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Tag: Traffic

  • Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway

    Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway

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    HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano slides across a key highway and blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island.

    The molten rock could make the road impassable and force drivers to find alternate coastal routes in the north and south. That could add hours to commute times, doctor’s visits and freight truck deliveries.

    “I am very nervous about it being cut off,” said Frank Manley, a licensed practical nurse whose commute is already an hour and 45 minutes each way from his home in Hilo to a Kaiser Permanente clinic in Kailua-Kona.

    If the highway closes, he anticipates driving two-and-a-half to three hours in each direction. Manley fears he might lose pay if an accident or other traffic disruption along an alternate route delays his arrival.

    The lava is oozing slowly at a rate that might reach the road next week. But its path is unpredictable and could change course, or the flow could stop completely and spare the highway.

    The slow-moving flow was coursing about 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) from the road Friday, U.S. Geological Survey scientists reported.

    There are more affordable housing options on the island’s east side, home to the county seat, Hilo. But many jobs at beach resorts, in construction and other industries are readily available on the west side, where Kailua-Kona is located. Saddle Road, also known as Route 200 or Daniel K. Inouye Highway, connects the two communities.

    The state Department of Transportation took steps Thursday to remove potential traffic obstacles on the northern coastal route by reopening a lane across Nanue Bridge that was closed for repairs.

    Hilo also is one of the island’s major harbors, where a wide variety of goods arrive by ship before proceeding across the island by truck.

    Hawaii County Councilor Susan “Sue” L. K. Lee Loy, who represents Hilo and parts of Puna, said she’s concerned about big rigs traveling across aging coastal bridges.

    “It’s going to take a lot to rethink how we move about on Hawaii Island,” she said.

    Manley said he would have to get up at 3 a.m. to reach work by 8 a.m. If he left at 5 p.m., he wouldn’t get home until 8 p.m. “That drastically reduces my amount of time that I would be able to spend with my family,” he said.

    Tanya Harrison of Hilo said she would need a full day off work to travel to her doctor in Kona.

    There are more than 200,000 Big Island residents. Amidst throngs of tourists, delivery trucks and commuters forced to reroute, Harrison said she couldn’t imagine the congestion.

    “It might even be quicker just to fly to Honolulu,” she said of the hour flight. “There’s no line at the Hilo airport. Fly over, see the doctor, come back would actually be quicker than driving.”

    Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa plans to provide rooms at a Kailua-Kona hotel so its dozen or so Hilo-based employees can avoid the long commute five days per week.

    A shutdown could also affect major astronomy research at the summit of Mauna Kea, a 13,803-foot (4,207-meter) peak next to Mauna Loa that is home to some of the world’s most advanced telescopes.

    The road heading to Mauna Kea’s summit is midway between Hilo and Kona. If lava crosses Saddle Road on either side of Mauna Kea Access Road, many telescope workers would be forced to take long, circuitous routes.

    Rich Matsuda, associate director for external relations at W.M. Keck Observatory, said telescopes may need to adjust staff schedules and house workers at a facility partway up the mountain for a while so they don’t have to commute.

    There’s also a chance the lava flow may head directly across the lower part of Mauna Kea Access Road, which could block workers from reaching the summit. Matsuda hopes they’ll be able to use gravel or other bypass routes if that happens.

    The telescopes previously have shut down for multi-day or weeklong winter storms. “So we’re prepared to do that if we have to,” Matsuda said.

    Hilo resident Hayley Hina Barcia worries about the difficulty of reaching west-side surf spots and relatives in different parts of the island.

    “A lot of my family is on the Puna side and we have other family in Kona,” Barcia said. “We use this road to see each other, especially with the holidays coming up, to spend time, so we’re looking to have to go several hours longer to go the south way or taking the north road.”

    Geologists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said if Mauna Loa follows historical patterns, they expect the eruption, which began Sunday night, to continue for one to two weeks.

    Since then, traffic has clogged the road as people try to glimpse the lava. A handful of resulting accidents included a two-vehicle crash that sent two people to the hospital with “not serious injuries,” Hawaii Police Department spokesperson Denise Laitinen said.

    U.S. Rep. Ed Case and U.S. Rep. Kaiali’i Kahele sent a letter to President Joe Biden saying Hawaii County would need “immediate help” to keep island communities safe if lava flow blocks the highway. The two Hawaii Democrats noted that restricted access could hinder emergency services because one of the island’s primary hospitals is on the east side.

    ___

    McAvoy reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu and Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, contributed.

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  • Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway

    Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway

    [ad_1]

    HILO, Hawaii — Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano slides across a key highway and blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island.

    The molten rock could make the road impassable and force drivers to find alternate coastal routes in the north and south. That could add hours to commute times, doctor’s visits and freight truck deliveries.

    “I am very nervous about it being cut off,” said Frank Manley, a licensed practical nurse whose commute is already an hour and 45 minutes each way from his home in Hilo to a Kaiser Permanente clinic in Kailua-Kona.

    If the highway closes, he anticipates driving two-and-a-half to three hours in each direction. Manley fears he might lose pay if an accident or other traffic disruption along an alternate route delays his arrival.

    The lava is oozing slowly at a rate that might reach the road next week. But its path is unpredictable and could change course, or the flow could stop completely and spare the highway.

    The slow-moving flow was coursing about 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) from the road Friday, U.S. Geological Survey scientists reported.

    There are more affordable housing options on the island’s east side, home to the county seat, Hilo. But many jobs at beach resorts, in construction and other industries are readily available on the west side, where Kailua-Kona is located. Saddle Road, also known as Route 200 or Daniel K. Inouye Highway, connects the two communities.

    The state Department of Transportation took steps Thursday to remove potential traffic obstacles on the northern coastal route by reopening a lane across Nanue Bridge that was closed for repairs.

    Hilo also is one of the island’s major harbors, where a wide variety of goods arrive by ship before proceeding across the island by truck.

    Hawaii County Councilor Susan “Sue” L. K. Lee Loy, who represents Hilo and parts of Puna, said she’s concerned about big rigs traveling across aging coastal bridges.

    “It’s going to take a lot to rethink how we move about on Hawaii Island,” she said.

    Manley said he would have to get up at 3 a.m. to reach work by 8 a.m. If he left at 5 p.m., he wouldn’t get home until 8 p.m. “That drastically reduces my amount of time that I would be able to spend with my family,” he said.

    Tanya Harrison of Hilo said she would need a full day off work to travel to her doctor in Kona.

    There are more than 200,000 Big Island residents. Amidst throngs of tourists, delivery trucks and commuters forced to reroute, Harrison said she couldn’t imagine the congestion.

    “It might even be quicker just to fly to Honolulu,” she said of the hour flight. “There’s no line at the Hilo airport. Fly over, see the doctor, come back would actually be quicker than driving.”

    Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa plans to provide rooms at a Kailua-Kona hotel so its dozen or so Hilo-based employees can avoid the long commute five days per week.

    A shutdown could also affect major astronomy research at the summit of Mauna Kea, a 13,803-foot (4,207-meter) peak next to Mauna Loa that is home to some of the world’s most advanced telescopes.

    The road heading to Mauna Kea’s summit is midway between Hilo and Kona. If lava crosses Saddle Road on either side of Mauna Kea Access Road, many telescope workers would be forced to take long, circuitous routes.

    Rich Matsuda, associate director for external relations at W.M. Keck Observatory, said telescopes may need to adjust staff schedules and house workers at a facility partway up the mountain for a while so they don’t have to commute.

    There’s also a chance the lava flow may head directly across the lower part of Mauna Kea Access Road, which could block workers from reaching the summit. Matsuda hopes they’ll be able to use gravel or other bypass routes if that happens.

    The telescopes previously have shut down for multi-day or weeklong winter storms. “So we’re prepared to do that if we have to,” Matsuda said.

    Hilo resident Hayley Hina Barcia worries about the difficulty of reaching west-side surf spots and relatives in different parts of the island.

    “A lot of my family is on the Puna side and we have other family in Kona,” Barcia said. “We use this road to see each other, especially with the holidays coming up, to spend time, so we’re looking to have to go several hours longer to go the south way or taking the north road.”

    Geologists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said if Mauna Loa follows historical patterns, they expect the eruption, which began Sunday night, to continue for one to two weeks.

    Since then, traffic has clogged the road as people try to glimpse the lava. A handful of resulting accidents included a two-vehicle crash that sent two people to the hospital with “not serious injuries,” Hawaii Police Department spokesperson Denise Laitinen said.

    U.S. Rep. Ed Case and U.S. Rep. Kaiali’i Kahele sent a letter to President Joe Biden saying Hawaii County would need “immediate help” to keep island communities safe if lava flow blocks the highway. The two Hawaii Democrats noted that restricted access could hinder emergency services because one of the island’s primary hospitals is on the east side.

    ———

    McAvoy reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu and Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, contributed.

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  • Tennessee roads plan mulls toll lanes, electric car fee hike

    Tennessee roads plan mulls toll lanes, electric car fee hike

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is considering allowing express toll lanes on highways and tripling a fee for electric car owners as he targets his first big push after winning reelection — paying for tens of billions of dollars in roadway projects.

    The Republican is adamant about what he won’t do: Raise the gas tax; add fully tolled roads; or issue debt in lieu of the state’s pay-as-you-go road funding method.

    Lee says the timing is crucial to pivot quickly to roads. With Tennessee’s rapid growth and truck traffic, state transportation officials say $26 billion in projects are needed to address worsening congestion, and only $3.6 billion of it is planned under a big swipe at roads by Lee’s predecessor. Officials also say projects are taking so long — 15 years on average — that they are coming in 40% over budget.

    Like other states, Tennessee’s current road funding through gas taxes looks less reliable as more people switch to fuel-efficient and electric cars. Tennessee is also becoming a electric vehicle production hub, highlighted by a massive upcoming Ford electric vehicle project with a partner company’s battery factory.

    Lee will need Republican lawmakers on board for much of what he wants. That includes opening up the possibility for private companies to bid to build new express lanes on highways and impose tolls for profit. Lawmakers would also need to approve raising the annual fee on owning an electric vehicle from $100 to $300.

    Transportation commissioner Butch Eley has stated that any express toll lanes would be newly built, and would not turn existing carpool lanes into paid ones. Across the country, five states have express toll lanes, 10 states have carpool lanes that let others join at a price, and some have both, according to a February 2021 report by the Federal Highway Administration.

    The state could control driver eligibility and the pricing policy, which can fall or rise based on current congestion, while charging only those who want the quicker ride. A private company would design, build, finance, operate and maintain the lanes.

    “There’s nothing, I think, more fair than people paying for what they use,” Eley told reporters Thursday.

    The $300 electric vehicle fee could be the country’s most expensive. As of July, 31 states have a similar yearly fee, ranging from $50 in Colorado to $225 in Washington, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Eley says the increase better reflects what electric car drivers would be paying in federal and state gas taxes.

    Lee, however, said officials may or may not settle on $300.

    “We want to make sure there’s a fair fee for everyone,” Lee told reporters. “We’ll figure out what that number is and move forward.”

    Vehicle taxes are a mixed bag state by state. Some have property taxes and annual inspection fees, for example. Tennessee phased out its last required vehicle testing and doesn’t charge property taxes on personal cars.

    Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro said he will await specifics of Lee’s strategy, hoping to hear about everything from roadwork to mass transit.

    “I’m looking forward to learning more and talking to the governor because there has been a lot of focus on the highways of the state,” the Nashville lawmaker said. “But the state needs a transportation strategy, not just a highway plan.”

    Lee’s sweeping roads push, which also calls for pay increases for transportation workers and other expansions to public-private partnerships, comes after former Republican Gov. Bill Haslam struck a deal during a drag-out fight over his 2017 plan. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act increased Tennessee’s gas tax from $0.20 to $0.26 per gallon over three years and upped the diesel rate as well, among other changes that in part reduced separate taxes.

    Lee’s push comes after the passage of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law . The governor’s transportation team, however, has said Tennessee’s five-year building plan was up about $1.7 billion under the law, saying that is not a major funding influx.

    Rail expansion, meanwhile, is not part of Lee’s immediate plans. The concept has been hotly debated around Nashville, where a light rail ballot vote failed in 2018, toppled by tax increase opposition and concerns it could quicken gentrification that has pushed some lower-income people out of their communities. Eley said the state will keep looking at future rail possibilities.

    In the GOP-led Legislature, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Speaker Randy McNally said they are on board with a deep dive into how transportation infrastructure is funded.

    They’ll have plenty to hammer out when lawmakers return for their annual legislative session in January. For one, Sexton mentioned rail as a topic that needs discussion.

    “We must have honest discussions on infrastructure in our state to solve the traffic congestion issue,” Sexton said. “Those must include expansion of rail access, shortening the decades-long timeline to build roads, as well as looking at express lanes on our interstates in highly congested areas.”

    ———

    Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville contributed to this report.

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  • Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway

    Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway

    [ad_1]

    HILO, Hawaii — Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano slides across a key highway and blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island.

    The molten rock could make the road impassable and force drivers to find alternate coastal routes in the north and south. That could add hours to commute times, doctor’s visits and freight truck deliveries.

    “I am very nervous about it being cut off,” said Frank Manley, a licensed practical nurse whose commute is already an hour and 45 minutes each way from his home in Hilo to a Kaiser Permanente clinic in Kailua-Kona.

    If the highway closes, he anticipates driving two-and-a-half to three hours in each direction. Manley fears he might lose pay if an accident or other traffic disruption along an alternate route delays his arrival.

    The lava is oozing slowly at a rate that might reach the road next week. But its path is unpredictable and could change course, or the flow could stop completely and spare the highway.

    The slow-moving flow was coursing about 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) from the road Friday, U.S. Geological Survey scientists reported.

    There are more affordable housing options on the island’s east side, home to the county seat, Hilo. But many jobs at beach resorts, in construction and other industries are readily available on the west side, where Kailua-Kona is located. Saddle Road, also known as Route 200 or Daniel K. Inouye Highway, connects the two communities.

    The state Department of Transportation took steps Thursday to remove potential traffic obstacles on the northern coastal route by reopening a lane across Nanue Bridge that was closed for repairs.

    Hilo also is one of the island’s major harbors, where a wide variety of goods arrive by ship before proceeding across the island by truck.

    Hawaii County Councilor Susan “Sue” L. K. Lee Loy, who represents Hilo and parts of Puna, said she’s concerned about big rigs traveling across aging coastal bridges.

    “It’s going to take a lot to rethink how we move about on Hawaii Island,” she said.

    Manley said he would have to get up at 3 a.m. to reach work by 8 a.m. If he left at 5 p.m., he wouldn’t get home until 8 p.m. “That drastically reduces my amount of time that I would be able to spend with my family,” he said.

    Tanya Harrison of Hilo said she would need a full day off work to travel to her doctor in Kona.

    There are more than 200,000 Big Island residents. Amidst throngs of tourists, delivery trucks and commuters forced to reroute, Harrison said she couldn’t imagine the congestion.

    “It might even be quicker just to fly to Honolulu,” she said of the hour flight. “There’s no line at the Hilo airport. Fly over, see the doctor, come back would actually be quicker than driving.”

    Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa plans to provide rooms at a Kailua-Kona hotel so its dozen or so Hilo-based employees can avoid the long commute five days per week.

    A shutdown could also affect major astronomy research at the summit of Mauna Kea, a 13,803-foot (4,207-meter) peak next to Mauna Loa that is home to some of the world’s most advanced telescopes.

    The road heading to Mauna Kea’s summit is midway between Hilo and Kona. If lava crosses Saddle Road on either side of Mauna Kea Access Road, many telescope workers would be forced to take long, circuitous routes.

    Rich Matsuda, associate director for external relations at W.M. Keck Observatory, said telescopes may need to adjust staff schedules and house workers at a facility partway up the mountain for a while so they don’t have to commute.

    There’s also a chance the lava flow may head directly across the lower part of Mauna Kea Access Road, which could block workers from reaching the summit. Matsuda hopes they’ll be able to use gravel or other bypass routes if that happens.

    The telescopes previously have shut down for multi-day or weeklong winter storms. “So we’re prepared to do that if we have to,” Matsuda said.

    Hilo resident Hayley Hina Barcia worries about the difficulty of reaching west-side surf spots and relatives in different parts of the island.

    “A lot of my family is on the Puna side and we have other family in Kona,” Barcia said. “We use this road to see each other, especially with the holidays coming up, to spend time, so we’re looking to have to go several hours longer to go the south way or taking the north road.”

    Geologists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said if Mauna Loa follows historical patterns, they expect the eruption, which began Sunday night, to continue for one to two weeks.

    Since then, traffic has clogged the road as people try to glimpse the lava. A handful of resulting accidents included a two-vehicle crash that sent two people to the hospital with “not serious injuries,” Hawaii Police Department spokesperson Denise Laitinen said.

    U.S. Rep. Ed Case and U.S. Rep. Kaiali’i Kahele sent a letter to President Joe Biden saying Hawaii County would need “immediate help” to keep island communities safe if lava flow blocks the highway. The two Hawaii Democrats noted that restricted access could hinder emergency services because one of the island’s primary hospitals is on the east side.

