2 California hikers rescued after being stranded on snowy mountain for 3 days
River County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit
(IDYLLWILD, Calif.) — Two hikers who were stranded for three days after falling down a snowy cliff were rescued on Monday near Idyllwild, California, the Riverside Sheriff Aviation Unit said in a statement Tuesday.
The climbers — one man and one woman — were traveling along the Tahquitz Mountain trail on March 1 when they suddenly plummeted approximately 800 feet down a snowy cliff, located about 8,900 feet above Idyllwild, California, according to officials.
The hikers called 911, stating they were “injured badly and needed help,” officials said. A helicopter was sent to rescue the two individuals, but due to 45 mph winds, rescuers failed in their attempt.
Helicopters from Cal Fire and the Orange County Fire Authority also attempted to hoist the victims out, but “all were unsuccessful due to low clouds and high winds.”
Authorities said volunteers from Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit were able to locate the male and female hikers on the ground that first night.
Then, on the second day, “several attempts” were again made, but helicopters were “unsuccessful due to mountain obscuration and high turbulence surface winds.” The hikers had to endure temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit that night, accompanied by persistent snow, officials said.
Finally, on the third day, the “weather and wind calmed just enough” and the hikers were successfully hoisted out via helicopter, officials said. The man, “who was the most severely injured,” was rescued first and flown to Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment, followed by the woman, officials said.
Body camera video capturing the rescue shows the snowy conditions officials had to deal with while saving the two stranded individuals.
“Many thanks to all those ground crews that were involved as well as all the helicopter crews who were involved in the rescue,” the aviation unit said in a statement.
Along with the helicopters, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said on social media that over 20 mountain team rescuers hiked to save these injured victims, who “most definitely would have died from exposure to the elements.”
“This was a very long and coordinated effort with amazing partners and volunteers. Outstanding job by all,” Bianco said on social media.
(LOS ANGELES) — At least 25 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across the Los Angeles area.
Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. About 82,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 90,000 are under evacuation warnings.
Tune into “Good Morning America” on Friday, Jan. 17, as ABC News and ABC owned stations kick off “SoCal Strong” (#SoCalStrong) coverage in support of Los Angeles-area communities amid the devastating wildfires. Coverage continues across ABC News programs and platforms.
Status of Palisades, Eaton fires
The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed about 5,000 structures. It’s covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 22% containment.
The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged around 7,000 structures. It’s burned over 14,000 acres and is at 55% containment.
Eaton Fire containment jumps to 55%
The Eaton Fire, which destroyed blocks of homes in Altadena, is now 55% contained.
The Eaton Fire has damaged or destroyed 7,000 structures, making it the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history and second-most destructive in state history.
Palisades Fire investigators have more than 150 leads
Officials giving an update on the Palisades Fire on Wednesday said they have generated more than 150 leads as they probe the cause and progress of the blaze.
Jose Medina, acting special agent in charge of the ATF Los Angeles Field Division, said investigators are scouring video from state owned cameras that were in place in the area, from residents in the area and from social media posts.
Investigators have conducted interviews with individuals that initiated the 911 calls and the first responders to the Jan. 7 blaze, as well as the fire that was started in the area and put out on Jan. 1, he said.
Medina appealed to any hikers who were on nearby trails around Skull Rock on the morning of Jan. 7 to contact investigators. “We are talking to individuals about not just what they saw, but what they smelled and they heard,” he said.
“Even if you were in the area and saw or smelled nothing that too could be valuable information,” Medina said.
Asked if rekindling of the Jan. 1 fire appeared the most likely cause, Medina said investigators “are not leading towards anything right now. We’re taking everything in evaluating all the evidence we received, but it’s too early on in the investigation to make any determination.”
-ABC News’ Lissette Rodriguez
Red flag warnings in effect, conditions will improve
Red flag warnings remain in effect as high winds and low humidity, which could fuel wildfires, threaten the Los Angeles area.
Winds are forecast to peak at 40 to 55 mph in the mountains with isolated gusts up to 70 mph. The coast and valleys will see 35 to 50 mph gusts.
These winds will wind down by Wednesday evening. The winds will be much calmer Thursday and Friday.
