A 46-year-old Homer man died this morning, apparently from a medical problem that happened as he drove his pickup truck on Illinois 49, hitting three parked cars. Champaign County sheriff’s Lt. Brian Mennenga said John Mike Cummins was taken to Carle Hospital following the accident, which happened about 12:45 a.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Champaign News-Gazette

Brian Schmitt is still facing questions about his long-term future as the head of the Town of Wilson’s fire department. But elected officials are considering giving him some wiggle room around a firefighting certification requirement he currently doesn’t meet. The town last year agreed to a set of bylaws for its new municipal fire department that would require its fire officers to have a certain certification.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sheboygan Press

In the two and half years before a deadly warehouse fire killed 36 people, Oakland police made regular visits to the Ghost Ship artists’ collective. They investigated an illegal rave, a pistol-whipping incident, thefts, reports of child abuse, a stabbing, threats with guns, drug sales, illegal housing, storing stolen property, allegations of rape, even reports of people barricaded inside.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: East Bay Times

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Hon. Tanya S. Chutkan) has issued a ruling that will support federal, state and local governments’ efforts to support public health and safety through the use of voluntary consensus codes and standards. On February 2, the court granted a motion for summary judgment filed by a number of standard development organizations (SDOs), including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), ASTM International and ASHRAE.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: National Fire Protection Association

Building contractors who do unauthorized or shoddy work would face progressive discipline — ranging from a freeze on permits to license suspension or revocation — under a mayoral crackdown to prevent a repeat of the tragedy that killed a 42-year-old Chicago firefighter. Daniel Capuano plunged to his death in December 2015 when he stepped into an open elevator shaft while searching through a burning, two-story warehouse at 9213 S.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chicago Sun-Times