Vocanic blast hurts 23 on tourist boat
HONOLULU -- An explosion caused by lava oozing into the ocean sent molten rock crashing through the roof of a sightseeing boat off Hawaii's Big Island, injuring 23 people Monday, officials said.
A woman in her 20s was in serious condition with a broken thigh bone, the Hawaii County Fire Department said. Three others were in stable condition at a hospital with unspecified injuries. The rest of the passengers suffered burns, scrapes and other superficial injuries.
They were aboard a tour boat that takes visitors to see lava plunging into the ocean from a volcano that has been erupting for two months. The lava punctured the boat's roof, leaving a gaping hole, firefighters said.
The molten rock is coming from the Kilauea volcano, which has been erupting since early May. But until now, the only serious injury was to a man who was hit by flying lava that broke his leg.
Officials have warned of the danger of getting close to lava entering the ocean, which can create clouds of acid and fine glass. Despite the hazards, several companies operate such tours.
Shane Turpin, the owner and captain of the vessel that was hit, said his tour group had been making passes about 500 yards offshore when he navigated his vessel to about 250 yards away from the lava.
"As we were exiting the zone, all of a sudden everything around us exploded," he said. "It was everywhere."
Michigan legal tab $25M in water suits
FLINT, Mich. -- New tallies show Michigan has spent nearly $25 million on attorneys handling cases involving Flint's lead-tainted water crisis.
Data from Michigan agencies and the governor's office show legal costs have exceeded $24.8 million for the 2014 crisis that began after Flint switched its drinking water source to the Flint River without adding corrosion-control chemicals.
State records show spending on civil and criminal attorneys for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and its employees alone has surpassed the total state appropriation for the 11 active water crisis prosecutions. The Legislature reserved $6.2 million for the prosecutions and the environmental department has already been billed $6.7 million by attorneys.
Gov. Rick Snyder's office has been invoiced around $5.9 million and the Department of Health and Human Services has been billed about $5.7 million.
Oklahoma puts rape-kit test cost at $9M
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Testing more than 7,000 unsubmitted rape kits in Oklahoma could cost more than $9 million, according to state estimates.
The estimates were provided in a June 29 report by a statewide task force examining the issue. The actual cost could be different because officials haven't formally decided how to test the kits or how many to test.
Oklahoma's forensic labs would need additional funding to process all the previously unsubmitted kits, according to the report. While Oklahoma City and Tulsa police do their own testing, all other law enforcement agencies in the state submit rape kits to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for testing.
A statewide audit revealed about 7,270 untested rape kits in Oklahoma, but the state's total number is likely higher because nearly 120 law enforcement agencies didn't respond to the governor's audit directive.
Estimates show it could cost about $9.5 million if the state chooses to outsource testing the kits. In-house processing of 7,200 kits could cost up to $12 million.
NYC police to deal with chokehold case
NEW YORK -- The New York Police Department announced Monday that disciplinary proceedings will go forward against a patrolman accused in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man, saying the department has run out of patience waiting for federal authorities to decide whether to bring a criminal case.
A letter from the Police Department's top lawyer informed the U.S. Department of Justice of an administrative case that could result in dismissal for the white officer, Daniel Pantaleo, because "there is no end in sight" to the federal probe.
Typically, the department waits for federal prosecutors to conclude civil rights violations inquiries before taking action. But other probes have taken far less time than the case of Eric Garner, whose dying words, "I can't breathe," became a slogan for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The 43-year-old Garner, who was accused of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, was stopped by police on Staten Island and put in an apparent chokehold by Pantelo. The heavyset victim was pronounced dead at a hospital.
In a statement, the Department of Justice said it already told the Police Department in the spring it could go forward and that the move "does not have any bearing on [its] decision-making timeline."
A Section on 07/17/2018