Local Archives - Page 10 of 13

Weather Conditions in Western U.S. Cause Concern For Homeowners

22Jul

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Local

Weather Conditions in Western U.S. Cause Concern For Homeowners

A news headline may invoke some skepticism when it names both "flooding and fires" as problems which are wreaking havoc in the same region, at the same time. Nevertheless, this phrase was used recently in a headline by ABC News to describe the environmental conditions in the western half of the U.S. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to figure out which concern is the most problematic. And even more frustrating is the fact that both weather conditions have the ability to cause incredible damage to property, while homeowners are left with little to show. Extreme forest fires and flooding are nearly impossible to stop -- and in some cases, impossible to prevent -- and professional emergency responders are given the task of attempting to control them. These are often the si...

Cadet Files Sexual Discrimination Case Against Virginia Military Institute

21Jul

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Local

Cadet Files Sexual Discrimination Case Against Virginia Military Institute

According to the Roanoke Times, A Virginia Military Institute cadet has filed a sexual discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. The complaint follows a reported sexual assault, and the treatment the cadet received at the hands of State police. The cadet stated in her original report that a male campus police officer came to her dorm room to investigate a theft -- her roommates had come home to find their belongings disturbed, and $160 missing. During the investigation, the officer led the cadet to the basement, ordered her to strip, and then performed a body cavity search. The officer claimed that she was a suspect herself in the theft, and that by submitting to the search, she would clear herself. The cadet discovered later that she was still considered a susp...

Chiropractor Lands in Prison for Submitting Fake Records to Insurance Company

16Jul

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Local

Chiropractor Lands in Prison for Submitting Fake Records to Insurance Company

Many people who find themselves victims of auto accidents may be wondering whether they should make an appointment with their local chiropractor before seeking a personal injury attorney, but what happens when the victim is the chiropractor? According to Lawrence Herman, it means attempting to submit phony chiropractic records to receive compensation for treating injuries that didn't exist. Herman, a chiropractor in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, had filed an insurance claim in May 2012 requesting thousands of dollars in compensation for injuries he suffered as a result of a car accident the previous August. Herman claimed that he had required chiropractic treatments for lower back and neck injuries after the crash, but it appears that the crash was a "minor, fender-bender type accident" and...

After Seven-Foot Great White Attacks Swimmer, Manhattan Beach Considers Fishing Ban

16Jul

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Local

After Seven-Foot Great White Attacks Swimmer, Manhattan Beach Considers Fishing Ban

After Steven Robles, 50, was attacked by a seven-foot juvenile great white shark while swimming off Manhattan Beach, California over July 4th weekend, Manhattan Beach Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Powell and California state wildlife officials are considering a permanent ban on any fishing activity from the beach's popular pier. Many in the Manhattan Beach community are blaming fishing bait for bringing in the shark. Immediately following the attack on Mr. Robles, officials placed a moratorium on fishing from the pier, pending consultation with wildlife experts and a vote by the City Council. The Ban Stands on Faulty Logic Frankly, that Manhattan Beach would consider putting the blame for a natural occurrence on the heads of local fishermen is asinine. Shark attacks are so exceedingly rare that ...

Residents Across the Country Gear Up to Fight Invasive Bermuda Grass Once More

10Jul

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Local

Residents Across the Country Gear Up to Fight Invasive Bermuda Grass Once More

With good landscaping comes a sometimes difficult pest to control: invasive species. According to Chillico the Gazette, many people will need to gear up to fight back against Bermuda grass this summer. The invasive weed is important to fight in its early stages -- sprayed early, it can be eliminated. Wait too long, though, and the plant goes dormant, rendering sprays ineffective. The Bermuda grass has muddled many a once-beautiful landscape. They can quickly take over first lawns, then shrub and flower beds. Bermuda grass is anchored by a strong root system that can go many feet down into the soil -- and it's the root system that makes the plant difficult to eliminate once it has established itself. Few herbicides have much effect on this green invader. Bermuda grass is currently ...

