Grand Isle ferry crashes into pier

As reported by the Burlington Free Press:

The Grand Isle ferry struck the pier in Vermont at full speed just before 6 tonight, according to Free Press correspondent Rob Swanson, who is on the scene.

South Hero Rescue transported several people, at least one of whom was on a stretcher, to a hospital, Swanson said. 

Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, the region’s largest hospital, was preparing to receive three patients; the extent of their injuries was unknown, spokeswoman Kim O’Leary said at 7 p.m.

Grand Isle County Sheriff Connie Allen said the ferry’s captain acted admirably. 

According to Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Underdahl, a problem with a runaway engine caused a loss of control of the ferry. 

There were passengers aboard the ferry at the time of the accident, Swanson said. 

A dispatcher at the Vermont State Police barracks in St. Albans dispatcher confirmed an incident occurred at the Grand Isle ferry dock. 

There were conflicting reports about whether the captain, whom Swanson identified as Ed Gelinas, was hurt. Swanson said he spoke to the captain, who was “mobile and walking around” and did not appear to have sustained significant injuries. 

“He wouldn’t tell me anything,” Swanson said of the captain. “The cops wouldn’t tell me anything. The fire department wouldn’t tell me anything.” 

The boat, operated by Lake Champlain Transportation, was completing a 12-minute trip from Plattsburgh, N.Y., according to the Associated Press. A message left with the company was not immediately returned.

There were 12 to 15 emergency vehicles parked at the ferry dock. 

Swanson saw crew members peering over the starboard side of the ferry, apparently checking for damage. Swanson said he couldn’t confirm if there was damage. 

There was no fire. The ferry is not experiencing flooding or sinking. 

A state police spokeswoman has not responded to repeated pages seeking information on the incident.

What is with the birds lately!?

Okay, seriously – did we forget to renew our agreement with the birds about how they need to stay out of our way?

A bird struck an Arkansas hospital’s helicopter Saturday, tearing a hole into the aircraft’s nose and prompting the pilot to land early, according to officials and pictures taken after the landing.

A medical helicopter landed near Forrest City, Arkansas, on Saturday after striking a bird.

The chopper’s pilot made a “safe landing” in that state after hitting a bird while returning to Baptist Health Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, hospital spokesman Mark Lowman said.

“I think the pilot just made a judgment call to set it down,” Lowman said of the landing, which happened at 6:15 p.m. Saturday near Forrest City, Arkansas.

Video footage taken by CNN affiliate WREG showed a bird hanging out of a hole torn into the paneling on the chopper’s nose. Part of the helicopter’s windshield also was broken.

The pilot was slightly injured during the landing, and the other two crew members on board were uninjured, Lowman said.

Federal aviation officials are investigating, and the helicopter is not expected to be grounded for long, he said.

The helicopter was returning from a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where the crew had taken a patient.

Flock of geese cause plane to bail into Hudson River

… WTF.

A US Airways plane was down in the Hudson River on Thursday after attempting to take off from LaGuardia Airport, officials said.

US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320, was headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

A passenger said he was “pretty sure” everybody on the plane got out.

“Somehow, the plane stayed afloat and we were all able to get on a raft,” said the passenger, Alberto Panero. “It’s just incredible now that everyone’s still alive.”

A New Jersey State Police source told CNN the pilot radioed to air traffic controllers that he had experienced a bird strike — when a bird or flock of birds is sucked into the jet engine — and declared an emergency.  Watch footage of plane in water »

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown also said preliminary information indicates a bird strike. The plane was in the air for about three minutes before it went down, the FAA said.

U.S. Coast Guard units were responding, and a ferry on site was dropping life jackets into the water.

The New York Times, citing a local TV station, reported that the aircraft had 146 passengers and 5 crew members aboard.

The pilot tried to return to the airport when the plane fell into the Hudson, the Times reported. The Times said it was below 20 degrees in New York at the time the plane went down.

A couple of minutes after takeoff, “we just heard a loud bang,” Panero said.

“The plane shook a bit and … you could smell smoke and fire and immediately the plane started turning,” Panero said. “All of a sudden, the captain came on and said, ‘Brace for landing,’ and that’s when we knew we were going down.”

The plane approached the water at a gradual angle and made a big splash, according to a witness watching from an office building.

“It wasn’t going particularly fast. It was a slow contact with the water that it made,” said the witness, Ben Vonklemperer.

“It appeared not to have landing gear engaged. This was bigger than a puddle-jumper or sea plane. It was a silver aircraft and it basically just hit the water,” Vonklemperer added.

An Airbus A320 can hold a maximum of 179 passengers and a flight crew of two, depending on the configuration.

I don’t even have a suitable witty remark right now. Just… WTF?

Oh, Ryan. Don’t high five blind guys.

Despite his hoakiness and the fact that I don’t like any shows that he does, I do like Ryan Seacrest. He’s a funny guy. But Ryan.. you just pulled a Bush.

FAIL.

Pilot accused of faking death captured in Florida

Marcus Schrenker, the financial manager who officials say faked his own death in a plane crash after scamming his customers, has been found after an apparent suicide attempt, Florida and federal authorities said Tuesday.

Marcus Schrenker was taken to a hospital after he was found in Quincy, Florida, on Tuesday, authorities said.

Authorities believe Schrenker defrauded investors through three companies he owns before attempting a bizarre and potentially deadly vanishing act.

Schrenker was found at a campsite near Quincy, Florida, with “deep cuts on his wrists,” according to a statement by a Florida-based U.S. Marshals Service task force.

Schrenker was bleeding profusely when about 20 officers approached his tent, said Deputy U.S. Marshal John Beeman.

Schrenker was treated at the scene and then taken to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, authorities said.