Crews search for human remains
Urban search and rescue workers are using rakes to move debris as they search for human remains along the Pacific Coast Highway where homes were destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
-ABC News’ Alex Stone
LA County under air quality alert
A new air quality alert has been issued for Los Angeles County until 7 p.m. local time “due to harmful particle pollution levels from windblown dust and ash.”
This pollution can embed deep into the lungs and cause health problems including heart disease symptoms, asthma attacks and an increased risk for respiratory infections.
Health experts and public officials have urged those impacted by the fires to protect themselves from air pollution carried by these winds by staying indoors, wearing protective equipment when needed and taking steps to purify air in the home.
Two people were arrested for arson in separate incidents just outside the fire zone on Wednesday, according to the LAPD.
In one incident, a citizen extinguished a fire in a tree and detained an arson suspect, police said. That suspect admitted to starting the fire because he “liked the smell of burning leaves,” police said.
Later Tuesday night, crews responded to reports of a suspect setting trash on fire, police said. The fire was extinguished. That suspect said she set fires because she enjoyed causing “chaos and destruction,” police said.
Critical fire weather conditions continuing through Wednesday evening
There’s been little to no fire growth at both the Eaton and Palisades fires over the last 24 hours, Cal Fire Incident Commander Gerry Magaña said.
But critical fire weather conditions will continue through Wednesday evening, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone warned.
Winds reached 30 to 40 mph overnight, LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said. Powerful 70 mph winds haven’t happened yet but are possible, Marrone said.
Eaton Fire containment jumps to 45%
The Eaton Fire, which decimated home after home in Altadena, is 45% contained Wednesday morning.
With 7,000 structures damaged or destroyed, the Eaton Fire is the second-most destructive fire ever in California and the most destructive ever in Los Angeles.
At least 16 people have died from the Eaton Fire, making it the fifth deadliest in the state’s history.
Newsom executive order targets ‘greedy speculators’
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Tuesday intended “to protect firestorm victims in the Los Angeles area from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property,” his office said in a statement.
“Taking advantage of the disaster and associated trauma, these predatory and exploitative practices endanger the financial well-being and security of vulnerable victims,” the governor’s office said, vowing “stronger enforcement and prosecution” of those engaging in such activity.
“As families mourn, the last thing they need is greedy speculators taking advantage of their pain,” Newsom said in a statement.
“I have heard first-hand from community members and victims who have received unsolicited and predatory offers from speculators offering cash far below market value — some while their homes were burning,” Newsom added.
“We will not allow greedy developers to rip off these working-class communities at a time when they need more support than ever before.”
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
Pacific Palisades residents sue Los Angeles
A group of Pacific Palisades residents and businesses impacted by the Palisades Fire has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against the city’s Department of Water and Power, alleging that the city and its agency were unprepared for the Palisades Fire.
“Plaintiffs are informed and believe that the water supply system servicing areas in and around Pacific Palisades on the date of the Palisades Fire failed, and that this failure was a substantial factor in causing plaintiffs to suffer the losses alleged,” the lawsuit said.
“Further, despite dire warnings by the National Weather Service of a ‘Particularly Dangerous Condition — Red Flag Warning’ of ‘critical fire weather’ which had the potential for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, the LADWP was unprepared for the Palisades Fire,” the suit added.
The suit was filed in the California Superior Court on Monday and seeks damages for the costs, repair and replacement of damaged or destroyed property; cost for alternative living expenses; loss of wages, earning capacity or profits and any other relief a court deems appropriate.
-ABC News’ James Hill
LA medical examiner issues correction after reporting 25th fire victim
At least 25 people have died in the Los Angeles fires, the LA County Medical Examiner clarified Tuesday night.
The medical examiner issued a correction just hours after it had announced a 25th victim. In its update, the office explained that what it had counted as an additional death from the Eaton Fire was determined to be non-human remains.
Shortly after, the medical examiner reported an additional death from the Palisades Fire, bringing the total back to 25.
There have been at least 16 victims from the Eaton Fire and nine victims from the Palisades Fire.
Palisades Fire now 18% contained
The Palisades Fire, which has spread 23,713 acres, is 18% contained as of Tuesday evening, according to Cal Fire.
Death toll from Los Angeles fires rises to 25 The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office said the suspected death toll from the Los Angeles fires now stands at 25.
Of the deaths, 17 are linked to the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area and eight are linked to the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, the medical examiner’s office said in an update Tuesday.
