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Published on: August 13, 2024

Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease prompts warnings to the public. What to Know.

Health officials in New Hampshire are warning the public about Legionnaires’ Disease after five confirmed cases at a single resort.

The five cases are believed to have been contracted between June and July at a resort in the downtown area of Lincoln, New Hampshire. The source of the bacteria, officials told local news outlets, can be linked to water droplets from a nearby cooling tower. The cooling tower is still in operation, leaving health officials to warn the public about a continued risk if they are in the area.

The Centers for Disease Control defines an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease as two or more cases identified within 12 months at the same location.

Published on: August 9, 2024

Port St. Lucie authorities are urging public to check carbon monoxide detectors following elderly woman’s death

By Leesfield & Partners

An 82-year-old Port St. Lucie woman died this week and her husband remains in the hospital after a car left running in the couple’s garage is suspected to have leaked carbon monoxide into the home, officials say.

Police were called out to the one-story home Sunday morning after a neighbor called to report she saw the woman’s 85-year-old husband on the floor inside, according to reporting from local news outlets. When first responders arrived, they said they found the man unconscious but still breathing.

Police found a car running in the couple’s garage that they believed to be the cause of the carbon monoxide leak. The woman did not survive and her husband remains in the hospital receiving treatment.

Published on: August 9, 2024

Women injured after shooting at Broward Restaurant. This isn’t the first time.

By Leesfield & Partners

Two women were rushed to the hospital for injuries incurred following a shooting Wednesday morning at a Broward restaurant, according to reporting from local news outlets.

Emergency responders were called out to the restaurant around 2 a.m. for reports of shots fired and found that one woman had been taken to HCA Florida Plantation Emergency for treatment while another was also taken to the hospital.

The first woman was shot while the second had non-shooting-related injuries. The first woman was stable as of Wednesday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. Both women were taken to the hospital by friends.

Published on: August 8, 2024

Florida Mechanic Killed Monday after Tire Explosion, authorities say

By Leesfield & Partners

A 20-year-old mechanic was killed at a shop in Fort Myers after a swollen tire exploded under pressure Monday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. while the man and at least one other worker were filling tires with air. As the man relieved air pressure from the tire, police said, it blew off the rim and struck him in the head. The other worker was also hit in the leg. Coworkers used towels to help stop the bleeding but emergency responders pronounced the 20-year-old dead at the scene at around 1 p.m.

A Centers for Disease Control State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (Face) Report, a program that examines fatal occupational injuries, conducted following a similar situation with a 20-year-old apprentice mechanic in California recommended that employees never perform maintenance on an inflated tire. Additional recommendations from the report included the supervision of new employees and testing employees following training to ensure that they are ready to take on the job with less supervision.

Published on: August 7, 2024

Nine people dead in devastating Palm Beach County SUV crash Monday night

By Leesfield & Partners

Nine out of the 10 people involved in an SUV crash Sunday have died from their injuries, according to reporting from local news outlets.

The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. Monday on Hatton Highway in Palm Beach County when a 2023 Ford Explorer hit a curve, went off the road into the grass and hit a guardrail before overturning into a canal. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene and six were taken to the hospital where five of them later died. The remaining survivor, a 26-year-old man, remains hospitalized as of Tuesday.

Hatton Highway is a two-lane road that stretches across agricultural fields.

Published on: August 6, 2024

FDA warns consumers about dangers of this supplement brand after lawsuit blames it for Georgia man’s death in December 2021

By Leesfield & Partners

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to steer clear of Optimized Plant Mediated Solutions (OPMS) Black Liquid Kratom after officials allege the product can be linked to health conditions and death.

The FDA’s announcement comes after an investigation into the product following a slew of reports detailing users’ adverse health events and the death of a 23-year-old Georgia man who died in December 2021. Mitragyna speciosa, or kratom, is a plant that derives from Southeast Asia. Though the product is marketed as “all-natural” and is a plant supplement, it has yet to be approved by the FDA.

Some of the reported health concerns linked to the use of kratom include withdrawals, addiction, increased anxiety, digestive issues and restless leg syndrome. This condition causes patients to feel discomfort in their legs and have a compulsion to frequently move or shift them, especially at night or when resting.

Published on: August 5, 2024

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues statewide alert as part of awareness campaign for child safety

By Leesfield & Partners

Florida public safety partners have banded together to create a “Safe Start to the New School Year with Awareness” campaign ahead of the scheduled return to classes across the state in mid-August, according to a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles press release.

As parents, educators and students alike prepare for the return to school for the 2024-25 school year, FLHSMV and other agencies have begun a campaign to raise awareness around school bus, school zone and crosswalk safety as well as other initiatives to ensure that children can get to and from school safely. With the help of surveys, citation data and safety tips, these groups aim to shed light on the public safety issue.

In the data released by the FLHSMV, there were 11,224 illegal passes of school buses. The data was gathered in a survey of school bus operators by the Florida Department of Education. This was the same year that the Florida legislature passed House Bill 0657 and Senate Bill 0766 which authorized local jurisdictions to implement and operate school zone speed detection systems and school bus passing infraction detection systems. As of 2021, the penalties for passing a stopped bus on the side where children enter and exit doubled as well as the penalties for failing to stop for a school bus.

Published on: August 1, 2024

An outbreak of Listeria prompted the recall of this popular deli meat all over the United States. Here’s What You Should Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak caused the recall of over 200,000 pounds of Boar’s Head deli meat products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services announced Friday.

The recalled products include ready-to-eat liverwurst produced between June 11 and July 17. The company is also recalling other deli meats that were a part of the same assembly line that could have been exposed to the outbreak.

The recall was prompted by a Listeria monocytogenes infection investigation by the Maryland Department of Health and the Baltimore City Health Department. The Centers for Disease Control has identified 34 cases of Listeria from deli meat across 13 states. At least two people died from exposure as of last week and there have been approximately 33 hospitalizations.

Published on: July 29, 2024

E-biker accused of leaving scene after crash that injured man on Central Florida beach, police say.

By Leesfield & Partners

An E-bike rider was charged with a felony after an alleged hit-and-run crash with a man on a Central Florida beach, local police announced Wednesday.

The 37-year-old was charged Monday with felony leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and operating an electric bicycle in a manner likely to cause harm after the Memorial Day crash on Ormond Beach, about an hour outside of Orlando in Volusia County, Florida.

The incident took place around 5 p.m. on May 27 and, according to police, the man injured in the event had been playing soccer near where the E-bike rider was speeding. The area where he was riding is set aside for pedestrians. Following the crash, the man who was playing soccer was rushed to the hospital where it was determined he had three broken ribs. The E-biker had left before the police arrived.

Published on: July 29, 2024

Florida driver faces charges after deadly crash Sunday

By Leesfield & Partners

A Florida driver is facing felony charges after police say he was driving drunk, causing a fiery crash that killed the other driver.

The crash happened around 3 a.m. Sunday between a Dodge Durango and a Chevy Silverado pickup truck in Pasco County. The driver of the Dodge was going the wrong way down State Road 56 when he crashed “nearly head-on” with the pickup truck, according to Florida Highway Patrol. Following the crash, the pickup truck overturned and caught fire. The driver of that vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man driving the Dodge Durango and at least one other passenger in that car were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The man was charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage following his release from the hospital, officials said.