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NEWS
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030131/312032_1.html
Diverdan
Man With Fake Gun Shot, Killed By Jacksonville Police
Thu Jan 23, 3:21 PM ET Add Local - WKMG MyCFNow.com to My Yahoo!
The investigation continues after a Jacksonville police officer shot and killed a 38-year-old man in a Westside home Wednesday night.
Police were called to the house on Winnebago Drive after reports of a domestic dispute. When they went inside they said they found Michael Capps hiding in a room. The police report says that Capps assaulted two officers, then pointed a weapon at them. When he refused a command to drop the gun, Officer Joseph Crotty shot him.
Capps was taken to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
Investigators later realized the gun was a replica.
"I want to stress that officers were inside a dimly lit area," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Chief Gordon Bass said. "Upon closer examination of the weapon, it's a very good replica of an actual firearm."
Capps has numerous arrests going back to the 80s for domestic battery, DUI, resisting an officer, selling drugs, and various moving violations.
Crotty, who fired the fatal shot, as been a JSO officer since 1996. Personnel records show he has never fired his weapon at a suspect and has no prior disciplinary actions.
He will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard police practice.
Diverdan
This is a message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration.
The U.S. Fire Administration has received notice of the following
firefighter fatality:
Name: Michael Wayne Copeland
Rank: Captain
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Status: Career
Years of Service: 23 Years
Date of Incident: 01/25/2003
Time of Incident: 13:39 hrs
Date of Death: 01/25/2003
Fixed Property Use Type: Residential
Fire Department Name: City of Charlotte Fire Department
Fire Department Address: 228 East 9th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Fire Department Phone/Fax Number: 704-432-2053 / 704-353-0211-Fax
Fire Department Chief: Chief Luther Fincher
Cause of Death: Captain Copeland was participating in a live fire training
exercise as the incident commander, where after getting off the truck in
full gear, he collapsed of an apparent heart attack.
Wake Arrangements: Celebration of Life gathering at the Rockin K Ranch,
February 1, 2003 off of Beatties Ford Rd, Charlotte.
Funeral Arrangements: Private family ceremony
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: NRA of America, P.O. Box 420648, Palm
Coast, FL 32142 in memory of Michael Wayne Copeland
Tribute is being paid to Captain Copeland at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/ffmem.cfm
Additional information on firefighter fatalities may be found on the USFA
web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/nfdc-data5.cfm
To date, 11 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2003.
Diverdan
Salon Owner Stabs Suspect During Armed Robbery
Tue Jan 28, 4:35 AM ET Add Local - KSAT
San Antonio, Texas
Lia Austin said she had no choice but to defend herself and her customers when an armed man barged into her Northwest Side salon Wednesday night and demanded money.
"He pointed the gun at my customer and said, 'You, you and you, give me all the money!'" Austin (pictured, left) said Thursday during an interview.
Austin said the suspect grew increasingly violent after no one had cash to give him.
That's when the man ordered Austin to open the cash register. It's at that moment that Austin decided to take matters into her own hands.
"So I opened it for him," she said. "And I had the scissors in my hand. So, he (put) the gun down (for a) moment, when I stabbed him."
But despite stabbing the suspect, the violent ordeal wasn't over.
"He like pointed the gun right between my eyes," Austin said. "And I saw him pull the trigger. So, I just like moved to the left. Real quick."
The bullet whizzed by Austin's ear and lodged into a shelf.
Austin said the suspect tried to shoot her again, but the weapon jammed.
That's when she pushed the man and ran outside to yell for help.
The suspect got away with $100 and remains on the loose.
Austin said she has no regrets about defending herself.
"It was just reaction," she added. "It was my life or his. I could be dead."
This is not the first time she has confronted an armed suspect. Austin said she shot a man a few years ago who tried to burglarize her home.
Diverdan
I wonder why the larger volume recently.... hmmm.
Diverdan
Employee charged in Louisville robbery death
A murder charge was filed against an employee of a downtown Louisville store after he allegedly shot and beat a man who attempted to commit a robbery, according to police.