    ———

    McAvoy reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu and Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, contributed.

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  • Brazilian protests intensify; Bolsonaro stays silent

    Brazilian protests intensify; Bolsonaro stays silent

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    RIO DE JANEIRO — The two men were sitting at a bar on Nov. 21, sipping drinks for relief from the scorching heat of Brazil’s Mato Grosso state, when police officers barged in and arrested them for allegedly torching trucks and an ambulance with Molotov cocktails.

    One man attempted to flee and ditch his illegal firearm. Inside their pickup truck, officers found jugs of gasoline, knives, a pistol, slingshots and hundreds of stones — as well as 9,999 reais (nearly $1,900) in cash.

    A federal judge ordered their preventive detention, noting that their apparent motive for the violence was “dissatisfaction with the result of the last presidential election and pursuit of its undemocratic reversal,” according to court documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

    For more than three weeks, supporters of incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro who refuse to accept his narrow defeat in October’s election have blocked roads and camped outside military buildings in Mato Grosso, Brazil’s soy-producing powerhouse. They also have protested in other states across the nation, while pleading for intervention from the armed forces or marching orders from their commander in chief.

    Since his election loss, Bolsonaro has only addressed the nation twice, to say that the protests are legitimate and encourage them to continue, as long as they don’t prevent people from coming and going.

    Bolsonaro has not disavowed the recent emergence of violence, either. He has, however, challenged the election results — which the electoral authority’s president said appears aimed at stoking protests.

    While most demonstrations are peaceful, tactics deployed by hardcore participants have begun concerning authorities. José Antônio Borges, chief state prosecutor in Mato Grosso, compared their actions to that of guerrilla fighters, militia groups and domestic terrorists.

    Mato Grosso is one of the nation’s hotbeds for unrest. The chief targets, Borges says, are soy trucks from Grupo Maggi, owned by a tycoon who declared support for President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There are also indications that people and companies from the state may be fueling protests elsewhere.

    Road blockades and acts of violence have been reported in the states of Rondonia, Para, Parana and Santa Catarina. In the latter, federal highway police said protesters blocking highways have employed “terrorist” methods including homemade bombs, fireworks, nails, stones and barricades made of burnt tires.

    Police also noted that roadblocks over the weekend were different from those carried out immediately after the Oct. 30 runoff election, when truckers blocked more than 1,000 roads and highways across the country, with only isolated incidents.

    Now, most acts of resistance are taking place at night, carried out by “extremely violent and coordinated hooded men,” acting in different regions of the state at the same time, federal highway police said.

    “The situation is getting very critical” in Mato Grosso state, chief state prosecutor Borges told the AP. Among other examples, he noted that protesters in Sinop, the state’s second most populous city, this week ordered shops and businesses to close in support of the movement. “Whoever doesn’t shut down suffers reprisals,” he said.

    Since the vote, Bolsonaro has dropped out of public view and his daily agenda has been largely vacant, prompting speculation as to whether he is stewing or scheming.

    Government transition duties have been led by his chief of staff, while Vice President Hamilton Mourão has stepped in to preside over official ceremonies. In an interview with newspaper O Globo, Mourão chalked up Bolsonaro’s absence to erysipelas, a skin infection on his legs that he said prevents the president from wearing pants.

    But even Bolsonaro’s social media accounts have gone silent – aside from generic posts about his administration, apparently from his communications team. And the live social media broadcasts that, with rare exception, he conducted every Thursday night during his administration have ceased. The silence marks an abrupt about-face for the bombastic Brazilian leader whose legions of supporters hang on his every word.

    Still, demonstrators, who have camped outside military barracks across Brazil for weeks, are certain they have his tacit support.

    “We understand perfectly well why he doesn’t want to talk: They (the news media) distort his words,” said a 49-year-old woman who identified herself only as Joelma during a protest outside the monumental regional military command center in Rio de Janeiro. She declined to give her full name, claiming the protest had been infiltrated by informants.

    Joelma and others say they are outraged with Bolsonaro’s loss and claim the election was rigged, echoing the incumbent president’s claims — made without evidence — that the electronic voting system is prone to fraud.

    Scenes of large barbecues with free food and portable bathrooms at several protests, plus reports of free bus rides bringing demonstrators to the capital, Brasilia, have prompted investigations into the people and companies financing and organizing the gatherings and roadblocks.

    The Supreme Court has frozen at least 43 bank accounts for suspicion of involvement, news site G1 reported, saying most are from Mato Grosso. Borges cited the involvement of agribusiness players in the protests, many of whom support Bolsonaro’s push for development of the Amazon rainforest and his authorization of previously banned pesticides. By contrast, President-elect da Silva has pledged to rebuild environmental protections.

    Most recently, protesters have been emboldened by the president’s decision to officially contest the election results.

    On Tuesday, Bolsonaro and his party filed a request for the electoral authority to annul votes cast on nearly 60% of electronic voting machines, citing a software bug in older models. Independent experts have said the bug, while newly discovered, doesn’t affect the results and the electoral authority’s president, Alexandre de Moraes swiftly rejected the “bizarre and illicit” request.

    De Moraes, who is also a Supreme Court justice, called it “an attack on the Democratic Rule of Law … with the purpose of encouraging criminal and anti-democratic movements.”

    On Nov. 21, Prosecutor-general Augusto Aras summoned federal prosecutors from states where roadblocks and violence have become more intense for a crisis meeting. Aras, who is widely seen as a Bolsonaro stalwart, said he received intelligence reports from local prosecutors and instructed Mato Grosso’s governor to request federal backup to clear its blocked highways.

    Ultimately that wasn’t necessary, as local law enforcement managed to break up demonstrations and, by Monday night, roads in Mato Grosso and elsewhere were all liberated, according to the federal highway police. It was unclear how long this would last, however, amid Bolsonaro’s continued silence, said Guilherme Casarões, a political science professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation university.

    “With his silence, he keeps people in the streets,” Casarões said. “This is the great advantage he has today: a very mobilized, and very radical base.”

    ———

    Associated Press reporter Carla Bridi in Brasilia, Brazil, contributed to this report.

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  • Travel rush underway ahead of Thanksgiving

    Travel rush underway ahead of Thanksgiving

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    Travel rush underway ahead of Thanksgiving – CBS News


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    Nearly 49 million Americans are expected to drive to their Thanksgiving destinations, and airports are set to see pre-pandemic levels, with more than 9 million people passing through TSA checkpoints so far this week. Kris Van Cleave has more.

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  • 162 dead as Indonesia quake topples homes, buildings, roads

    162 dead as Indonesia quake topples homes, buildings, roads

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    CIANJUR, Indonesia — Rescuers on Tuesday struggled to find more bodies from the rubble of homes and buildings toppled by an earthquake that killed at least 162 people and injured hundreds on Indonesia’s main island of Java.

    More heavy equipment reached the hardest-hit city of Cianjur in the country’s most densely populated province of West Java, where the magnitude 5.6 land-based quake struck Monday afternoon. Terrified residents fled into the street, some covered in blood and debris.

    Damaged roads and bridges, power blackouts and lack of heavy equipment previously hampered Indonesia’s rescuers after the quake set off a landslide that blocked streets and buried several houses and motorists.

    Power supplies and phone communications have begun to improve in the quake-hit areas on Tuesday.

    Many of the dead were public school students who had finished their classes for the day and were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools when the buildings collapsed, West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil said as he announced the latest death toll in the remote, rural area.

    Hospitals were overwhelmed by injured people, and the toll was expected to rise. No estimates were immediately available because of the area’s far-flung, rural population, but many structures collapsed, and residents and emergency workers braced for grim news.

    Operations were focused on about a dozen locations in Cianjur, where people are still believed trapped, said Endra Atmawidjaja, the Public Works and Housing spokesperson.

    “We are racing with time to rescue people,” Atmawidjaja said, adding that seven excavators and 10 large trucks have been deployed from neighboring Bandung and Bogor cities to continue clearing trees and soils that blocked roads linking Cianjur and Cipanas towns.

    Cargo trucks carrying food, tents, blankets and other supplies from the capital, Jakarta, were arriving early Tuesday for distribution in temporary shelters. Still, thousands spent the night in the open fearing aftershocks.

    “Buildings were completely flattened,” said Dwi Sarmadi, who works for an Islamic educational foundation in a neighboring district.

    Roughly 175,000 people live in the town of Cianjur, part of a mountainous district of the same name with more than 2.5 million people. Known for their piety, the people of Cianjur live mostly in towns of one- and two-story buildings and in smaller homes in the surrounding countryside.

