Monthly Archives: <span>August 2018</span>

Engineers Last Year Warned Operator About Genoa Bridge: Reports

An engineering study commissioned by Italian highway operator Autostrade last year warned about the state of the concrete-encased cable stays that held up a bridge that collapsed this week in Genoa, two Italian newspapers reported on Friday. Autostrade per l’Italia, …

Chemical Safety Board Links Plugged Drill Pipe to Deadly Oklahoma Well Fire

There were signs that a natural gas well was not fully sealed before it exploded in January, killing five workers, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said in an updated report on the accident last week. The incident, which took place …

Biofuel Worker Dies After Falling Into Vat of Oil Near Disney World

Florida authorities say a worker has died after falling into a vat of oil at a facility near Walt Disney World. Lt. Emanuel Curry of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told the Orlando Sentinel the 61-year-old man slipped and fell …

Wildfires Have Burned 3 Times More of California to Date Than in 2017

California’s wildfires are now burning through land at a pace more than three times faster than last year’s blazes. About 4,200 fires have charred 726,000 acres (294,000 hectares) in the state so far this year, according to figures from the …

Western States Politicians Focus on Wildfire Risks at Lake Tahoe Summit

The large and deadly wildfires burning in California post a stark reminder of the risk that fires pose to the Lake Tahoe Basin, Nevada and California politicians said at a recent summit. Officials at the annual Tahoe Summit described their …

FEMA Denies Treating Puerto Rico Residents Differently

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it didn’t handle housing vouchers for displaced residents of Puerto Rico any differently from those of displaced Texas and Florida residents after last year’s hurricanes. FEMA said in court papers filed Friday that it’s …

Dog Bite Leads Southwest Air to Limit Emotional Support Animals to Dogs, Cats

Southwest Airlines Co. will limit customers to only one dog or cat as an emotional support animal, changing its policy after a biting incident on a flight. The carrier follows larger rivals that had altered policies for animals on board …

Distracted Drivers Put Lives in Jeopardy and Cost Consumers

Operating a motor vehicle is an essential part of our daily activities. But anything distracting a driver’s attention—phones, food, friends, or control dials—becomes deadly. It takes focus, practice and skill to safely operate a vehicle moving 80 feet per second …

California High Court Sides With Police in Fight Over Chases

The California Supreme Court on Monday rejected a lawsuit that could have made it easier to hold police in the state liable for crashes during pursuits. A state law that gives law enforcement agencies broad protection from lawsuits arising from …

FBI Finds Data Recorder From Washington Plane Taken for Fatal Joyride

He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. But the friendly tone of a 29-year-old airport worker who stole a commercial plane Friday night, performing acrobatic stunts before the fatal …