Red flag warnings in place through Wednesday evening
The “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warnings are in effect through noon on Wednesday as the high winds, low humidity and dry fuel cause a major risk for fires. The regular red flag warnings last until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The dangerous, gusty winds will die down slightly Tuesday evening before picking up again overnight and Wednesday morning.
Gusts may climb to 45 to 70 mph, which could spark new fires, spread existing fires and topple trees and power lines.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Air quality alerts remain in effect
Air quality alerts remain in effect in Southern California as the wind-blown dust and ash from the Palisades and Eaton fires cause harmful pollution levels from Santa Monica and LA south to Newport Beach and inland to San Bernardino.
The poor air quality is expected to continue through at least Wednesday night.
Status of Palisades, Eaton fires
The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed about 5,000 structures. It’s covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 17% containment.
The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged around 7,000 structures. It’s burned over 14,000 acres and is at 35% containment.
Super scooper damaged by drone ready to be back in the air
The super scooper firefighting plane that was damaged by a drone last week has been repaired and will be available to respond to fires as of 11 a.m. local time Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Firefighters had ‘never seen destruction like this’
LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said she and LA Mayor Karen Bass went on an aerial survey of the devastated areas to see the size, scope and complexity of the fires.
The “massive, massive destruction is unimaginable until you actually see it,” Bass said. “I think of the families … we are going to continue to stand with you.”
Bass said after the aerial tour she spoke to firefighters who’ve been on the job for decades. She said the firefighters told her they’d “never seen destruction like this” or winds this fierce.
As the fire danger continues, the mayor said residents looking to help first responders can do so by being prepared.
Bass said residents under evacuation warnings, not evacuation orders, should consider leaving their homes when the warning is issued to avoid the traffic jams so many experienced last week.
Next 24 hours will be very dangerous, sheriff warns
The next 24 hours will be very dangerous as high winds blow through the Los Angeles area, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna warned.
He urged residents to follow evacuation orders, noting that many people who waited until the last minute to evacuate last week suffered significant burns.
“We don’t want you to impact your own life or the life or your loved ones,” Luna said.
The sheriff’s department is following 24 missing persons cases, all adults, Luna said. The LAPD said it has 13 active missing persons cases, two of whom are believed to be dead.
No more remains were found when crews searched the hard-hit Altadena area on Monday, the sheriff said.
Wind gusts reach 72 mph overnight
Dangerously high winds that could fuel wildfires are impacting the Los Angeles area Tuesday and Wednesday.
The highest wind gust recorded so far was 72 mph in the western San Gabriel Mountains, which is in northern LA County.
A 50 mph wind gust was recorded in Malibu Hills.
The gusty winds will spread from the mountains into the valleys and the canyons by Tuesday afternoon.
A slight break in the wind is expected Tuesday evening before the rough winds pick back up Wednesday morning.
The winds will stay strong into Wednesday afternoon and then finally begin to relax Wednesday night into Thursday.
‘Dangerous’ winds to pick up across Los Angeles, Ventura counties
A “particularly dangerous situation” with a red flag warning will go into effect in western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County on Tuesday, weather officials said, with winds threatening to further fuel historic Southern California wildfires.
The warning begins at 4 a.m. local time. Winds are forecast to gust between 45 mph to 70 mph, with relative humidity as low as 8%.
Winds overnight and early on Tuesday have been gusting up to 67 mph in the mountains near Los Angeles. The West San Gabriel Mountains have seen gusts up to 67 mph, with the Central Ventura County Valley hit about 66 mph.
The strongest gusts are expected Tuesday morning and early afternoon, which will then be followed by a break in the evening. More gusty winds are expected Wednesday morning.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Firefighters stop forward progress of Auto Fire
Firefighters stopped forward progress of the Auto Fire in Ventura County late Monday night, the Ventura County Fire Department said, with the blaze mapped at 55.7 acres with 0% containment.
Firefighting teams “remain on scene mopping up hotspots and working to increase containment,” the department said. “The fire was confined to the river bottom and no structures were threatened. The cause of the fire Is under investigation.”
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
LA mayor issues executive order to expedite rebuilding
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order late Monday that her office said “will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities” devastated by local wildfires.
“This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion,” Bass said in a statement. “We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home.”
The order was issued as dangerous wind conditions threatened additional homes across the Southern California area.
