text:
2 killed as KOMO News helicopter crashes near Space Needle

SEATTLE - Two people were killed and one was seriously injured when the KOMO News helicopter crashed and burst into flames Tuesday morning on Broad Street only yards away from the Space Needle.

Emergency personnel immediately rushed to the scene as thick smoke poured over the city at the height of the morning commute.

Two cars and a pickup truck on Broad Street were struck in the crash. Occupants of two vehicles were able to escape without injury, but the driver of a third vehicle was badly burned. He managed to free himself from his car and was taken to Harborview Medical Center, said Seattle Fire spokesman Kyle Moore.

Richard Newman, 38, of Seattle suffered burns on his lower back and arm, covering up to 20 percent of his body, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said. He was in serious condition in the intensive care unit and likely would require surgery, she said.

The helicopter exploded into a fireball on impact. Huge flames and thick plumes of black smoke poured from the blazing wreckage, about 50 yards from the base of the Space Needle.

Fuel gushing from the wreckage caught fire and burned for a block from the crash scene. Secondary explosions continued for several minutes afterward.

"Not only were the cars on fire, the fuel running down the street was on fire," Moore said.

Firefighters stopped the burning fuel from entering the sewer.

Longtime KOMO photographer Bill StrothmanThe two victims have been identified as former longtime KOMO News photographer Bill Strothman and pilot Gary Pfitzner. Strothman worked for many years at KOMO News and was well-known to many of the employees.

After retiring from KOMO, he worked as a free-lancer and also as an employee of Helicopters Inc., the company that operates the chopper leased by both KOMO and KING-TV.

"We all know him as one of the best storytellers to have ever graced the halls of KOMO," said news anchor and reporter Molly Shen. "It felt like a loss for us because he knows his craft so well, and he's such an artist and such a great journalist."

KOMO News anchor Dan Lewis said, "He really knew how his pictures could tell a million words. He put so much into getting just the right shots, the right video, putting it in the right place in the story."

He is survived by his wife Nora, a daughter, and his son Dan Strothman, who also is a KOMO News photojournalist.

Gary PfitznerThe pilot, Gary Pfitzner, was also employed by Helicopters Inc., but was a familiar sight to KOMO News employees.

"He always had a smile on his face," Shen said. "He loved what he did, loved to be able to fly and be up there above the city and see things from a perspective that most of us don't get to see."

Witnesses said the helicopter crashed as it was taking off from the helipad on the roof of Fisher Plaza, across the street from the Space Needle, at about 7:40 a.m.

A National Transportation Safety Board official, Dennis Hogenson, said the chopper rotated in a counterclockwise direction, then plummeted to the pavement below, according to eyewitness reports.

"It looked like the helicopter was trying to take off, and it just was trying to stabilize and it looked odd ... and it just took a nose dive right down there on the street," said one eyewitness. "And the scary thing about it was the gas from the helicopter started leaking and it caught a car or two on fire - so it's crazy."

Another eyewitness, Brian Cruz, said he saw the chopper in trouble in the air near the helipad.

"It looked like it got hung up on some cables, and before you know it - boom! - it dropped to the street," he said.

Chris McOlgan was in a car just behind the crash.

"It just blew up instantly," McOlgan said. "Nothing could have been done."

Kristopher Reynolds, a contractor working nearby, saw the crash. He said the helicopter lifted about five feet and looked like it was about to clear the building when it tilted. It looked like it was trying to correct itself and then took a dive downward.

"Next thing I know, it went into a ball of flames," he said.

Fire crews were able to extinguish the flames within a half-hour. Traffic was diverted from the area.

An investigation is under way, and Broad Street will be closed for several more hours between Fourth and Fifth avenues as investigators continue their work. Hogenson said investigators hope to have the street reopened in time for the Wednesday morning commute.

The Space Needle, Seattle Center Monorail and Experience Music Project museum were also closed Tuesday. Mayor Ed Murray said the crash site could be closed for three to five days while officials with the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration probe what happened.

Hogenson said the helicopter had earlier flown to Covington to shoot video of a water main break, then returned to the KOMO helipad near the Space Needle to refuel. After refueling, the chopper was just taking off on a flight to Renton when it crashed.

A woman from one of the burned cars went to a police station and talked to officers. The man from the pickup truck walked off. Fire investigators later located him and he was not hurt, officials said.

An hour after the crash, firefighters had put out the fires and were cleaning up the spilled fuel, which left a strong smell in the area.

Only the tail of the helicopter could be identified among the burned metal on the street next to the Seattle Center.

Workers here at KOMO rushed to the window when they heard the crash. Reporters with the station were then in the position of covering the deaths of colleagues.

"We mourn the loss of a couple of our co-workers today," KOMO-TV anchor Dan Lewis said on the air. "It's so difficult for us to look at this scene, of the wreckage down there."

On the street, reporter Denise Whitaker said, "It is definitely a tragic scene down here. It is a difficult time for all of us this morning."

The helicopter was a Eurocopter AS350, said FAA spokesman Allen Kinetzer.

It was departing from the downtown helipad when it crashed and burned under unknown circumstances, he said. The station said the chopper might have hit the side of a building before it went down.

The FAA is investigating but the NTSB is the lead agency, Kinetzer said.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragedy," said Janene Drafs, General Manager of KOMO. "The pilot and the photographer who lost their lives were like family to us, here at the station. We are grieving for them, their families and the on-ground victims who were injured in this horrific event."

Drafs said grief counselors have been made available for employees at the station.

"We also want to thank the other in-market television stations that reached out to offer emotional and news support during this time," she said.

The helicopter that crashed was not the regular KOMO helicopter but a temporary replacement for one that's in the shop for an upgrade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report


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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Fusible webbing...

This is driving me crazy!!!!! :#

I want a fusible webbing that dont do like this...
...this is the kind of webbing we have in is called Vliesofix...
and it works super when it is fresh and not rolled one or two times
( when going to classes or something like that)...
but after a couple of times the layers start to separate from each other and you have to pin everything together...and not to mention how fiddling it is when you are supposed to iron it on fabric!!!

So please give me some suggestions to other brands that don´t behave like this!!!!
Tell me what you use...please...!! :)

Last night I started to fiddle with my "Wool Garden" blocks...
and finally, I have these three finished.... :) now I have some blocks prepared for prim stitching.... ohhh I love those stitches...
Found a perfect pair of scissors ( in my drawer...:) cut the wool with and it saves my hand too...
totally forgot I had this one... bought it when I sewed my frayed quilt...
so it is good to look through the drawers from time to time... :)

Had another ....Aarrrrggghhhh...moment today...
When I went to the postoffice to send two quilttops for a Bushfire project...I found out that my creditcard had been exposed for skimming... and was blocked... :@
Dont people have something sensible to do instead!!
Hope the rest of the day will go smoothly... :)

  1. I have the same issues with fusible - once it's been around for a time, it just begins to separate.
    *argh* What is up with people stealing from credit cards. The Princess just had over $500 stolen from her checking account. The bank helped her right away, but it is upsetting anyway. Hope yours is quickly fixed.

  2. Hi Stina, Yes I find Vliseofix is a pain at times so now buy it in much smaller quantities which is also a pain. We are also able to buy a product called= "Heat a Bond" which is much better. It comes prepackaged in set amounts but I think you may be able to buy it loosely by the metre also.
    If you get stuck and can't find any,email me and I will put some in the post to you.

  3. Oh Stina! Sorry about your credit card. It is so scary that stuff.. Hope the problem gets resolved soon.
    Your wool blocks are BEAUTIFUL! And I am glad you found your scissors. That looks like it would help with hand function.

  4. Hello!
    I use something called Steam-A-Seam. It's a sort of vliesofix with paper on both sides. Five sheets in a package (each sheet is 22 x 30 cm). A bit more expensive than normal vliesofix, but much better. You can save even small pieces and the parts will not separate. Sorry, english is really not my language, but I hope this is understandable....

  5. I got a tip on the vliesofix when I took a class some time ago. I was told to keep the vliesofix in a plastic bag when I stored it away, then it would'nt get ruined so fast. Look forward to see more of your work as your hand and finger gets better:-)
    Happy sewing:-)

  6. Hi,
    I use Steam-a-seam 2 too. It`s a double stick fusible web, sticks temporarily (both sides) when applied and permanently when ironed. I find it much better than vliesofix. If you are interested, send me an e-mail and I`ll send you some links for internet shops where you can buy Steam-a-seam.
    Sorry about your creditcard, hope the rest of your day went well.

  7. I keep identical snips beside my sewing machine and love them for snipping my threads as I sew.
    I rarely use fusibles so I'm no help.

  8. Very sweet blocks there Stina. My dh had the same problem with his credit card two weeks ago, such a pain in the neck. Remember those lovely spring photo's I shared of Kellie's work, she told me she uses steam-a-seam lite. apparently it works really well and the fabrics don't fray. I'm shopping for some on the weekend.

  9. Hi Stina,
    I have the same problems with Vliesofix...gmpf! I recently read about a tip to cut your bigger sizes down to A4/letter sized pieces so that you can store them without rolling or folding in a plastic bag...maybe it helps.
    I haven't tried steam-a-seam or the others yet but I definitely do when my vliesofix is used up!
    Your blocks are lovely!!
    Hope, youre credit card issues are solved soon...I had similar problems and it took about a month until I could use my card again (arrgh!)....
    Take care,

  10. Hi Stina, Yes I had the same problem with Vlisoflex. I now use Heat and Bond, it comes prepacked and it in heavy weight and light weight. It wont seperate from the paper. Good Luck.

  11. Good work Stina!
    As I have told you before Steam a seam it the perfect one. I have used it in the ANGLE blocks and also to others that I have vliesofixat just because it is so very wonderful to work with. At Lapp Elisa you can buy it but I so she has it not right now..

    Take care!

  12. Hi Stina! Doesn't vliesofix drive you crazy?! I have given up on it & use Heat-n-Bond LIte. It is great. It perhaps is a little stiffer than vliesofix, but doesn't separate from the backing paper. Happy stitching on your beautiful blocks! Best wishes, Ros.

  13. So sorry to hear about the creditcard problems.
    Your Wool Garden blocks looks very lovely!

  14. Lovely blocks Stina...they just pop out...I use "Heat and Bond" stuff ever..comes in 3 weights...I always use the lite...

  15. Oh Stina - that's terrible on your credit card - it's scary out there on what they can do. Your wool blocks are coming along nicely - your thread should be there soon.

    Hugs - Karen

  16. I agree....had the same problem with my card....I wish some people used their evil for good - they might make a difference in the world!....I love your wool garden blocks..I got another one in the post hope to get it done over the weekend....sorry no real hints with the is so annoying when it separates....someone said it is better if you keep it in a plastic bag with one of those little silicone bags you get with say shoes...that take the moisure out of the air....not sure if you know what I mean....but worth a try...I try to buy it in small batches when I need it - but that is annoying as well!!

  17. I also prefer steam a seam 2.

    I live in quite a dry area. One tip that works well is to store it in an air tight bag/container. When the fuseable web dries out is when it starts separating from the paper.

  18. I used to use vliesofix as that's all we could get. Now I use steam a seam lite. It's not too stiff and it seals right to the edges so the fabric doesn't fray. I like that you can position everything before ironing because it's tacky.
    It is more expensive though.

  19. I have the same problems with vliesofix grrr!
    I am going to try that steam a seam 2 now!
    hope your day gets better....don't forget to rest the finger a little bit!

  20. Hey Stina! Yep, I think we all have the same problem with vlisofix! I don't use it often, so now only buy little bits as I need it. I tried heat and bond once, but found it a bit thick to stitch through - didn't see different weights, though, so maybe this is a newer thing, as it was some years ago that I tried it. Isn't it amazing what you find when you go exploring in your sewing room?! It think there could be burried treasure in mine!! Tee! Hee! Hee! Oh - hope your credit card gets sorted soon! Even without the worry of someone using your credit, there's the inconvenience of having to sort it all out! Hope it's pretty simple for you! Bear Hugs! KRIS

  21. Sorry about your credit card problem. I have been through a similar problem myself.
    I use Heat 'n Bond Lite for a fusible. It needs to be the Lite version to keep it soft & more flexible. And I only use a rim of the fusible around the applique pieces which helps keep the applique even more soft & flexible.

  22. Hi Stina,

    I hate when that happens to fusibles too! I've tossed out so much because of pure frustration. I read the the comments to see what was recommended and they all pretty much have it covered. Did you need some sent to you? What thread are you using to stitch your wool and what stitch? I have those BOMs and have yet to start! I'm terrible. If I would just get them prepped and stitch in the evening I would get them done! Oh, and I use those scissors all the time. They are the ones that are near my sewing machine...and funny thing I too purchased mine for a rag quilt!

  23. Hi Stina, yes I too have that problem with vliesofix, very frustrating. I keep mine rolled up on a cardboard roll with a rubberband around it seems to have helped a bit, not as much wastage. I love the wool garden quilt, have seen it on a few blogs now, might have to invest in that one I think.

  24. Yes, we have that Vliesofix too and have the same problem... Your blocks look very pretty!
    Have a lovely weekend (O:

  25. Hello Stina! I am new to your blog but I just saw this post on fusibles and I laughed so hard! This is what happened to me all day yesterday! I quilt donations quilts here in Salem Oregon USA and I use anything that is donated...I was given fusible with NO backing left on it to use for applique and I have almost gone crazy trying to put in my own paper to protect my iron. I will tell you this...this fusible still works great. It is stuck to my iron, my ironing board and ME!