James J. Abdul-Shajee, 33, of Louisville died at 1:20 p.m. Saturday, about 30 minutes after the robbery attempt, according to police spokesman Bill Keeling. Firas Al Kurdi, 35, who worked at Shelby Food Mart, was charged in the death, Keeling said.
Abdul-Shajee entered the store, produced a knife and demanded money, employees said. A fight ensued. and Al Kurdi was injured along with another store employee. Abdul-Shajee was leaving the store when he was shot, Keeling said.
A witness said a store employee was beating Abdul-Shajee with a gun and metal pole outside the store after the shooting. Keeling said he could not confirm that account.
All three men were taken to University Hospital. Al Kurdi was treated for a cut hand. Upon his release, he was arrested and taken to jail. The second employee, whom police would not identify, was treated for scratches and bruises and was released.
Keeling said he was uncertain whether anything was taken in the robbery attempt. He added that the case would be presented to a grand jury.
Diverdan
This is very interesting....
http://rtnews.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/tech/RTGAM/20030116/gtpower/Technology/techBN/
Diverdan
This is a message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration.
The U.S. Fire Administration has received notice of the following
firefighter fatalities:
Name: James "Matt" Periera
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 41
Status: Career
Date of Incident: 01/09/2003
Date of Death: 01/09/2003
Fire Department: Guam Fire Department
Fire Department Phone: (671) 472-3401
Fire Department Chief: Acting Chief Mike Uncangco
Cause of Death: Died from a cause still to be determined while on-duty at
the Agat Fire Station.
Funeral: 01/17/2003
Firehouse.com URL:
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=3644§ionId=46
Name: Melinda "Mindy" Ohler
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 46
Status: Career
Years of Service: 13
Date of Incident: 01/08/2003
Time of Incident: 1730hrs
Date of Death: 01/13/2003
Fire Department: San Francisco Fire Department
Fire Department Address: 698 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Fire Department Phone: (415) 558-3500
Fire Department Website: http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/fire/
Fire Department Chief: Mario Trevino
Cause of Death: Firefighter Ohler died from head injuries received when
she fell out of the back of the open cab of fire apparatus she was riding
as it responded to what turned out to be a false alarm at San Francisco
International Airport.
Funeral: A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, January 16, 1 p.m.
at St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco.
Memorial Fund: Donations in Melinda "Mindy" Ohler's name can be made to
the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, 665 Third Street, Suite 345, San
Francisco, CA, 94107, and The Local 798 Surviving Families Fund, 1139
Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103.
Firehouse.com URL:
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=3736§ionId=46
Name: Joseph Rotherham
Rank: Captain
Age: 46
Status: Career
Years of Service: 14
Date of Incident: 01/14/2003
Time of Incident: 0130hrs
Date of Death: 01/14/2003
Fire Department: Springfield Fire/Rescue Department
Fire Department Address: 825 E Capitol Ave, Springfield, IL 62701
Fire Department Phone: (217) 788-8450
Fire Department Website: http://www.springfield.il.us/Safety/Fire_Dept/
Fire Department Chief: Ron Hasara
Cause of Death: Captain Rotherham suffered an apparent heart attack at the
scene of a working fire.
Funeral: Tuesday January 21,2003 wake service at Bisch & Son funeral home
505 east Allen, Springfield, IL from 3 to 8 pm. 7pm firefighters walk
thru. Firefighters to be outside between 6 and 6:30. Wednesday January 22,
2003 funeral service family only at 9am. Funeral service to the public at
11am at the Armory in Springfield at 2nd & Monroe. Rigs only for
procession to be @Bisch at 9am. Marchers for procession to be @Station 1,
9th & Capitol at 9:45am.
Firehouse.com URL:
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=3726§ionId=39
Tribute is being paid to Firefighters Periera and Ohler and Captain
Rotherham at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/ffmem.cfm
Additional information on firefighter fatalities may be found on the USFA
web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/nfdc-data5.cfm
To date, 5 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2003.
Diverdan
This is a message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration.
