Monthly Archives: <span>September 2011</span>

String of Wildfires Takes Toll on Texas Firefighters

The flames of the massive wildfire that had swallowed nearly 1,400 homes in Central Texas had been tamed, but Webster Fire Chief Patrick Shipp and his crew — veterans of a fire season pushing his team to the limit — …

Mass. Court Rules on Joint Employers’ Responsibility for Workers’ Comp

Two employers can be held jointly responsible for workers’ compensation benefits for an injured worker whom they both classified as an independent contractor, a Massachusetts appeals court has ruled. The Massachusetts Appeals Court said the case presented the first appellate …

RMS Pegs Irene Insured Losses Between $2.5 and $5.5B

Hurricane Irene caused between $2.5 billion and $5.5 billion in insured losses in the United States and the Caribbean, excluding flood claims that fall under federal insurance programs, catastrophe modeling company RMS said Monday. RMS’s estimate falls roughly between those …

Study Warns US Must Develop Cyber Intelligence

A new study warns that the U.S. must develop cyber intelligence as a new and better coordinated government discipline that can predict computer-related threats and deter them. The report by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance says the dramatic expansion …

VW Recalls 30,000 Jettas to Fix Long Tailpipes

Volkswagen is recalling more than 30,000 Jetta sedans from the 2011 and 2012 model years because the tailpipes can stick out too far and burn people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website that stainless steel exhaust …

Calif. Case of Stolen Rembrandt Intrigues Art World

On the surface it looked like an open-and-shut case: A pair of thieves drop by an art exhibition at the Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles and, while one distracts a curator, the other snatches a valuable, centuries-old Rembrandt drawing and bolts …

Grounded Vessel Spills Diesel Fuel in Alaska Harbor

A towing vessel went aground on rocks near Nome’s harbor, sending up to 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilling into the ocean, officials said. The boat was pulling a barge when its tow line hit the propeller and disabled it, …

Auto Batteries Becoming Hot Targets for Georgia Thieves

Authorities say more than 77 batteries have been stolen from cars, trucks, tractors, forklifts and even golf carts in recent weeks in Macon and Bibb County. Macon police Lt. David Freeland tells The Telegraph of Macon that batteries have become …

Tropical Storm Katia Slams into Ireland, Britain

Tropical Storm Katia shut down roads, bridges and sporting events Monday in Ireland and Britain, where residents braced for the strongest wind gusts in 15 years. Forecasters in both countries said Monday’s gusts would top 80 mph (125 kph) as …

1 Dead in Explosion at French Nuclear Plant

The French nuclear safety body says one person died and another was seriously injured Monday in an explosion at the Marcoule nuclear site in southern France. The Nuclear Safety Authority said there have been no radiation leaks outside of the …