NEWS - SMALL EARTHQUAKE REPORTED IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

Small earthquake reported in Central Oklahoma on Christmas morning

The quake occurred at 8:10 a.m. and was centered in Okfuskee County, about 8 miles southeast of Paden and 7 miles southwest of Boley.

 

From Staff Reports   

Published: December 25, 2011

A 3.3 magnitude earthquake rumbled Central Oklahoma on Christmas Day, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake occurred at 8:10 a.m. and was centered in Okfuskee County, about 8 miles southeast of Paden and 7 miles southwest of Boley.
There were no immediate reports of damage.
For more information about earthquakes, go to http://neic.usgs.gov/.

HUMOR - 12 BUGS OF CHRISTMAS (SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS VERSION)

12 BUGS OF CHRISTMAS (PC HUMOR/SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS VERSION):

The 12 Bugs of Christmas - A Software Developers' Version
(sung to the tune of: The 12 Days of Christmas)

1. For the first bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
See if they can do it again.

2. For the second bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

3. For the third bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

4. For the fourth bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

5. For the fifth bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

6. For the sixth bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Reinstall the software
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

7. For the seventh bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Say they need an upgrade
Reinstall the software
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

8. For the eighth bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Find a way around it
Say they need an upgrade
Reinstall the software
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

9. For the ninth bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Blame it on the hardware
Find a way around it
Say they need an upgrade
Reinstall the software
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

10. For the tenth bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Change the documentation
Blame it on the hardware
Find a way around it
Say they need an upgrade
Reinstall the software
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

11. For the eleventh bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Say it's not supported
Change the documentation
Blame it on the hardware
Find a way around it
Say they need an upgrade
Reinstall the software
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

12. For the twelfth bug of Christmas, my manager said to me:
Tell them it's a feature
Say it's not supported
Change the documentation
Blame it on the hardware
Find a way around it
Say they need an upgrade
Reinstall the software
Ask for a dump
Run with the debugger
Try to reproduce it
Ask them how they did it and
See if they can do it again.

NEWS - OKLAHOMA WINS FEDERAL GRANT FOR RAIL IMPROVMENT IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma wins federal grant for rail improvement in western Oklahoma

Rail upgrade will serve booming energy exploration area in Anadarko Basin

 

BY CHRIS CASTEEL 

Published: December 16, 2011

WASHINGTON — The Oklahoma Department of Transportation was a winner Thursday in a highly competitive federal grant program, securing nearly $6.8 million to upgrade a rail line in western Oklahoma that serves the energy industry.
The grant was one of 46 projects that won approval out of 848 applications submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“The overwhelming demand for these grants clearly shows that communities across the country can't afford to wait any longer for Congress to put Americans to work building the transportation projects that are critical to our economic future,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
David Streb, director of engineering at the state transportation department, said the money would be used to upgrade a state-owned rail line between Sayre and Elk City. The line is now frequently used to carry sand to Sayre for hydraulic fracturing jobs on wells in the Anadarko Basin area and to carry crude oil back from the wells.
The 49-mile segment now only allows for a few cars that can travel less than 10 miles per hour. The upgrade will allow for several more cars and speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, Streb said, making rail “a much more viable option'' and decreasing dependence on trucks.
The total project cost is $8.4 million, and the balance will be covered by the state and Farmrail, the regional railroad company.
The grant came from the third round of the federal TIGER program, and the state was a winner for the second time. In 2010, it won $49.4 million to build a bridge on Interstate 244 in Tulsa that can accommodate vehicle traffic, a commuter rail line and bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Streb attributed the state's success to its proposals for intermodal transport rather than traditional road and bridge work.

NEWS - COUPLE WHO RODE FREIGHT TRAINS FOUND DEAD IN COAL

Couple who rode freight trains found dead in coal

 

TAMARA LUSH    

Published: December 16, 2011

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — A couple who romanticized trains and lived a modern-day adventure by riding railroad cars across the U.S. were killed when a train dumped its load of coal at a Florida power plant.
Ever since Christopher Artes was a teenager in suburban Maryland, he had an illegal and dangerous kind of wanderlust — hitching rides on trains. Over the summer, he fell in love with Medeana Hendershot, who shared his passion. They traveled from Georgia to Chicago, then back to Tennessee, with Artes sending his mother pictures along the way. They wanted to spend winter in Florida because it was warm.
"If he had to die so young, at least he died at a moment where he was on top of the world," said Susan Artes, Christopher's mother.
Artes, 25, and Hendershot, 22, were found Sunday in coal by power plant workers. It's not clear exactly when or how they died.
Sometime over the weekend, the train pulled into the city of Lakeland's power plant in Central Florida. As the railcars arrive, the bottom opens and cars drop coal several stories below onto a waiting truck.
Officials were not sure if the couple was sitting on top of the coal or were riding in an empty car and dropped onto a mound of coal, then hit or buried by another load.
Artes died from asphyxiation, meaning he was likely buried alive. Hendershot died from blunt force trauma to the mid-section, so she could have been hurt falling or by coal falling on her.
Artes was adopted when he was 5 days old. Growing up, he had dyslexia and other learning disorders, but he was a sweet boy, his mother said. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder but didn't like taking his medication. He used drugs and drank, but his mother said he had been clean in recent months.
In high school, he embraced the punk rock scene and met some "traveler kids," his mother said. He started to dress in black and had a lot of different hair styles and colors. It was then he began climbing aboard freight trains for short trips, either to get around, or for the experience. This summer, with his girlfriend, he embarked on his longest trip yet, with no set plans other than the adventure. The couple wanted to stay in Florida, then return to Maryland for a visit with his family in the spring.
"I don't recommend it and I encourage people not to do it," said Kevin Rice, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., who writes about his train hopping adventures from 20 years ago on his website.
Rice listed the dangers of riding the rails: falling off the car, getting robbed by a vagrant, being jolted or crushed when the train's slack lessens.
"It was a great deal of fun and adventure but we could have gotten killed," said Rice, now 43. He said he has heard of many different freight-hopping deaths, but nothing like the case of Artes and Hendershot.
Since the invention of the railroad, people have sought travel and wander along the tracks. During the Great Depression, people jumped aboard to look for work or because it was the best way to get to another town. But unlike the Depression, modern-day riders have the advantage of cellphones. Artes called his mom three times a week.
He would sometimes ask her to look up directions on the Internet for truck stops, grocery stores and other places while he was on the road.
Artes' mother said her son had a train-hopping manual, but it was stolen at some point.
She described her son as naïve and trusting. When he and Hendershot were in Miami several weeks ago, a trucker with whom they had caught a ride with stole Artes' backpack.
"We were always worried about him. He always made so many bad decisions," she said. "If he got an idea and something looked good to him, he would do it. He was always jumping into situations. This particular train was one of them. I'm sure they thought the train would go from one yard to another."
Hendershot's family couldn't be located for comment.
The last time Artes spoke with his mother was last Saturday. He had been up north. He told his mother he was in Georgia on his way to Florida because the weather up north was too cold.
His funeral will likely be next week in Maryland.

