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Saturday, March 18, 2017

Raleigh Fire Sparks More Urgency to Hire Firefighters in Winston-Salem

Crane collapse in Raleigh, NC during massive fire

Winston Salem Hiring At Least 20 Firefighters

Benjamin Powell, WFMY 7:47 PM. EDT March 17, 2017

The Winston-Salem FireDepartment wants to hire at least 20 more firefighters in the next month. (Photo: WFMY, WFMY)

WINSTON-SALEM, NC The Winston-Salem Fire Department is urgently looking to hire more firefighters.

Battalion Chief Darryl Sawyer says they want to make sure theyre prepared in case they face a situation like the Raleigh Fire Department faced on Thursday night when an apartment building still under construction caught fire.

It was the largest fire the city"s seen in 100 years.

RFD says the five-alarm fire damaged 10 buildings.

Sawyer says each fire department has its own guidelines for classifying fires.

in winston-salem, any time there is a a residential fire -- 28 personnel arrive on scene along with five engine companies, two truck companies, two battalion chiefs, a rescue unit, a safety officer, and EMS.

For a second alarm fire, two more engines are called in which gives them eight additional people.

But Sawyer says a five-alarm fire usually means one thing for all departments.

The five alarm fire pretty much means all hands on deck, as many people as we can get to rectify the situation, said Sawyer. That"s a pretty big fire.

It took more than 130 Raleigh firefighters to put the fire out on Thursday night.

To put that into perspective, at any given time, Greensboro has 151 firefighters on the clock.

Winston-Salem has 88 but now the city wants to hire more.

"We want to always make sure that we hire according to the population and the needs for our city, said Sabrina Stowe with the Winston-Salem Fire Department. We want to have them on staff and ready to go before anything happens."

The Winston-Salem Fire Department says the shortage is due to a lot of firefighters retiring or being promoted recently.

As a result, the department wants to hire at least 20 more firefighters in the next month!

But first, new employees have to undergo at least 6 months of training before they can officially suit up.

So if we face a situation like what happened in Raleigh -- fire officials say they"ll have to rely on our neighbors for help.

"In the event that we had a multiple alarm fire, we have mutual aid agreements with surrounding departments in the county, said Sawyer. They would backfill stations to respond to other calls while our units are on the scene extinguishing the fire."

175 people have already applied for those open positions.

If you are interested in being firefighter in Winston-Salem, you have until April 9th to apply.

To fill out an application, click here.

2017 WFMY-TV

Source: http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/local/raleigh-fire-sparks-more-urgency-to-hire-firefighters-in-winston-salem/423441752

How did the Raleigh fire spread so quickly?

3/16/2017 Downtown Raleigh, NC Skyscraper engulfed in flames

Raleigh, N.C. Raleigh Fire Battalion Chief Kevin Coppage said all fires present a unique set of dangers. The main danger Thursday night during the historic fire in downtown Raleigh was how quickly it spread and progressed to a five-alarm.

The structure wasn"t complete, and the construction material appeared to be mostly wood. Coppage said that can be especially dangerous.

"It creates a challenge for us as firefighters," Coppage said. "It would add to the fire load in many aspects. Depending on if it"s under construction and if it"s covered with a sprinkler system. There"s a lot of different elements that contribute to how intense the flame would be."

Raleigh Fire Chief John McGrath said while the use of wood to build facilities has become a controversial topic, the structure was being built to code.

"That building itself, while it was under construction, had been inspected 50 times. They met all code, safety and building code requirements," he said.

when firefighters run into a burning structure, the unknown can be unnerving.

"A lot of time with buildings under construction, you don"t know what phase they are in," Coppage said. "A lot of it is unknown for us."

While McGrath said the building was to code, the fact that the building was wood made a significant difference in how fast the fire spread. Because sprinklers were not installed, it added a challenging element to the situation.

Source: http://www.wral.com/candace/16591027/

"Power Rangers" Star Ricardo Medina Jr. Guilty For Killing ...

