Author: CNN Newsource

By Lisa Rozner

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Construction crews have been working night and day to stabilize a building on 42nd Street that had two columns buckle and several floors begin to sag.

The former Pfizer headquarters, which is in the process of being converted from office to residential use, remains under close watch as engineers continue investigating what caused the failure.

The project involves adding more stories to an existing building.

Crews have been reinforcing the building since those two structural columns buckled.

The Department of Buildings said crews worked through the night and made significant progress stabilizing the impacted building at 235 E. 42nd St. in Midtown.

Officials say significant progress has been made in stabilizing the building. Department of Buildings inspectors and engineers remain on site around the clock. There’s been no movement of the building in the last 24 hours, officials say.

Supports are being added to every floor from the ninth floor up to the roof. Large carts of pipe columns could be seen outside the building Wednesday.

Four other buildings remain evacuated as a precaution. Wednesday afternoon, 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues reopened to vehicular traffic.

Gus Manessis, owner of a nearby pizzera, said his business is suffering and is not even half of what it would typically be.

“Of course it is an inconvenience to me, but you live in New York City, you’re ready for anything,” area resident Elinor Ruskin said.

“He’s trying to cut corners”

Nathan Berman, the principal and founder of developer MetroLoft, spoke with CBS News New York’s Lisa Rozner extensively about what he thinks may have gone wrong.

He said the building was never at risk of collapsing, adding the worst he thinks would’ve happened is the sagging would have increased by “another four or five inches.”

The union blamed the two failing columns and sagging floors on the fact that most of the job was done by non-union workers.

Outside the building Wednesday, a moving billboard reading “Shame on MetroLoft” could be seen.

“OK, he’s trying to cut corners,” said Anthony Williamson of Construction and General Building Laborers’ Local 79.

“We’re not fully union, and we’re not fully non-union. But we do have union labor on site. That’s number one. Number two, it’s a little self-serving for the unions now to pile on and claim safety concerns when we’ve clearly identified the issue,” Berman said.

The shoring-up work should be completed by Wednesday night or Thursday morning, he said.

“We may have missed the two columns that buckled”

So what does Berman think caused the issue?

“It’s not a design issue. This issue is strictly structural, has nothing to do with the conversion aspect of it. It is very strictly structural. We put more load on the columns than they could support,” he said.

Berman pointed to possible human error.

“A certain section of a new addition in the building, in this massive building, having added a certain amount of load to the existing building and having reinforced most of the other columns, we may have missed the two columns that buckled,” he said. “We may have not reinforced them properly, or we may have missed them.”

“This building never was in any risk of any sort of collapse”

Berman said the impacted area encompassed 18,000 square feet in a building that’s 950,000 square feet.

“It is a small section of the building that has a problem, and in terms of the overall building, it is less than three or four percent of the building. So in reality, this building never was in any risk of any sort of collapse or any portion of this building was at any risk of collapse,” he said.

Berman praised the city’s response to the situation.

“They did absolutely the right thing by blocking traffic to make sure they have time to secure the site and do their proper inspection, which they have,” he said.

“Being blown out of proportion”

Berman said the project will still go forward and will be completed in a year, on schedule.

He said he thinks future renters in the building will understand “when something is being blown out of proportion.” He said that person will also understand the quality of construction of office buildings that are being converted to residential use is “far superior to anything you can afford to build today ground up.”

Berman said buildings constructed in the 1950s and 1960s “were built to different loads, to much higher loads than is required today for residential use” and are “sturdier than anything you could afford to build today.”

The buildings have taller ceilings and “will outlast” any recent new construction, according to Berman.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Alan Gionet

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    SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, Colorado (KCNC) — The San Miguel County sheriff is expressing frustration after a man from western Colorado sought help but then declined it following a reported fall during a base-jumping incident south of Telluride.

“His decisions unnecessarily diverted emergency resources, including a Care Flight helicopter, that may have been needed for other emergencies,” posted Sheriff Dan Covault.

The 31-year-old from Grand Junction sent an SOS message on Monday saying he was in trouble about six miles south-southeast of Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbine Basin. He reported he had fallen about 150-200 feet and believed his leg was broken, indicating he could not walk and needed help.

“We took motorcycles and a UTV to a spot we could get to. They had to hike another 1.5 miles to reach the area where he was,” said sheriff’s office spokesperson Susan Lilly. “We have to land, get personnel off, unload weight to go into high altitude. We loaded a search and rescue member, went up for, you know, just kind of check it out.”

The ground team was the first to reach the man.

“They were with him, and he ended up changing his mind. Whether that’s because he saw the helicopter and said, ‘Oh, you know, this is going to cost me a lot of money,'” said Lilly. “That was probably a factor, but you know, maybe he would have thought of that earlier.”