“This unprecedented natural disaster warrants an unprecedented response,” Bass said.
A mayor’s office press release said the executive order will coordinate debris removal from all impacted areas, expedite all building permit activity and take immediate action to make 1,400 units of housing available.
The order also set a one-week deadline for all city departments to list relief needed from state and federal authorities.
-ABC News’ Tristan Maglunog
More firefighting resources being deployed ahead of extreme fire weather
Additional firefighting resources will be allocated in advance of the extreme fire weather forecast this week in Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Monday.
That includes more than 300 additional firefighting personnel and 135 engines — making for more than 15,000 personnel total and 1,900 fire engines, water tenders, aircraft and bulldozers combined in the ongoing fire response, the office said.
How the Palisades Village managed to survive the firestorm
The Palisades Village is largely unscathed amid the devastating Palisades Fire, even as buildings across the street burned to the ground.
That’s because the owners of the outdoor mall hired private tankers to fend off the flames as the fire encroached, ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman reports.
Tankers could be seen on Monday preparing for the next Santa Ana wind event forecast for this week.
Newsom proposes additional $2.5B in firestorm response
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that the state provide an additional $2.5 billion in funding for its firestorm response and recovery efforts.
Newsom signed a proclamation on Monday that expands the scope of the state legislature’s current special session “to further boost response and initial recovery efforts for Los Angeles,” his office said in a press release.
The governor is requesting $1 billion to go toward the emergency response, cleanup and recovery in the Los Angeles wildfires, as well as $1.5 billion in funding to prepare for the threats of firestorms and other natural disasters, according to the proclamation.
Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas said in a statement that the assembly members “are listening to their residents and will bring feedback to the discussion as we consider the Governor’s proposal.”
9 people charged with looting in Palisades, Eaton fires: DA
Nine people have been charged with looting in connection with the Palisades and Eaton fires, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday.
“There have been certain people that we have given a warning to because we anticipated that this was half was going to happen, and these are the criminals,” Hochman said during a press briefing. “These are the people who are seeking to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit.”
Among those charged are three people accused of stealing more than $200,000 in property in a burglary last week at a house in Mandeville Canyon during an “evacuation situation,” Hochman said.
A man has also been charged with arson in a fire that occurred in the city of Azusa on Friday, Hochman said.
Homeowners, renters sue utility company over Eaton Fire
Four separate lawsuits were filed Monday against Southern California Edison, a utility company in California, by homeowners and renters who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. The lawsuits each allege the company failed to de-energize all of its electrical equipment despite red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
-ABC News’ Laura Romero
Over 80,000 without power as red flag warnings expand
More than 80,000 customers in California are without power as Southern California Edison starts shutting off power in parts of Southern California ahead of the next wind event, which begins Tuesday.
Areas under a high risk for rapid fire growth have expanded.
Biden: ‘Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost’
President Joe Biden said in a new statement, “Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost in the wildfires.”
Biden said he continues to be “frequently briefed” on updates. He said he’s “directed our team to respond promptly to any request for additional federal firefighting assistance,” adding that his team is “laser-focused on helping survivors and we will continue to use every tool available to support the urgent firefight as the winds are projected to increase.”
“To the brave firefighters and first responders working day and night to suppress these fires and save lives: our nation is grateful,” Biden said. “You represent the best of America and we are in your debt.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Areas for worst wind conditions this week
The National Weather Service has highlighted these three areas where officials believe there’s the highest chance for explosive fire growth this week. The Hurst Fire is in the highlighted area and the Palisades Fire is near the highlighted area.
The extreme fire risk will last from 4 a.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday.
Winds could climb as high as 45 to 70 mph and humidity could be as low as 8 to 15%.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Crews finding remains in Altadena: Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he knows displaced residents want to return to their neighborhoods, but he warned, “we are in the third day of grid searching” in Altadena.
“It is a very grim task,” he said, noting that every day crews are finding people’s remains.
Twenty-three people have been reported missing: 17 from the Eaton Fire and six in the Malibu area, the sheriff said.
Severe fire conditions to continue through Wednesday
Severe fire weather conditions — high winds with low humidity — will continue through Wednesday, keeping the fire threat in all of Los Angeles County critical, LA Fire Chief Anthony Marrone warned at a news conference.
Amid the “unprecedented disaster,” Marrone shared positive news that the Eaton Fire in Altadena didn’t grow at all on Sunday.