Ex-"Power Rangers" Star Cops Plea in Roommate Stabbing Death | TMZ

One of the stars of "Power Rangers" sequel, Ricardo Medina Jr., was charged of murder case recently after he stabbed his roommate which caused his death.(Photo: TMZ/YouTube)

Ricardo Medina Jr., who has been known for his "Power Rangers" TV series, pleaded guilty for stabbing his roommate and which caused his death through a sword. Medina, who is 38 years old, is now facing a murder case.

Medina who lives in Green Valley, California, previously deniedthe murder accusation. According to him, it was a mere self-defense, as stipulated in the official statement from his attorney. However, just this Thursday, he admitted doing the murder case with the use of a sword, said a statement of the Los Angeles County District attorney"s office, entertainment weeklyreported.

medina will be facing his sentence on March 30 as per order of Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef together with the DA"s Major Crimes Division. The star will be convicted for six years in jail. His lawyer didn"t return any messages yet pertaining to Medina"s guilty plea.

As per investigation, it has been known that Medina and Sutter got into an argument on January 31, 2015, and it later turned out that Medina stabbed the 36-year old roommate with a sword. The guy was pronounced dead and it was also Medina who called for the police response teamafter the incident happened.

As per People, the autopsy of Sutter revealed that it suffered 10 wounds but Medina"s attorney claimed that the victim was only stabbed once. The attorney even added that some of those stabs were mistakenly just dog bites.

Thus, this caused Medina to be arrested due to the killing. After that, he was released when the prosecutors didn"t get muchevidenceagainst him. However, the enforcers kept on investigating the case. With just less than a year, the "Power Ranger" star was re-arrested and was charged with murder. Medina appeared in the different franchise of "Power Rangers," however, such case might be an end of his "Power Rangers" journey.

Source: http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/43166/20170318/power-rangers-star-ricardo-medina-jr-guilty-killing-roommate-sword.htm

Marvel"s Iron Fist: cultural appropriation that belongs in the past

Marvel"s Iron Fist | NYCC Teaser Trailer [HD] | Netflix

Marvels Netflix superhero shows have always stood out for their eccentricities. Daredevil lays its chips on a crimefighter who kicks a*s despite being blind. Jessica Jones is a depressed private eye who uses her powers to defend herself against male aggression. And Luke Cage is about a black man whose hard-times heroism embodies the African-American experience, and who still occasionally utters his Blaxploitation-era catchphrase Sweet Christmas!. so you might think iron fist, about a hero who can charge his yellow glowing fist with chi drawn from the molten heart of a dead dragon, would offer up similarly outlandish thrills. Unfortunately, the comic books sense of fun hasnt quite translated to the small screen, while those familiar with Hollywoods history of cultural appropriation might find themselves watching through their fingers.

Iron Fist first appeared in the comics just as David Carradine was fighting his way across the wild west as Kwai Chang Caine in Kung Fu, a role for which Bruce Lee was famously turned down. The origin story for Marvels high-kicking hero, reproduced faithfully here, features all the classic elements of the mighty whitey trope: Danny Rand (Finn Jones) is the blond, blue-eyed fellow who is taught all the mystical intrigues of kung fu and predictably becomes more skilled than any of the locals.

Its the sort of story that Marvel might once have got away with. But Hollywood is under the microscope when it comes to diversity: Tilda Swinton landed herself in a funk after asking comic Margaret Cho why Asian people were upset with her casting as The Ancient One in Marvels recent Doctor Strange movie, while Scarlett Johansson has been forced to fend off suggestions an east Asian actor ought to have been offered her role in the upcoming Hollywood remake of classic anime Ghost in the Shell. Critics including US website The Nerds of Colour believe Marvel should have made the new Danny Rand a man of Chinese or Korean origin.

This blunder is a pity, because Iron Fist has its moments, not least some cracking fight scenes. Opening episodes set our missing-presumed-dead hero on a collision course with the owners of his dead billionaire fathers business; brother-and-sister big-hitters Joy and Ward Meachum (Jessica Stroup and Tom Pelphrey). These two grew up with Danny but are now determined to deny his identity and birthright. Initially, penniless and sleeping in Central Park, Rands status as a virtual hobo makes him an unlikely symbol of the powerlessness of poverty in the face of corporate might.