  26. I know all that about Vliesofix!!!...I keep it in a plastic bag and always away from the heating ( and the sun, too). Steam-a-seam is a good option, though it is more expensive. I've never tried Heat-n-bond, but I'm thinking of buying it to see how it works. Your blocks are lovely, I really like the one in the middle! Sorry about your credit card, that is so upseting...

  27. I use Heat and Bond lite. I think there are thicker/heavier versions too.
    Hope your credit card problem is resolved soon. Very annoying.
    Love your wool blocks and glad you found your scissors which make life easier.

  28. Sorry about your credit card! Hope it will be fixed soon.
    Vliesofix doesn't always play well, but I see you've got a lot of great tips already!

  29. Vlisoflix works both ways. I had some that didn't separate but when you iron it on it is really hard to peel the back paper off. I don't know which is worse. Bummer about the credit card.

So nice to hear from you all... makes my day special...:o)

If I dont reply to your email.. you are probably set as a noreply...
so please see that there is a way for me to contact you...

- - -XOX- - -

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Details Emerge About Colorado Mine Accident And Safety Record

Nov 18, 2013
Originally published on November 18, 2013 4:43 pm

One of the men killed at the Revenue-Virginius mine in Ouray, Colo., on Sunday was trying to find the other miner who died.

New details of the incident from the Mine Safety and Health Administration were released Monday. The agency says in a statement that "preliminary information" indicates "that a miner entered an area of the mine where an explosive had been previously detonated."

A mine foreman noticed that the miner didn't return, the statement says, and succumbed while trying to find the missing worker. Mine rescue teams found the two victims and "detected fatal levels of carbon monoxide gas." The rescuers brought out at least 19 others who were sickened by the gas and taken to hospitals.

MSHA adds that all of the injured have been released and that four agency investigators are "on the ground" trying to determine the source of the lethal gas.

Fires and explosions typically produce carbon monoxide in underground mines, according to MSHA's website.

The investigators won't go underground until the mine is safe, according to MSHA spokeswoman Amy Louviere, who says the agency has "required the mine operator to submit a plan for the rescue teams to re-enter the mine in order to determine that it is properly ventilated and all harmful gases have been removed."

Louviere adds that investigators will very likely be "looking at a variety of things related to ventilation and gas."

Mining companies manipulate ventilation underground so that lethal gases are swept away. Miners are also required to carry gas detectors and emergency breathing masks known as self-rescuers. Investigators will try to determine whether the ventilation system worked properly and whether miners carried working detectors and self-rescuers and knew how to use them.

Mine owner Rory Williams told reporters Monday night that "the fallen miners were equipped with safety equipment, including self rescue devices and rebreathers containing oxygen, and said that equipment malfunction is not suspected at this time," according to The Watch, a local weekly newspaper.

The Watch also reported that Williams said safety is the mine's "number one priority."

"I believe our safety record has been strong," Williams said. "We have not had any incident of this nature ever, and I never intend to have another one."

NPR's review of federal mine safety records confirms that no fatal accidents have occurred at the Revenue-Virginius mine since recent operations began in 2011.

But the most common measures of safety show that the mine is above the national average for underground metal-nonmetal mines in both injuries and safety violations.

The rate of violations (measured in violations per inspection day) during the past 15 months is nearly double the national rate. The injury rate (measured in workdays lost to injuries) was nearly five times the national rate last year and double the average this year.

MSHA records list 25 violations and eight injury accidents since 2011. Twelve of the violations were labeled "significant and substantial," indicating the potential for serious injury or death.

Citations included in the violations noted moderate or high negligence 28 times. Eight citations said the violations were reasonably likely to cause permanent injury or death.

When the mine first reopened in 2011, the company was cited for failing to train workers, and federal inspectors ordered the untrained miners to leave the mine.

But none of the violations appear to cite any problems with the ventilation system or failure to carry, use and have working self-rescuers and gas detectors. There were no additional citations involving proper training after the 2011 incident.

Louviere says MSHA "will conduct a thorough investigation of the accident" but gave no time frame for a report.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit


text:
The History Of Factory Jobs In America, In One Town

Jan 11, 2012

For more, see Adam Davidson's cover story in this month's issue of The Atlantic.

Greenville County, South Carolina is where manufacturing's past and future live side by side. This is not a metaphor; it's a visible fact. In South Carolina, and throughout America, factories produce more than ever. Yet in Greenville, there are abandoned textile mills everywhere you look.

