The Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department is celebrating 100 years of full-time service to the community. The city of Wisconsin Rapids was developed as a consolidation of Grand Rapids, which sat on the east side of the Wisconsin River and Centralia, which was situated in the west side. The two municipalities combined in the spring of 1900 and bore the name of Grand Rapids, until the name was changed to Wisconsin Rapids to correct and freight/mail confusion with Grand Rapids, MI.
- PUB DATE: 11/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wisconsin Rapids City Times

Rep. Joe Morelle is calling on a federal agency to reverse a new rule that allows railroad tankers carrying liquefied natural gas to roll through Monroe County. The rule went into effect on Aug. 24, though it faces several legal challenges. It allows trains to carry up to 100 tankers of liquefied gas on American railroads, as long as the gas is stored in a specifically-designed tanker whose safety as a container for the gas has been largely untested.
- PUB DATE: 11/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Rochester City Newspaper

Brewster Police suspect that an arsonist is responsible for fires at two local churches on Sunday, November 15. Police say the New Testament Baptist Church burned early Sunday as did Sacred Heart Catholic Church the same morning. Authorities are currently investigating the origin and cause of both fires.
- PUB DATE: 11/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: iFiberOne.com

An accidental flash fire surrounded a man in his garage Tuesday morning, injuring two people. At 9:45 a.m. , firefighters responded to the residential fire in the 900 block of East 29th Avenue. The first company arrived within 4 minutes and found an extinguished fire in an attached garage. Two men had been doing some work in a very clean and organized attached garage, unaware gas cans were releasing vapor, Spokane fire chief Brian Schaeffer said.
- PUB DATE: 11/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Spokesman-Review - Metered Site

As Washington state faces its most dangerous coronavirus surge, there is a glimmer of hope in the race for a coronavirus vaccine. Drugmaker Pfizer said its vaccine is 95% effective and plans to apply for an emergency approval from the FDA on Friday. If all goes as planned, Pfizer’s vaccine could be rolled out in December.
- PUB DATE: 11/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle