An oil and gas production platform exploded today after a well that was connected to the platform caught fire roughly 100 miles off the central coast of Louisiana. The flames engulfed the entire vessel, forcing 13 people overboard. Luckily, all 13 people were found and rescued, and despite earlier reports claiming one person was injured, no one was hurt in the explosion. Earlier reports also said that the fire was started after an explosion, but according to officials the fire started at one of the seven wells connected to the platform, then causing the explosion. According to various reports, the platform remains on fire at this moment, but helicopters and cutters from the Coast Guard are on the way to put out the blaze. According to the owner of the platform, Houston-based Mariner Energy Inc., there was no chemical spill, but new reports have surfaced that an oil "sheen" more than a mile long can now be seen. This recent explosion comes more than four months after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20th, killing 11 people and causing one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.
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An oil and gas production platform exploded today after a well that was connected to the platform caught fire roughly 100 miles off the central coast of Louisiana. The flames engulfed the entire vessel, forcing 13 people overboard. Luckily, all 13 people were found and rescued, and despite earlier reports claiming one person was injured, no one was hurt in the explosion. Earlier reports also said that the fire was started after an explosion, but according to officials the fire started at one of the seven wells connected to the platform, then causing the explosion. According to various reports, the platform remains on fire at this moment, but helicopters and cutters from the Coast Guard are on the way to put out the blaze. According to the owner of the platform, Houston-based Mariner Energy Inc., there was no chemical spill, but new reports have surfaced that an oil "sheen" more than a mile long can now be seen. This recent explosion comes more than four months after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20th, killing 11 people and causing one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.
This week was a dangerous one for drivers in the High Country after a local woman ran off the road on Wednesday. According to reports, 35-year-old Angela Lee of Bethel ran off the road and down an embankment around 3:15pm Wednesday in the 3900 block of Bethel Road. Lee told authorities that she was driving her 2000 Hyundai Tiburon when a bug flew in her eye, causing her to careen off the road. Lee was not injured in the crash, and lucky for her, a tree and rhododendron bush kept her car and her from plummeting into a creek bed at the bottom of the hill.
The Watauga Humane Society is holding their 12th annual Dog Jog on Saturday, September 25th along the Greenway Trail in Boone. The Dog Jog is a fund-raising event for the benefit of the humane society shelter animals, and consists of a one mile jog or walk along the Greenway Trail. Registration and pledge forms are now available at a myriad of places including: the shelter at 200 Casey Lane, Bare Bones Boutique Thrift Store on old US Hwy 421, Bare Essentials Natural Market, The Pet Place, Sage Sports at Boone Mall, Joe's Italian Kitchen, and local veterinarian offices. Prizes will be awarded for the most pledges, as well as for Pet-Owner Look-Alike, Best Trick, Best Costume, and more contests. The Dog Jog will also feature plenty of other activities including: paw painting, face painting, and chair massages and dog massages by The Sanctuary Day Spa. Registration begins at 10:00 am at the Watauga County Parks & Recreation Complex, and the Dog Jog begins at 11:00 am. Early registration will be held in front of Sage Sports at the Boone Mall on Friday, September 24th from 5:00 until 8:00 pm. Registration costs $20, or $15 for students, and includes a Dog Jog 2010 long-sleeved tee shirt. Your dog must wear current ID and rabies vaccination tags, and be kept on a 6 ft. or shorter leash at all times. Water will be provided for you and your dog, and you are expected to clean up after your dog. If you would like more information, please contact the Watauga Humane Society Shelter at 828-264-7865 or Rachel at 828-264-1053.
Do you remember the report of the Indonesian toddler who was smoking as many as 40 cigarettes a day? Well, two-year-old Aldi Suganda was finally checked into rehab by his mother, and according to reports, he is now heading home having kicked his addiction. The chain-smoking boy gained national attention after a CBS News team traveled to his hometown to find out if the rumors circling about this young boy were true. When the crew found him with a cigarette in hand, and saw how addicted he was, his story spread rapidly. After struggling with getting Aldi to kick the habit, his family finally checked him into rehab and sent him through multiple tests and x-rays that showed a thickening on the left wall of his heart. According to doctors, the thickening of a wall of Aldi's heart is because he's obese, so his heart has to work harder, and not from the smoking, which hasn't affected his health...yet. To help limit Aldi's nicotine withdrawal symptoms, doctors had Aldi participate in play therapy, to keep his mind occupied. Now, the true test will come as he returns to his hometown.
After weeks of back and forth opinions on whether or not Watauga County should adopt a quarter-cent sales tax increase, the decision has been made. Watauga County citizens voted heavily against the tax hike as 4,428 citizens voted against the tax referendum, and 2,705 voted for it. Only about 18 percent of Watauga County voters went to the polls, but of those, approximately 62 percent voted against the tax increase. That total included early voting ballots in which 1,599 were against and 988 were for the quarter-cent sales tax increase for an indoor recreation center and community center. The tax referendum would have accrued about $1.9 million in annual revenue and would have put sales tax for the most retail goods at 8 percent. Before the sales tax referendum was defeated, seven of the last nine local county sales-tax increases in North Carolina had passed. Well, even after the sales tax increase was defeated, county officials say that they are still leaving the possibility of a new indoor recreation center on the table. According to Watauga County manager Rocky Nelson, the plans to build a new recreation facility were contingent on the sales tax increase being adopted,and while there isn't a current backup plan, officials will still keep it in future considerations. While nothing has been discussed extensively, commissioners are allotted as many sales-tax votes as they want as long as its not within a 30-day window of a regular or primary election, and some counties within the state have held as many as four sales-tax referendums before passing them into law.
