Foul fumes in South Jersey have been contained and identified, officials say

Foul fumes in South Jersey have been contained and identified, officials say
Foul fumes in South Jersey have been contained and identified, officials say
WPVI

(PAULSBORO, N.J.) — Officials have cracked the code on what was stinking up southern New Jersey this week, after authorities removed a truck that was releasing chemical fumes on Thursday morning.

According to New Jersey officials, the foul smell has been reported across several counties before being identified on Wednesday.

A tanker truck at a truck stop was releasing a chemical that caused the stench around Paulsboro, Gloucester County, officials said.

Gloucester County Emergency Management issued a shelter-in-place around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday for East Greenwich, Paulsboro, Gibbstown and areas across the Delaware River after the fumes worsened. The issue was lifted approximately two hours later.

“It’s doing exactly what it should do. When the temperature rises to a certain level, the vessel itself will actually expel fumes. So it’s built to do that,” East Greenwich Township Police Chief Matthew Brenner said on Wednesday. “There’s no leak per se.”

The smell, which affected the noses of numerous South Jersey residents, led to several 911 calls to emergency crews around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Soon after, authorities tracked down the reeking vehicle at the TA Truck Service Area on the 100 block of Berkley Road in Paulsboro off I-295 where it was releasing fumes from its rear tanker.

According to officials, complaints came from neighboring counties as far as Buena Vista Township, Atlantic County.

However, the truck wasn’t actually removed until Thursday morning.

The East Greenwich Township Police Department said the tanker is expelling fumes from a fuel additive chemical called Lubrizol 1395 (Zinc Alkyldithiophosphate).

The chemical can cause health hazards such as possible skin irritation and eye damage, according to its safety data sheet. However, its data doesn’t say the level of its toxicity if inhaled.

Hazmat crews monitored and tested the air quality around the scene and officials confirmed there is no risk to the public, despite the uncomfortable odor.

To remove the truck, officials evacuated the surrounding area within 200 feet of the tanker, as officials said the chemical is combustible under the right conditions. Officials said that there is little risk to the public, however, especially as the truck is now removed.

No injuries have been reported due to the chemicals released.

A representative from Lubrizol told ABC News Philadelphia station WPVI they are aware of the situation and investigating but have no further comment.

The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management will be opening a call center for residents with questions or concerns. The call center phone number is 856-384-6800. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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One killed, three hurt in shooting outside 24 Hour Fitness: Brentwood police

One killed, three hurt in shooting outside 24 Hour Fitness: Brentwood police
One killed, three hurt in shooting outside 24 Hour Fitness: Brentwood police
Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE

(BRENTWOOD, Calif.) — One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting that stemmed from an altercation at a Northern California gym, police said.

The three people hurt self-transported to hospitals and are expected to survive, Brentwood police told ABC News.

The gunshots rang out just before 2 a.m. outside a 24 Hour Fitness in Brentwood, which is about 55 miles east of San Francisco.

The “altercation” began inside the gym, on or near basketball courts, and carried out into the gym’s front parking lot where it “escalated,” police said.

At least two people pulled out guns and fired multiple shots, police said, citing surveillance video.

One of the four people shot, a man in his 20s, died at the scene, police said.

No motive is known, according to police, who called it an isolated incident.

One suspect has been detained but no arrests have been made, police said.

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Officers of color barred from guarding Derek Chauvin get $1.5 million in settlement

Officers of color barred from guarding Derek Chauvin get .5 million in settlement
Officers of color barred from guarding Derek Chauvin get .5 million in settlement
Minnesota Department of Corrections

(ST. PAUL, Minn.) — Eight corrections officers of color were barred from guarding Derek Chauvin in May 2020 – now, they’re receiving almost $1.5 million as a settlement for racial discrimination.

Chauvin is a former Minneapolis Police officer who has since been convicted in the death of George Floyd. The murder prompted nationwide protests, calling for racial justice and police reform.

According to court documents, Steve Lydon, then-Superintendent of the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center, issued an order on May 29, 2020, that banned corrections officers of color from entering the fifth floor where Chauvin was being held.

