video above: Kentucky Speedway treats seniors to victory lap around racetrack”It’s been quite the ordeal since then,” Webster said. “When they post to social media, it’s my understanding that they get paid if they get so many followers or hits, so that’s what the purpose of it is.”He said they’ve been getting into the speedway by jumping the fence or even cutting through.”There’s been vandalism and damage to the property,” Webster said.While the speedway no longer hosts NASCAR or IndyCar races, it’s still used for smaller events. Parts of the property are also rented out to companies.”I’m not sure what the future holds for the speedway, but they still maintain the property, they still operate, and they have staff on hand,” Webster said.He said videos have prompted others to go inside.”Those gentlemen had posted to social media about an abandoned speedway and since then, it’s been one group after another coming in there from all over,” Webster said. The sheriff emphasized that the Kentucky Speedway is private property and is not abandoned.The Kentucky Speedway opened in June 2000 and is owned by Speedway Motorsports.
More than 30 people have been arrested after officials say “influencers” broke into the Kentucky Speedway and posted videos to social media.
Gallatin County Sheriff Bud Webster says it’s been happening since June, when the first video was posted to social media.
Video above: Kentucky Speedway treats seniors to victory lap around racetrack
“It’s been quite the ordeal since then,” Webster said. “When they post to social media, it’s my understanding that they get paid if they get so many followers or hits, so that’s what the purpose of it is.”
He said they’ve been getting into the speedway by jumping the fence or even cutting through.
“There’s been vandalism and damage to the property,” Webster said.
While the speedway no longer hosts NASCAR or IndyCar races, it’s still used for smaller events. Parts of the property are also rented out to companies.
“I’m not sure what the future holds for the speedway, but they still maintain the property, they still operate, and they have staff on hand,” Webster said.
He said videos have prompted others to go inside.
“Those gentlemen had posted to social media about an abandoned speedway and since then, it’s been one group after another coming in there from all over,” Webster said.
The sheriff emphasized that the Kentucky Speedway is private property and is not abandoned.
The Kentucky Speedway opened in June 2000 and is owned by Speedway Motorsports.
Just from what they’ve experienced over the years, California residents may suspect that wildfires have gotten more extreme amid a warmer and more drought-prone climate.
The study, authored by scientists from the University of Colorado, UC Merced and UCLA, also found that across the West, fires grew 250% more quickly in 2020 than they did in 2001.
“People are pretty good at putting out all fires,” said Park Williams, a UCLA professor and co-author of the study, but “the faster the fire, the more easily it can escape control.”
Although intuitive, the relationship between the speed at which a fire spreads and the damage it causes to structures and land was difficult to quantify until recent developments in satellite technology, he said.
Now, scientists can plot “trends in the daily growth rates,” he said. Using daily fire spread imagery for some 60,000 fires from 2001 to 2020, they were able to determine a relationship between damage and speed, Williams said.
“During this 20-year study period, fires in the U.S. did indeed on average begin moving faster,” he said. The 3% of fires with the fastest daily growth rates made up around 90 percent of property loss in the two decades studied.
“In California more than most places in the U.S., people are being confronted with the changes in fire behavior,” Williams said.
Many Californians live in close proximity to flammable vegetation and are put increasingly in harm’s way.
The study gave several possible explanations for the increase in fire speed.
“Fires may be growing faster due to warming trends, vegetation transitions to more flammable fuels, or the co-occurrence of high winds with increasing human-related ignitions,” the study posited.
A magnitude 4 earthquake rattled Southern California before dawn Sunday morning — the strongest in a series of modest earthquakes to strike near the Ontario International Airport in the last month.
Sunday’s 3:51 a.m. earthquake was the fifth of magnitude 3 or higher detected in Ontario since early September, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“Moderate” shaking was felt in areas closest to the epicenter, the USGS said, as defined by the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. That’s strong enough to awaken many people. “Weak” or “light” shaking may have been felt across a broad region, including the most populous portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, large swaths of Los Angeles and Orange counties, and parts of San Diego County.
People reported feeling the earthquake from Palmdale to San Diego. The USGS asked people to submit reports of what kind of shaking they may have felt — or didn’t feel — at the agency’s Did You Feel It? website.