The Watauga Humane Society is putting on a show later this month. The shelter be hosting their annual end-of-summer Watauga Humane Society Pet Show on Sunday, September 12th at the Boone Mall. The event is free to the public, and everyone is encouraged to bring their own pet to the show whether its a dog, cat, gerbil, rabbit, hamster, etc. All dogs must be on a leash and each pet to needs to be appropriately controlled and contained during the show. Speaking of the show, it will feature a myriad of awards including Waggiest Tail, Floppiest Ears, Fluffiest Fur, Most Winning Smile, and Pet/Owner Look-Alike. If you are interested in the pet show, registration begins at 2:30pm in the center court of the Boone Mall. This year's show will also feature a Pet Memorial Poster, on which to write in the name of a beloved pet which has passed away. There will also be a raffle, with a variety of pet-themed prizes, and Watauga Humane Society tee shirts, magnets and decals will be available for sale. In addition to all of those festivities, the event also coincides with the humane society's Sunday Adoption Fair, which means a selection of adoptable shelter animals will be on hand at the front of the mall for your consideration. If you would like more information you can visit their website at wataugahumanesociety.org or call the shelter at 828-264-7865
Blue Ridge EMC has issued a warning to copper thieves to stay away from electric utility substations because of the danger involved, in addition to the criminal consequences. While substations have signs posted throughout that read "DANGER--KEEP OUT," that still doesn't keep some people out that are in search of copper. Blue Ridge Electric wants to remind these people that past thieves have been hurt or killed while attempting to break-in and steal copper from electric substations. So they have issued a couple of tips to ensure the safety of everyone. First, if you see any unusual activity in or around substations, towers, utility poles, storage sites and other electric utility property, report it to your local electric cooperative or law enforcement agency immediately. And secondly, no one should ever climb substation fences, utility poles or towers. People should also stay away from substations and transformers. Activity like this is hazardous and can result in severe injury and even death. Only trained, professional line technicians and utility workers should ever be in or around a substation, power poles and lines, or other electric facilities.
Blue Ridge EMC is happy to announce that in July, North Carolina lawmakers expanded the state's 'move over law' to include electric utility vehicles restoring power on the sides of roadways. The 'move over law' requires motorists to slow down and cautiously approach emergency vehicles with flashing lights, moving over one lane when possible. Beginning in December, the law will encompass electric utility vehicles that are stopped, with amber lights flashing, on roadway shoulders. The expanded law protects electric utility workers as they work to maintain power lines or restore power in local communities and along North Carolina's highways. Director of public relations Renee Whitener, says that this inclusion of electrical workers into the law will keep Blue Ridge EMC employees safe, because much like me and you, they have families that they want to return home to safely as well. Although the law does not take effect until December 1, residents are encouraged to begin the practice of moving over and slowing down if they see an electric utility vehicle. This will help protect the safety of not only the workers, but also the drivers. Since Blue Ridge Electric's service area is typically in areas that experience severe winter weather, moving over will help drivers become accustomed to "thinking safety" and moving over for line workers well before ice or snow typically arrive and the new law takes effect.
As the August 31st voting deadline is just one day away, numbers from the early voting for the sales tax referendum are in, and are pretty impressive. According to election officials, 2,566 people placed an early ballot during the early voting period of the roughly 40,000 registered voters in Watauga County. Since the voting deadline for the quarter-cent sales tax increase is not during the general election and is not a primary, the turnout is expected to be low, but county officials have to be impressed by the strong turnout in the early voting. Whether you support the tax hike or are opposed, make sure to get out and vote tomorrow. The polls will be open from 6:30am to 7:30pm, and to find polling places near you, just visit www.wataugacounty.org.
The Town of Beech Mountain has eased up on the current water restrictions, reducing the water sanctions from Stage 3, Mandatory Water Reduction II to Stage 2, Mandatory Water Reduction I status. While conditions for water supply have improved, the current water supply for the town is still well-below the average for this time of the year. Under the lowered water restrictions, consumers must still cut their water usage by 10 percent, and they must obey a series of restrictions including: irrigation is limited to a half inch per week between 8PM and 8AM; you can only wash full loads in clothes and dishwashers; you must prevent water waste and runoff; you can only use spring-loaded nozzles on garden hoses; you must identify and repair all water leaks, outdoor use of drinking water for washing impervious surfaces is prohibited; and all testing and training purposes requiring drinking water (e.g. fire protection) will be limited. Violators will be given a warning on their first violation, they will be issued a $250 fine on their second offense, and their third offense will result in their water being cut off. If you see someone violating the new restrictions, the Town of Beech Mountain asks that you call 828-387-2342. The Town would also like to thank its customers for their conservation efforts thus far, as well as their continued efforts while Beech Mountain remains in mandatory restriction status.
