A mishap on an all-terrain vehicle led to the death of an Eagle River man on Sunday near Big Lake. According to a dispatch from Alaska State Troopers, authorities were alerted to an ATV crash around 1 p.m. on Sunday and found 40-year-old Jack Leibach unresponsive. Troopers and emergency medical services tried to resuscitate the man using CPR but were unable to do so. "Investigation revealed that Jack was seated on the ATV when the throttle was accidentally hit, sending the ATV into a rocky area and ejecting him from the ATV causing fatal injuries," troopers wrote in a dispatch. Next-of-kin notification procedures are complete. Troopers say alcohol does not appear to have been a factor in the accident. Leibach's body was taken to the State Medical Examiner's office in Anchorage.  

A firefighter has been injured and multiple stores are destroyed after a massive fire started in the Bronx late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Officials say the flames destroyed a tire shop and flower store on the Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road just before 11 p.m. Tuesday. Video shows how large the fire was from far away, with its thick plume of black smoke rising above the flames. Firefighters had the fire under control as of early Wednesday morning, but remained on the scene to continue working. There were neighbors cleaning up debris early in the morning, but those living and working in the area won't forget the sight of those ginormous flames. The owner of the flower shop says his business has been a big part of this neighborhood for 35 years. His nephew was at the scene to assess the damage to their beloved store.  

VIDEO: "It had to be a narrative, a documentary or a how-to," said Shawn Packard, a Cinematography student at Full Sail University. A school capstone project inspired a student to dig deep into his hometown. "I live here, I have lived here my whole life. It has been home for me. It kind of means a lot with family and the traditions and the community that we have built here," Packard said. As a graduating senior, he says it was important to him to leave and spread the legacy of Maine through film. "I know how important it is for film in a lot of bigger states, and in Maine, it's a blip," Packard said. Hoping to change that soon, he starts with an emphasis on the dwindling volunteerism at fire stations across Maine. "We see so many volunteer fire departments traveling through Maine, and we never see anyone really there and this is why," Packard said.  

VIDEO: Local and state fire safety officials are discussing implementing more fire-prevention requirements at large wooden-building construction sites after this month's massive, deadly blaze in Charlotte. The five-alarm fire killed two construction workers and sparked spot fires on nearby structures. Firefighters and a crane operator battled to save lives as flames swept the site, where 15 workers were rescued, city officials said. A day after the fire released smoke visible for miles, Mecklenburg County Fire Marshal Ted Panagiotopoulos sent an email to North Carolina Chief Fire Code Consultant Charlie Johnson, saying that there may be "an opportunity" to discuss updates to the state's fire code. He pointed to 2022 standards from the National Fire Protection Association that give input on how to safeguard construction operations at tall, wooden structures, and large, wood-frame structures.  

VIDEO: The past winter was a heavy one for respiratory viruses, dominated by surges of RSV, influenza and Covid-19. But just as it was winding down, a little-known virus that causes many of the same symptoms – a lower lung infection, hacking cough, runny nose, sore throat and fever – was just picking up steam. Cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, spiked this spring, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's respiratory virus surveillance systems. It filled hospital intensive care units with young children and seniors who are the most vulnerable to these infections. At its peak in mid-March, nearly 11% of tested specimens were positive for HMPV, a number that's about 36% higher than the average, pre-pandemic seasonal peak of 7% test positivity. Most people who caught it probably didn't even know they had it, however.