    Kamil said that more than 13,000 people whose homes were heavily damaged were taken to evacuation centers.

    Emergency workers treated the injured on stretchers and blankets outside hospitals, on terraces and in parking lots. The injured, including children, were given oxygen masks and IV lines. Some were resuscitated.

    Hundreds of people gathered outside the Cianjur regional hospital building, waiting for treatment

    “I was working inside my office building. The building was not damaged, but as the quake shook very strongly, many things fell. My leg was hit by heavy stuff,” Sarmadi said.

    Sarmadi was waiting near a tent outside the hospital after some overwhelmed clinics were unable to see him. Many people were coming in worse shape.

    “I really hope they can handle me soon,” he said.

    Hasan, a construction worker who, like many Indonesians, uses one name, is also one of the survivors that is being taken to the hospital.

    “I fainted. It was very strong,” said Hasan. “I saw my friends running to escape from the building. But it was too late to get out and I was hit by the wall.”

    The magnitude 5.6 quake was at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) below the Earth’s surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It also caused panic in the greater Jakarta area, about a three hour-drive away, where high-rises swayed and some people evacuated.

    In many homes in Cianjur, chunks of concrete and roof tiles fell inside bedrooms.

    Shopkeeper Dewi Risma was working with customers when the quake hit, and she ran for the exit.

    “The vehicles on the road stopped because the quake was very strong,” she said. “I felt it shook three times, but the first one was the strongest one for around 10 seconds. The roof of the shop next to the store I work in had collapsed, and people said two had been hit.”

    Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency recorded at least 25 aftershocks.

    The country of more than 270 million people is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin known as the “Ring of Fire.”

    In February, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed at least 25 people and injured more than 460 in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

    A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

    ———

    Tarigan reported from Jakarta. Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

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  • Travel crunch begins ahead of Thanksgiving

    Travel crunch begins ahead of Thanksgiving

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    Travel crunch begins ahead of Thanksgiving – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    Some airports are seeing their busiest week in years as millions travel for Thanksgiving. Many flyers found better deals by moving up their travel plans. Kris Van Cleave shares more.

    Be the first to know

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  • 8-year-old boy dies after 3-vehicle crash on feeder road along Beltway 8 in Missouri City, family says

    8-year-old boy dies after 3-vehicle crash on feeder road along Beltway 8 in Missouri City, family says

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    HOUSTON – A 8-year-old boy is dead and at least four people were left injured after a major crash on the feeder road along Beltway 8 in Missouri City, the family confirmed with KPRC 2.

    The three-vehicle crash was reported at 3:43 p.m. in the 9900 Block of the South Houston Tollway feeder road.

    Missouri City police said two people, a woman and child, were flown by Life Flight and three other people were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

    The child, identified by family as 8-year-old Kadryth Howard, was pronounced dead on Friday afternoon. They said he was declared brain dead shortly after the crash. Howard played football for Alief Elite Football and attended Huffman Elementary.

    Howard’s mother is still in critical condition at Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center, according to family members.

    The cause of the crash is under investigation.

    The two-vehicle crash was reported at 3:43 p.m. on Beltway 8-West Southbound at US-90 Alternate and S. Main Street. (Copyright 2022 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)

    Copyright 2022 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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  • Dangerous lake-effect snow paralyzes parts of New York state

    Dangerous lake-effect snow paralyzes parts of New York state

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    BUFFALO, N.Y. — A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm paralyzed parts of western and northern New York on Friday, dumping over 5 feet in some spots with more expected to fall through the night into Saturday. The storm was blamed for the deaths of two people stricken while clearing snow.

    The storm’s severity varied widely due to the peculiarities of lake-effect storms, which are caused by frigid winds picking up moisture from warmer lakes and dumping snow in narrow bands.

    Residents in some parts of Buffalo spent Friday buffeted by blowing, heavy snow, punctuated by occasional claps of thunder, while just a few miles north, only a few inches fell and there were patches of blue sky.

    The heaviest snowfall was south of the city. The National Weather Service reported single-day totals of 3 feet (1 meter) in many places along the eastern end of Lake Erie, with bands of heavier precipitation bringing 66 inches (168 centimeters) in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, 48 inches (122 centimeters) in Elma and more than 3 feet in Hamburg, where rescue crews were called to help a resident whose home buckled under the weight.

    Schools were shuttered. Amtrak stations in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Depew closed Thursday and Friday. Numerous flights in and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport were canceled.

    The storm was blamed for two deaths, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said, tweeting that they were “associated with cardiac events related to exertion during shoveling/snow blowing.”

    “We send our deepest sympathies and remind all that this snow is very heavy and dangerous,” he said.

    By Friday afternoon, AAA tow truck drivers were having trouble reaching dozens of stranded drivers who defied travel bans and advisories, association spokeswoman Elizebeth Carey said.

    “The AAA crews were trying to get to people that had called in saying they were broken down or stranded or had gone off the road in their vehicle. … A lot of our tow truck drivers kept calling in saying that `police turned me away,’” she said. In some cases, tow trucks followed behind payloaders enlisted to clear the way. The AAA passed along other drivers’ locations to police.

    Even before the snow began falling, the NFL announced it would relocate the Buffalo Bills’ Sunday home game against the Cleveland Browns from the team’s stadium in Orchard Park to Detroit.

    A day later the Bills tweeted photos of Highmark Stadium showing the playing field and its more than 60,000 seats virtually buried in snow, and forecasters warned of an additional foot or more by Sunday.

    Scott Fleetwood of West Seneca captured video of lightning crashing outside his home throughout the night, as well as snow swiftly burying the pumpkins on his porch.

    “The sky is white. … Everything’s white. The only thing you can see really is the house across the street,” he said.

    “My tiki bar is now an igloo,” he added.

    Zaria Black of Buffalo cleared several inches off her car Friday morning as she prepared to go to work. The Amazon employee expected she’d be outside much of the day and was nervous about road conditions.

    “Right now, it’s looking pretty bad,” she said.

    With numerous cars stuck and abandoned, Mayor Byron Brown urged people to stay off the roads in hard-hit south Buffalo, where extra city and private plows were deployed.

    “When the snow is falling between 3 to 4, 5 inches an hour, you can’t beat it,” he cautioned drivers at a news conference. “You are going to get stuck.”

    Meanwhile, streets in downtown and north Buffalo had been cleared but were virtually empty of traffic Friday afternoon. Buffalo resident David Munschauer was well aware of the wildly contrasting scenes as he walked around.

    “I’m 68, and I’ve lived in this town probably 60 of the 68, and it always amazes me,” he said.

    Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Thursday for parts of western New York, including communities along the eastern ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The declaration covers 11 counties, with all vehicles banned from a stretch of Interstate 90.

    “I am so proud of Western New Yorkers for heeding our call to stay off the roads last night; it was treacherous,” Hochul told radio station WBEN. “And as a result, we were able to salt, we were able to clear the roads better than we would’ve if they had been filled with traffic, and we really avoided a large number of accidents.”

    Catholic Health, which operates several health care facilities in the storm zone, has been preparing for days.

    “Our staff has really stepped up, and people have been making every effort to get in where they can. Some associates are spending the night,” spokeswoman JoAnn Cavanaugh said. “We’ve made sure our supplies are stocked — food and things for our patients as well as associates.”

    Heavy snow accumulations were also reported in northern New York on the eastern edge of Lake Ontario, and in parts of northern Michigan. Parts of Pennsylvania also were seeing accumulations of lake-effect snow.

    Fort Drum, New York, near Lake Ontario, saw 42 inches, the National Weather Service reported Friday.

    In southwestern Michigan, state police reported a 20- to 25-vehicle pileup on U.S. 131 in Kalamazoo County. No serious injuries were reported.

    “Roads still icy, slushy, we must slow down,” police said on Twitter.

    Buffalo has experience with dramatic lake-effect snowstorms, few worse than the one that struck in November of 2014. That epic storm dumped 7 feet (2 meters) of snow on some communities over three days, collapsing roofs and trapping motorists in more than 100 vehicles on a lakeside stretch of the New York State Thruway.

    Registered nurse Mary Ann Murphy recalled trudging on foot to Mercy Hospital, husband Steve at her side, in the 2014 storm. The memory made both especially glad she was able to drive to work Friday, despite roughly 2 feet of snow.

    “I just kind of gunned it down the street in my little SUV,” said Murphy, who lives about a mile from the Buffalo hospital. “I was just thrilled I didn’t have to walk.”

    Friday’s snow also reminded Bruce Leader of the 2014 storm, dubbed “Snow-vember,” which, like this week’s storm, also left some parts of the region buried while others saw just a few inches.