The U.S. Fire Administration has received notice of the following
firefighter fatality:
Name: Lattie F. Collins, III
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 36
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 3 months
Date of Incident: 01/08/2003
Time of Incident: 1050hrs
Date of Death: 01/08/2003
Fire Department: Donalsonville Fire Department
Fire Department Address: P.O. Box 308, Donalsonville, GA 39845
Fire Department Phone: (229) 524-2117
Fire Department Chief: Travis Brooks
Cause of Death: Firefighter Collings died enroute to the station in
response to a motor vehicle accident alarm call when his personal vehicle
was struck at an intersection.
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Collins at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/ffmem.cfm
Additional information on firefighter fatalities may be found on the USFA
web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/nfdc-data5.cfm
To date, 3 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2003.
Diverdan
This is a message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration.
The U.S. Fire Administration has received notice of the following
firefighter fatality:
Name: Terry Wren Carroll
Rank: Firefighter / Traffic Control
Age: 51
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 6 1/2
Date of Incident: 12/27/2002
Time of Incident: 0417 hrs
Date of Death: 01/07/2003
Fire Department: Coats - Grove Fire & Rescue, Inc.
Fire Department Address: P.O. Box 835 Coats, NC 27521
Fire Department Phone: (910)-897-7575
Fire Department Email: district6@surrealnet.net
Fire Department Chief: Larry T. Denton
Cause of Death: Firefighter Carroll passed away at Duke Medical Center as
a result of a massive heart attack he suffered during a medical response
on 12/27/02.
Wake: Visitation from 7pm-9pm Friday January 10th, at Rose & Graham
Funeral Home, Coats, NC 27521
Funeral: Saturday morning at 11 A.M. January 11th, at Coats Baptist Church
in Coats. Internment will follow at Bethal Baptist Cemetery.
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Carroll at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/ffmem.cfm
Additional information on firefighter fatalities may be found on the USFA
web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/nfdc-data5.cfm
To date, 2 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2003.
Diverdan
Suspect Killed, SWAT Officer Shot During Standoff
Deputies Try To Serve Arrest Warrant, Lawman OK
Posted: 8:27 a.m. CST January 8, 2003
SAN ANTONIO -- A man was killed and a Bexar County SWAT team officer was shot following a four-hour standoff in north Bexar County early Wednesday.
Bexar County Sheriff Department officials said the standoff started when deputies tried to serve an arrest warrant on the suspect at the Sun Canyon Apartments at 2170 Thousand Oaks at 11 p.m.
Sheriff's officials said when the lawmen went to the door, the man displayed a handgun and then barricaded himself in a back bedroom.
After negotiators were called in, the suspect apparently came out, displayed his weapon and barricaded himself again, officials said.
A SWAT team was later dispatched and they stormed into the apartment at 3 a.m. when shots were exchanged.
"When the SWAT team made entry, the subject opened fire with an unknown caliber handgun," said Chief Deputy Ruben Garcia, of the Bexar Co. Sheriff's Dept.
Garcia said officers returned fire and fatally wounded the suspect, who was wanted on three warrants, two of them on felony charges.
A SWAT officer was hit in his bullet-proof vest. He was transported to University Hospital where he was treated and released.
The suspect has not been identified until next of kin is notified.
Diverdan
SeaView Acquires Intellectual Property
Tuesday January 7, 11:24 am ET
TIERRA VERDE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 2003--SeaView Video Technology, Inc. (OTCBB:SEVU - News) has acquired all of the patents and pending patents which were formerly licensed from the estate of Richard L. McBride. A patent assignment agreement was executed December 12, 2002, terminating the license agreement with the McBride estate, and assigning ownership and rights of all of the patents and pending patents to the Company. As consideration, the estate received 100,000 shares of restricted SeaView common stock and forgiveness of their entire cash debt owed the Company. This action will give the Company the ability and flexibility to protect directly against any infringements on our patents and to further develop new and existing products around the patents. A complete listing of the patent information is available on the investor overview page of the corporate website, http://www.seaview.com. The acquired patents cover component designs used in the manufacture of all of our SeaView marine products and our easy to use powerline security camera, SecureView.