The order was rescinded about one hour later.

Several officers filed charges of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights the following month. Those files were later closed, as officers prepared for a separate lawsuit.

In a February 2021 complaint that followed, eight officers alleged multiple violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, including race and color discrimination and a hostile work environment.

Three plaintiffs — Devin Sullivan, Stanley Hafoka and Nathaniel Gomez-Haustein — also asserted claims of retaliation. They alleged emotional distress, as well as loss of income.

According to the Star Tribune, Lydon made the decision “to protect and support” employees of color, hoping to quell any pain that the presence of Chauvin might cause them.

Ramsey County Board Chairwoman Trista MatasCastillo apologized Tuesday to the officers affected.

“The actions taken by Sheriff’s Office leadership that day were more than just wrong — they were racist, heinous, highly disrespectful and completely out of line with Ramsey County’s vision and values,” MatasCastillo said in a statement. “No one ever should have questioned your ability to perform your job based on the color of your skin.”

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Man with rifle and body armor tries to break into FBI office: Police

Man with rifle and body armor tries to break into FBI office: Police
Man with rifle and body armor tries to break into FBI office: Police
Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

(CINCINNATI) — Ohio state troopers and the FBI are pursuing a man who allegedly tried to break into the FBI’s Cincinnati office on Thursday.

Ohio State Highway Patrol followed the suspect, who was driving a white Ford Crown Victoria, to Clinton County, where shots have been fired, according to officials.

The suspect, who officials said is armed with a rifle and wearing body armor, has been contained in a corn field off Interstate 71 near Wilmington, according to Clinton County Emergency Management. The suspect appears to have a gunshot wound to his leg but remains mobile, according to a law enforcement source.

The suspect is allegedly armed with an AR15-style rifle and also brandished a nail gun during the alleged break-in attempt at the FBI field office in Cincinnati, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

There’s a lockdown in effect within a one-mile radius of the standoff scene. People have been instructed to lock doors and stay inside.

The man led police on a chase along Interstate 71 before exiting near Wilmington. Ohio State Highway Patrol said shots were fired from the suspect’s vehicle before it exited and, once it pulled off the interstate, gunshots were exchanged between the suspect and police.

No officers have been injured, police said.

It remains unclear why the man allegedly tried to break into the FBI office but it comes amid a series of threats following the FBI’s court-authorized search of former President Trump’s Florida residence.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Three-month-old boy dies after being left in hot car: Police

Three-month-old boy dies after being left in hot car: Police
Three-month-old boy dies after being left in hot car: Police
Adrian Szeliga / EyeEm/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — A 3-month-old boy has died after being left in a hot car in Washington, D.C., authorities said.

Officers responded to a home shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday and found the baby, Aaron Boyd Jr., unconscious and not breathing, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department said. Aaron was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The heat index — what temperature it feels like — soared to 106 degrees in D.C. on Tuesday.

It was not clear how long Aaron had been left in the black Honda Accord, police said.

The investigation is ongoing, police said Thursday. An autopsy will determine Aaron’s cause and manner of death.

Aaron is the 15th child to die from a hot car in the U.S. so far this year, according to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org.

Click here for tips to keep your kids safe in hot cars.

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Three dead after home explodes in Indiana, officials say; cause under investigation

Three dead after home explodes in Indiana, officials say; cause under investigation
Three dead after home explodes in Indiana, officials say; cause under investigation
Tanner Edwards

(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) — Three people are dead after a house exploded Wednesday in southern Indiana, officials said.

Dozens of firefighters responded to the scene in Evansville, after the blast occurred Wednesday afternoon on the 1000 block of North Weinbach Avenue, officials said.

So far three deaths have been reported to the Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office as a result of the explosion, chief deputy coroner David Anson said in a statement. The victims’ names will be released pending family notification, he said.

The home where the explosion occurred was destroyed and 39 other structures were “damaged severely or suffered minor damage,” Evansville Fire Chief Mike Connelly told reporters Wednesday evening. The Knight Township Trustee’s Office was among the buildings damaged and will be closed for the foreseeable future, officials said.

