K Jazz 88.1 FM

A train operator is dead and 23 passengers were injured after a New Jersey Transit train hit a tree early Monday. The New Jersey Transit train had departed the state capitol of Trenton before striking a tree that had fallen on the tracks in Burlington County, near Philadelphia on Monday morning.

NJ Transit said in a statement that forty-two passengers were on the River Line train traveling southbound from Trenton at about 6 a.m., EDT, approaching the Roebling Station in Mansfield Township when the incident occurred at 6:04 a.m. All of the injured passengers were said to have incurred mostly minor, non-life-threatening injuries. Local affiliate NBC New York captured helicopter footage showing a large chunk of a tree on the track and the front of the train completely smashed, with New Jersey Transit Police at the scene and investigating.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement on X: “I have been briefed on an accident on the [NJ Transit River Line] earlier today in which the light rail struck a tree on the tracks, leading to the death of the train operator and injuring passengers. An investigation is underway. Our prayers are with all affected by this tragic incident.”

River Line service was suspended in both directions between the Roebling and Bordentown stations the rest of Monday morning, with NJ Transit officials stating they would be continuing the investigation into the incident.

Editorial credit: George Wirt / Shutterstock.com

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (‘FEMA’) has paused Hurricane Helene assistance operations in some North Carolina counties due to threats being made against responders in the area. Per CNN, FEMA officials had its workers in Rutherford County, N.C. leave that jurisdiction immediately on Saturday after a threat was issued by a militia, according to local National Guards troops.

CBS News confirmed on Monday that one person was arrested in connection to the threat, with a FEMA spokesperson telling the network: “FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance. For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”

As first reported by The Washington Post, FEMA crews were forced to relocate due to a reported armed threat against workers, with a FEMA spokesperson telling CNN: “For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, as we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”

Authorities in Ashe County, NC also said that were threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees responding to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Ashe County is located about three hours northeast of Asheville, NC, which was hard-hit by Helene.  Ashe County Sheriff Phil Howell posted on Facebook regarding the alleged threats against FEMA employees: “Recently in the mountain region, there have been threats made against them. This has not happened in Ashe County or the surrounding counties. Out of an abundance of caution, they have paused their process as they are assessing the threats.”

Jordan Monaghan, deputy communications director for North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, said the governor’s office was “aware of significant misinformation online and reports of threats to workers … The governor has directed the Department of Public Safety to identify with local law enforcement the specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure safety and security as this recovery effort continues.”

In a statement to CBS News, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call Saturday afternoon that said a man with an assault rifle had made a comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working on recovery efforts in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area. The man suspected of making the threat was identified as William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina; he was armed with a handgun and a rifle when he was arrested and charged with going armed to the terror of the public before being released on a $10,000 bond.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden toured areas of Florida ravaged by the back-to-back hurricanes and announced $600+ million in aid for areas affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Florida officials have confirmed 17 deaths in Milton’s aftermath following landfall near Tampa last week. Over a million residents are still without power because of the storm, which came on the heels of Hurricane Helene late last month.

As he toured Florida’s St. Pete Beach region (a barrier island city off of St. Petersburg) that was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton, Mr. Biden said: “This is all a team effort, folks. it made a big difference. And it saved lives. But there’s much more to do, and we’re going to do everything we can to get power back in your homes, not only helping you recover, but to help you build back stronger.”

Biden spoke alongside St. Pete Beach Mayor Adrian Petrila and Pinellas County Chair Kathleen Peters, noting that “they stepped up not only [to] look out for themselves, but to help other families, help their neighbors. You know, that’s the resilience of the people of west Florida.” Biden also thanked local officials, first responders and healthcare workers for their help: “we’ve been in frequent contact, and it’s in moments like this, we come together to take care of each other — not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. Americans, who need help, and Americans who help you, if you were in the same situation. We are one, United States.”

Per the White House, the $612 million in funding entails aid for six Department of Energy projects in the Southeast , adding that nearly $100 million of the money would go toward improvements to Florida’s power system. Biden noted: “thankfully the storm’s impact was not as cataclysmic as we predicted. But for some individuals, it was cataclysmic. All those folks who not only lost their homes, but more importantly, those folks who lost their lives, lost family members. This funding will not only restore power, but will make the region’s power system stronger and more capable and reduce the frequency and duration of power outages while extreme weather events become more frequent.”

Editorial credit: Andrew Leyden / Shutterstock.com

Officials state that at least one person was killed and 12 others were injured during a shooting at a Halloween party in Oklahoma City early Saturday morning.