The Eaton Fire has damaged or destroyed over 7,000 structures, Marrone said. He said damage inspections for dwellings are 26% completed.
The super scooper firefighting plane damaged by a drone last week has been repaired, Marrone said. Crews are waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to give the OK to send the plane back in the air.
Ukraine offers aid
Ukraine may send rescuers to help fight the devastating fires in California, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives,” Zelenskyy tweeted. “This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared.”
Firefighters from Mexico and Canada have also been deployed to California.
Edison International can’t rule out equipment role in wildfires, CEO says
Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison International, told “Good Morning America” on Monday that the company cannot yet rule the possibility that its energy infrastructure played a role in sparking wildfires now raging around Los Angeles.
Fire agencies are investigating whether Southern California Edison — a subsidiary of Edison International — infrastructure sites caused fires in areas devastated by the Eaton and Hurst wildfires.
“You can’t rule out anything ever until you can get your eyes on the equipment,” Pizarro said.
“Typically, when there’s a spark created by equipment, we will see the electrical anomaly — we haven’t seen that,” Pizarro said of a possible incident involving Edison infrastructure and the Hurst Fire burning outside of San Fernando.
“That said, we have not been able to get close to the equipment,” he continued. “As soon as we can get close to it, we’ll inspect and be transparent with the public.”
“We may find something different,” Pizarro added.
Pizarro said Edison also recorded damage to equipment at the site of the Eaton Fire in the mountains north of Pasadena. “We don’t know whether the damage happened before or after the start of the fire,” he said.
Pizarro said that Edison International will be shutting off power to some California residents as a precaution amid red flag warnings.
“We have about 450,000 customers who we’ve warned they may need to have their power shut off,” Pizarro said.
High winds threaten explosive fire growth
Weather officials have issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warning for western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County beginning on Tuesday at 4 a.m. into Wednesday at noon.
Winds are forecast to be strong enough to potentially cause explosive fire growth.
A new Santa Ana wind event is forecast Monday through Wednesday with the strongest winds Tuesday into Wednesday.
On Monday morning and the rest of the day, winds will begin to pick up in the mountains and higher elevations, gusting 20 to 30 mph, locally as high as 50 mph.
By Tuesday morning at 4 a.m., when the “PDS” conditions begin, gusts in the mountains are expected to near 70 mph possibly and humidity could be as low as 8% for some of the area.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
68 arrested, many for burglary, in fire evacuation zones, police say
At least 68 people have been arrested in fire evacuation zones, according to law enforcement officials, as police work to secure devastated parts of Los Angeles and firefighters continue to battle wildfires.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it recorded 29 arrests — 25 in the Eaton Fire area north of Pasadena and four in the Palisades Fire area in western Los Angeles.
The Santa Monica Police Department reported 39 arrests in evacuated areas in its jurisdiction on Saturday night, including 10 for burglary and six for possession of burglary tools. None of those arrested lived in the area, the department said.
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
Forecast calls for ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ for fires, Newsom warns
Gov. Gavin Newsom warned late Sunday that the week was beginning with a forecast for a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” for new wildfires, even as the firefight against the several fires still burning continued.
“Emergency responders are ready tonight. Pre-positioned firefighters and engines are spread around Southern California,” he said on social media. “Stay safe. Be ready to evacuate if you get the order.”
The warning, which comes from the National Weather Service, says that the fire risk is high in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties amid strong winds, a lack of recent rainfall and relatively low humidities. The warning begins Monday night and runs through Wednesday morning, the service said.
It’s is the fourth of its kind in three months, Newsom said. The first came ahead of the Mountain Fire in Ventura, which destroyed 243 structures. The second preceded the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which destroyed 20 structures.
And the third preceded the Palisades and Eaton Fires, which have now destroyed thousands of homes and structures, he said.
Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 24
There have been at least 24 fire-related deaths in the Palisades and Eaton Fires, according to the latest tally from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.
The number of fatalities is expected to rise as officials continue to battle the dual fires.
According to the medical examiner, there have been 16 confirmed deaths linked to the Eaton Fire and eight fatalities due to the Palisades Fire.
Los Angeles Unified School District reopening some schools Monday
Los Angeles Unified School District announced some schools are reopening Monday, depending on the location of the institution and the weather conditions.