According to Evansville’s building department, 11 of the 39 homes damaged in the explosion are uninhabitable, Connelly said.

Some 60 firefighters were on the scene assisting, Connelly said.

A 100-foot radius around the blast is not searchable and some buildings are not safe to enter, Connelly said, noting that there could be other victims.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

CenterPoint Energy arrived following the blast and “made the scene safe,” Connelly said. “There was no detection of gas and they’re restoring service now.”

Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke was on-site surveilling the damage.

“There’s a big investigation and cleanup effort underway,” Winnecke told ABC Evansville affiliate WEHT.

An off-duty Evansville police officer reported the explosion, the mayor said.

The block where the incident occurred “will be shut down for the foreseeable future,” the Evansville Police Department said.

“As more information becomes available, the respective agencies investigating will be able to provide more information,” the department said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.

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Authorities monitoring online threats following FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid

Authorities monitoring online threats following FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid
Authorities monitoring online threats following FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid
Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Law enforcement agencies around the country are actively monitoring online threats and rhetoric that has emerged in the wake of the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate Monday, sources tell ABC News.

Agencies are also preparing for possible acts of violence they fear could occur at or near pro-Trump demonstrations that some supporters are calling for, law enforcement sources said.

Authorities on Monday morning searched Trump’s Florida estate in what sources told ABC News was part of a probe into documents that Trump improperly took to Mar-a-Lago when he departed the White House, some of which the National Archives has said were marked classified.

“Over the last several months, law enforcement officials across the nation have become increasingly concerned about calls for violence against law enforcement and other government officials by violent extremists,” said John Cohen, a former Department of Homeland Security official who is now an ABC News contributor. “The search warrant at Mar-a-Lago has only served to increase those calls, adding to law enforcement concerns.”

In the aftermath of the raid, Trump supporters called for protests at FBI offices in Riverside, California, and Washington, D.C., according to online messages collected by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a think tank that monitors extremism and hate speech.

The ISD reported that one Trump supporter was “calling on fellow veterans and Americans of all walks to join him” in Washington “to protest the out-of-control FBI and its actions against President Trump,” while a post by another supporter implored followers to “Protest FBI tyranny.”

Cohen says authorities have grown even more concerned as public figures have echoed those kind of remarks.

“We now face a situation where public officials and members of the media are mimicking the language used by violent extremists, and this has served to add more volatility to the situation,” he said.

Evan worse, said Cohen, “there’s been talk about a range of conspiracy theories regarding what the FBI was doing at Mar-a-Lago. And when public figures — especially those who have previously served in law enforcement — spread wild conspiracy theories that they know are false, it’s not only irresponsible but dangerous.”

On the other hand, Cohen said, authorities have become better at monitoring threats and acting on them.

“Following the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, law enforcement has improved its ability to analyze online activities by violent extremists, taking threats made online more seriously and incorporating that understanding into their security planning,” he said.

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Nebraska mother, daughter charged for illegal abortion after police obtain Facebook messages

Nebraska mother, daughter charged for illegal abortion after police obtain Facebook messages
Nebraska mother, daughter charged for illegal abortion after police obtain Facebook messages
stockcam/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A Nebraska mother and teenage daughter are facing criminal charges after the teen allegedly got an illegal abortion and police say the two buried the fetus.

While the abortion allegedly occurred before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to abortion, a state law on the books since 2010 bans abortions in Nebraska at 20 weeks.

Norfolk police opened an investigation into then 17-year-old Celeste Burgess on April 26, investigating concerns she had given birth prematurely to a stillborn child, according to an affidavit submitted by the Norfolk Police Investigations Unit that was obtained by ABC News.

According to police, Celeste Burgess received help from her mother Jessica Burgess, 41, in taking abortion pills to end the pregnancy and the two allegedly buried and reburied the fetus together three times at different locations.

Celeste Burgess, now 18 and who is being tried as an adult, is facing three charges of felony burying and reburying the fetus unlawfully, and misdemeanor concealing the death of another person and lying to police, according to court records. She pleaded not guilty to the charges, court records show.

