Local News

Well, it's not recent, but we had a pipeline leak in our county a while back. I'ts probably about 15-20 miles from here (maybe more... I never looked). They were actually still cleaning it up last I knew (but I'm a hermit, so who knows?). More recently, the county attorney (my next door neighbor last summer, but they moved since) sued the pipeline cleanup crew for overstressing a county road that took them to the place... basically asking for repair funds and insisting they use a different route.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/17/1142675809/cleanup-for-keystone-pipeline-oil-spill-kansas

No, I haven't been to the spill site. It's basically off in no-man's-land somewhat north of here somewhere. (Well, technically it's not no-man's land. The land nearby belongs to a former local Republican politician (was once a state rep, I think?), interestingly enough... but it's out in the middle of nowhere, as if that doesn't describe basically the whole county).

But anyway, it'll likely be our claim to fame for up to 20 years from now, although no one local is particularly upset about it that I've noticed (80% of the county voted for Trump if that gives you a hint), and I haven't personally discussed it with anyone that owned land directly adjacent.

In celebrity news, Jordy Nelson of Green Bay Packers fame was out standing in his field the other day. I've never met the guy, but everyone around here knows where he lives. I waved and he waved back. He's about 45-50 miles south of here. And no, that wasn't actually in the news. I just thought it was an interesting tidbit. And to be honest, it's been an ongoing joke for years. It did happen, but it wasn't all that recent.
 
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Manopolus said:
Well, it's not recent, but we had a pipeline leak in our county a while back. I'ts probably about 15-20 miles from here (maybe more... I never looked). They were actually still cleaning it up last I knew (but I'm a hermit, so who knows?). More recently, the county attorney (my next door neighbor last summer, but they moved since) sued the pipeline cleanup crew for overstressing a county road that took them to the place... basically asking for repair funds and insisting they use a different route.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/17/1142675809/cleanup-for-keystone-pipeline-oil-spill-kansas

No, I haven't been to the spill site. It's basically off in no-man's-land somewhat north of here somewhere. (Well, technically it's not no-man's land. The land nearby belongs to a former local Republican politician (was once a state rep, I think?), interestingly enough... but it's out in the middle of nowhere, as if that doesn't describe basically the whole county).

But anyway, it'll likely be our claim to fame for up to 20 years from now, although no one local is particularly upset about it that I've noticed (80% of the county voted for Trump if that gives you a hint), and I haven't personally discussed it with anyone that owned land directly adjacent.

In celebrity news, Jordy Nelson of Green Bay Packers fame was out standing in his field the other day. I've never met the guy, but everyone around here knows where he lives. I waved and he waved back. He's about 45-50 miles south of here. And no, that wasn't actually in the news. I just thought it was an interesting tidbit. And to be honest, it's been an ongoing joke for years. It did happen, but it wasn't all that recent.
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It appears to have been cleared up (Posted November 1, 2023 6:44 pm):

Cleanup is done on a big Kansas oil spill on the Keystone system, TC Energy and EPA say

I'd like to apologize on behalf of Canada for causing the mess (and, likely I'm the only one who will). :(
 
Gord_in_Toronto said:
It appears to have been cleared up (Posted November 1, 2023 6:44 pm):

Cleanup is done on a big Kansas oil spill on the Keystone system, TC Energy and EPA say

I'd like to apologize on behalf of Canada for causing the mess (and, likely I'm the only one who will). :(
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Cool. I knew they couldn't have been done too long ago, because the sign telling their trucks to take a different route was still up a few months ago... the sign was the closest I ever got to the spill. It was basically at the highway intersection just at the entrance to the city of Washington, the county seat (which is also a bit north of where I am, but I pass through fairly often).
 
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But in good news, support for Sinn Féin has dropped significantly, to it's lowest level in three years.
And the approval rating for Mary Lou McDonald is now lower than that for Leo Varadkar; she should be worried.
 
Here's a good one: Missouri's Dept of Transportation is arguing that the fetus of a pregnant employee killed in an accident was also an employee and therefore MoDOT is not liable for his death.

Reporting by First Alert 4 investigates uncovered how MoDOT supervisors didn’t have required safety training and didn’t give the crew a potentially life-saving protective barrier called a Truck-Mounted Attenuator, which is designed to absorb impact in crash.