The man told rescuers he would walk out. While search and rescue organizations in Colorado do not charge, there is a charge for medical helicopter evacuation.

The man was no stranger to rescues, having been a search-and-rescue volunteer in another Western Slope county. He was also the subject of a big rescue operation ten years ago after a base-jumping accident in the Swiss Alps that left him stranded for 13 hours.

“We thought, ‘Gee, of all people, he should probably know better that we’re going to deploy these resources,'” said Lilly.

The sheriff’s office and search-and-rescue organizations do not want to discourage people from seeking help. Delaying calls can worsen situations.

“I can’t emphasize enough that we want people to call when they’re in distress, whether it’s medical, they have an injury, or they’re lost. We want them to call search and rescue. That’s what we’re here for,” said Lilly. But she expressed exasperation at the recent situation, “It’s very frustrating when we get up there, and someone says, ‘ Never mind, I’m going to walk out on my own.'”

“The fact that he was able to hike back down shows a profound lack of respect for the tremendous effort and resources devoted to this rescue,” the sheriff said in his statement.

CBS Colorado attempted to contact the man for comment but was unable to reach him.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Adam Thompson

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Dozens of people were injured in a multiple-vehicle crash involving an MTA bus, which rammed into a building in Baltimore County on Wednesday.

The crash happened around 6 p.m. in the 1500 block of Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, spanning several blocks between Old Court Road and McHenry Avenue.

Massive response to Pikesville crash

Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon said the MTA bus drove into a building, and a dozen other vehicles were involved in the crash. Some of the vehicles were heavily damaged, including one that flipped onto its roof.

“The span of this being from Old Court all the way down, you can see the vehicles in the roadway. It’s more like a war scene,” Dixon said.

Fire officials said that 15 ambulances responded, along with other units, to assist in taking people to the hospital.

Some businesses along Reisterstown Road were damaged, and power lines were knocked down.

BGE responded to assist with the downed power lines.

“As a fire chief, I am concerned about the businesses, but right now, we are concerned about the people,” Dixon said. “BGE will come in and take care of that, but we want to render this safe for the community altogether.”

Police said Reisterstown Road is closed in both directions between Old Court Road and McHenry Avenue.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

State and local leaders react

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore posted on social media that his team is closely monitoring the crash, while staying connected with Baltimore County officials to provide support.

Moore expressed his concerns for those involved.

“Dawn and I are keeping everyone impacted in our hearts and prayers,” Moore said. “We are deeply grateful for our first responders who acted with speed and skill to ensure the safety of our neighbors.”

Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones stated that a coordinated response is underway.

“I have every confidence in the first responders working with urgency to rescue those in danger, care for the injured, and bring this emergency to a safe conclusion,” Jones said. “My prayers are with everyone affected, especially the victims and their loved ones.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Kara Finnstrom

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    PASADENA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Many Pasadena firefighters became ill when the Eaton Fire exploded into an urban nightmare, and 18 months later, one fire captain’s push for awareness and support has led to new detox tools at all eight stations.

Firefighters who put on protective gear to fight fires are getting new help to cleanse their bodies of the toxins they still absorb.

“We’re excited that our department is pursuing smoke detoxification units,” Pasadena Fire Department Capt. Dave Marquez said.

The sauna-like units use infrared light, and all the department’s stations and training center will soon install them.

“One of the evolving best practices right now is smoke reduction machines. Some of the toxins and other things they encounter are excreted in their sweat,” Pasadena Fire Department Chief Chad Augustin said.

Firefighters at Station 38, just months after the fire, shared some of the horrific effects: burning eyes, throat and headaches.

They had been on Altadena’s frontlines for 36 hours. Afterwards, some slept in oxygen masks, and others vomited for days.

Marquez coordinated with a nonprofit group of doctors who rushed to give them emergency care in tents at the Rose Bowl.

Months later, he took part in a 12-week detoxification program for firefighters who took blood tests and were found to have unsafe levels of heavy metals.

“In the days or perhaps even hours after the event, we can take steps to significantly improve our chances of recovery,” Marquez said.

He said their regimen, which also included diet changes and sessions in those detox units, worked. “The brain fog is gone, no more breathing issues, no more coughing issues,” Marquez said.

Earlier this year, he joined the nonprofit Protect Frontline Alliance, which wants to bring these therapies to firefighters nationwide. They’re also calling for the expanded yearly blood tests Pasadena fire now offers.

“In addition to knowing something important like your cholesterol numbers, a firefighter can understand what their forever chemicals are, what their heavy metals are, and that is huge,” Marquez said.