However, Marvels Netflix entries are beginning to exhibit signs of fatigue as we gear up for The Defenders later this year. Those who dug into Luke Cage will be familiar with the problems surrounding Rosario Dawsons increasingly weary Claire Temple/Night Nurse, who has now inexplicably helped out all four members of the future team. Where Marvels big-screen efforts use spiky smarts to cover up their gaping logic chasms, Iron Fists writers cant quite be bothered. My mother says I cant escape meeting people like you its my destiny, says Temple at one point, to nobodys great interest. Marvels TV shows may not have the huge budgets of their big-screen cousins, but there really is no excuse for such cut-price screenwriting.

Iron Fist is streaming in full now on Netflix

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGwStPlXKyWqmztXU_B0cISPgvaEw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779426572468&ei=B1vNWMDwGdjvqAKM75ygCQ&url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/18/marvel-iron-fist-defenders-netflix

Glenwood South open, but some restaurants forced to close in aftermath of Raleigh fire

Large fire damages buildings in Downtown Raleigh

Friday was St. Patricks Day and the second day of the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. UNC played its opening game at 4 p.m.

For many Triangle bars and restaurants, it was a high point of the year for business.

Glenwood South was expected to be booming as usual. But around the corner on Jones Street, just a block from the fire that forced restaurants to evacuate Thursday night, owners and managers struggled Friday with the decision of whether they could open.

Jones and West streets, which give drivers access to the restaurants, were closed most of Friday. And while pedestrians could park and walk around the yellow tape and barricades, owners and managers knew it might keep customers away. Plus, when a crane fell in the midst of the fire, it landed on phone and cable lines that left some places without a working phone.

People dont know were open, Brian Amra, one of the owners of Tobacco Road Sports Cafe at the corner of Jones and West street, said Friday afternoon. They cant call to see if were open. Theyre calling our other locations, thank G*d.

Thursday night, the restaurant evacuated about 200 people, closing abruptly. It opened an hour later than normal Friday to clean up from the night before.

Amra said that the bar area was beginning to fill up Friday afternoon but that it wasnt as packed as it normally would be.

Normally by 2:30, we stop seating, were packed, he said, referring to NCAA tournament time.

Across the street, the management team at 42nd Street Oyster Bar decided midday that it would open Friday night.

Today, weve been going back and forth, said Ryan Tyson, a manager at the restaurant. Can we open? Can people come and get to us? Parking is going to be a challenge.

There is parking in front of the restaurant, but another lot across the street is being used by police and firefighters.

Clouds Brewing, whose Jones Street building was the closest to the flames, was closed for lunch and hoped to open late afternoon.

If they open it up, well try to give it a run and see what happens, said general manager Andy Tetterton.

By 4:30 p.m., the restaurants Facebook page reported that it was open for business.

Tetterton described Thursday night as intense. He said he walked outside, saw the early stages of the fire, which he called an inferno, turned around and told customers and employees to go home.

All it took was one shift of wind, and we would have been right in the mess, he said.

More, a restaurant across the parking lot, joined with Clouds to feed first-responders but decided to close Friday night and expected to be closed Saturday.

Scott Phillips, executive chef for JMR Kitchens, which owns More, said he was going to shut down the kitchen for the weekend to be on the safe side. The restaurant is closed Sundays anyway.

If were closed for two days, its a weekend, he said. Everyone relies on Friday and Saturday to pay for the week.

But like others, Phillips and Tetterton said it was fortunate that no one was hurt and that their buildings were secure.

In the grand scheme of things, nobody got hurt. Everybody got out of here safe, Tetterton said. Thats more important than a few dollars. I think we got really lucky.

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article139246788.html

This Champions League Quarterfinal Draw Is So Good

El sorteo de la UEFA Champions League se adelantó en Locura Deportiva
Photo credit: Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty

There are only eight teams left standing in the Champions League. This is the stage of the tournament where Europes biggest and best clubs (and Leicester City) will battle for ultimate supremacy. And quite the fascinating battle it will be, because the draw is fantastic:

Every matchup here is great. Atltico Madrid vs. Atltico Madrid Jr.! Obi Wan Celotti vs. Darth Zidane! A rematch of the 2014-15 UCL final!