Tonya Musskopf is suing MoDOT for her daughter and unborn grandson’s death. In court filings, MoDOT claims Jaxx was their employee and as such Missouri’s workers compensation law protects them from liability in his death.
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Not thrilled with this bit either:

In what Musskopf calls a loophole in Missouri’s workers compensation law, if an employee is unmarried and doesn’t have kids younger than 18 an employer can argue they’re not liable if that person dies on the job.
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Your official worth as a human being depends on whether you're married or have reproduced, folks.

Can an Unborn Baby Work for MoDOT?
 
TragicMonkey said:
Here's a good one: Missouri's Dept of Transportation is arguing that the fetus of a pregnant employee killed in an accident was also an employee and therefore MoDOT is not liable for his death.




Not thrilled with this bit either:



Your official worth as a human being depends on whether you're married or have reproduced, folks.

Can an Unborn Baby Work for MoDOT?
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Just as I thought. The key to this "reasoning" is here:
MoDOT claims Jaxx was their employee and as such Missouri’s workers compensation law protects them from liability in his death.
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Workers' Compensation is the way businesses fob off their responsibility for workplace safety. If the baby is not an employee, the company can be sued for a million dollars. If the baby is an employee covered by Workers' Comp, workers' comp will pay the baby ('s estate?) a thousand dollars in compensation and fine the company a $1.47. Works every time. :(
 
Top story in the 'Dublin' section of the IT is the death of the "zen monk" of the Phoenix Park while undergoing cardiac surgery. He was 45 and will be missed.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dublin/

In other news President Higgins, one of his neighbours, has also been hospitalised.
 
Hmm...

It doesn't get much more 'local' than this.

Last night, there was a loud bang, and according to neighbours closer to the event, loud animal screaming, which resulted in 77 homes losing power.

I saw the power truck in the street and guided them to the location where neighbours had reported the loudest noises.

They found a blown fuse at the top level of the power pole, and a badly burned flying fox in the tree below.

This morning, there was no sign of the animal, and there were a few small cut twigs below the tree, so I think that the power crew may have cut the flying fox out of the tree for a local rescue organisation.
(NB the tree was a reasonable distance below the power lines, but the crew may have just cut some twigs for access.)

Incoming voltage at my place dropped from 250 to 50, which confused the crap out of many electronic items, my UPS units gave me plenty of time to shut down the computers and comms gear though.

There was a very strange side effect.

My kitchen LED lights (plugged into regular power sockets) continued to work normally.

They must be designed to work over a wide variety of voltages.

Other LEDs continued to work as well (for example the under-bed lighting).

I'm now wondering if I should install some mains power LED emergency lights.

(I have a batch of motion-activated LED battery lamps that my ex bought for me at ALDI, because she thought that I'd like them. Reminds me that I should thank her again. They're on the walls in convenient locations around the house, and had another run last night)

:D

This is the second 'Flying Fox' power incident I've heard of in the last couple of days, there was a much larger incident at Mitcham on the news.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteropus

Note that the page above is out of date, we've had a growing colony of flying foxes since 2010.

https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/a...ble-city/biodiversity/grey-headed-flying-fox/
 
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Yet another death at Tuckerman Ravine in northern New Hampshire:

Tuckerman Ravine: Skier dies after 600ft fall down Mount Washington

A 20-year-old has died after falling 600ft (183m) down a New Hampshire mountain ravine while skiing on Saturday, officials said.

Madison Saltsburg was evacuated after suffering "fatal traumatic injuries" during the fall on Mount Washington.

Two other people suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

At 6,288ft, it is the tallest peak in the north-eastern US and a popular yet difficult skiing destination.

The US Forest Service told US media that Mount Washington and surrounding areas have very steep ski mountaineering terrain and are "subject to ever-changing mountain hazards". "These commonly include avalanches, open crevasse holes, icy steep slopes, and falling rocks and ice."
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Trebuchet said:
The only good raccoon is a dead raccoon!
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I tend to agree with you but dare not say it out loud. The little MFs tear off roof shingles and pry open ventilation ducts to take up attic residences for the winter here in TO.

Toronto claims to be the Raccoon capital of the world. See: How Toronto lost its wild 100-year war with raccoons

(Worth a look , even if just for the catroon at the top of the page.)
 
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