    “I was driving back and forth to work to Niagara County scratching my head, like, `What’s all the big hubbub about?′” he said of the 2014 event. “And down there, my friends are like, `Here’s the hubbub,′ sending me photos. And they were doing the same thing this morning.”

    ———

    Associated Press reporters Alina Hartounian in Phoenix, John Wawrow in Buffalo and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

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  • Renters face charging dilemma as U.S. cities move toward EVs

    Renters face charging dilemma as U.S. cities move toward EVs

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — Stephanie Terrell bought a used Nissan Leaf this fall and was excited to join the wave of drivers adopting electric vehicles to save on gas money and reduce her carbon footprint.

    But Terrell quickly encountered a bump in the road on her journey to clean driving: As a renter, she doesn’t have a private garage where she can power up overnight, and the public charging stations near her are often in use, with long wait times. On a recent day, the 23-year-old nearly ran out of power on the freeway because a public charging station she was counting on was busy.

    “It was really scary and I was really worried I wasn’t going to make it, but luckily I made it here. Now I have to wait a couple hours to even use it because I can’t go any further,” she said while waiting at another station where a half-dozen EV drivers circled the parking lot, waiting their turn. “I feel better about it than buying gas, but there are problems I didn’t really anticipate.”

    The great transition to electric vehicles is underway for single-family homeowners who can charge their cars at home, but for millions of renters like Terrell, access to charging remains a significant barrier. People who rent are also more likely to buy used EVs that have a lower range than the latest models, making reliable public charging even more critical for them.

    Now, cities from Portland to Los Angeles to New York City are trying to come up with innovative public charging solutions as drivers string power cords across sidewalks, stand up their own private charging stations on city right-of-ways and line up at public facilities.

    The Biden administration last month approved plans from all 50 states to roll out a network of high-speed chargers along interstate highways coast-to-coast using $5 billion in federal funding over the next five years. But states must wait to apply for an additional $2.5 billion in local grants to fill in charging gaps, including in low- and moderate-income areas of cities and in neighborhoods with limited private parking.

    “We have a really large challenge right now with making it easy for people to charge who live in apartments,” said Jeff Allen, executive director of Forth, a nonprofit that advocates for equity in electric vehicle ownership and charging access.

    “There’s a mental shift that cities have to make to understand that promoting electric cars is also part of their sustainable transportation strategy. Once they make that mental shift, there’s a whole bunch of very tangible things they can — and should — be doing.”

    The quickest place to charge is a fast charger, also known as DC Fast. Those charge a car in 20 to 45 minutes. But slower chargers which take several hours, known as Level 2, still outnumber DC fast chargers by nearly four to one, although their numbers are growing. Charging an electric vehicle on a standard residential outlet, or Level 1 charger, isn’t practical unless you drive little or can leave the car plugged in overnight, as many homeowners can.

    Nationwide, there are about 120,000 public charging ports featuring Level 2 charging or above, and nearly 1.5 million electric vehicles registered in the U.S. — a ratio of just over one charger per 12 cars nationally, according to the latest U.S. Department of Transportation data from December 2021. But those chargers are not spread out evenly: In Arizona, for example, the ratio of electric vehicles to charging ports is 18 to one and in California, which has about 39% of the nation’s EVs, there are 16 zero-emissions vehicles for every charging port.

    A briefing prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy last year by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory forecasts a total of just under 19 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, with a projected need for an extra 9.6 million charging stations to meet that demand.

    In Los Angeles, for example, nearly one-quarter of all new vehicles registered in July were plug-in electric vehicles. The city estimates in the next 20 years, it will have to expand its distribution capacity anywhere from 25% to 50%, with roughly two-thirds of the new power demand coming from electric vehicles, said Yamen Nanne, manager of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s transportation electrification program.

    Amid the boom, dense city neighborhoods are rapidly becoming pressure points in the patchy transition to electrification.

    In Los Angeles, the city has installed over 500 electric vehicle chargers — 450 on street lights and about 50 of them on power poles — to meet the demand and has a goal of adding 200 EV pole chargers per year, Nanne said. The chargers are strategically installed in areas where there are apartment complexes or near amenities, he said.

    The city currently has 18,000 commercial chargers — ones not in private homes — but only about 3,000 are publicly accessible and just 400 of those are DC Fast chargers, Nanne said. Demand is so high that “when we put a charger out there that’s publicly accessible, we don’t even have to advertise. People just see it and start using it,” he said.

    “We’re doing really good in terms of chargers that are going into workplaces but the publicly accessible ones is where there’s a lot of room to make up. Every city is struggling with that.”

    Similar initiatives to install pole-mounted chargers are in place or being considered in cities from New York City to Charlotte, N.C. to Kansas City, Missouri. The utility Seattle City Light is also in the early stages of a pilot project to install chargers in neighborhoods where people can’t charge at home.

    Mark Long, who lives in a floating home on Seattle’s Portage Bay, has leased or owned an EV since 2015 and charges at public stations — and sometimes charges on an outdoor outlet at a nearby office and pays them back for the cost.

    “We have a small loading area but we all just park on the street,” said Long, who hopes to get one of the utility’s chargers installed for his floating community. “I’ve certainly been in a few situations where I’m down to 15, 14, 12 miles and … whatever I had planned, I’m just suddenly focused on getting a charge.”

    Other cities, like Portland, are working to amend building codes for new construction to require electrified parking spaces for new apartment complexes and mixed-use development. A proposal being developed currently would require 50% of parking spaces in most new multi-family dwellings to have an electric conduit that could support future charging stations. In complexes with six spaces or fewer, all parking spaces would need to be pre-wired for EV charging.

    Policies that provide equal access to charging are critical because with tax incentives and the emergence of a robust used-EV market, zero-emissions cars are finally within financial reach for lower-income drivers, said Ingrid Fish, who is in charge of Portland’s transportation decarbonization program.

    “We’re hoping if we do our job right, these vehicles are going to become more and more accessible and affordable for people, especially those that have been pushed out of the central city” by rising rents and don’t have easy access to public transportation, Fish said.

    The initiatives mimic those that have already been deployed in other nations that are much further along in EV adoption.

    Worldwide, by 2030, more than 6 million public chargers will be needed to support EV adoption at a rate that keeps international emissions goals within reach, according to a recent study by the International Council on Clean Transportation. As of this year, the Netherlands and Norway have already installed enough public charging to satisfy 45% and 38% of that demand, respectively, while the U.S. has less than 10% of it in place currently, according to the study, which looked at electrification in 17 nations and government entities that account for more than half of the world’s car sales.

    Some European cities are far ahead of even the most electric-savvy U.S. cities. London, for example, has 4,000 public chargers on street lights. That’s much cheaper — just a third the cost of wiring a charging station into the sidewalk, said Vishant Kothari, manager of the electric mobility team at the World Resources Institute.

    But London and Los Angeles have an advantage over many U.S. cities: Their street lights operate on 240 volts, better for EV charging. Most American city street lights operate on 120 volts, which takes hours to charge a vehicle, said Kothari, who co-authored a study on the potential for pole-mounted charging in U.S. cities.

    That means cities considering pole-mounted charging must also come up with other solutions, from zoning changes to making charging accessible in apartment complex parking lots to policies that encourage workplace fast-charging.

    There also “needs to be a will from the city, the utilities — the policies need to be in place for curbside accessibility,” he said. “So there is quite a bit of complication.”

    Changes can’t come fast enough for renters who already own electric vehicles and are struggling to charge them.

    Rebecca DeWhitt rents a house but isn’t allowed to use the garage. For several years, she and her partner strung a standard extension cord 40 feet (12 meters) from an outlet near the home’s front door, across their lawn, down a grassy knoll and across a public sidewalk to reach their Nissan Leaf on the street.

    They upgraded to a thicker extension cord and began parking in the driveway — also a violation of their rental contract — when their first cord charred under the EV load. They’re still using their home outlet and it takes up to two days to fully charge their new Hyundai Kona. As of now, their best alternative for a full charge is a nearby grocery store which can mean a long wait for one of two fast-charging stations to open up.

    “It’s inconvenient,” she said. “And if we didn’t value having an electric vehicle so much, we wouldn’t put up with the pain of it.”

    ————

    Associated Press Climate Data Reporter Camille Fassett in Denver, AP Video Journalists Eugene Garcia in Los Angeles and Haven Daley in San Francisco and AP Business Editor Courtney Bonnell in London contributed to this report.