Until Sunday, the strongest earthquake in the past month to hit San Bernardino County’s fourth most populous city occurred on Sept. 7, when a magnitude 3.9 earthquake caused “light” shaking to be felt close to the epicenter. Light shaking is enough to disturb windows and dishes and can rock standing cars noticeably.
The epicenter of Sunday’s earthquake was centered about one-third of a mile southeast of where the 60 Freeway meets Archibald Avenue. That’s about 500 feet south of Mountain View Elementary School and half a mile east of the Whispering Lakes Golf Course.
The USGS said that its ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system was activated. People can download the earthquake early warning app for free at myshake.berkeley.edu.
Are you ready for when the Big One hits? Get ready for the next big earthquake by signing up for our Unshaken newsletter, which breaks down emergency preparedness into bite-size steps over six weeks. Learn more about earthquake kits, which apps you need, Lucy Jones’ most important advice and more at latimes.com/Unshaken.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit hurricane-ravaged areas in the Southeast Wednesday to assess the damage and coordinate relief efforts and funding.Biden will travel to North and South Carolina, while Harris will head to Georgia.On Tuesday, Biden directed “every available resource” to rescue and recovery efforts and has committed to helping devastated communities, saying he is prepared to ask Congress for more emergency relief funding.”We have to jump-start this recovery process. People are scared to death. People wonder whether they’re going to make it. We still haven’t heard from a whole lot of people,” Biden said. “This is urgent. People have to know how to get the information they need. So, we’ll be there until this work is done.”Biden says he has been in constant contact with state and local officials and is urging people to apply for federal assistance, including basics like food and water and for funds to help with repairing homes.More than 4,500 federal workers, including 1,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are deployed across the Southeast. Many are working to distribute millions of meals and water, thousands of tarps, and over a hundred generators, while rescue teams hope to help those who remain trapped.Biden and Harris emphasized the timing of their trips, saying they must ensure they do not detract from ongoing rescue and recovery.The White House suggested an earlier visit, like former President Donald Trump’s trip to Georgia on Monday, could take away from resources needed for hurricane victims.During that trip, Trump falsely accused Biden of “sleeping” at his beach house, ignoring the disaster and purposely neglecting Republican states and storm victims. He also falsely stated Biden did not respond to calls for help from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.Kemp and Biden had already spoken a day earlier. Kemp and other Republican leaders also said their states were getting everything they need.Wednesday’s trip to Georgia may also present a political opportunity for Harris — a chance to show empathy in the midst of a humanitarian crisis as she campaigns for president.Harris says she also plans to visit North Carolina in the coming days.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit hurricane-ravaged areas in the Southeast Wednesday to assess the damage and coordinate relief efforts and funding.
Biden will travel to North and South Carolina, while Harris will head to Georgia.
On Tuesday, Biden directed “every available resource” to rescue and recovery efforts and has committed to helping devastated communities, saying he is prepared to ask Congress for more emergency relief funding.
“We have to jump-start this recovery process. People are scared to death. People wonder whether they’re going to make it. We still haven’t heard from a whole lot of people,” Biden said. “This is urgent. People have to know how to get the information they need. So, we’ll be there until this work is done.”
Biden says he has been in constant contact with state and local officials and is urging people to apply for federal assistance, including basics like food and water and for funds to help with repairing homes.
More than 4,500 federal workers, including 1,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are deployed across the Southeast. Many are working to distribute millions of meals and water, thousands of tarps, and over a hundred generators, while rescue teams hope to help those who remain trapped.
Biden and Harris emphasized the timing of their trips, saying they must ensure they do not detract from ongoing rescue and recovery.
The White House suggested an earlier visit, like former President Donald Trump’s trip to Georgia on Monday, could take away from resources needed for hurricane victims.
During that trip, Trump falsely accused Biden of “sleeping” at his beach house, ignoring the disaster and purposely neglecting Republican states and storm victims. He also falsely stated Biden did not respond to calls for help from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
Kemp and Biden had already spoken a day earlier. Kemp and other Republican leaders also said their states were getting everything they need.