Pasadena’s chief is also announcing a developing partnership with the City of Hope. He says the cancer-fighting institution will help guide their roughly 200 firefighters.

“We said, hey, help us,” Augustin said. “They have research studies that we could participate in. As they’re looking at the evolution and technology changing on cancer screenings for early access, is it body scans, is it bloodwork?”

While all of the Eaton Fire’s impacts won’t be known for decades, Marquez says he feels healthy and hopeful.

“I’m about to turn 45, and I feel fantastic. A lot of that has to do with being supported,” he said. “I’d say we’re doing great, but I would just say it’s important that we don’t take our foot off the throttle.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Tammy Mutasa

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — For the first time, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum is publicly talking about his partner of nine years, Jaylen Brown, being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Dynamic duo, “The Jays” meant a lot to fans and this city and now they’re broken up, which he admits is tough.

“To be honest it’s weird. It’s weird. You know, you play on a team with a guy for nine years who I was fortunate enough to go to the finals with twice and win a championship and push each other to be the players that we are today,” said Tatum. “The NBA is an incredible business, an incredible job but there are some downsides to the business we’re in and moments like this, you feel like you’re going to be on a team with somebody because that’s all you know and then it’s just like one day you find out that they’re no longer on your team anymore and we’re all human and we feel those emotions.”

Tatum’s talk with his young fans was through the lens of his favorite role: being Deuce and Dylan’s dad at an event for his new book: “Baby Dunks-A-Lot: The Day the Basketballs Stopped Bouncing.”

The Silver Unicorn Bookstore and Newtonville Books hosted the event Tuesday night at the Newton Community Stage.

Feeling those emotions too, his former partner on the court Jaylen Brown speaking at MIT, as his 7uice Foundation’s Bridge program kicked off.

“I’m still trying to make sense of it, I’m still trying to process it. I’m just grateful to have an opportunity and I’m grateful for the families to allow me to come into their communities and get involved,” said Jaylen Brown.

Brown says regardless of where basketball takes him, his commitment to the community here will stay.

“I want to say, there’s nothing to be sad about there’s a lot of opportunities that I will still be able to fulfill here and I hope they can follow me on my journey,” said Brown.

While the future is uncertain with the duos apart, Tatum assured the youngest fans what matters to him.

“The best part about being on the Celtics? Honestly, I would say you guys,” said Tatum.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By WCCO News Staff, Frankie McLister

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    ST. PETER, Minnesota (WCCO) — New body camera video shows the chaotic moments when police officers came under fire last month in St. Peter, Minnesota. A standoff triggered a shelter-in-place order for a neighborhood in the small college town.

Still images from footage released Tuesday by the St. Peter Police Department shows the 21-year-old suspect aiming a shotgun down a staircase at officers inside a residence of someone he knew on the city’s north side on June 18. Minutes before, the suspect had fled Mankato police in a vehicle.

St. Peter officer Austin Buss was hit in the arm and ballistic vest from the barrage of bullets. He’s now recovering at home.

The suspect was later found dead inside the residence. Police helped a woman and a girl get out of the home safely before gunfire broke out.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is still investigating.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Sergio Candido

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A Floria man has been arrested after authorities say he left a severely malnourished puppy locked inside a garage without food, water or light, leading to the animal’s death days later.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that deputies responded July 1 to an apartment in Palm Coast, a city located just south of St. Augustine, after residents discovered a severely malnourished dog inside a locked garage. Animal Control then removed the 10-week-old puppy for emergency treatment.

According to the sheriff’s office, a veterinarian determined the Bluetick Coonhound/Australian Shepherd mix had no pre-existing medical condition that would explain her malnourishment. The puppy died on July 4, with the veterinarian attributing the cause of death to organ failure caused by starvation.

Through their investigation, deputies identified the dog’s owner as 18-year-old Chance Jones.

According to the sheriff’s office, Jones told deputies he had taken in the puppy in April but was frequently away from home for extended periods, leaving the dog behind and feeding her only when he returned “every few weeks.”

Investigators said Jones brought the puppy to the apartment on June 30 and hid her inside the detached garage because he did not want anyone to see her condition. He also told deputies he never sought veterinary care for the animal.

“This is one of the most heartless things I’ve seen in my career,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement posted on Facebook. “That puppy couldn’t tell anyone she needed help, and Chance Jones chose to hide her instead of giving her the basic care that would have kept her alive. If you can’t take care of an animal, don’t take one in, because we will be the voice for a helpless animal and hold you accountable when you neglect an animal or even worse, starve an animal to death.”

Jones was arrested on charges of aggravated animal cruelty and unlawful confinement of an animal. He was being held on a $3,000 bond.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.