    ———

    Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter: @gflaccus

    Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

    ———

    Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • 11 more people killed in crashes involving automated-tech vehicles

    11 more people killed in crashes involving automated-tech vehicles

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    Eleven people were killed in U.S. crashes involving vehicles that were using automated driving systems during a four-month period earlier this year, according to newly released government data, part of an alarming pattern of incidents linked to the technology.

    Ten of the deaths involved vehicles made by Tesla, though it is unclear from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s data whether the technology itself was at fault or whether driver error might have been responsible.

    The 11th death involved a Ford pickup. The automaker said it has to report fatal crashes to the government quickly, but it later determined that the truck was not equipped with its partially automated driving system.

    The new fatal crashes are documented in a database that NHTSA is building in an effort to broadly assess the safety of automated driving systems, which, led by Tesla, have been growing in use. Tesla alone has more than 830,000 vehicles on U.S. roads with the systems. The agency is requiring auto and tech companies to report all crashes involving self-driving vehicles as well as autos with driver assist systems that can take over some driving tasks from people.


    The state of self-driving cars

    08:17

    The 11 new fatal crashes, reported from mid-May through September, were included in statistics that the agency released Monday. In June, the agency released data it had collected from July of last year through May 15.

    The figures that were released in June showed that six people died in crashes involving the automated systems, and five were seriously hurt. Of the deaths, five occurred in Teslas and one a Ford. In each case, the database says that advanced driver assist systems were in use at the time of the crash.

    Four crashes involving motorcycles

    The deaths included four crashes involving motorcycles that occurred during the spring and summer: two in Florida and one each in California and Utah. Safety advocates note that the deaths of motorcyclists in crashes involving Tesla vehicles using automated driver-assist systems such as Autopilot have been increasing.

    Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said he is baffled by NHTSA’s continued investigations and by what he called a general lack of action since problems with Autopilot began surfacing back in 2016.

    “I think there’s a pretty clear pattern of bad behavior on the part of Tesla when it comes to obeying the edicts of the (federal) safety act, and NHTSA is just sitting there,” he said. “How many more deaths do we need to see of motorcyclists?”

    Brooks noted that the Tesla crashes are victimizing more people who are not in the Tesla vehicles.

    “You’re seeing innocent people who had no choice in the matter being killed or injured,” he said.

    A message was left Tuesday seeking a response from NHTSA.

    Tesla’s crash number may appear elevated because it uses telematics to monitor its vehicles and obtain real-time crash reports. Other automakers lack such capability, so their crash reports may emerge more slowly or may not be reported at all, NHTSA has said.


    Robotaxis popping up in China

    01:32

    NHTSA has been investigating Autopilot since August of last year after a string of crashes since 2018 in which Teslas collided with emergency vehicles parked along roadways with flashing lights on. That investigation moved a step closer to a recall in June, when it was upgraded to what is called an engineering analysis.

    In documents, the agency raised questions about the system, finding that the technology was being used in areas where its capabilities are limited and that many drivers weren’t taking steps to avoid crashes despite warnings from the vehicle.

    NHTSA also reported that it has documented 16 crashes in which vehicles with automated systems in use hit emergency vehicles and trucks that were displaying warning signs, causing 15 injuries and one death.

    Agency probes Tesla

    The National Transportation Safety Board, which also has investigated some of the Tesla crashes dating to 2016, has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit Autopilot’s use to areas where it can safely operate. The NTSB also recommended that NHTSA require Tesla to improve its systems to ensure that drivers are paying attention. NHTSA has yet to act on the recommendations. (The NTSB can make only recommendations to other federal agencies.)

    Messages were left Tuesday seeking comment from Tesla. At the company’s artificial intelligence day in September, CEO Elon Musk asserted that, based on the rate of crashes and total miles driven, Tesla’s automated systems were safer than human drivers — a notion that some safety experts dispute.

    “At the point of which you believe that adding autonomy reduces injury and death, I think you have a moral obligation to deploy it,” Musk said. “Even though you’re going to get sued and blamed by a lot of people. Because the people whose lives you saved don’t know that their lives were saved. And the people who do occasionally die or get injured, they definitely know, or their state does, that it was, whatever, there was a problem with Autopilot.”

    Teslas with automated systems have driven more than 3 million vehicles on the road, Musk said.

    “That’s a lot of miles driven every day. And it’s not going to be perfect. But what matters is that it is very clearly safer than not deploying it.”

    In addition to Autopilot, Tesla sells “Full Self-Driving” systems, though it says the vehicles cannot drive themselves and that motorists must be ready to intervene at all times.

    The number of deaths involving automated vehicles is small compared with the overall number of traffic deaths in the U.S. Nearly 43,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year, the highest number in 16 years, after Americans returned to the roads as the pandemic eased. Authorities blamed reckless behavior such as speeding and driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol for much of the increase.

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  • 2 dead, 4 hurt in Milwaukee van rollover, fire on interstate

    2 dead, 4 hurt in Milwaukee van rollover, fire on interstate

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    GREENFIELD, Wis. — Authorities say two people died and four were injured Wednesday when a large van rolled over and caught fire on an interstate highway ramp in the Milwaukee area.

    The crash happened about 5:15 a.m. on the Mitchell Exchange ramp from the eastbound lanes of Interstate 894 to the northbound I-43 and westbound I-94 lanes. The van became fully engulfed in flames, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said.

    The sheriff’s office initially identified the vehicle as a bus, but later described it as a “large passenger transport van” with six people inside.

    The van is owned by Minnesota-based CNH Industrial, which was shuttling employees to Racine County, the company said.

    The sheriff’s office said several bystanders helped people escape the van and were joined by the deputies in stabilizing the victims until they could be transported to a hospital. Their conditions are not known.

    “Our heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers go to the families of the victims, those workers who were injured and those who were involved in the accident,” CNH Industrial said in a statement.

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  • Feds vow major aid for Hurricane Ian victims amid rescues

    Feds vow major aid for Hurricane Ian victims amid rescues

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    FORT MYERS, Fla. — With the death toll from Hurricane Ian rising and hundreds of thousands of people without power in Florida and the Carolinas, U.S. officials vowed Sunday to unleash an unprecedented amount of federal disaster aid as crews scrambled to rescue people still trapped by floodwaters.

    Days after Ian tore through central Florida, carving a deadly path of destruction into the Carolinas, water levels continued to rise in some flooded areas, inundating homes and streets that were passable just a day or two earlier.

    With branches strewn across the grounds of St. Hillary’s Episcopal Church in Ft. Myers, the Rev. Charles Cannon recognized the immense loss during his Sunday sermon but also gave thanks for what remained. That included the church’s stained-glass windows and steeple.

    “People think they have lost everything, but you haven’t lost everything if you haven’t lost yourself,” he said.

    Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the federal government was ready to help in a huge way, focusing first on victims in Florida, which took the brunt of one of the strongest storms to make landfall in the United States. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to visit the state on Wednesday.

    Flooded roadways and washed-out bridges to barrier islands left many people isolated amid limited cellphone service and a lack of basic amenities such as water, electricity and the internet. And officials warned that the situation in many areas isn’t expected to improve for several days because all of the rain that fell has nowhere to go since waterways are overflowing.

    Nearly 850,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity Sunday, down from a peak of 2.67 million.

    Criswell told “Fox News Sunday” that the federal government began to arrange the “largest amount of search and rescue assets that I think we’ve ever put in place before” to supplement Florida’s resources.

    Even so, recovery will take time, said Criswell, who visited the state on Friday and Saturday to assess the damage and talk to survivors. She cautioned that dangers remain.

    “We worry a lot about the direct impacts from the storm itself as it is making landfall, but we see so many more injuries and sometimes more fatalities after the storm,” Criswell said. “People need to stay vigilant right now. Standing water brings with it all kinds of hazards — it has debris, it could have power lines, it could have hazards in there that you just don’t know about.”

    At least 54 people have been confirmed dead: 47 in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba. The weakened storm drifted north on Sunday and was expected to dump rain on parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and southern Pennsylvania, according to the National Hurricane Center, which warned of the potential for flash-flooding.

    More than 1,000 people have been rescued from flooded areas along Florida’s southwestern coast alone, Daniel Hokanson, a four-star general and head of the National Guard, told The Associated Press.

    In rural Seminole County, north of Orlando, residents donned waders, boots and bug spray to paddle to their flooded homes on Sunday.

    Ben Bertat found 4 inches (10 centimeters) of water in his house by Lake Harney after kayaking there.

    “I think it’s going to get worse because all of this water has to get to the lake” said Bertat, pointing to the water flooding a nearby road. “With ground saturation, all this swamp is full and it just can’t take any more water. It doesn’t look like it’s getting any lower.”

    Gabriel Madling kayaked through several feet of water on his street, delivering sandbags to stave off water that had crept to his doorstep.