About SeaView Video Technology Inc.
SeaView Video Technology Inc. designs, manufactures and markets, among other devices, products and applications developed to transmit voice, video, audio and data either individually or any and all combinations over power lines, in AC and DC power environments, on any and all power grids. The Company has also developed and manufactures different kinds of underwater video cameras, lights and accessories for the marine, commercial and consumer retail markets.
website: http://www.sevu.com
e-mail: investor@seaview.com
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding our plans, future events, objectives, expectations, forecasts, or assumptions. Any statement in this press release that is not a statement of historical fact is a forward-looking statement, and in some cases, words such as "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "plans," "seeks," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from the anticipated outcomes or result, and undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. These risks and uncertainties may include: the adoption of our new products by customers; our ability to identify, develop, and commercialize new applications for our products; the ability to manage our anticipated growth; scaling-up our manufacturing capabilities; protecting our intellectual property; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including risks described in subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, Form 10-K, Form 8-K, and other filings). SeaView Video Technology, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Seaview Video Technology, Inc., Tierra Verde
Doug Bauer, 727/866-7440
Investor Relations e-mail:
Diverdan
The U.S. Fire Administration has received notice of the following
firefighter fatality:
Name: Michael Peter Killian
Rank: Assistant Chief
Age: 34
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 10
Date of Incident: 01/02/2003
Time of Incident: 0900hrs
Date of Death: 01/02/2003
Fire Department: Windom Fire Company
Fire Department Address: PO Box 446, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Fire Department Phone: (716) 648-0064
Fire Dept. Website:
http://rin.buffalo.edu/c_erie/safe/fire/agen/fire_orch_wifc.html
Fire Department Chief: Pat Landy
Cause of Death: Collapsed and died from a massive myocardial infarction
while performing routine maintenance at the fire station.
Funeral: 01/06/2003
Memorial Fund: Michael Killian Fund, c/o Windom Fire Company, PO Box 446,
Orchard Park, NY 14127.
Tribute is being paid to Assistant Chief Killian at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/ffmem.cfm
Additional information on firefighter fatalities may be found on the USFA
web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/nfdc-data5.cfm
To date, 1 firefighter fatality has been reported to USFA in 2003.
Diverdan
Convenience Store Owner Shoots Would-Be Robber, Employee
Mon Jan 6, 1:56 PM ET Add Local - KSAT ClickOnSA.com
San Antonio, Texas
A West Side convenience store owner shot a suspect and an employee during a robbery Sunday, police said.
The store owner said he only intented to fire warning shots when a would-be robber allegedly tried to leave the store located in the 2600 block of Castroville Road with several boxes of beer, police said.
The suspect and the employee were not seriously injured, police said.
Police don't plan to file any charges against the store owner.
The suspect faces robbery charges.
Diverdan
Glocks come with an 5 lb trigger pull,
hardly a hair trigger. NYPD had to reinvent the wheel and went to an 8 lb trigger, thus it is know as the NY trigger. Glocks have internal safetys and I have NEVER heard of one going off when dropped. They go bang when you pull the trigger. You do have to pull the trigger to remove the slide and also to put it in the original box. If I had to make one change, I would redesign the box so you don't have a center post that goes into the trigger guard.
Diverdan
Glocks in the box - Dangerous combination
The only way a glock can go back in the original box is by pulling the trigger.
Deputy Dies After Accidentally Shooting Herself
Fri Jan 3, 8:56 PM ET KSAT ClickOnSA.com
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - A 24-year-old Bexar County sheriff's deputy who accidentally shot herself with her service weapon died Friday at University Hospital.
Deputy Nicky Soriano was putting her pistol away on Dec. 16 when it fired, hitting her in the chest.
The Sheriff's Department says Soriano was changing out of her uniform and putting her gun back in its original box when it went off.
Soriano leaves behind a 6-month-old baby and several family members.