LAUSD said school principals will contact communities directly.
ABC News confirmed that some community members received calls on Sunday about schools reopening.
The district has over 1,500 schools serving roughly 600,000 students in grades K–12. Schools across the district have been closed due to fires since Thursday.
(COCOA BEACH, FL) — An elementary school principal has been arrested after allegedly throwing a massive boozy house party for over 100 juveniles, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Jan. 19 when authorities from the Cocoa Beach Police Department responded to a home after reports of a large house party and “observed over 100 juveniles at the residence in matching t-shirts, many of whom were consuming alcohol that was later learned to be available in coolers at the residence,” according to a statement from the Cocoa Beach Police Department.
The homeowner was quickly identified to be Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan, the principal of nearby Roosevelt Elementary School, police said.
“While officers were investigating the party, a juvenile was located on the front lawn experiencing an alcohol related medical event,” authorities said in their statement regarding the party. “The juvenile was so heavily intoxicated that Brevard County Fire Rescue (BCFR) had to respond to treat them.”
“During this time, the homeowner, Hill-Brodigan, was seen by officers in the driveway of her residence turning off the outside lights and entering her residence, causing BCFR to auxiliary lighting on their vehicle to treat the juvenile,” police continued. “Additionally, a traffic stop was conducted near the residence resulting in the arrest of the juvenile driver for DUI.”
Another intoxicated adult female — later identified as Karly Anderson, a teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School — was also identified as being at the party, according to the Cocoa Beach Police Department.
Numerous juveniles and their parents were interviewed by police in the days after the incident and an arrest was obtained for Hill-Brodigan on charges of child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and holding an open house party, police said.
Anderson was also arrested and charged with child neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The school has yet to issue a statement regarding the party and the investigation remains open.
(SPARTA, Ga.) — History tells us that the railroad helped put America on the right track, when trains started moving people and goods across the country in the 1800s. They were yesterday’s highways, making it possible to traverse the nation in four days instead of 30.
This travel revolution is one of the reasons that it made sense to give railroads, which are still privately owned in most cases, some of the same powers to claim someone else’s land as a power company, an airport or a public school system.
It’s also why 72-year-old Blaine Smith, his wife Diane, his brother Mark and his wife Janet (who live next door) are fighting centuries of history and U.S. law that say a privately-owned railroad can knock on their door in Sparta, Georgia, and tell them that they need to sell a three-quarter-mile strip of their land that’s been home to their family since the era of slavery.
Their land wouldn’t be be put into service as a park or train station that they might use as members of the community. Instead, it’s for a business interest that the rail company says will help everyone — a new 4-mile stretch of rail line that would lead to a rock quarry and other businesses on the other side of the Smith family property.
Right now, the quarry uses trucks to move materials. If the rail company gets its way, the new train line could increase profits for the quarry and railroad. The Smiths aren’t happy with the situation.
“I feel that we were targeted, and this particular community was targeted, because it is a Black community,” Janet told ABC News. “We’ve been labeled poor and Black for so long. And how are we going to fight back?”
ABC News asked them if they thought racism played a role.
“It’s racism. We didn’t want to use that word, we didn’t want to say that,” Janet said. “But that’s why we have a quarry right here in this neighborhood.”
The Smith family story is the very definition of Black history in America. One of their great grandmothers was born here a slave in 1861, on what was then the Dixon plantation near Sparta, a few hours south of Atlanta. Her father was the slave master.
She had children with white farmer David Dixon, who was able to keep his family safe from the racial violence of their time.
One of their daughters, Helen, married James Blaine Smith — they were the ones who saved all they could and started buying up some 600 acres of property in the late 1920s. Their oldest son, James Adolf Smith, told his six children they should never sell any of it.
“And I can tell you that from his dying bed, yes, he said, ‘You’ll keep the property in the family,'” Blaine Smith told ABC News.
About two years ago, the brothers and other family members — who still farm trees on the land — started getting letters from Ben Tarbutton, the president of the Sandersville Railroad Company.
Tarbutton told ABC News he moved back home to hard-pressed rural Georgia after college to run the family business, carrying on the legacy started by his great grandfather in 1916.
“I just think that, you know, rural Georgia needs opportunity,” he told ABC News.