Wednesday’s trip to Georgia may also present a political opportunity for Harris — a chance to show empathy in the midst of a humanitarian crisis as she campaigns for president.
Harris says she also plans to visit North Carolina in the coming days.
Yosemite National Park’s historic Wawona Hotel is closing, and park officials are not saying when it will reopen. The hotel’s workers are being reassigned elsewhere.
One of the last times this Victorian-era hotel closed in Yosemite National Park, the raging flames from the 2022 Washburn fire had encroached and encircled the institution.
The hotel, which has the same name as the neighborhood in which it resides, was closed for two weeks that July, reopening that same month when the fires were extinguished and smoke and ash cleared.
Unlike that quick turnaround, the hotel’s next closing may not be so brief.
The National Park Service announced via Instagram on Wednesday that the 168-year-old hotel would close Dec. 2 for an unspecified period of time to allow the agency to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the hotel complex.
Yosemite Hospitality, which has run the Wawona and other park hotels since 2016, confirmed that there is no estimated reopening date.
(National Park Service)
“The NPS recently undertook a roof replacement project on the main hotel building which revealed the need for more intensive investigation and assessment of the hotel,” the National Park Service wrote.
A National Park Service spokesperson said the agency would not offer additional comment beyond its social media statement.
The Wawona Hotel issued a message saying it would issue refunds to guests with a reservation for Dec. 2 or later. The hotel said there was no estimated reopening date.
Yosemite Hospitality, which has run the Wawona and other park hotels since 2016, confirmed the indefinite closure and that hotel employees would be relocated to other positions within either Yosemite Hospitality or Aramark. Yosemite’s better-known Ahwahnee Hotel, which has welcomed guests since 1927, is open but still undergoing a $35-million earthquake retrofit.
“We have been entrusted with managing concessions at Yosemite National Park since 2016, and we hold our role as stewards of one of America’s most beloved national parks in the highest regard,” the statement read.
Yosemite Hospitality said that the hotel’s closure was necessary for the preservation of the historic building and that the group would continue to work with the National Park Service.
The two-story Wawona Hotel, nearly encircled by a Spanish-style veranda, has 50 standard rooms with private bathrooms and 54 additional rooms with shared restrooms.
While the hotel boasts of its nine-hole golf course, stables, swimming pool and lounge piano, the establishment and Yosemite Hospitality have come under criticism for safety issues in the last two years.
A 2023 annual evaluation from the federal Department of the Interior, obtained by SFGate through a Freedom of Information Act request, noted that “no significant action was taken” to address mounting safety concerns at the facility.
Yosemite Hospitality “has neglected to adequately address maintenance activities at the Wawona Hotel, which became particularly evident in 2023,” the report stated. “Extensive deterioration and damage to hotel facilities was noted on periodic evaluations conducted in 2023, in addition to Service condition assessments, including damage to railings, walkways, staircases, roofs, gutters and other physical assets.”
In June 2022, a guest fell from a porch at the hotel’s Clark Cottage after leaning on a railing that failed, according to the report.
A ceiling leak developed the following February at the Ahwahnee, also run by Yosemite Hospitality, the report said. Even though the National Park Service requested a patch, the report said, the room was still in service months later with the unfixed leak.
In April 2023, water intrusion through the roof caused a piece of the ceiling in the Ahwahnee’s dining solarium to fall and strike an employee, according to the report.
“The Service is extremely concerned about the risk to visitor and employee safety,” the report noted.
Drive around any neighborhood in Houston, and you can see for yourself that there is still plenty of leftover cleanup from Hurricane Beryl. Fences are still down, tarps still adorn rooftops, and I’m sure many Houstonians are getting (or awaiting) copious amounts of correspondence from their insurance providers.
One of the single biggest instances of property damage, though, remains in disrepair, but it looks like the end is in sight for the two gigantic, stadium-width sized holes in the roof of NRG Stadium. In a statement on Friday, the folks at NRG Park indicated that a timetable has been established under which both holes in the roof will be repaired in time for the Texans’ Week 4 home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Guest safety remains our top priority,” NRG Park said in Thursday’s release. “We appreciate the patience and support of our guests as we work diligently to restore the stadium roof to its full operational capacity.”