Diverdan
Deputy Dies After Accidentally Shooting Herself
Fri Jan 3, 8:56 PM ET KSAT ClickOnSA.com
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - A 24-year-old Bexar County sheriff's deputy who accidentally shot herself with her service weapon died Friday at University Hospital.
Deputy Nicky Soriano was putting her pistol away on Dec. 16 when it fired, hitting her in the chest.
The Sheriff's Department says Soriano was changing out of her uniform and putting her gun back in its original box when it went off.
Soriano leaves behind a 6-month-old baby and several family members.
Diverdan
The entire LAIRDSVILLE Story
http://www.uticaod.com/news/specialreports/lairdsville/story1.htm
Diverdan
Three Police Officers Injured, Man Killed During Gunfight
Officers Answering Call About Dispute Between Man, Woman
Updated: 10:53 a.m. CST January 3, 2003
SAN ANTONIO -- Three San Antonio police officers were wounded -- two critically -- after a man grabbed guns from two of the officers while they were trying to break up a fight at a Denny's restaurant Friday morning, authorities said.
Police say one of the wounded officers later shot the man to death.
Two of the wounded officers were in critical condition Friday and undergoing surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center. The other wounded officer was in stable condition at University Hospital with less serious injuries.
A fourth officer was punched in the face by the attacker and was also being treated at University Hospital.
None of the wounded officers nor the dead man were identified by police.
Officers were called to the restaurant in the northeast section of the city about 3:30 a.m. because of an altercation between two men, said Sgt. Gabe Trevino, a San Antonio police spokesman.
Trevino said the man who was shot by police was angry because his girlfriend had been in the restaurant earlier with the other man, who was not injured in the incident.
The woman, who was not identified, went to the boyfriend's home after he called on her cell phone, police said.
"When she shows up there, he's got a shotgun and says, 'I'm going to shoot you. I'm going to kill you. Who were you with?"' Trevino said.
The couple drove back to the restaurant, and the other man was still there. When the altercation started, the woman told a worker at Denny's to call police because her boyfriend had a shotgun in the car, Trevino said.
"Police arrive, and that's where everything went crazy," he said.
The man punched an officer in the face, grabbed his gun, and eventually fired all 16 rounds in the clip. He later took a gun from one of the wounded officers and was firing that weapon when he was killed, Trevino said.
Police Chief Albert Ortiz told reporters that the man was hit several times and died after falling on top of one of the wounded officers.
Attempts to reach employees at the Denny's were unsuccessful.
Diverdan
Ahhh... thanks.
That got the monkey off my back..
Diverdan
Any way of getting rid of that annoying music?
It is enough to keep me from coming back.
Diverdan
Bad News...
http://superfunnypics.com/gender/0009.jpg
Washington, DC -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
announced the availability of a new publication to help individuals
prepare themselves and their families for disasters. Are You Ready? A
Guide to Citizen Preparedness (FEMA publication H-34) brings together
facts on disaster survival techniques, disaster-specific information,
and how to prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made
disasters.
Are You Ready? provides a step-by-step outline on how to prepare a
disaster supply kit, emergency planning for people with disabilities,
how to locate and evacuate to a shelter, and even contingency
planning for family pets. Man-made threats from hazardous materials
and terrorism are also treated in detail. The guide details
opportunities for every citizen to become involved in safeguarding
their neighbors and communities through FEMA's Citizen Corps
(www.citizencorps.gov) initiative and Community Emergency Response
Team training program.
The interest in disaster preparedness has increased dramatically
since the terrorist attacks on September 11. Are You Ready? is
designed to help Americans take responsibility and get prepared by
having a plan in place to protect your family and your home or
business.
"Taking personal responsibility for the safety of our families, our
neighbors and our nation is critical to ensuring damages and losses
from disasters are limited," said FEMA Director Joe M.
Allbaugh. "Every American needs to participate in preparing their
families so that we - as a nation - are all better prepared."
"Everyone needs to know how to respond to any disaster that could
occur in their communities. That includes both natural disasters such
as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes - as well as manmade
disasters such as terrorism and accidents involving hazardous
materials," said Allbaugh.