Jessica Burgess is facing five charges of felony burying and reburying the fetus unlawfully, inducing an abortion and performing an abortion without being a licensed physician and misdemeanor concealing the death of another person and lying to police, court records show. She pleaded not guilty to the charges, court records show.

Attorneys listed for both defendants did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.

Two of the felony charges against the mother were brought after investigators were able to obtain records of messages between the mother and daughter on Facebook, according to court records.

Medical records obtained by police showed that Celeste Burgess was estimated to be 23 weeks and 2 days at the time of the alleged abortion. Her due date was July 3, according to the affidavit.

In an interview with police, the mother and daughter allegedly said that Celeste Burgess unexpectedly gave birth at home in a bathtub/shower, and said the fetus was stillborn, according to the affidavit.

Celeste Burgess then placed the body of the fetus into a bag, and then placed the bag into a box in the back of a cargo van on their property. The two then took the body of the fetus and transported it to a property north of Norfolk where they buried it, according to the affidavit.

The two voluntarily took police to the scene on April 29 and showed McBride where the body was buried. According to Tanner Barnhill, who helped the two bury the body, the mother and daughter attempted to burn the body of the fetus before it was buried, the affidavit said.

Barnhill, 22, has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor in connection with the case and will be sentenced later this month, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

During her interview with police, Celeste Burgess showed police a Facebook message that indicated the birth occurred on April 22, which investigators used in part to get a search warrant ordering Facebook’s parent company Meta to turn over messages between the mother and daughter.

According to court filings which show messages between the two on April 20, they discuss “starting it today.” In one message, Jessica Burgess tells Celeste Burgess that one pill stops the hormones then you have to wait 24 hours to take the other. Celeste Burgess said, “Remember we burn the evidence,” in a subsequent message.

A friend of Celeste Burgess also notified police on June 14 that she was with her when she took the first of the two abortion pills meant to cause a miscarriage.

According to court records, an autopsy was conducted of the fetus and an exact cause of death was not determined, but the lungs did not indicate they had ever contained air. Court records also show the fetus had “thermal wounds.”

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, said in a statement Tuesday the company was unaware that the search warrant was for a case involving abortion.

“Court documents indicate that police were at that time investigating the alleged illegal burning and burial of a stillborn infant,” the company said. “The warrants were accompanied by non-disclosure orders, which prevented us from sharing information about them.”

In a letter to the governor, 30 Nebraska state senators are proposing a special session to pass an abortion ban at 12 weeks, but they do not have the support from 33 state legislators needed to do so, according to the governor.

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Uvalde paper spotlights ABC News’ continuing coverage of local community in wake of massacre

Uvalde paper spotlights ABC News’ continuing coverage of local community in wake of massacre
Uvalde paper spotlights ABC News’ continuing coverage of local community in wake of massacre
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

(UVALDE, Texas) — In the wake of a mass shooting that killed 21 in its hometown of Uvalde, Texas, a prominent local paper announced it would be happy for the day when the nation’s media spotlight would shine anywhere else.

But this week, the Uvalde Leader-News highlighted the “different concept” underway by ABC News in the aftermath of the May 24 massacre that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. It is an initiative called “Uvalde:365” and is being led by the ABC News Investigative Unit.

“The usual trajectory for mass shooting coverage involved an invasion by the national media, followed by a hasty retreat,” the newspaper reported. “ABC News has a different concept for Uvalde.”

As part of the ABC News commitment, the network will feature Uvalde coverage on all programs and platforms, including Good Morning America and World News Tonight, as well as Nightline, 20/20, “ABC News Live,” ABC Audio, and ABCNews.go.com.

Reports will feature John Quiñones, Mireya Villarreal and María Elena Salinas, among others, who have already spent considerable time on the ground in Uvalde. As part of the initiative, ABC has also opened a satellite news bureau that will host a rotating crew of correspondents, producers, writers and technical staff.