    “My home is close to underwater,” Madling said. “Right now, I’m just going to sandbag as much as I can and hope and pray.”

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday that multibillionaire businessman Elon Musk was providing some 120 Starlink satellites to “help bridge some of the communication issues.” Starlink, a satellite-based internet system created by Musk’s SpaceX, will provide high-speed connectivity.

    The bridge to Pine Island, the largest barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, was destroyed by the storm, leaving it accessible only by boat or air. Some flew out by helicopter.

    An aerial photo of the Mad Hatter Restaurant on nearby Sanibel Island that was posted on social media shows a mostly vacant patch of sand where the restaurant used to be. The staff is safe, according to a message on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

    “The Mad Hatter Restaurant, unfortunately, is out at sea right now,” the Facebook page reads. “The best news from this devastating scene is that there is still land for us to rebuild.”

    Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson on Sunday defended Lee County officials from accusations that they had been slow in ordering evacuations on Tuesday ahead of the storm, a day later than some other counties in the area did.

    “Warnings for hurricane season start in June. So there’s a degree of personal responsibility here. I think the county acted appropriately. The thing is, a certain percentage of people will not heed the warnings regardless,” Anderson said on the CBS show “Face the Nation.”

    Elsewhere, power remained knocked out to at least half of South Carolina’s Pawleys Island, a beach community roughly 75 miles (115 kilometers) up the coast from Charleston.

    In North Carolina, the storm downed trees and power lines. Two of the four deaths in the state were from storm-related vehicle crashes, and the others involved a man who drowned when his truck plunged into a swamp and another killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator in a garage.

    ———

    Associated Press reporters Rebecca Santana in Ft. Myers, and Brendan Farrington and Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee contributed to this report.

    ———

    For more AP coverage of Hurricane Ian: https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes

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  • A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY: Newmar Power Celebrates 50 Years of Manufacturing

    A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY: Newmar Power Celebrates 50 Years of Manufacturing

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    An American success story founded on the principle of providing reliable power solutions where quality and responsiveness matter

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Nov 24, 2020


    HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., November 24, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​Newmar Power is celebrating five decades of providing reliable power solutions for telecom, public safety, rail, traffic, marine, and industrial applications. 

    Newmar’s story began in 1970 with an engineer by the name of Wess George, who stocked parts to service boats at the Newport Beach, CA marina. Eventually, George designed and built his first product, a voltage converter for a radio company. In this humble fashion, a small business was born as a side project in George’s garage. 

    In 1990, Newmar began designing products with 2-way radio technology and 48V capability which allowed them to participate in telecom and cellular applications. Backup power solutions and remote monitoring systems aimed at the public safety and transportation markets followed closely afterward. 

    Decades later, Newmar retains the DNA of the original company, maintains a manufacturing plant in the USA, and has established a strong reputation as a trusted brand in every industry it serves.

    In 2017, Newmar was purchased by Windjammer Capital and joined the Mission Critical Electronics (MCE) family which includes other popular industrial brands such as American Battery Charging. The network and industrial product portfolios have since expanded and include a range of AC and DC products for various applications. In its 50th year, Newmar launched a new backup power solution for indoor and outdoor applications – the Rugged AC UPS, focused on serving traffic and public safety applications.

    Today, Newmar is headquartered in Huntington Beach, CA, and is under the leadership of  Richard Gaudet, who heads multiple businesses including Newmar, American Battery Charging, ASEA Power Systems, and the marine division of Xantrex. When asked about the significance of this 50-year milestone, Gaudet said, “Celebrating five decades of business is no small feat for any organization, but we are especially proud of the commitment the Newmar team continues to make to the founding principles of quality, reliability, and being responsive to our customers.”

    Newmar is a classic example of an all-American organization with deep roots in the sectors it serves. From humble beginnings to powerful player in the power electronics industry, Newmar is the brand trusted by professionals across network, industrial, public safety, traffic, and marine industries worldwide.

    To view Newmar’s 50-year journey, visit www.newmarpower.com/50years

    Newmar Power

    Newmar Power has been a leading manufacturer of electronic power products for over 50 years. Offering an extensive line of DC and AC Power Products with an earned reputation of high reliability and quality, Newmar powers essential equipment in marine, telecommunications, network, land mobile, and automation IOT industries. www.newmarpower.com

    Mission Critical Electronics 

    Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, MCE provides specialized products for critical systems in a wide variety of applications operating under the leading brands: Newmar Power, ASEA Power Systems, Kussmaul Electronics, Power Products, Purkeys, Xantrex, and American Battery Charging. www.mission-critical-electronics.com

    Media

    Source: Newmar

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  • Introducing the Rugged AC UPS Series, a New Line of Reliable Uninterruptible Power Supplies From Newmar Power

    Introducing the Rugged AC UPS Series, a New Line of Reliable Uninterruptible Power Supplies From Newmar Power

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    Now in its 50th year, Newmar Power is expanding its product offering with the launch of the Rugged AC UPS series to serve Public Safety, Telecom and new sectors including ITS/traffic

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Oct 8, 2020


    HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., October 8, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​Newmar Power, a Mission Critical Electronics company and a leading manufacturer of power electronic solutions for public safety and telecom, today announced a product expansion to new markets with the launch of its uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) called Rugged AC UPS series. Specifically engineered for telecom, public safety, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)/traffic, the Rugged AC UPS is a dependable solution for all outdoor, network or industrial applications where loss of power is unacceptable or carries a high cost.

    As more critical electronic devices and systems are deployed in outdoor and extreme environments, the need for reliable battery backup power is growing significantly. The Rugged AC UPS can operate in temperature conditions ranging from -40° C to 80° C and is suitable for outdoor applications such as traffic lights, digital signage, and e-tolling systems. Newmar Power’s new battery backup solution features a wide AC input voltage range of 88–152V AC and a wide range Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) which allows the UPS to stay in normal operation without transferring to back-up mode during temporary voltage irregularities. The Rugged AC UPS’s built-in temperature-compensated battery charger helps to maximize battery life. Certified to UL 1778/CSA 107.3 and FCC Class A emissions, the Rugged AC UPS is a reliable solution that ensures critical equipment is protected and running, even when power is abnormal or unavailable.

    “Newmar Power is already a trusted name in the telecom and public safety space, so we are very excited to enter new segments of the transportation sector including ITS/traffic,” says Richard Gaudet, President of Network and Industrial Power business at Mission Critical Electronics, the parent company of Newmar Power. “We are eager to apply our decades of earned experience and knowledge to similar industries, which is evidenced by our latest solution, the Rugged AC UPS.”

    To download the datasheet and other technical documents, visit https://www.poweringthenetwork.com/rugged-ac-ups-series/.​

    About Newmar Power

    Newmar Power has been a leading manufacturer of electronic power products for over 50 years. Offering an extensive line of DC Power Products with an earned reputation of high reliability and quality, Newmar powers essential equipment in industries such as marine, telecommunications, network, land mobile, and automation IOT industries. Supplying specialized DC power components with various power and mounting configurations such as Battery Chargers, Hot Swap DC Rectifiers, Power Enclosures, DC Power Distribution, DC Power Systems, Power Monitoring, DC UPS, and DIN Rail DC Power, Newmar is the expert in engineering electronic power products and solutions. www.newmarpower.com

    About Mission Critical Electronics (MCE)

    Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, MCE provides specialized products for critical systems in a wide variety of applications operating under the leading brands: Newmar Power, ASEA Power Systems, Kussmaul Electronics, Power Products, Purkeys, Xantrex, and American Battery Charging. These brands have been built on the strength of their team and their ability to connect with customers. MCE takes great pride in translating its customers’ needs into the highest-quality products and solutions available in the markets it serves. MCE delivers those products and solutions with an unmatched level of responsiveness. www.mission-critical-electronics.com

    Media Contact:
    ​Mitul Chandrani, Director of Marketing, 604-422-2714, ​marketing@newmarpower.com

    Source: Newmar Power

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  • Path Master’s New Partnership Empowers Municipalities With Limited Resources to Become Smart Cities

    Path Master’s New Partnership Empowers Municipalities With Limited Resources to Become Smart Cities

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Sep 15, 2020


    TWINSBURG, Ohio, September 15, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​Path Master, a leading provider of products and services to the traffic industry in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania, today announced a partnership that can empower more municipalities –including those with limited financial resources – to experience the benefits of becoming a smart city, such as smoother traffic flow, reduced emissions, and a better quality of life for its residents.