For those unfamiliar with the exact location of the damage, and the path of the resulting sunlight on a daily basis, check out the time lapsed video below, which shows the path of sunlight from late morning into the latter portion of the afternoon, which is relevant for noon kickoff times. As you can see, particularly in the south end zone, there have been some sun soaked fans in the Texans’ two home preseason games:
Check out this time lapse of how the sun will hit the field and stands at NRG Stadium during tomorrow’s Texans vs Giants game. A couple of strips of panels were lost during Hurricane Beryl last month. If you’re attending the game, this will give you a good idea of what to expect!… pic.twitter.com/JKrCHwcsYr
The Texans’ next home game is the Week 2 Sunday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears, and after that, they play at home in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills, respectively. Here are some of the relevant details on the repair plan:
The panel over the field of play (around the south end 25 yard line) is getting fixed first The hole that is above the field of play never really came into play drastically during the two preseason games, other than maybe some slight agitation in location the ball on punt returns. Honestly, the biggest effect from that patch of roof damage was the glare on the television broadcast, which made it a difficult watch when the action was taking place in that area. The worst case scenario would have been rain coming through that hole and creating a patch of wet turf on an otherwise dry field. It sounds like the we are assured a clean field of play for the home opener.
It looks like the fans in the south end zone will be saved from extreme sun (again) Meanwhile, the other hole in the roof, the long open space above the south stands in the lower bowl, will be fixed in time for the next NOON kickoff in Week 4, which is a great thing, since from what I was told by fans whose seats are in that part of the stadium, the sunlight hitting them was brutally hot. The Week 2 game against the Bears is a night game, so those fans should be clear of getting fried in sunlight once again, a nice happy accident from the scheduling czars.
This situation was a whole lot worse back in 2008 If this feels like there are a whole lot of moving parts to ensure (s) the integrity of the planning field, and (b) the physical comfort of a chunk of the fan base on game day, just know that this is nothing compared to the last time Mother Nature decided to punch holes on the roof via hurricane. In 2008, Hurricane Ike did more than twice the damage just before Week 2, and the Texans were forced to play the entire season with the roof open for home games, including four games in the month of October. If you’ve ever been in NRG Stadium with the roof open on a sunny day, then you know THAT is truly brutal.
Near-historic rainfalls resulted in flooding throughout SE Texas. Along the Trinity River, communities were hit hard with the flow being released from the Lake Livingston Dam.
According to data obtained by KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding, the dam set a record for water flowing from its spillway at 124,000 cfs.
Last Friday the Trinity River Authority issued the potential failure watch after discovering damage to the dam as a result of the high flow event.
It took nearly a week for leaders at the Trinity River Authority to explain what happened and the repairs needed to strengthen the dam, which recently received an unsatisfactory assessment, the lowest rating, during a May inspection filed with the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers.
According to documents filed with federal regulators, the dam has several different damages from the flooding.
The first problem was discovered on May 10 during an evaluation by an engineering firm, according to documents filed with the Federal Energy Regulator Commission.
As a result, the Trinity River Authority activated its Emergency Action Plan (EAP) on May 16 for a “Non-Failure (Abnormal) Condition.” This issue was outlined to be a partial failure of the left downstream training wall as well as erosion adjacent to the training wall.
A training wall is a wall that guides the flow of water. This training wall is downstream, or on the spillway side of the dam.
Fast forward to June 26 and another special inspection yields an even more concerning find. After several unsuccessful attempts to inspect the dam, crews discovered an alarming concern in the “stilling basin.”
A stilling basin is an area on the downstream side of a spillway that helps break the turbulent flow of water.
“Trinity River Authority (TRA) staff closed all spillway gates for a short time to allow for closer inspection and depth measurements in the stilling basin,” engineers wrote in a June 26th report filed with federal regulators. “These inspections and measurements revealed significant scour in the stilling basin that threatens the integrity of the dam. This is an emergency condition that requires immediate action.”
It’s this call for immediate action that prompted the “Potential Failure Watch.”
Since then the Trinity River Authority has been working to fix the issues.
According to Trinity River Authority General Manager Kevin Ward, crews discovered that the force of the water removed all of the rip rap, a layer of large stones, and clay the whole way to the apron of the dam.