This draw is maybe a little unfortunate for Leicester, though. Their success in Europe this season closely mirrors their success in England last season, where most teams see that theyre playing Leicester and figure Oh, these guys are jokes, this wont be hard at all, and proceed to play a wide-open game that plays directly to the Foxes strengths.

Atltico will not do this. I called Leicester Atltico Jr. above because the two teams have a very similar playing style, only Atleti do everything better than Leicester and with way better players. Atltico arent great at breaking down deep defenses, though, so maybe Leicester will stymie Atletis attack long enough to keep things close. Either way, it will be fun to see these two purveyors of the much-maligned 4-4-2 slug it out for a semifinal spot.

The Borussia Dortmund-Monaco tie is great as well, in no small part because it ensures someone outside the Bara-Real-Bayern-Juve hegemony makes the semifinals. These are two fun and young and attack-minded squads, though Monacos physical dominance is exactly the kind of thing Dortmund struggle against. However, BVB have Christian Pulisic. Dont count out the wonderteen deciding the tie all by himself with a couple hat tricks in each leg.

The next two matchups are UCL final-worthy heavyweight bouts and are absolutely tantalizing. They are also rematches of big Champions League matches weve seen recently. Its hard to pick a favorite for either tie, and the two clubs that do make it through this round will be the big favorites to go on and win the whole thing. This tournament is awesome.

Lest we forget that the Europa League also matters now that theres a Champions League berth available for the winner of that competition, heres that quarterfinal draw:

Manchester Uniteds best hopes for champions league play next season probably lie here in the Europa League, and it shouldnt be too hard for them to get past Anderlecht and carry on to the semis.

Source: http://deadspin.com/this-champions-league-quarterfinal-draw-is-so-good-1793367737

The Tossers Release "Erin Go Bragh" Lyric Video

Erin Go Bragh - Dick Gaughan

Share The Video And Win A $250 Shopping Spree At Amazon

With their new album, Smash The Windows, in-stores now, THE TOSSERS have released a lyric video for the politically charged anthem Erin Go Bragh. Our voices resound through the halls of the town, all the way to the Presidents door, lashes vocalist Tony Duggins on the current policies of American immigration. For me personally and others in the band, we have grandparents from Ireland. We grew up in Chicago, which has attracted a lot of workers from all over the world, not just the Irish, but Italian, Polish, Mexican immigrants and more. Its always been a part of our lives. The footage in the video is important because it has a lot to do with the song - it reflects what is going on in this country.

Watch The Erin Go Bragh Lyric Video Now.

People always say that America is a country of immigrants, which it is, adds guitarist Mike Pawula. But at the core of that idea is the sense that every culture that comes to this country will adjust to a new life while trying to preserve some of its heritage and history. And some people have been fortunate to do so and can still celebrate the traditions their families once did.

If you missed your chance to win THE TOSSERS exclusive merch package at Paste Magazine this week, THE TOSSERS and Victory Records are giving you a chance to win a $250 gift card to Amazon.com.All you have to do is share the erin go bragh lyric video on the Victory Records Facebook page and youll automatically be in the running!

Debuting at #23 on Billboards Heatseekers Chart, Smash The Windows is an anthemic and sometimes rollicking, rowdy journey through Irish American culture coupled with melancholy overtures inspired by devotion and pride. It is truly an album and piece of work that fits Americas current socio-economic state of affairs and will strike a chord with many lovers of genres ranging from country, punk, rock and traditional Irish folk.

Tonight, THE TOSSERS wrap-up the first leg of their tour behind Smash The Windows with their annual holiday show at Chicagos Metro. Stay tuned for more tour dates to be announced soon.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGW2sxGmuhA3E_x9E8_3sPEIgvhtw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779425628092&ei=gv3MWJjQNs23qgKo1J2QBw&url=https://irishamericannews.com/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D6789:the-tossers-release-erin-go-bragh-lyric-video%26catid%3D73:music%26Itemid%3D379