Biologists Urge People to Buy Firewood Locally, Prevent Spread of Invasive Species

10Jul

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Local

Biologists Urge People to Buy Firewood Locally, Prevent Spread of Invasive Species

Could firewood be a carrier for invasive species? According to international biologists, this is often the case both locally and around the globe.On Manitoulin Island, Ontario, biologists are working to prevent the spread of invasive species, and preserve the current ecology. The crew there says that tourism has been a big part of bringing invasive species onto the island. “It can easily be transported on the tires and under the sides of recreational vehicles, bottom sides of boots, even on pets and bicycle tires,” says Eric Labelle, part of the Ontario Invading Species Awareness Program. “So it's important to try to clean these items before you got to the next region, or you could be transporting the invasive species.” One big carrier of invasive species, he points out, is firewood....

Students Express Relief at UF’s Decision to Add Central Air Conditioning to Dorms

10Jul

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Lifestyle, Local

Students Express Relief at UF’s Decision to Add Central Air Conditioning to Dorms

Florida is one of the hottest states in the U.S., with average summer temperatures in the 80s and 90s throughout the summer months. It might seem like Florida is one of the few states where you can expect air conditioning to be in every building, especially for places like schools and stores. For many University of Florida students, though, relief has only just arrived. According to The Alligator, a local Gainesville paper, all UF residence halls will have finally received central air conditioning by 2015. For many students, the change will provide welcome relief from the high temperatures that frequently drive students into cooler libraries and halls to study. "If these dorms change, their popularity would change because they would cater to today’s living," reflects Sara Wedeme...

Texas Jail Orders New Locks After Inmates Figure Out How to Open the Old Ones

9Jul

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Local

Texas Jail Orders New Locks After Inmates Figure Out How to Open the Old Ones

About 120 inmates have had to be transferred out of the Van Zandt County Jail, located about 50 miles outside of Dallas, because the locks had been tampered with, according to CBS Houston. Sheriff Michael Lindsey Ray says that the inmates were able to figure out a way to compromise the locks. Jail staff agrees, saying that one inmate figured out how to pick the locks, and taught other inmates how to follow suit. "The inmates were able to gain access out of their secured cells, out into the hallway and then out of the hallway... really out into the parking lot,” says Chief George Flowers. He says that it was first noticed by the control room, who saw a sheet moving through the hallway. The inmates, after breaking the locks, had traveled under sheets so that they could not be identified b...

Police Use Social Media to Catch Car Jacking Criminal

7Jul

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Local

Police Use Social Media to Catch Car Jacking Criminal

Could social media help nail a thief? According to Fox40, it worked well enough to catch one crook this week. Police in Placerville, CA, were able to catch a carjacker thanks to the help of Facebook postings. This past Monday afternoon, Kenneth Krohn, the alleged thief, saw a crime of opportunity and took his chance. A woman leaving her car in a parking garage stepped away from the car, while leaving her keys in the ignition. Before she could come back to it, Krohn jumped into the front seat and started it up. The woman attempted to stop him from leaving in the vehicle, and he knocked her down while driving away. It was a quick getaway, but not so quick that surveillance in the parking garage wasn’t able to capture a picture of him in the car. Detectives working the case posted the p...

Glass Floor of Willis Tower Cracks Beneath Startled Visitors

7Jul

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Local

Glass Floor of Willis Tower Cracks Beneath Startled Visitors

Visitors to Chicago's Willis Tower often enjoy standing on the building's glass enclosures, which extend out from the side of the 103rd floor, allowing people who can overcome a fear of heights to see themselves "above" the city. This week, though, one group of visitors to the Sky Deck were more than a little startled when, after getting up from sitting to pose for a photograph, the glass beneath them started to shatter. "We see it completely just shatter all the way through, and at that point, all four of us just completely rushed right out of it," said Tony Saldana, who was visiting Chicago at the time. According to Willis Tower officials, however, the glass itself didn't actually crack -- only its protective coating did. The coating, when damaged, cracks in order to protect the glass...