“Under current flow there is no threat,” Ward told KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding on a phone call late Wednesday.
Ward went on to explain that repairs are already in progress.
Roughly 100 truckloads of large rock are being brought in daily as crews work around the clock.
On top of that, crews already began pumping concrete to fix the training wall erosion noted in the mid-May findings.
If all goes well, crews will begin pumping additional concrete into the bottom of the dam’s stilling basin to begin permanent repairs from the flooding.
With Hurricane Beryl potentially making an impact in SE Texas, Ward says crews are attacking the most critical areas of concern first so they can weather the storm.
All permanent repairs are forecast to be completed by July 22.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
The days of needing to save two to three months’ worth of rent for a security deposit are largely over in California.
Legislation took effect Monday that limits a security deposit on a rental property to no more than one month’s rent for all but the smallest landlords. The law, passed as Assembly Bill 12, was authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco).
“Massive security deposits can create insurmountable barriers to housing affordability and accessibility for millions of Californians,” said Haney, who chairs the California Legislature’s Renters Caucus, in a statement.
Previously, owners could charge two months of rent for unfurnished property and three months for furnished.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath noted in May 2023 that she was unable to move into a rental a couple of years earlier because she was asked to pay “nearly a half a year’s rent upfront.”
“As someone with a well-paying job, making more than the median income of the county, it was difficult for me to rent a new apartment because of the substantial deposits that were required,” she said.
But the legislation raises concerns among some in the real estate industry.
Sharon Oh-Kubisch, a partner at Irvine-based Kahana Feld, which practices real estate law, noted two potential drawbacks to the legislation.
While she supports the bill’s aim of alleviating high costs of renting, financial burdens are being flipped to landlords, she said.
She noted that security deposits are intended to cover damages when a tenant moves out. Lower deposits mean landlords are more likely to have to sue clients who cause considerable damage.
“A landlord can demand damages at the back end, but then they’re more than likely going to have to sue and hire counsel to get that money,” Oh-Kubisch said.
Additionally, she said that reducing security deposits may work against tenants who have less than perfect credit or lack a strong history of renting.
Higher security deposits allowed landlords to be more flexible, Oh-Kubisch said. With those “safeguards” gone, she expects landlords to be “more precise and heighten scrutiny for tenants.”
Still, others say the legislation will benefit those who have the most trouble finding housing.
Masih Fouladi, executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, said in a statement that the law will help vulnerable communities.
“In California’s high-cost rental market, expensive security deposits are often imposed on immigrants and people of color, effectively limiting access to safe and affordable housing,” he said. “By capping high security deposits, AB-12 advances a measure of equity.”
Catherine A. Rodman, director and supervising attorney of San Diego-based Affordable Housing Advocates, a tenants rights legal group, said the news received mixed reviews among her mainly working-class clients.
“I know that it’s been a big relief to many throughout the state, but at least here in the San Diego area, it’s not a big issue,” Rodman said.
Zillow lists the median rent in San Diego at $3,095.
She said “soaring rents” have already led most area landlords to require no more than one month’s rent as a security deposit.
“I’ve been here for 40 years, and I’ve only encountered security deposit gouging on a few occasions,” Rodman said. “Our issue is rent.”
Rodman said she didn’t want to “pooh-pooh” the legislation but hoped it was part of a broader vision to make housing affordable for larger swaths of the state.
“I’m sure it helps, but we need to address the cost to rent, because that’s really the big roadblock,” she said.
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The historical Ten Broeck Mansion and its four acres will be closed until Saturday, June 29 as it recovers from damage caused by Thursday evening’s storms. A quick but powerful summer storm hit the Capital Region and caused downed trees throughout the area.
The storm caused tree loss and damage across the site, according to the Albany County Historical Association. The mansion was not damaged.
“We will be seeking emergency funding to assist us with a tree survey and site-wide erosion control program, as this is the second major storm with extensive damage within six months at our site,” ACHA Exec. Dir. Kathryn Kosto said. “Our visitors share that our gardens are the leading reason they visit our historic site, and we look forward to a site-wide erosion and tree stabilization program to help ensure the Ten Broeck Mansion will be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Mansion tours and the STEAM program, which takes place on Saturdays, have all been canceled.