For more information and an online copy of Are You Ready, visit
www.fema.gov/areyouready. Also, for more information on preparedness,
visit www.fema.gov/library. The online emergency checklist is another
way FEMA is working to make America "A Nation Prepared."
Diverdan
Man Shot By Passerby After Attempting Robbery
Tue Dec 24,12:39 PM ET Add Local - KSAT ClickOnSA.com
San Antonio, Texas
A man attempting to rob someone outside an Eastside bar Monday night was shot when a customer of the bar came out and saw what was happening, police say.
The would-be robber was rushed to Brooke Army Medical Center and is now in critical condition. He faces charges of aggravated robbery.
The customer who shot him outside Greenwoods Bar and Grill on North New Braunfels Avenue is facing assault charges.
Diverdan
Officer Arrested And Charged With Sexual Assault
Tue Dec 24,12:22 PM ET
A Balcones Heights, Texas police officer is behind bars Tuesday morning, one day after he was arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a San Antonio woman.
The victim was able to positively identify her attacker as D-Waun Jabbar Guidry, 28.
The 2-year veteran of the Balcones Police Department has been charged with aggravated sexual assault. Guidry is accused of sexually assaulting the 30-year-old woman Thursday.
Police say he was taking her home following a traffic stop when the incident occurred.
Diverdan
3 boys die in house fire
Father critically injured; separate blaze downtown kills another man
Sung Park AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Scene of a fatal fire at 11600 Buttonwood Drive in northwest Austin that claimed the life of three children early Tuesday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Tony Plohetski
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, December 25, 2002
In one of the most tragic days in Austin's fire history, Christmas Eve blazes claimed four lives, including those of three children, and critically injured a father who fought flames and smoke trying to save them.
"That's what woke me up, him calling his sons' names over and over again," said Cindy Isaacson, a neighbor to Paul LaGrone, whose two sons and a family friend were killed when their Northwest Austin home went up in flames. "He was relentless."
The two incidents, which occurred within a couple of hours of each other and also destroyed a downtown apartment, brought the number of people killed in Austin fires this year to 14, making 2002 the deadliest in more than a decade for fire fatalities. Four people were killed in fires in 2001.
The deaths led Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Baum, who has led several fire prevention education campaigns during the year, to call a news conference outside LaGrone's charred and gutted home. He implored Austin residents to install smoke detectors in their homes. Baum said one boy who was rescued from the home did not hear any fire alarms inside the house.
"There are 14 people who, at the beginning of this year, didn't think it could happen to them," Baum said. "We don't consider that number acceptable."
Of the 503 residential fires recorded in Austin in 2001, only 143 had operational smoke detectors, according to fire department statistics.
The first fire began at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday and quickly spread through the LaGrone house in the 11600 block of Buttonwood Drive.
The three children who died were identified as Frank LaGrone, 13; John Overbey, 12; and Cole LaGrone, 8. Overbey was a neighborhood friend who was spending the night with the LaGrones.
A fourth child, 9-year-old Sam LaGrone, escaped without injuries and was swiftly taken to a neighbor's house, where he remained throughout the day.
The second fatal fire ignited about 6 a.m. inside an apartment over a tattoo parlor in the Sixth Street entertainment district between Neches and Red River streets, killing a man of smoke inhalation. Officials would not release his name, pending notification of his family.
Both fires remained under investigation; fire officials said the Northwest Austin fire in the LaGrones' house apparently started from an electrical short.
Neighbors of the family, many dressed only in pajamas and sweatshirts, spilled into the street early Tuesday to watch the horror unfold. By 6 a.m., news of the deaths had quickly spread throughout the neighborhood as residents sobbed and hugged one another.
Isaacson and other residents along Buttonwood Drive described their street as tight-knit and said several families have children who attend school together.
Many said they were too overcome by grief to speak. Others grappled with how to break news of the deaths to their children.
"He's at home asleep. He has no idea," Jenni Kitzmiller said of her 9-year-old son, who enjoyed playing the game "Battleship" with the LaGrone children. "It's just horrible."
Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Dawn Clopton said the first units arrived within minutes of the blaze being reported to 911, but that the home was already engulfed.
Paul LaGrone, who was sleeping in the downstairs portion of the limestone house with Sam, told firefighters that he had been unable to rescue Frank, Cole and John from the second floor of the house, officials said.
Rescuers later found Cole lying in the upstairs hallway, and the other two boys dead in a nearby bedroom.
Crews used a ladder to get Cole out and immediately began CPR, Clopton said. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Brackenridge Hospital.
Baum said firefighters continued what he described as a "heroic effort" by trying to retrieve the other two boys. He said they were forced to abandon their effort as fire rolled through the house and walls and the roof began collapsing.
The boys were pulled from the house's remains after the fire was extinguished, their bodies draped in green blankets and placed in the shadows of a sprawling tree house for much of the morning. They were later taken to the Travis County medical examiner's office for autopsies.
Paul LaGrone was listed in critical condition Tuesday night at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
Little remained of the house, other than a blackened shell.
"It must be monumental pain for the parents," said David Cardiff, who has lived across the street from the LaGrones for a decade. "It was always a hub of activity over there. There were always kids out playing."
Neighbors said Paul LaGrone was divorced from his wife, who now lives in El Paso.
"He loved his boys, and always worked hard for them," Isaacson said. "He wasn't going to give up."
She clutched a recent photograph and Christmas card from the LaGrones wishing her a "safe and happy holiday."
Gwen Pulvirent, whose child attends Davis Elementary School with at least one of the LaGrone children, said the incident is one of three that has shaken the school on Duval Road in recent months, including the death of another student near Dallas a couple of months ago.
"I don't know how much more tragedy an elementary school can take," she said.
By midmorning, several neighbors were trying to work through their grief by cobbling together plans, including establishing funds to pay for funeral expenses, to help the Overbey and LaGrone families.
Baum said this year's record number of fire deaths will lead the department to once again try to find ways to better educate people about how to protect themselves from fires.
Earlier this year, firefighters visited schools and civic groups and handed out free smoke detectors in several neighborhoods. "I don't know what else we can do," Baum said. "But we'll do something."
Diverdan
The U.S. Fire Administration has received notice of the following
firefighter fatalities:
Name: Dennis Harris
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 43
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 10
Time of Incident: 2130 hrs
Date of Incident: 12/05/2002
Date of Death: 12/05/2002
Fire Department: Mt. Vernon Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Department Address: 700 Old State Road, Tellico Plains, TN 37385
Fire Department Phone: (423) 253-3032
Fire Department Chief: Steve Teaque
Cause of Death: Died of cardiac arrest while operating a pumper to fight a
house fire.
Funeral: Saturday, 12/07/2002 at the Biereley-Hale Funeral Home,
Madisonville, TN 37354
Name: Jonathan Myron Lanphear
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 23
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 2
Date of Incident: 12/12/2002
Time of Incident: 1435 hrs
Date of Death: 12/12/2002
Fire Department: Boyd Fire Department
Fire Department Address: PO Box 156, Boyd, MN 56218
Fire Department Phone: 320-855-2242 (City Hall)
Fire Department Chief: Lynell Leasman
Email Address of Fire Department: bigr51108@aol.com
Cause of Death: Injuries sustained as the result of a traffic accident
while responding to a fire call in his personal vehicle.
Name: Shawn Michael Espinoza
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 29
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: <1
Date of Incident: 12/13/2002
Date of Death: 12/13/2002
Fire Department: Ranger Fire Department
Fire Department Address: 500 Loop 254, Ranger, Texas, 76470
Fire Department Phone: (254) 647-1505
Fire Department Chief: Darrell Fox
Cause of Death: Died of an apparent heart attack while attending training.
Memorial Fund: In memory of Shawn Michael Espinoza, C/o Ranger Fire
Department, 500 Loop 254, Ranger, Texas, 76470
Tribute is being paid to Firefighters Harris, Lanphear and Espinoza at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/ffmem.cfm
Additional information on firefighter fatalities may be found on the USFA
web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/nfdc-data5.cfm
To date, 97 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2002.