A decade ago, life in Greenville was organized around the mills. Each mill had its own village, its own church, its own bar. These places were abandoned over the last decade as mill after mill went out of business. What's left are deeply depressed near ghost-towns. But sometimes, amid the stretches of shuttered buildings, you can find a living relic.

A bar called Christine's Place — the sign says "Come to the holler for a cold swaller" — is still open. A few white-haired regulars are nursing drinks at the bar.

In the old Greenville, they say, the mills ran three shifts a day, and Christine's was packed morning, noon, and night.

"You could just make money," Terry Leah Suttles, the bar's owner, says. "You could get a job. Everybody knew somebody that worked in the mill, and usually they was hiring ... I wasn't really old enough to work but I went to work. I was about sixteen."

Suttles, like many people in Greenville, dropped out of high school to start work.

This is what made life in the old Greenville so rewarding. People with minimal education could work in a factory and support a lifestyle that their grandparents could only dream of. And the people here — they knew it.

"We've had a fantasy life," says Larry Hale. He worked in the old Greenville, driving a truck and hauling stuff made in Greenville all over the continent. "We've done things that a lot of people dream of doing ... Like when I went to Canada and started dating this hairstylist ...We lived our lives to the fullest.

Compare this fantasy life to the present. There are still factories in Greenville and they still employ workers with only a high school education. But as I found out, those workers feel far less certain about their job prospects. I visited the factory floor of Standard Motor Products.

They make replacement parts for car engines. I thought this would involve big, noisy machines stamping out parts and spewing oil. Instead I saw workers hunched over microscopes. It looked more like a science lab than an assembly line.

Madeline "Maddie" Parlier operates one of the machines on the floor. She doesn't have a college degree, and she doesn't need one to operate her machine. It runs with a push of a button. But she remembers a time when factory work wasn't quite so automated. In her old job at a kayak factory, she used to work up a sweat.

"I'm used to sweating — I mean really sweating," she says. "It's so different."

Machines do so much more of the work in today's factory. And the machines have bred a new kind of factory worker, workers like Ralph Young, who doesn't just have to push a button.

"We have a microscope, a hot stand, snap gauges, ID gauges," Young says. "We use bore mites, go-no-go plugs."

Ralph is the future of manufacturing. He has adapted to the new technology on the factory floor. But for Maddy, the pace of change has been bewildering. She is still adjusting, and she will have to keep adjusting as the machines grow more sophisticated and the work less physical.

The question is, can Maddy — and the 11 million other manufacturing workers in the U.S. — keep up?

This is the first part of a two-part series. Tomorrow, we'll look at the changing demands of the modern factory worker, and how they affect the job prospects of workers like Maddy.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit


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About Me

Kyle Smith (Twitter: @rkylesmith) is a film critic for The New York Post and the author of the novels Love Monkey and A Christmas Caroline. Type a title in the box above to locate a review.

Buy Love Monkey for $4! "Hilarious"--Maslin, NY Times. "Exceedingly readable and wickedly funny romantic comedy"--S.F. Chronicle. "Loud and brash, a helluva lot of fun"--Entertainment Weekly. "Engaging romp, laugh-out-loud funny"-CNN. "Shrewd, self-deprecating, oh-so-witty. Smith's ruthless humor knows no bounds"--NPR

Buy A Christmas Caroline for $10! "for those who prefer their sentimentality seasoned with a dash of cynical wit. A quick, enjoyable read...straight out of Devil Wears Prada"--The Wall Street Journal

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    Warner Bros. Yanks Torture Trailer

    By Kyle | March 17, 2010

    Promoting the new relaunch of “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” due April 30, Warner Bros. apparently had an online game in which it invited the gamer to torture a lady victim, or so says this blog post. (H/t to Instapundit.) Now the torture game is gone, replaced by a regular movie trailer. I guess I’ll have to find something else to do with my lunch hour.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

SST "Dollar Digi Sale" for January 2012

Welcome to SST"s "Dollar Digi Sale" for January 2012 This Digital stamp "Hearth Circle" will be available for $1 for the next month so hurry on over and get your copy today!
For my card I printed the image so it measured approximately 3 inches across, colored it with Bic Mark-it pens used some white stickles and silver liquid pearls to give it some bling cut it out pierced hols in the scalloped edge for a lacy effect. I went through my hugs stash of 'scrap' paper and pulled out some fun colorful prints and solids   inked all the edges with light brown chalk ink added some satin ribbon pink rhinestone hearts and stamped it with an acrylic ($1) stamp by "G" studios   and we are done!!

Hope you like my little project. Now head on over to Sweet Stamping Treats to see more projects with this months $1 digi!
Happy crafting and thanks for stopping by.
Big Blog Hugs! Janet

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