Several tornadoes hit Michigan on Tuesday evening, tearing through a FedEx building in one area and trapping several people, according to several news outlets.In the city of Portage, about 7 miles south of Kalamazoo, a FedEx building partially collapsed after a tornado rolled through the area Tuesday evening. Spokespersons with Kalamazoo County told local media outlets and the Washington Post that about 50 people remained trapped inside that building Tuesday night. A FedEx spokesperson told the Associated Press there were no serious injuries despite the severe damage.According to MLive, downed wires in the building were being removed before first responders could rescue people inside. Officials told MLive that it’s still an active scene. Elsewhere in Michigan, Union City was under a tornado emergency that went into effect just after 6 p.m. ET, when “a large and destructive tornado” was over the city, about 10 miles northwest of Coldwater and moving northeast at 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service.Emergency responders’ radios crackled with reports of possible destruction as the intense storms pushed through. Photos on social media have shown some damage to buildings.In Branch County, about 60 miles south of Kalamazoo, at least seven homes were destroyed, according to Emergency Management Director Tim Miner, who added he was unable to get out and assess damage to other parts of the county.“Severe storms are still tracking between Kalamazoo and Jackson. Tornadoes and large hail are the main threats,” the National Weather Service Grand Rapids said.Officials in Portage pleaded with its residents to “stay home” and “please stay off the roads. First responders are stuck in gridlock.”Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said her heart was going out to people in southwest Michigan. “Emergency teams are on the ground and working to assist Michiganders. I encourage everyone to continue monitoring severe weather alerts and follow the advice of emergency officials,” the governor said.Video below: Tornado rips through Michigan strip mallTornadoes were spotted after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, while portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service.The severe weather came a day after destructive storms roared through the Plains Monday, unloading at least one deadly tornado, giant hail and hurricane-force wind gusts. As some communities pick up the pieces, others had been preparing Tuesday for the threat of strong twisters in the Midwest.The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Several tornadoes hit Michigan on Tuesday evening, tearing through a FedEx building in one area and trapping several people, according to several news outlets.
In the city of Portage, about 7 miles south of Kalamazoo, a FedEx building partially collapsed after a tornado rolled through the area Tuesday evening. Spokespersons with Kalamazoo County told local media outlets and the Washington Post that about 50 people remained trapped inside that building Tuesday night.
A FedEx spokesperson told the Associated Press there were no serious injuries despite the severe damage.
According to MLive, downed wires in the building were being removed before first responders could rescue people inside. Officials told MLive that it’s still an active scene.
Elsewhere in Michigan, Union City was under a tornado emergency that went into effect just after 6 p.m. ET, when “a large and destructive tornado” was over the city, about 10 miles northwest of Coldwater and moving northeast at 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Emergency responders’ radios crackled with reports of possible destruction as the intense storms pushed through. Photos on social media have shown some damage to buildings.
Courtesy Alex Melendez
This photo taken by Alex Melendez shows a FedEx facility after tornadoes tore through the area of Portage, Michigan, south of Kalamazoo.
In Branch County, about 60 miles south of Kalamazoo, at least seven homes were destroyed, according to Emergency Management Director Tim Miner, who added he was unable to get out and assess damage to other parts of the county.
“Severe storms are still tracking between Kalamazoo and Jackson. Tornadoes and large hail are the main threats,” the National Weather Service Grand Rapids said.
Officials in Portage pleaded with its residents to “stay home” and “please stay off the roads. First responders are stuck in gridlock.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said her heart was going out to people in southwest Michigan. “Emergency teams are on the ground and working to assist Michiganders. I encourage everyone to continue monitoring severe weather alerts and follow the advice of emergency officials,” the governor said.
Video below: Tornado rips through Michigan strip mall
Tornadoes were spotted after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, while portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service.
The severe weather came a day after destructive storms roared through the Plains Monday, unloading at least one deadly tornado, giant hail and hurricane-force wind gusts. As some communities pick up the pieces, others had been preparing Tuesday for the threat of strong twisters in the Midwest.