Tarbutton said the new rail line to the quarry could create at least a dozen permanent jobs in the area, helping to revive the local economy. Pointing out the sad storefronts in town, he said they have looked that way for more than 30 years.
In terms of the line’s impact on the area, Tarbutton told ABC News they would operate during daylight hours, Monday through Friday, with one roundtrip per day. He also argued that the quarry’s resources are valuable to the country as a whole, especially given the increased need for raw materials after the passage of the 2021 infrastructure bill.
“The country is at a deficit of aggregate rock,” he said. “So the need for aggregate stone, which goes into asphalt and the concrete so that goes in the roads because of the bridges, is, you know, it was already needed prior to that bill, but now even more so.”
He told ABC News he’s still trying to get the Smith family to sell small portions of their land, but wouldn’t say how much he’s offering them.
“I’m a landowner, too. I’ve been on their side of the table really all the time, until now,” Tarbutton said. “And the thing that we always have done is we try to get as much money as we could.”
The Smiths argued that it wasn’t enough.
“Whatever he offered was not what it would have been worth if we went to sell it,” Janet told ABC News. “They tried to minimize the impact of a train, cutting directly through your property.”
The Smiths say they have not been offered an easement, which would give the railroad company the right to use or enter their property without owning it. The company offered to build railroad crossings for each of the Smith family parcels of land, which the railroad would break into two. That would allow the families to walk across and farm trees across their land.
When the Smiths were first approached, the tracks were running right behind their houses. After they expressed their outrage, Sandersville agreed to move the railroad line slightly to avoid this.
Tarbutton has a major advantage in the negotiation — the power of eminent domain. This compulsory acquisition of private property for public use is typically wielded by the government, like a state highway department, or a public utility, like a gas company.
It’s traditionally associated with building something everyone can use, like New York City’s Central Park or the Hoover Dam near Las Vegas.
This practice can feel enormously cruel to landowners. In 1997, it allowed the city of New London, Connecticut, to condemn Susette Kelo’s home. She fought her case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court because her land was being taken to build a $300 million research center for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
In a decision that still shocks people today, the court narrowly ruled against Kelo in 2005. They said that economic development was a good enough reason to condemn her land and sell it to private developers. The Pfizer research center was never built.
The legal group that fought for Kelo — the Institute For Justice — is helping the Smith family for free.
“We have currently a petition pending before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case out of New York trying to overturn that Kelo decision,” Mike Greenberg, an attorney with the Institute For Justice, told ABC News. “If that case is not the one that is going to do it, this certainly could be the case that makes it up there.”
At a recent hearing, Judge Craig L. Schwall expressed sympathy for the landowners.
“And if I ruled from what I thought was morally right, I would absolutely rule in your favor,” he said.
Ultimately, the judge ruled for the railroad, pointing to the law. However, he won’t let Sandersville Railroad Company boss Tarbutton condemn the land until the families get another chance with a higher court. On Feb. 27, the Smiths filed an appeal to the Georgia state Supreme Court.
The railroad president denied accusations that the Smiths would be treated differently if they were white.
“Well, I think that’s a gross mischaracterization. You know we came up with a straight line from point A to point B,” he told ABC News. “And we didn’t know who the property owners were at that time, much less what they look like.”
Sandersville Railroad Company is a private entity, but Tarbutton said lines like the one his company is trying to extend free up the nation’s roads.
“The vast majority of railroads are privately owned. And so those costs, as infrastructure calls, owning and maintaining the right of way government track — that is borne by the railroads,” he told ABC News. “And so if railroads didn’t handle the amount of traffic that we currently do, just would push all of that traffic back on roads — more trucks — it would just completely clog up the North American road system.”
From the sky, the construction of the new rail line or spur is visible right up to the Smith family properties, on land that other neighbors have already agreed to sell. These tracks were recently connected to a much larger CSX rail line that stretches up and down the East Coast, allowing Sandersville customers to transport their goods far away more easily.
In a statement to ABC News, the owners of the quarry say that it will soon be able “to produce and transport several times its current annual volume” and that “this will also benefit the local economy with increased expenditures on fuel, electricity, supplies, food and catering.”
The Smiths are hoping a court will let them honor their father’s dying wish: to keep the land whole.
“I want people to remember that this is America, where we are always given the right to freedom,” Diane told ABC News. “And not be encumbered with other people coming in and trying to take away or steal that little piece of serenity.”