NEWS - ELEPHANT ARRIVES AT OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO, BRINGING HERD TO A TOTAL OF 4

Elephant arrives at Oklahoma City Zoo, bringing herd total to four

The Oklahoma City Zoo received a male elephant Tuesday afternoon. An Asian elephant named Rex was transported from African Lion Safari in Cambridge, Ontario. He will breed with both adult female elephants in Oklahoma City in the coming years.

BY CARRIE COPPERNOLL

Published: December 14, 2011

The Oklahoma City Zoo received a fourth elephant for its herd Tuesday afternoon.
A male Asian elephant named Rex arrived about noon Tuesday after a 20-hour, 1,300-mile trip from Cambridge, Ontario.
It was a proud moment for the zoo and the community, Oklahoma City Zoo Executive Director Dwight Scott said.
“We've made a real commitment to elephant conservation and breeding,” he said. “These are magnificent, beautiful and intelligent animals. They need to be preserved.”
Rex will spend 30 days in quarantine and out of the public eye, Scott said.
He won't interact with the other elephants, and any time he spends outside will likely be during the early morning hours before zoo guests arrive.
The addition of Rex to the Asian elephant herd is the second new elephant this year. A calf, Malee, was born April 15.
Rex was brought to the Oklahoma City Zoo to breed with the two female elephants, Asha and Chandra. Chandra could mate with Rex as soon as this spring.
Asha, however, will not breed until Malee is weaned, which will be about another year.
The process of adding a male elephant has been a long time coming, Scott said.
“This is a critical step in our breeding program,” Scott said. “We've been working for years to pull all of this together.”
Oklahoma City Zoo officials visited the Canadian zoo last fall and then requested Rex come to Oklahoma. The move was approved by a consortium of elephant experts, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted a permit for the elephant's move in August. The final permits for the border crossing were approved this month.
Calm, comfortable
Only essential zoo staff members were on hand to help unload Rex, Mammal Curator Laura Bottaro said. The animal was calm and comfortable when he got off the trailer and walked into the elephant barn, she said.
“It all happened in about 10 minutes,” Bottaro said.
Asha and Chandra spent most of the day in the far side of their habitat, away from the barn and moving trailer, Bottaro said.
Malee was curious and spent her time trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
After the quarantine is over, the elephants will be allowed to touch trunks and meet one another.
Eventually, they could spend time in the same yard.
“We're looking forward to letting him mix with the girls,” Bottaro said.

NEWS - TRASH TRUCK DRIVER NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER COLLIDING WITH TRAIN

Trash truck driver not seriously injured after colliding with train 

 

A train has hit a trash truck near Dover. The driver of the truck has been flown to a hospital

DOVER — The driver of a trash truck apparently suffered only minor injuries when his truck was hit by a Union Pacific train Wednesday, south of Dover on the west side of U.S. 81.
Kingfisher County Sheriff Dennis Banther said the trash truck driver was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Oklahoma City after firefighters freed him about 9:45 a.m.
Kingfisher fire Lt. Garrick Yost, who assisted at the scene just north of the Cimarron River Bridge, said the driver of the truck was eastbound when he apparently failed to see the northbound train near a clump of trees. The train hit the truck on the passenger side. The driver was wearing his seat belt and was not seriously injured.
“Seat belts pretty much saved him,” Yost said. “He was very fortunate.” He was flown to a hospital as a precaution but only complained of minor injuries.
Raquel Espinoza, spokeswoman for Union Pacific Railroad, said the truck is from Waste Connections Inc. of Meno.
“According to the crew on the train, the driver never stopped,” Espinoza said.
The crossing has railroad crossing stop signs. The three Union Pacific crew members on the train were not injured.
“Fortunately this did not cause a derailment,” Espinoza said.
The train originated in Fort Worth, Texas, and was headed to North Platte, Neb., with mixed freight, Espinoza said.

NEWS -SMALL EARTHQUAKE RECORDED NEAR LUTHER

Small earthquake recorded near Luther

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a 2.2 magnitude quake hit near Luther about 1 a.m. Sunday.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Published: December 4, 2011

A small earthquake was recorded near Luther Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was a 2.2 magnitude earthquake and hit about 1 a.m. Sunday. Its epicenter was 5 miles southeast of Luther and 7 miles southwest of Wellston.
The earthquake was 23 miles from Oklahoma City.