The shootout occurred at 12:30 a.m. CDT while outside of Patty’s Event Center in southern Oklahoma City after two groups of attendees began arguing; several people began shooting, while the argument spilled outdoors. Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn told reporters that a “disturbance” at the events center where the party was being held led to multiple shots being fired inside and outside the building, but it is unclear what the disturbance was that led to the shooting.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt confirmed that the incident included at least 13 total victims and is being investigated by local police detectives, and two adults have been arrested in connection with the mass shooting. Mayor Holt said in a post on Facebook: “Recent shootings in our city fit a familiar pattern — young men (boys, really) making terrible decisions with grave consequences. Boys whose brains are literally still forming don’t always respond rationally to the things that would deter you and I.”

Per ABC News, the names and ages of those involved in the incident have not yet been released. Police officials said they will release a statement regarding the mass shooting on Monday.

Editorial credit: University of College / Shutterstock.com

Hurricane Milton moved into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after making landfall Wednesday evening on Florida’s west coast as a Category 3 storm in Siesta Key, roughly 70 miles south of Tampa. Milton was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone with winds of 75 mph as of 2 p.m. ET, per the National Weather Service. It was 200 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral and moving east-northeast at 21 mph and is expected to weaken “rapidly” as it barrels away from the U.S. coast.

Milton forced millions to evacuate and left widespread destruction across Florida, wreaking havoc across the state and bringing tornadoes, powerful winds and flooding rains. More than 2.8 million customers were without power in Florida on Thursday, according to utility tracker Find Energy, with Tampa experiencing widespread damage. Milton ripping the roof off Tropicana Field, which was going to be used to house emergency workers.

At least 16 people died from the storm, officials confirmed to CBS News, with six deaths confirmed in St. Lucie County where tornadoes touched down, and at least two people were killed in St. Petersburg during the storm. At least three people died in Volusia County, and there was one reported death in Citrus County after a tree fell on their car.

Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters at a briefing Thursday: “The storm was significant, but thankfully, this was not the worst-case scenario. The storm did weaken before landfall, and the storm surge, as initially reported, has not been as significant overall as what was observed for Hurricane Helene.”

Editorial credit: Bilanol / Shutterstock.com

Ethel Kennedy, family matriarch and the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, has died at the age of 96. According to a statement from the family, Kennedy was hospitalized on Oct. 8, when she suffered a stroke in her sleep. She passed away on Thursday, Oct. 10 from complications related to the stroke suffered last week.

Daughter Kerry Kennedy and former Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Ethel’s grandson, shared a statement from the family posted to social media: “It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy. Please keep our mother, Ethel Kennedy. She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week. Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly. She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted in knowing she is reunited with the love of her life, our father, Robert F. Kennedy; her children David and Michael; her daughter-in-law Mary; her grandchildren Maeve and Saoirse; and her great-grandchildren Gideon and Josie. Please keep our mother in your hearts and prayers.”

Ethel Skakel Kennedy was born in Chicago in 1928 and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. She married Bobby Kennedy on June 17, 1950, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenwich. Bobby Kennedy served as attorney general in his brother John F. Kennedy’s administration; after JFK’s assassination in 1963, Ethel supported Bobby in his political career and his presidential aspirations before he was shot and killed by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in June 1968.

Kennedy was the mother to 11 children — seven sons and four daughters – including one with whom she was pregnant when her husband was murdered. She was predeceased by son David Kennedy, who died of a drug overdose in 1984, and son Michael Kennedy, who died in 1997 in a skiing accident.

After her husband’s death, Ethel Kennedy founded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights foundation which celebrates her husband’s and others’ dedication to human rights and public service by supporting programs for rights advocates around the world. Ethel Kennedy also co-chaired the Coalition of Gun Control and was involved with many other human rights organizations.  President Obama honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony at the White House in 2014, where she was praised for her perseverance and generosity.

President Biden said in a statement Thursday: “Ethel Kennedy was an American icon – a matriarch of optimism and moral courage, an emblem of resilience and service. Devoted to family and country, she had a spine of steel and a heart of gold that inspired millions of Americans, including me and Jill. We were blessed to call her a dear friend … For over 50 years, Ethel traveled, marched, boycotted, and stood up for human rights around the world with her signature iron will and grace. May God bless Ethel Kennedy, a dear friend, and a great American.”

Ethel Kennedy is survived by nine of her children, as well as the large extended Kennedy family.

Editorial credit: Brad Camembert / Shutterstock.com