Schrenker, who had been missing since Sunday, did not suffer life-threatening injuries and was being guarded at the hospital, Beeman said.

Schrenker was charged in Hamilton County, Indiana, on Tuesday with unlawful acts by a compensated adviser and unlawful transaction by an investment adviser.  - CNN

Well – I guess he really was “bleeding profusely” like he said in his distress call. It’s nice that he tried to make some truth out of a gigantic lie. 

FAIL.

Description FAIL

Mike and I sent this in to Failblog… oy vey.

More obese Americans than overweight

This really digusts me.

The number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are merely overweight, according to the latest statistics from the federal government.

Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. It said just under 6 percent are “extremely” obese.

“More than one-third of adults, or over 72 million people, were obese in 2005-2006, the NCHS said in its report.

I know this is coming from a person that lives in the “healthiest state” in the country, but I really do think we should work on our physical health as a culture.

Bushisms

I felt is appropriate to find a collection of Bushisms as we near the end of his reign over this country. Is anyone else as excited about January 20th as I am?

A few of my favorites:

“They misunderestimated me.” —Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

“This thaw—took a while to thaw, it’s going to take a while to unthaw.”—Alexandria, La., Oct. 20, 2008

“It’s clearly a budget. It’s got a lot of numbers in it.” –Reuters, 5 May, 2000

“You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.” –Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001

I think Bush’s time as President of the United States can be summed up into one word.

FAIL.

Blagojevich Impeached!

It’s official - Gov. Blagojevich has been impeached by the Illinois House of Representatives.

Booyakasha.

Even more layoffs, closings

Welcome to 2009 – you’re smack in the middle of the recession! It has been announced that even more closings will be happening (locally and otherwise). Vermont Teddy Bear is laying off 35 people, as well as closing the retail store in Waterbury (where the Dunkin Donuts and Lake Champlain Chocolates are) by the end of the month. Macy’s has also announced it would be closing 9 stores (not sure which ones yet).

I wanted a running tally of the major closings since November, so here’s a tentative list of some of the big ones (I’m sure there are a ton more I’m missing, but this is depressing enough!):

• Circuit City – Filed for bankruptcy on November 10, 2008 and announced the closure of 155 stores. 
• Ann Taylor – Earlier this year announced it would close 117 stores out of approximately 966 locations. 
• Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine’s – Nine months ago parent company Charming Shoppes Inc. announced the closing of 150 stores. 
• Eddie Bauer – Closed 31 retail and outlet stores
• Cache – Announced early in the year it would close 21 stores
• Talbots – Closed approximately 100 stores in 2008 but is still in business and has no more closings planned. 
• J. Jill – Owned by Talbots Inc., which wants to sell the chain but has not announced the closure of any J. Jill stores. 
• Gap Inc. – In mid-2008 revised its projected number of store closings (including Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy locations) upward from 85 to approximately 115 stores for the year.
• Foot Locker – Closed 274 in 2007. Projected closing 140 stores in 2008. As of Nov. 20, had closed 129 stores.
• Wickes Furniture – Filed for bankruptcy in early 2008 and already closed down all retail stores. 
• Levitz Furniture – Filed for bankruptcy in late 2007 and is still in the process of liquidating assets. 
• Zales – Last February announced the planned closure of 105 stores in 2008. 
• Whitehall Jewelers – Filed for bankruptcy in June 2008 and is closing all stores.
• Piercing Pagoda – Owned by Zales. Some, but not all, Piercing Pagoda locations were among the 105 planned closures announced by Zales in Feb. 2008. 
• The Disney Store – Announced in May 2008 it would close 98 stores. 
• Home Depot – Announced in May 2008 it would close 15 stores nationwide.
• Macy’s – Closing 9 stores. 
• Linens ‘n Things – Filed for bankruptcy in May 2008 and is closing all stores.
• Movie Gallery/Hollywood Video – Filed for bankruptcy in 2007, after plans to close 520 stores. In Feb 2008, announced 400 more store closings and in April 2008 announced 160 closures. 
• Pacific Sunwear – In Jan. 2008 announced the closure of 154 “demo” stores nationwide.
• Pep Boys – Closed 31 locations in 2008. 
• Sprint Nextel – In Jan. 2008 announced it would close 125 stores. 
• Ethan Allen – In Jan. 2008 announced plans to consolidate 12 retail design and service centers. 
• Wilson Leather – Already closed 160 of its stores and is converting the remainder to sell women’s accesories. 
• Sharper Image – Filed for bankruptcy in early 2008 and announced plans to close all 184 stores.
• KB Toys – Announced closure just before Christmas with going out of business sales effective immediately. Closing all stores.
• Dillard’s – Closed at 20 stores in 2008. New CEO says the company will continue closing underperforming stores. 
• The Charming Shoppes chain stores of plus size womens clothing has closed 150 stores.
• CompUSA – Sold to Gordon Brothers for restructuring in Dec 2007 with most of its 103 outlets subsequently closed.
• Kirklands – Expecting to close 130 out of 335 stores by middle of 2009
• Washington Mutual – Cut 1,600 jobs.
• Rolls Royce – Cute 2,000 jobs worldwide.
• Citigroup – Cut 40,000 jobs worldwide.
• Levitz Furniture – Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Nov 2007 and began store closings.
• Benningans – Closed 150 restaurants overnight in July 2008.
• Walgreens – Laying off 1,000+ employees.
• Bank of America – Announced they would cut up to 35,000 jobs in the next three years.
• Sara Lee – Laying off 700 employees.
• Sony – Laying off 8,000 employees.
• EZ Lube – Filed for bankruptcy. 
• Anheuser-Busch – Laying off 1,400 employees. 
• AT&T – Laying off 12,000 employees.
• Vermont Teddy Bear – Closing Waterbury retail location, laying off 35 employees.