    Path Master is partnering with Miovision to become an exclusive distributor of Miovision TrafficLink, a smart traffic platform that helps cities to modernize their existing analog traffic signals by adding connectivity and video-based, multimodal traffic measurement and analysis. That means Path Master now offers its customers cutting-edge technology that avoids two of the biggest roadblocks to adopting smart technologies: the high costs and lengthy timeframes involved in implementation.

    “We can now use a single camera for full-intersection detection,” explained Scott Morse, systems and business development manager. “Doing so can cut intersection detection costs substantially.”

    The sophisticated cameras system also allows Path Master to provide real-time communications at intersections that don’t have a fiber network. Along with video detection, the Miovision TrafficLink, also can perform signal performance measures (available for cities without a central traffic management system), safety analytics, and vehicle turn movement counts. These capabilities play a key role in improving traffic flow and increasing vehicle and pedestrian safety – both essential aspects of becoming a smart city.

    “It can take several years – and millions of dollars – to install a fiber network at every intersection within a city,” said Morse. “We can provide a similar communications solution for an intersection in days, not years. That’s a huge time and cost savings.”

    Additionally, this advanced technology can eliminate the need for expensive traffic studies. It provides critical high-resolution data on demand to traffic engineers every second of the day. Gathering this same information through a traffic study can cost $5,000 or more per intersection, which is why many municipalities only perform these studies every 10 or 15 years, even though they’re vital to maintaining traffic flow.

    ###

    Media Contact: Name: Scott Morse Title: Systems and Business Development Manager Phone: 216-337-0110
    Email: smorse@pathmasterinc.com

    About Path Master Since 1976, Path Master, Inc. has provided innovative products and services to the traffic industry. The company works with city, county, and state governments throughout Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania to integrate Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology into smart city projects. All Path Master solutions are backed with first-class technical support from their in-house staff and team of field engineers. Visit www.pathmasterinc.com for more information.

    Source: Path Master, Inc.

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  • On Halloween, a Ghoulishly Good Deal: Free Cab Rides Home in Oakland

    On Halloween, a Ghoulishly Good Deal: Free Cab Rides Home in Oakland

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Oct 24, 2018


    OAKLAND, Calif., October 24, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
     Wherever people choose to spend Halloween night in Oakland, there will be no shortage of entertaining activities to choose from. They could go to a themed dance party by the waterfront, see the defending world champion Golden State Warriors put a scare into the New Orleans Pelicans or laugh the night away at the Halloween Hullabaloo standup comedy show. When the night is over, help Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis, Larsen & Lucey (GJELL) keep danger off the road by joining the Drink and Alive Free Cab Ride Program.

    In Oakland and the other cities that make up Alameda County, 68 people were injured in traffic collisions last year on Halloween or the day after. One of those people died.

    Auto injuries are always preventable. Let’s all do our part to make the streets in Oakland safer on Halloween.

    Andy Gillin, GJELL partner

    “Auto injuries are always preventable. Let’s all do our part to make the streets in Oakland safer on Halloween,” said GJELL partner Andy Gillin.

    The program is simple. Register as a Free Cab Ride Program participant at GJEL.com/free, then pay for the ride up front. GJELL will reimburse the cost.

    Participants must be 21 or older. The offer is valid for a single one-way ride to a safe destination in Oakland and other Bay Area cities. Rides starting on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 5 p.m. and ending Thursday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. are eligible for reimbursement up to $25. One reimbursement per household is allowed.

    After the event, GJELL will send online instructions to participants for reimbursement to a valid PayPal account.

    About GJEL Accident Attorneys

    GJEL Accident Attorneys is a San Francisco Bay Area law firm representing plaintiffs in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases since 1972. More information is available at gjel.com and our Oakland office page.

    Contact:

    Casey Meraz
    (925) 253-5800
    casey@gjel.com

    Source: Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis, Larsen & Lucey

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  • Blyncsy Partners With Former CDOT Executive Director Don Hunt

    Blyncsy Partners With Former CDOT Executive Director Don Hunt

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    Don Hunt, of The Antero Company and former Executive Director of CDOT, is partnering with Blyncsy to improve movement data solutions

    Press Release
    –


    updated: May 16, 2017


    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 16, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
     Blyncsy is proud to announce a new partnership with one of the most respected leaders in intelligent transportation systems and roadway operations, Don Hunt. The partnership with Blyncsy and Hunt deepens collaborative efforts to bring movement analytics solutions to smart cities. 

    Mark Pittman, CEO of Blyncsy, commented, “Don’s experience and passion for the space are unmatched. He’s been on the cutting-edge of intelligent transportation systems and we are grateful to be able to work with him to provide the next generation of solutions.”

    “They’re committed to providing solutions that make an impact. I’m energized at the prospects of what we can do together.”

    Don Hunt, Owner, The Antero Company

    Don has built his career developing urban transportation solutions. As the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, Hunt moved the agency forward in intelligent transportation systems and roadway operations. Hunt also served on national committees focusing on emerging connected and automated mobility. He is also the founder of Mobility Choice, an ongoing public-private effort to ready the Denver region for technology-enabled mobility.

    “Having Don as a part of the Blyncsy team gives us a unique vantage point in terms of product development and delivering value to the market,” says Victor Gill, Chief of Product at Blyncsy. 

    The Blyncsy suite of solutions — from the Pulse Analytics toolset, to the Movement Insight Engine — is built to deliver actionable insights from volumes of data. The Blyncsy platform centers around interoperability with a wide variety of data sources, including the Blync family of sensors and probe data.  

    Hunt says of Blyncsy: “The team at Blyncsy continues to impress me. They have some really great technology; but more importantly, they’re committed to providing solutions that make an impact. I’m energized at the prospect of what we can do together.”

    About Blyncsy

    Blyncsy is a tech start-up headquartered in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Focused on location analytics and big data science, Blyncsy helps its customers understand movement through various environments. Blyncsy’s Movement Insight Engine assists departments of transportation, cities and other private and public entities to better understand the habits and trends of people by providing insights across data sets. Blyncsy was founded to give cities, companies and leaders better decision-making tools.

    Movement. Data. Intelligence.

    Learn more about Blyncsy

    Media Contacts:

    Blyncsy, Inc.
    Carlee McFarland
    (385) 216-0590
    carlee.mcfarland@blyncsy.com
    Blyncsy.com

    Source: Blyncsy, Inc.

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  • Babkes & Associates Shares Expert Insight on Negotiating With Prosecutors

    Babkes & Associates Shares Expert Insight on Negotiating With Prosecutors

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    South Florida Traffic-Related Offense Law Firm, with Nearly 40 Years of Experience, Advises on Legal Matters

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 29, 2016


    PLANTATION, FL, August 17, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​Babkes & Associates, a South Florida-based traffic violation law firm, offers expert advice on negotiating with prosecutors.

    “Prosecutors assume that the information provided by the police is true and accurate,” said James Babkes, Attorney and Partner of Babkes & Associates. “Simply claiming that the police are lying or misrepresenting the facts of the case will not in and of itself be sufficient. The question a prosecutor will ask is why would an officer who never had dealings with the defendant, who is trained and licensed by the state, falsely claim information concerning the defendant. Concrete evidence is required, such as eyewitnesses or videos that challenge the police version of an incident.”

    Prosecutors are aware of the complex maze of rules and regulations that apply in a criminal prosecution of a citizen and they expect the defendant to be as well. Defendants who represent themselves are held to the same standards as a licensed experienced lawyer. If there is in truth a legal challenge to the case against the defendant, it is incumbent upon the defense to know and present it to the court.

    Furthermore, judges and prosecutors will not openly say it, but it is perceived to be a sign of disrespect for a defendant who is unfamiliar with the legal intricacies to appear in court and simply announce that they are innocent.

    The law firm of Babkes & Associates expertly defends all traffic cases, including accident, criminal, D.U.I., and suspended licenses. In addition, they offer a “no points or your money back” guarantee.

    About Babkes & Associates

    Babkes & Associates was established in 1978, and is focused on Traffic Tickets and Traffic-Related Offenses. The law firm’s services range from assisting with Suspended Licenses, Traffic Criminal Tickets, Speeding Tickets, D.U.I, Misdemeanor/Felony, Reckless Driving, Accident Cases, and much more. With collectively over 100 years of experience in assisting clients to navigate through the complex legal system, Babkes & Associates Law Firm is fit to assist anyone throughout the South Florida area from: West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding cities. If you are in need of legal assistance regarding Criminal Charges, Traffic Tickets and Traffic Related Offenses, let the Babkes & Associates team be of assistance to you.  

    For more information, call (954) 452- 8630, or request a free consultation online and save 12 percent at http://www.babkeslaw.com/contact.php.

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    Source: Babkes & Associates

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