Diverdan
OUCH!
Diverdan
I think the glock was a legal model 18,
The state he was in probably prohibited automatic weapons without a class 3 license.
Here is a bo-boo.
Diverdan
The original glocks were fully auto and made for police & military. They were tamed down when imported to the US. The original glocks also had a selector switch for semi and automatic.
Diverdan
Glock18
http://www.topglock.com/images/glock.avi
Diverdan
Glock shooting game for you
Taliban shooting gamers
http://www.vickysjokes.com/funny/ladenlq.asp
Diverdan
Now I know why I only see them throwing rocks!
http://www.divecam.net/images/shoot1.mpg
http://www.divecam.net/images/shoot2.mpg
Diverdan
MADD Mad About Jury's Probation Recommendation
- KSAT ClickOnSA.com
The mother of a San Antonio police officer who was killed in a DWI crash said she is angry about a jury's recommendation that the driver be given a 10-year probated sentence.
"(There) was a horrible feeling in my body," Marie Rangel said Tuesday in describing how she felt when she found out her son, Paul Rangel, was killed in the fatality.
The off-duty officer was on his way to his ailing mother's home at 2 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2000, when Simon Cordova (pictured, left) slammed into Rangel's vehicle from behind on Interstate 10. Cordova pleaded guilty Thursday to intoxication manslaughter charges. He admitted to drinking six beers and three shots of whiskey prior to driving.
Marie Rangel said the probation recommendation is like "nothing (was) really being done about it."
Rene Rodriguez, president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association, echoed Marie Rangel's sentiments.
"It doesn't send a strong enough message," Rodriguez said.
Bette Burns, a member of the San Antonio chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, said the punishment is a slap in the face to Rangel's family, friends, and police officers.
"We are frustrated and angry, and think they made a very, very bad choice," Burns said. "San Antonio and Bexar County should be embarrassed because what message does this send to the drunken drivers?"
A judge will consider the jury's recommendation when he formerly sentences Cordova in two weeks.
Diverdan
Customer Alert
http://www.seaview.com/powerline/consumerAlert.htm
Diverdan
This is a message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration.
The U.S. Fire Administration has received notice of the following
firefighter fatality:
Name: Michael Lee DePauw
Rank: Captain
Age: 51 DOB: 5/13/1951
Status: Career
Years of Service: 30
Date of Incident: 12/5/2002
Time of Incident: 20:10
Date of Death: 12/5/2002
Fire Department: Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
Fire Department Address: 1500 Marilla 7AS, Dallas, TX 75201
Fire Department Phone: 214-670-7951
Fire Department e-mail or Website: www.dallasfirerescue.com
Fire Department Chief: Steve E. Abraira
Cause of Death: Official cause is pending ruling of Medical Examiner.
Preliminary cause was "heart attack."
Tribute is being paid to Captain DePauw at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/ffmem.cfm
Additional information on firefighter fatalities may be found on the USFA
web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/nfdc-data5.cfm
To date, 92 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2002.
To subscribe/unsubscribe to this list, please visit the USFA web site at
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/listserv/usfamail.cfm
Diverdan
Financials are out.
http://biz.yahoo.com/fin/l/s/sevu.ob.html
Diverdan
Baird jail decision expected today
News briefs
Thu, Dec 5, 2002
Baird jail decision expected today
ROCHESTER -- A decision is expected today in Alan G. Baird III's request for an extension of his stay from jail, officials said.
Baird remains out of jail while he prepares an appeal on his criminally negligent homicide conviction.
Baird was found guilty earlier this year for his role in the September 2001 training exercise death of 19-year-old trainee Bradley Golden.
He was sentenced in July to five years' probation with the first 75 days of the sentence to be served in jail. State Supreme Court Judge John R. Tenney granted him a 120-day stay shortly while Baird's attorney, Robert P. Moran Jr., planned an appeal.
--Kelly Hassett
Diverdan
Nice fire pic
Diverdan
Always the optimist eh Madman?
Diverdan