“By becoming a permanent presence, instead of moving on after a few days or weeks, ABC News journalists will learn who we are, our concerns and joys, why we chose this community to raise our families and how we learn to trust it again,” said Craig Garnett, owner and publisher of the Uvalde Leader-News since 1989.

“And if they listen closely, families of the 21 victims will share their grief and their halting progress in learning to cope — and perhaps one day laugh again,” Garnett added.

Locally owned and independent, the Uvalde Leader-News has operated under various names since 1879. The paper’s headquarters in the center of Uvalde features a Texas historical marker, recognizing its anchoring presence in the community.

Following the Robb Elementary shooting, the paper’s front page was printed all black and absent of text except for “May 24, 2022” in large white letters. It has spent the last two-and-a-half months reporting on the aftermath of the massacre: the funerals, the burials, the shattered dreams and the anger that has erupted as details of the bungled police response became clear.

ABC reporters and producers on the ground plan to document the lives of victims’ families; cover local community events; follow city council, school board and Texas Legislature meetings; and attend congressional hearings in Washington, D.C., where victims’ families have been advocating for gun reform.

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Emmett Till’s cousin calls grand jury decision not to indict accuser ‘unfortunate, but predictable’

Emmett Till’s cousin calls grand jury decision not to indict accuser ‘unfortunate, but predictable’
Emmett Till’s cousin calls grand jury decision not to indict accuser ‘unfortunate, but predictable’
Mint Images/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Emmett Till’s cousin and advocates for justice in the decades-old case expressed disappointment in a grand jury’s decision not to indict the woman who accused Till of making advances at her before the 14-year-old was kidnapped and murdered.

A grand jury in Leflore County, Mississippi, determined there was insufficient evidence to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham, 88, on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter, Dewayne Richardson, the country’s district attorney, said.

Bryant Donham’s statement allegedly led to Till’s kidnapping and murder in August 1955 at the hands of her husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam. The two men were acquitted of murder charges by an all-white jury weeks after Till’s mutilated body was found in the Tallahatchie River. Bryant Donham was never arrested.

For Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Till’s cousin and the last living witness to his abduction, the decision marks a difficult, though anticipated outcome to Mississippi officials’ promise to “leave no stone unturned” in the 67-year fight for justice for his best friend, he said in a statement.

“This outcome is unfortunate, but predictable, news,” Parker said. “The prosecutor tried his best, and we appreciate his efforts, but he alone cannot undo hundreds of years of anti-Black systems that guaranteed those who killed Emmett Till would go unpunished, to this day.”

Keith Beauchamp, the director of the documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till and writer of upcoming film Till, told ABC News on Wednesday the grand jury decision is “a huge blow” for racial reconciliation in the United States.

“I respect, of course, the grand jury’s decision, but it does not mean that I have to agree with it. When I think of what has just happened as a Black person, as Black people who are constant victims of the judicial system of America, it’s a huge blow. I feel that it’s a huge blow to our humanity,” he said.

Beauchamp had expressed hope for a different outcome after an original warrant for Bryant Donham’s arrest was found in a Leflore County courthouse in June.

“Although we have not received what many, I believe, would want…I have some solace knowing that Carolyn Bryant won’t be riding away in the sunset without looking over her shoulder,” he said. “It is important that we hold people accountable for their actions if we truly want to see change in this country when it comes to civil and human rights.”

The U.S. Justice Department reopened an investigation into Till’s murder in 2018 but was unable to uncover sufficient evidence for a federal prosecution of Bryant Donham.

While the decision resurrects the question of whether Bryant Donham will ever face charges for the kidnapping and killing of Till, Beauchamp says he will continue to search for new evidence to see the case brought to court again.

“Cold cases always heat up,” he said, adding that he hopes raising awareness will bring new information and closure to Till’s family.

“No family should ever have to endure this pain for this long,” Parker said. “Going forward, we must keep the details, and memory, of the brutal murder of Emmett Till, and the courage of Mamie Mobley, alive, so that we can reduce racial violence, improve our system of justice, and treat each other with the dignity and respect with which Mrs. Mobley graced us all.”

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